The State of Quist is a gargantuan, efficient nation, notable for its barren, inhospitable landscape and absence of drug laws. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 42.81 billion Quistians hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The large, liberal, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Welfare, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Capital Heights. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 44.0%.

The thriving Quistian economy, worth a remarkable 2,154 trillion betales a year, is led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Automobile Manufacturing, Door-to-door Insurance Sales, and Uranium Mining. Average income is 50,336 betales, with the richest citizens earning 5.9 times as much as the poorest.

Fur coats have become the latest fashion trend, a large-scale revitalization of the education system is underway, Quist has designated Capital Heights as its capital city, and war criminals are given full state funerals. Crime is well under control, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Quist's national animal is the deer, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Quist is ranked 63,212^th in the world and 1^st in Quist for Nudest, with 191.25 cheeks per square mile.