The Federation of Imperial Highmarch is a huge, safe nation, remarkable for its national health service, irreverence towards religion, and absence of drug laws. The hard-nosed, hard-working population of 983 million Imperial Highmarchians have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Education, and Healthcare. The average income tax rate is 37.4%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The powerhouse Imperial Highmarchian economy, worth 84.0 trillion Crowns a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Book Publishing, Information Technology, and Automobile Manufacturing. Black market activity is notable. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 85,473 Crowns, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.2 times as much as the poorest.

When you fly on Air Imperial Highmarch you win a seat or you die, asking 'does my bum look big in this?' leads to 30 hours of self-esteem classes, commemorative mugs remembering last year's Black Friday Crockery Riots are a best seller this year, and the government is pouring money into 'Operation Enduring Democracy'. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Imperial Highmarch's national animal is the Lion, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Imperial Highmarch is ranked 106,538^th in the world and 7^th in Rings Around Uranus for Largest Gambling Industry, scoring 1,565.53 on the Kelly Criterion Productivity Index.