The Card Kingdom of Deretania is a colossal, orderly nation, renowned for its compulsory military service, public floggings, and enslaved workforce. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical, humorless, devout population of 5.15 billion Deretanians are ruled by a mostly-benevolent dictator, who grants the populace the freedom to live their own lives but watches carefully for anyone to slip up.

The medium-sized, corrupt, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Industry. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 68.3%.

The frighteningly efficient Deretanian economy, worth 931 trillion kronor a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Woodchip Exports, and Tourism. Black market activity is rampant. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 180,960 kronor, with the richest citizens earning 8.0 times as much as the poorest.

Cheap textbooks have replaced coasters at college ragers, victims of limb-mauling industrial accidents are told to keep working with their remaining hand, the daily weather forecast often predicts light showers of debris, and trick-or-treaters and circus clowns have been arrested under suspicion of being renegade vigilantes. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Deretania's national animal is the dolphin, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

Deretania is ranked 10,865^th in the world and 1^st in TNP for Healthiest Citizens, with 14.23 bananas ingested per day.