The Queendom of Ulm 49 is a massive, cultured nation, remarkable for its compulsory military service, ban on automobiles, and compulsory gun ownership. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless, devout population of 1.87 billion Ulm 49ians are ruled with an iron fist by the dictatorship government, which ensures that no-one outside the party gets too rich. In their personal lives, however, citizens are relatively unoppressed; it remains to be seen whether this is because the government genuinely cares about its people, or if it hasn't gotten around to stamping out civil rights yet.

The medium-sized, corrupt, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Industry. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 61.0%.

The frighteningly efficient Ulm 49ian economy, worth 256 trillion kronor a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Tourism, and Woodchip Exports. Black market activity is frequent. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 137,252 kronor, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 447,184 per year while the poor average 31,714, a ratio of 14.1 to 1.

Diplomatic missions typically end with a flurry of childish insults, accusations and phlegm, appendix transplant figures have recently doubled, the government spends more on chasing distant comets than on basic infrastructure, and school teachers check the staff room for hidden webcams before complaining about rebellious students. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Ulm 49's national animal is the giraffe, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Ulm 49 is ranked 47,700^th in the world and 147^th in Swabian autonomous region for Largest Black Market, with 18.5 trillion Standard Monetary Units.