The Republic of Basque-Aqualine is a large, genial nation, renowned for its national health service, punitive income tax rates, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, democratic population of 151 million Basque-Aqualineans are free to do what they want with their own bodies, and vote for whomever they like in elections; if they go into business, however, they are regulated to within an inch of their lives.

The enormous, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Healthcare. The average income tax rate is 68.0%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but sluggish Basque-Aqualinean economy, worth 4.40 trillion Barsqes a year, is led by the Book Publishing industry, with major contributions from Trout Farming, Basket Weaving, and Tourism. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 29,111 Barsqes, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Unpackaged foodstuffs rot on store shelves, a handful of megacorporations own every "craft brewery" in the nation, all the playground's a stage for Basque-Aqualinean schoolchildren, and elderly tribespeople die in bed surrounded by loved ones and linguists. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Basque-Aqualine's national animal is the Pottoka, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Basque-Aqualine is ranked 180,412^th in the world and 131^st in Wintreath for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring 28.68 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.