The Entwined Providences of Zarbik is a massive, orderly nation, ruled by Cameo with an iron fist, and notable for its vat-grown people, avant-garde cinema, and complete absence of social welfare. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical, humorless population of 1.735 billion Zarbikians are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The large, corrupt, moralistic, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Education, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Vik Novum. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 88.4%.

The frighteningly efficient Zarbikian economy, worth 263 trillion Atzzes a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Retail, and Automobile Manufacturing. Black market activity is notable. Average income is an impressive 151,929 Atzzes, but there is a large disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 787,915 per year while the poor average 15,873, a ratio of 49.6 to 1.

The government is funding experimental battery technology while the power grid continues to crumble, art criticism in Zarbik is scathingly destructive, old folks reminisce about the last time someone was acquitted of a crime, and 10-year-olds who struggle with integrating by parts are considered slow learners. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Zarbik's national animal is the Beaver, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its national religion is atheism.

Zarbik is ranked 102,944^th in the world and 66^th in Institute of Cellulose for Most Armed, with 0.34 Weapons Per Person.