The Principality of Brister is a gargantuan, efficient nation, renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape, state-planned economy, and compulsory military service. The hard-nosed, hard-working population of 26.41 billion Bristerians are either ruled by a sleek, efficient government or a conglomerate of multinational corporations; it's difficult to tell which.

The large, pro-business government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Spirituality, and Law & Order. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 41.6%.

The very strong Bristerian economy, worth a remarkable 1,326 trillion brister dollars a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is broadly diversified, is led by the Uranium Mining industry, with major contributions from Beef-Based Agriculture, Information Technology, and Soda Sales. Average income is 50,240 brister dollars, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 175,973 per year while the poor average 10,414, a ratio of 16.9 to 1.

Appendix transplant figures have recently doubled, untold millions of brister dollars are going into a new government-funded maternity leave scheme, military spending is on the increase, and fur coats have become the latest fashion trend. Crime is moderate. Brister's national animal is the cow, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

Brister is ranked 94,425^th in the world and 2,117^th in The North Pacific for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring 2,279.15 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.