The Republic of Hell on Ice is a colossal, orderly nation, renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape, compulsory military service, and complete absence of social welfare. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical, devout population of 5.474 billion Hellishes 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 medium-sized, moralistic, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Spirituality, Defense, and Law & Order. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 27.0%.

The very strong Hell on Ice economy, worth 296 trillion souls a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Trout Farming industry, with significant contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Woodchip Exports, and Book Publishing. Average income is 54,108 souls, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 160,171 per year while the poor average 14,357, a ratio of 11.2 to 1.

The government awards prizes to television shows featuring stereotype-breaking minority roles, scientists regularly clone human beings for research purposes, surveillance cameras are banned, and older citizens lament over the loss of law and order. Crime, especially youth-related, is relatively low, thanks to a well-funded police force. Hell on Ice's national animal is the hellhound, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Hell on Ice is ranked 41,497^th in the world and 1,728^th in Ambition for Most Cheerful Citizens, with 51.96 Percentage Of Water Glasses Perceived Half-Full.