The Republic of Ulm 358 is a massive, efficient nation, renowned for its pith helmet sales, daily referendums, and devotion to social welfare. The compassionate, cynical, humorless, devout population of 1.438 billion Ulm 358ians 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, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Education, Law & Order, and Defense. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 69.7%.

The frighteningly efficient Ulm 358ian economy, worth 175 trillion Ducats a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector is led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Tourism, and Beef-Based Agriculture. Average income is an impressive 121,882 Ducats, but there is a large disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 547,243 per year while the poor average 16,776, a ratio of 32.6 to 1.

A nickname of "Doctor Death" probably indicates a decorated war hero, starving citizens are offered nuclear pasta, government officials have to mortgage their homes to make ends meet, and sneezing pedestrians are grabbed by alley-lurking doctors. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Ulm 358's national animal is the Bear, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Ulm 358 is ranked 279,845^th in the world and 368^th in Swabian autonomous region for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring -9.11 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.