The Republic of Weithagen is a massive, cultured nation, notable for its barren, inhospitable landscape, ubiquitous missile silos, and spontaneously combusting cars. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 1.241 billion Weithagenians are rabid consumers, partly through choice and partly because the government tells them to and dissenters tend to vanish from their homes at night.

The medium-sized, corrupt, pro-business government prioritizes Industry, although Defense, Welfare, and Education are also considered important, while Public Transport receives no funds. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 58.6%.

The frighteningly efficient Weithagenian economy, worth 194 trillion Florins a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Retail industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Arms Manufacturing, and Beef-Based Agriculture. Average income is an impressive 156,364 Florins, but there is an enormous disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 979,475 per year while the poor average 10,579, a ratio of 92.6 to 1.

An alabaster statue of an ancient cat-deity takes pride of place in the centre of Weithagen City, worried-looking neonatal nurses are being deployed in place of SWAT teams during dangerous drug busts, body doubles and armed bodyguards escort witnesses to and from courtrooms, and people are more interested in gossip about the private lives of politicians than their policies. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Weithagen's national animal is the Stirge, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Weithagen is ranked 15,771^st in the world and 43^rd in Talonia for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 347.46 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.