The Technocracy States of Azzarel is a titanic, orderly nation, ruled by The Shepherd with an iron fist, and renowned for its teetotalling pirates, museums and concert halls, and compulsory military service. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical, humorless population of 19.428 billion Azzas are ruled with an iron fist by the corrupt, dictatorship government, which oppresses anyone who isn't on the board of a Fortune 500 company. Large corporations tend to be above the law, and use their financial clout to gain ever-increasing government benefits at the expense of the poor and unemployed.

The relatively small, corrupt, moralistic, pro-business, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Industry, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Airstrip One. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 22.5%.

The frighteningly efficient Azza economy, worth a remarkable 6,493 trillion Credits a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Retail and Arms Manufacturing. Black market activity is rampant. Average income is an amazing 334,248 Credits, with the richest citizens earning 8.8 times as much as the poorest.

Homebuyers must agree to name their firstborn after the previous owner, domestic fishermen fly the Azza flag out of fear of being blown up, teenage girls worry that they'll be unpopular if their skirts aren't short enough, and imprisonment is the leading cause of disownment. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Azzarel's national animal is the Meerkat, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Azzarel is ranked 881^st in the world and 35^th in The North Pacific for Highest Disposable Incomes, with 259,042.27 Standard Monetary Units.