The Federated Socialist States of Zitherstadt is a massive, cultured nation, ruled by Ulrich Miklastiir with an even hand, and notable for its frequent executions, compulsory military service, and ubiquitous missile silos. The hard-nosed, democratic population of 4.211 billion Zitherstadtans enjoy extensive civil rights and enjoy a level of social equality free from the usual accompanying government corruption.

The large government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Education, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Heidelschenia. The average income tax rate is 78.0%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Zitherstadtic economy, worth 417 trillion Ergas a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is quite specialized, is led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Uranium Mining, and Book Publishing. Average income is 99,212 Ergas, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Mollycoddled youths run the country, mothers are routinely abandoning their children in the name of women's rights, kids these days know how to throw a proper punch, and citizens are constantly disappointed to find their nuisance neighbours are still alive. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Zitherstadt's national animal is the Pheonix, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its national religion is none.

Zitherstadt is ranked 24,970^th in the world and 512^th in The Communist Bloc for Most Advanced Public Education, scoring 7,131.95 on the Edu-tellignce® Test Score.