The Holy Empire of Lacard 16 is a massive, efficient nation, remarkable for its daily referendums, avowedly heterosexual populace, and compulsory military service. The hard-nosed, devout population of 2.227 billion Lacard 16ians are highly moralistic and fiercely conservative, in the sense that they tend to believe most things should be outlawed. People who have good jobs and work quietly at them are lauded; others are viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Industry, Defense, and Law & Order. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 38.6%.

The powerhouse Lacard 16ian economy, worth 149 trillion marks a year, is led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Uranium Mining, Furniture Restoration, and Woodchip Exports. Black market activity is notable. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 67,052 marks, with the richest citizens earning 7.6 times as much as the poorest.

Lacard 16 City's main city thoroughfare has been blocked by a row of leyland cypresses that mysteriously appeared overnight, cheap textbooks have replaced coasters at college ragers, pinkie promises are a matter of life and death, and grade school teachers mark homework with red "CITATION NEEDED" stamps. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Lacard 16's national animal is the bison, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Lacard 16 is ranked 112,246^th in the world and 1,041^st in the Rejected Realms for Safest, scoring 78.85 on the Bubble-Rapp Safety Rating.