The Matriarchy of Citherst is a massive, efficient nation, remarkable for its flagrant waste-dumping, smutty television, and irreverence towards religion. The hard-nosed, hard-working population of 1.294 billion Citherstians are free to succeed or fail in life on their own merits; the successful tend to enjoy an opulent (but moralistic) lifestyle, while the failures can be seen crowding out most jails.

The tiny, pro-business government is primarily concerned with Industry, although Administration, Law & Order, and Defense are also considered important, while Social Policy and Spirituality receive no funds. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 3.6%.

The frighteningly efficient Citherstian economy, worth 214 trillion guilders a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Retail industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Book Publishing, and Beef-Based Agriculture. Average income is an impressive 165,861 guilders, but there is a vast disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 1,493,542 per year while the poor average 2,281, a ratio of 654 to 1.

Rude retail employees are now even ruder homeless panhandlers, 9 out of 10 consumers think that vitamins can cure cancer, tax-payers are funding ever more extravagant movie projects, and fast-food chefs regularly win Health Innovation Awards for spitting on burgers. Crime, especially youth-related, is well under control. Citherst's national animal is the kangaroo, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

Citherst is ranked 313,973^rd in the world and 1,113^th in Concord for Largest Welfare Programs, scoring -6.32 on the Safety Net Mesh Density Rating.