The Grand Duchy of Virtual Winter is a gargantuan, environmentally stunning nation, remarkable for its keen interest in outer space, multi-spousal wedding ceremonies, and sprawling nuclear power plants. The hard-nosed, hard-working population of 37.926 billion Virtual Winterians 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 government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked morass — juggles the competing demands of Environment, Education, and Law & Order. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Crystal City. The average income tax rate is 86.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The strong Virtual Winterian economy, worth a remarkable 1,399 trillion icy crumps a year, is extremely specialized and solely comprised of the Information Technology industry. Average income is 36,909 icy crumps, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.2 times as much as the poorest.

Frequent fliers are obliged to submit to invasive security procedures by government security, Leader has just been declared ruler of Virtual Winter in an international press conference, the fastest growing demographic of porn viewership is twelve to seventeen, and cars speed down national highways while drivers sleep at the wheel. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Virtual Winter's national animal is the polar bear, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Virtual Winter is ranked 34,819^th in the world and 2^nd in Geeks Unite for Highest Food Quality, scoring 51.06 on the Meeshlin-Starr Index.