The Grand Duchy of Ulm 172 is a massive, efficient nation, notable for its ubiquitous missile silos, enslaved workforce, and state-planned economy. The compassionate, cynical, devout population of 1.796 billion Ulm 172ians are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings."

The large, corrupt, moralistic, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Education, and Defense. The average income tax rate is 74.5%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Ulm 172ian economy, worth 216 trillion pounds a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is fairly diversified, is led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Tourism, and Beef-Based Agriculture. Average income is an impressive 120,455 pounds, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.0 times as much as the poorest.

High school bands practice by moonlight, the government insists that a ghost voted ten million times in the last election, crocodile roadkill is smeared across the asphalt of the new Formula One track, and the dartboard at the Ulm 172ian Cancer Research Charity bears a picture of Leader's face. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Ulm 172's national animal is the cobra.

Ulm 172 is ranked 154,309^th in the world and 109^th in Swabian autonomous region for Largest Gambling Industry, scoring 418.92 on the Kelly Criterion Productivity Index.