The Empire of Nycteria is a tiny, efficient nation, notable for its compulsory military service and irreverence towards religion. The hard-working, democratic population of 12 million Nycterians are effectively ruled by a group of massive corporations, who run for political office and provide their well-off citizens with world-class goods and services. Their poorer citizens, however, are mostly starving to death while being urged to go out and get real jobs. The populace has reasonably extensive civil rights, although these are mostly aimed at allowing them to buy whatever they like.

The relatively small government juggles the competing demands of Welfare, Defense, and Law & Order. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 15.5%.

The very strong Nycterian economy, worth 674 billion Won a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Cheese Exports industry, with major contributions from Uranium Mining, Soda Sales, and Beef-Based Agriculture. Average income is 56,243 Won, with the richest citizens earning 7.9 times as much as the poorest.

Employers are finding it hard to screen candidates now that everyone gets A grades in their exams. Crime, especially youth-related, is well under control, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Nycteria's national animal is the squirrel, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Nycteria is ranked 239,931^st in the world and 188^th in The Region That Has No Big Banks for Most Cultured, scoring 64 on the Snufflebottom-Wiggendum Pentatonic Scale.