The Matest of Matism is a gargantuan, safe nation, ruled by He Most Mat with a fair hand, and renowned for its smutty television, irreverence towards religion, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 14.597 billion Matists love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The enormous, outspoken government prioritizes Education, although Environment, Healthcare, and Industry are also considered important, while Spirituality receives no funds. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Matapest. The average income tax rate is 95.6%.

The frighteningly efficient Matismian economy, worth a remarkable 2,089 trillion Mats a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is highly specialized, is mostly made up of the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Tourism and Book Publishing. Average income is an impressive 143,130 Mats, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Dogs are encouraged to confront the psychodynamic roots of their desire to be "good boys", no personal detail is too tiny for the suede-denim census police, museums stand half-empty as all foreign exhibits are returned to their countries of origin, and some paycheques only arrive every 12 to 24 weeks. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Matism's national animal is the Bat, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Matism is ranked 10,392^nd in the world and 148^th in the West Pacific for Highest Poor Incomes, with 122,322.01 Standard Monetary Units.