The Dominion of Ulm 170 is a massive, efficient nation, remarkable for its lack of airports, compulsory gun ownership, and devotion to social welfare. The compassionate, humorless, devout population of 1.802 billion Ulm 170ians are highly moralistic and fiercely conservative, in the sense that they tend to believe most things should be outlawed. People who have good jobs and work quietly at them are lauded; others are viewed with suspicion.

The large, corrupt, moralistic government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Industry. The average income tax rate is 72.0%.

The frighteningly efficient Ulm 170ian economy, worth 232 trillion guilders a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Automobile Manufacturing, and Woodchip Exports. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 128,947 guilders, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 4.3 times as much as the poorest.

The sudden rash of anti-drug laws has left everyone dazed and confused, compass sales have gone south, animal liberationists receive government funding to break into animal research labs, and the government is funneling billions into Cape Ulm 170 following the shuttle crash. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Ulm 170's national animal is the cobra, which can occasionally be seen sifting through garbage in the nation's cities.

Ulm 170 is ranked 286,743^rd in the world and 377^th in Swabian autonomous region for Largest Gambling Industry, scoring -9.37 on the Kelly Criterion Productivity Index.