The Crown Territory of Canton Coast is a titanic, efficient nation, ruled by Governor Arthur Basilston with a fair hand, and remarkable for its daily referendums, ubiquitous missile silos, and irreverence towards religion. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 12.075 billion Cantonese are effectively ruled by a group of massive corporations, who run for political office and provide their well-off citizens with world-class goods and services. Their poorer citizens, however, are mostly starving to death while being urged to go out and get real jobs. The populace has reasonably extensive civil rights, although these are mostly aimed at allowing them to buy whatever they like.

The relatively small, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Industry, and Law & Order. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Port Victoria. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 13.4%.

The all-consuming Cantonese economy, worth a remarkable 1,258 trillion dollars a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Retail, Tourism, and Arms Manufacturing. Average income is an impressive 104,184 dollars, with the richest citizens earning 5.7 times as much as the poorest.

Politicians sweat as journalists scour internet archives for any mention of them, the government is lending a hand to private industry, the nation's generous tax credits have brought all the film studios to the yard, and politicians always seem to take two steps forward then three steps back. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Canton Coast's national animal is the phoenix, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Canton Coast is ranked 279,987^th in the world and 3^rd in Lyrali for Highest Unexpected Death Rate, scoring 25.18 on the Bus Surprisal Index.