The Commonwealth of Vauquelin is a massive, socially progressive nation, renowned for its museums and concert halls, irreverence towards religion, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate population of 2.318 billion Vauquelians enjoy extensive civil freedoms, particularly in social issues, while business tends to be more regulated.

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked morass — juggles the competing demands of Healthcare, Education, and Welfare. The average income tax rate is 74.2%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The Vauquelian economy, worth 90.3 trillion livres a year, is driven almost entirely by government activity. The industrial sector, which is highly specialized, is led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Basket Weaving, Soda Sales, and Retail. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 38,957 livres, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Dozens of viewers go online to hear whether a comma has been added to Clause 5 in Subsection B of Law 58375, Vauquelin's free colleges struggle to maintain standards in the face of overwhelming demand, the government seeks peaceful forum with terrorists, and a new guerrilla marketing campaign for tap water involves government agents spraying random citizens with hose water. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Vauquelin's national animal is the phoenix, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Vauquelin is ranked 8,021^st in the world and 713^th in The North Pacific for Most Valuable International Artwork, with 45.52 Bank.