The Haze and Dreams of Cataryn is a mammoth, orderly nation, notable for its museums and concert halls, aversion to nipples, and ban on automobiles. The hard-nosed, cynical, devout population of 5.651 billion Cataryns 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 government prioritizes Defense, with Law & Order, Administration, and Education also on the agenda, while International Aid receives no funds. The average income tax rate is 54.4%.

The powerhouse Catarynian economy, worth 520 trillion forints a year, is led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Beef-Based Agriculture, Uranium Mining, and Cheese Exports. Black market activity is extensive. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 92,188 forints, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.2 times as much as the poorest.

Returning vacationers often find that their property is now a construction site, government crews work tirelessly to retake the suburbs from organized packs of raccoons, formerly fertile fields are being leached dry of nutrients by intensive farming, and strange lights seen in the sky are officially regarded as weather balloons or hoaxes and nothing else. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Cataryn's national animal is the goulash, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Cataryn is ranked 187,156^th in the world and 13^th in Abraxas for Largest Trout Fishing Sector, scoring 646.16 on the Nemo Depletion Efficiency Index.