The Precipitous Imperial Colony of Corwyck is a massive, cultured nation, ruled by Governor of Corwyck with an iron fist, and remarkable for its pith helmet sales, compulsory military service, and absence of drug laws. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical, devout population of 1.86 billion Corwyckers 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 relatively small government juggles the competing demands of Spirituality, Law & Order, and Defense. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Corwyck. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 11.1%.

The strong Corwyckan economy, worth 104 trillion Imperial Coins a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Uranium Mining industry, with significant contributions from Beef-Based Agriculture, Basket Weaving, and Information Technology. Average income is 56,411 Imperial Coins, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 180,031 per year while the poor average 13,436, a ratio of 13.4 to 1.

The "boy who cried wolf" policy makes sick people reluctant to call an ambulance, homeowners on prime real estate have been seen dodging giant bulldozers with cartoon characters painted on them, the government has started a campaign to crack down on road rage and encourage alternate means of commuting, and the aims of top-secret Corwyckan science projects revolve around designing the perfect robot woman. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Corwyck's national animal is the Leviathan, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its national religion is Abbey of the Everyman.

Corwyck is ranked 209,225^th in the world and 498^th in 10000 Islands for Largest Populations, with 1.86 billion capita.