The Commonwealth of Matism is a massive, cultured nation, ruled by The Big Mat with an even hand, and remarkable for its museums and concert halls, complete lack of prisons, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate, democratic population of 4.124 billion Matismians enjoy extensive civil rights and enjoy a level of social equality free from the usual accompanying government corruption.

The large, socially-minded government prioritizes Education, with Environment, Industry, and Healthcare also on the agenda, while Spirituality receives no funds. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of New Matland. The average income tax rate is 83.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Matismian economy, worth 490 trillion Mints a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is quite specialized, is led by the Tourism industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Book Publishing, and Cheese Exports. Average income is an impressive 118,877 Mints, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Primetime re-runs of The Black and White Minstrel Show are a critical hit, Brancalandian Brie isn't available anywhere in Matism, the entire entry for Matism in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the World reads 'mostly harmless', and new arrivals are asked the location of the Minister of the Interior's birthmark. Crime is totally unknown. Matism's national animal is the Snark, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Matism is ranked 6,227^th in the world and 166^th in the West Pacific for Most Developed, scoring 90.88 on the Human Development Index.