agree with Lord matias...
any country can make the basics with few citizens (beer, food and grain supplies). All the rest is in your hands. Havng few players more you have food+beer excedents so you can start producing other things (for export and start gaining coins to your treasury).
if you start with a basically planified economy, your antion progress will be faster.. this is a social game, remember!
the eocnomical module is diverse, yes, but thats the good thing of it. You can start with the basic and then expand, explore the rest.