After nuclear suitcase bombs completely destroy New York City and Washington D.C. and a dirty bomb irradiates Mecca the United States is split into four pieces. The Islamic Republic comprises the west coast, southwest, and most of the Midwest. After the bomb attacks were revealed to have been done by Israeli agents and many celebrity conversions (including country star "Shania X") a large proportion of the country converted to Islam. The new country was founded as a beacon of light, but has failed to live up. Civil liberties are severely curtailed with the first and second amendments removed and a Wahabi/Talibanesque religious police called the Black Robes gaining more and more power. Jews (blamed for the destruction of Washington and New York) are ostracized and Catholics have taken the role of second class citizens. The roads are falling apart, satellite communications are often down, and the I.R. lacks scientific growth, living off excess technology stored by the former United States. The U.S. military has advanced little, with modern technology the best it can produce, the main reason that the two main power countries Russia and China avoid an attack is the elite training of the Fedayeen corps. The Fedayeen are essentially the guards of the republic, mostly made up of converts and veterans of the civil war. They are loyal to the democratic Islamic government though they are constantly courted by the extremist Black Robes whose police force are bitter rivals of the Fedeyeen. Many landmarks and warships were renamed after Islamic figures, the best example being the renamed the USS "Osama bin Laden" or Seattle's football facility is called Khomeini Stadium. It is mentioned that the new government attempted to destroy Mount Rushmore, but gave up due to the sheer size of the monument. The Bible Belt, a partially recognised separatist republic that comprises the old south plus Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia and most of Missouri disputed between itself and the Islamic State. After the transition millions of evangelical Christians immigrated here. Its government is thought to be much looser and decentralized, resembling the old Confederacy. The technology they possess is not made clear, although it is mentioned they have the only recipe for Coca-Cola. Nevada is its own free state with a large and growing population, it serves exactly the same capacity as it does now. The Mormon territories comprise Utah, plus parts of Colorado and Idaho. Little is mentioned about it. They may however not be a separate state, the map in the book (the UK version of the book does not contain a map) suggests they may just be an autonomous region within the Islamic Republic.