The Commonwealth of USS Riel is a colossal, environmentally stunning nation, renowned for its burgeoning sheep population. The quiet, industrious population of 4.182 billion USS Rielians have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Public Transport. The average income tax rate is 24.2%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The USS Rielian economy, worth 157 trillion deniers a year, is quite specialized and led by the Tourism industry, with major contributions from Trout Farming, Book Publishing, and Furniture Restoration. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 37,512 deniers, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.7 times as much as the poorest.

It is illegal to make racist remarks in public, the government is spending millions on renovating the public transportation system, tourists from around the world come to visit the country's famous rainforests, and cotton candy made from genuine cotton cellulose doesn't quite satisfy. Crime is relatively low, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. USS Riel's national animal is the sheep, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

USS Riel is ranked 178,412^th in the world and 3^rd in Starbase 375 for Nicest Citizens, with 12 average smiles per day.