The Swabian Autonomous Zone of Ulm 16 is a massive, orderly nation, renowned for its public floggings, frequent executions, and punitive income tax rates. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless, devout population of 2.262 billion Ulm 16ians are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The medium-sized, corrupt, moralistic government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Durtovsk. The average income tax rate is 59.2%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Ulm 16ian economy, worth 293 trillion Ducats a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Woodchip Exports, and Basket Weaving. Black market activity is frequent. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 129,476 Ducats, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.0 times as much as the poorest.

When shaking hands with foreign leaders Leader wears an armoured gauntlet, baby dolls thrown in the trash are a leading cause of panic attacks, apples shaped like baguettes have become a strange new food fad, and comatose jurors are the defense's favorite. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Ulm 16's national animal is the Bear, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Ulm 16 is ranked 56,255^th in the world and 220^th in Swabian autonomous region for Most Extensive Public Healthcare, scoring 2,970.87 on the Theresa-Nightingale Rating.