The Most Serene Republic of Matriculate is a mammoth, efficient nation, ruled by Richard Matheson with an even hand, and renowned for its zero percent divorce rate, vat-grown people, and complete absence of social welfare. The hard-nosed, hard-working, humorless population of 9.025 billion Matriculateans are either ruled by a sleek, efficient government or a conglomerate of multinational corporations; it's difficult to tell which.

The relatively small, corrupt, pro-business government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Matrixulated. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 12.7%.

The frighteningly efficient Matriculatean economy, worth a remarkable 1,164 trillion Simulacrums a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Retail industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Arms Manufacturing, and Beef-Based Agriculture. Black market activity is notable. Average income is an impressive 129,001 Simulacrums, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 459,053 per year while the poor average 26,099, a ratio of 17.6 to 1.

Compass sales have gone south, artists are pillars of society, minor code style errors dull the house edge, and marketing departments of corporate giants compete to sponsor little league teams. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Matriculate's national animal is the Space Porpoise, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is The Twilight Zone 1960.

Matriculate is ranked 5,915^th in the world and 5^th in Last Flight for Highest Disposable Incomes, with 112,618.36 Standard Monetary Units.