The Gold Node of Node Gold is a colossal, orderly nation, remarkable for its keen interest in outer space, punitive income tax rates, and suspicion of poets. The compassionate, cynical, devout population of 4.596 billion Node Goldians are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings."

The medium-sized, corrupt, moralistic government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Administration. The average income tax rate is 62.2%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Node Goldian economy, worth 534 trillion Nodecoins a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a large, well-organized black market in Arms Manufacturing, Information Technology, Beef-Based Agriculture, and Woodchip Exports. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is an impressive 116,358 Nodecoins, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.2 times as much as the poorest.

Modesty is treated with the side-eye, parents seeking custody have to write a five-thousand word analysis of their child's imaginary friend, polygraphs are relegated to the dungeon exhibit in castle museums, and citizens simply have to point a weapon at a government official to get what they want. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Node Gold's national animal is the Circuit, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Node Gold is ranked 23,087^th in the world and 2^nd in The Node for Largest Black Market, with 120 trillion Standard Monetary Units.