The Federal Republic of Matte Perdit is a very large, cultured nation, renowned for its compulsory military service, irreverence towards religion, and absence of drug laws. The compassionate population of 332 million Matte Perditians enjoy extensive civil rights and enjoy a level of social equality free from the usual accompanying government corruption.

The large, liberal, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Administration, Education, and Welfare. The average income tax rate is 45.4%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but underdeveloped Matte Perditian economy, worth 9.59 trillion Leijons a year, is dominated by the Trout Farming industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing and Tourism. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 28,880 Leijons, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Athletic teenagers are among the wealthiest members of society, the Matte Perdit Automotive Racing Series draws millions of spectators annually while those near the tracks complain about the noise, citizens cannot change their light bulbs without approval from an international committee, and country folk are sent to obligatory boarding schools to learn how to be civilized. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Matte Perdit's national animal is the Airbus, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Matte Perdit is ranked 37,580^th in the world and 638^th in The East Pacific for Nicest Citizens, with 18.96 average smiles per day.