The People's Republic of Cheesen is a huge, cultured nation, remarkable for its zero percent divorce rate, irreverence towards religion, and stringent health and safety legislation. The democratic population of 301 million Cheesenians enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.

The relatively small, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Defense, and Welfare. The average income tax rate is 20.3%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The Cheesenian economy, worth 16.4 trillion chens a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Tourism industry, with major contributions from Book Publishing, Basket Weaving, and Beef-Based Agriculture. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 54,395 chens, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.4 times as much as the poorest.

The Cheesen Automotive Racing Series draws millions of spectators annually while those near the tracks complain about the noise, the combined alert sound of a nation simultaneously receiving a text message is a common cause of hearing damage, concussed platypusball players cannot remember their lineup position, and Leader's new door-knocking campaign has the sweet taste of success. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Cheesen's national animal is the platypus.

Cheesen is ranked 144,027^th in the world and 241^st in The League for Largest Gambling Industry, scoring 554.83 on the Kelly Criterion Productivity Index.