Reach

Reach was the former military and government center of the Inner Colonies, and was by far the most prominent world in the Epsilon Eridani system.

Economy
Reach and Tribute both competed with each other for the title of wealthiest colony in the system, thanks to its diverse economy that was evenly divided between its primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. Reach proudly boasted a strong mining industry: it was the single-largest exporter of titanium in the Human Sphere, with other metals such as tungsten also being found in abundance. Manufacturing was also found, most famously in its shipyards that could produce both the largest and smallest ships in the UNSC Navy in record time, largely thanks to the nearly supply of raw materials. Trade and service-based income was quite large. While not quite as large as that of its neighbor, Reach was home to the regional headquarters of prestigious corporations such as BXR Mining and SinoViet Heavy Machinery, leaving many to be employed in the vast towers in its major cities. Agriculture was present, but it did not usually export enough to warrant consideration.

Culture
"It has become a cliche for politicians to say that the first wave of settlers have been left behind, and we must do more to help them. This is preposterous. The first Reavians chose to go their own way, and they made that choice decades ago when they chose to leave the modernization and anomie of Earth for a brand new world.'' So of course they resent the second and third waves that brought that hustle and that modernity and taxed the first wave to pay for it. Most of them gave up their farms and moved to the highlands, but you followed them when you smelled titanium. I'm not telling you how to heal the divide. Honestly, I don't think it can be healed, and peacefully ignoring each other might be the best we fan hope for. I am saying that trying to get the First Wave to come down from their mountain farms and be more like you is only going to make the divide even worse."

- Anonymous social scientist

Although the terms 'Reavian' and 'Reacher' are widely used interchangeably to describe the people of Reach, both of these describe two different segments of the planet's colonists. 'Reachers' referred to the vast majority of the population, and were founded during the second third colonization waves. In the past, their better-prepared settlement gave them a much higher standard of living than their predecessors, and they had no issue with using modern techniques to make things easier for themselves. While they were drawn from settlers who were more ethnically diverse than their mountain neighbors, Reachers did not have a truly multicultural society, but a patriotic martial culture encouraged by over 150 years as the center of the UNSC's military might. They were supportive to the UEG and especially the UNSC to a near-fanatical level, with frequent parades that celebrated the military and government. The presence of so many servicemen here caused a cultural shift, where families were segregated by branch and rank and children were expected to attend some sort of military academy. This also meant that most were willing to move for work if needed. Religion was rare for them, and those that practiced it privately in their homes rather than in public churches. This only grew worse once it was revealed that the Covenant was unified by it, and it was not uncommon to see some individuals persecuted and bullied for this reason.

Reavians instead descended from the first Hungarian, and some Pole and Czech, colonists who arrived before the Odyssey expedition in 2363, and consisted of the hardliners who chose not to give up the lifestyle of their ancestors. Most fluent in Hungarian, they lived in farming communities called  within the mountains. Their disregard of most modern agricultural advances has seen them compared to the Amish of Earth, although they do not shun technology altogether and sometimes adopt advances that increase their crop yields. Most of their culture celebrated the struggles of harsh colonial living. Moas were routinely farmed and some were even successful in taming gutas. However, Reavians were distrustful of their Reacher neighbors due to historical disagreements, and to this day were upset that their role in settling the planet has been ignored. While the majority were wiped out during the Fall of Reach, in the years since more and more Reavians returned to try and repair their glassed homeworld.