The Dominion of X Y Z is a small, orderly nation, remarkable for its state-planned economy, ban on automobiles, and complete absence of social welfare. The hard-nosed, cynical, devout population of 20 million Cartesians are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The relatively small, moralistic, well-organized government prioritizes Spirituality, with Environment, Healthcare, and Public Transport also on the agenda, while International Aid and Social Policy are ignored. The average income tax rate is 13.7%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The Cartesian economy, worth 696 billion Integers 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 slick, highly efficient, fairly diversified black market in Information Technology, Door-to-door Insurance Sales, Book Publishing, and Tourism. 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 34,786 Integers, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.0 times as much as the poorest.

The tax department is having withdrawal symptoms, diplomats agree to the terms and conditions of peace treaties without reading them, the government spends billions to retrieve millions worth of asteroid gold, and the bureaucracy's scale makes the trees wail. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, despite the fact that it is difficult to make it through a day without breaking one of the country's many laws. X Y Z's national animal is the Bravais Lattice, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

X Y Z is ranked 207,808^th in the world and 148^th in Squeaky Squeakers for Largest Cheese Export Sector, scoring 685.37 on the Mozzarella Productivity Index.