The State of Matez is a colossal, pleasant nation, notable for its irreverence towards religion. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 9.22 billion Matezians have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The tiny government juggles the competing demands of Education, Welfare, and Healthcare. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 8.5%.

The strong Matezian economy, worth 545 trillion betales a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Gambling industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Cheese Exports, and Uranium Mining. Average income is 59,136 betales, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 180,156 per year while the poor average 15,063, a ratio of 12.0 to 1.

Employers may fire workers without giving any reason, tourists from around the world come to visit the country's famous rainforests, and it is said that a Matezian woman's work is never done. Crime is moderate, with the police force struggling against a lack of funding and a high mortality rate. Matez's national animal is the deer.

Matez is ranked 17,932^nd in the world and 1^st in Houston for Largest Gambling Industry, scoring 7,419.98 on the Kelly Criterion Productivity Index.