Economy of Zahava

Rubber
Natural rubber is a major agricultural exports of the Imperium, in 2019 the Imperium exported 2.7 million tons of rubber. The majority of rubber estates in Zahava are owned and operated by smallholder farmers, which account for about 85 percent of all estates that produce rubber. By contrast the state owns the majority of the rubber processing facilities. The Imperial Rubber Agency(IRA) has been responsible for research and development for continued improvement cultivation and processing of rubber. The IRA is responsible for the development of the Imperium's ability to produce specialty rubbers, such as epoxidized natural rubber and deproteinized natural rubber that can be used in green tires and high-performance engineering products

Silk
The production of silk has been an important part of the Zahavan economy for thousands of years. In times of antiquity the right to wear silk was reserved for the Imperial house, and the most influential of nobles as a symbol of their social status with certain colors being reserved for specific ranks or posts. As the popularity of Silk spread throughout the world the silk industry in Zahava has gained significant government investment, with the government funding the construction of a number of silk processing factories and building necessary infrastructure in rural areas to increase production and distribution capabilities.

In addition to the traditional silk, the Imperium is among the top producers of sea silk, a rare and ultra fine silk made from the filaments secreted by mollusks which is then harvested and processed to be used in top of the line fashion and decor.

More recently as part of the governments initiatives towards more eco-friendly economic endeavors the harvesting of wild silk has become more common. The main difference between the harvesting of wild silk, and traditional silk is that silkworms are allowed to mature and complete the process of metamorphosis into a moth, after-which the leftover cocoons are harvested and processed into silk. This process prevents having to kill the silkworms, which are typically boiled in the cocoon stage of development.

Aquaculture
Aquaculture began in ancient times in Zahava, primarily with the harvesting of carp, which were raised in paddy fields, and on silk farms as a means to control insect populations, the types of carp harvested varied by region and gradually through trade many farmers were raising multiple types of carp even in the same ponds or lakes.

Over time, as both domestic and international demand grew aquaculture in Zahava evolved from being primarily a small scale family owned business to being a large scale industrial enterprise, with aquaculture based enterprises now accounting for over five million hectares of land. As the scale of Aquaculture grew so too did the types of products produced. Shrimp and crab farming were among the first products to be produced commercially, with output of shrimp, and river crab steadily increasing yearly from the mid 1900s onward to over 160,000 tonnes in 2018. The production of farmed shrimp poses its own set of unique risks and challenges such as stocks susceptibility to disease, which has on numerous occasions resulted in the loss of large percentages of shrimp populations.

Molluscs such as oysters, clams, and other mussels began being commercially farmed in the late 1940s, with the advent of farming believed to have saved several species from extinction due to over harvesting and poaching prior to the development of commercial farms.

A number of different species of fish make up Zahavan Aquaculture, with carp remaining the largest produced this is due in part to the ease of care for carp, they are generally hardy fish, breed rapidly, the majority of carp species are non-cannibalistic, and they grow quickly. More recently measures to farm fish such as various types of catfish, salmon, trout, and perch. Turtle farming is also a large industry in Zahava, with 75,000 tonnes of turtle meat produced annually.

As with other sectors of the economy the government has launched a number of Eco-friendly initiatives in regards to Aquaculture. This includes strict government regulation on all fisheries within Imperial territorial waters, as well as guidelines on how densely populated farms can be, what farmed species are fed and how much, as well as inspections to ensure Aquaculture farms are complying with government regulations and for evaluations on the areas neighboring Aquaculture farms ecological health.

Other measures the government has taken towards sustainability are the use of better netting materials for farmed fishery cages, to reduce biofouling and ensure a cleaner healthier environment for farmed species, and the use of genetic modification to allow certain farmed species to mature more quickly, or to be resistant to different types of disease. Another method being used is the implementation of farming multiple species together when the targeted species can live in a synergistic relationship, such as raising different types of carp in the same ponds such as mud carp, which feed on the bottom, silver carp, which feed in the mid water, and grass carp which feed on the surface, another example is the use of molluscs and two types fish in the same farming cages where the molluscs eat the fish waste, while one fish provides food, in the form of fry and eggs for the species targeted for harvest.

Energy
The Imperial government, beginning in 1960s began to take measures to reduce the countries dependence on imported petroleum. Despite this, imported oil accounts for almost 21% of the processed crude in the Imperium, the majority of which comes from _____. In 2000 the Imperial government began to invest heavily in oil fields around the globe to diversify the source of its imported petroleum.

In 1966 the Imperial government began the development of fuels, primarily using sugarcane. Today all domestic automobile manufactures and imported vehicles sell vehicles, that can use gasoline and ethanol blends ranging from pure gasoline up to 100% ethanol. In 2010 the Imperial government began to fund research and development programs for electric powered vehicles.

Zahava's natural gas reserves remain largely unknown, as relatively little exploration for natural gas has been done. The Imperium is among the top producers in the world of hydroelectric power, with over 300 hydroelectric plants in operation accounting for almost 60% of the country's energy generation, with 74.63% of the countries total energy generation coming from renewable energy resources.

Defense
With among one of the largest standing military forces in the world, with over 1.3 million personnel the defense Industry of Zahava is a strategically important sector of the economy. The domestic defense Industry is 80% owned by the state under the Imperial Armament and Research Manufactorum conglomerate which operates a number of facilities ranging from research and development laboratories and testing sites to munitions production factories. The Imperium provides a wide variety of arms, vehicles, and other equipment to numerous nations around the globe, particularly to members of ECOSEAS. The Zahavan defense industry has also jointly developed a number products with nations abroad.

Tourism
Tourism in Zahava is a growing industry and becoming a significant part of the Zahavan economy. With the government investing substantially on development along the nations many beaches and islands in addition to the numerous historical and religious sites throughout the country coupled with the many rare and exotic wild flora and fauna and geographic diversity Zahava is a popular travel destination for many around the world. Sex tourism is also a large component of the Zahavan tourist industry, with Zahava having numerous religious festivals that involve sex, traditionally culturally low inhibitions towards sex in general, and an acceptance of most sexual orientations or gender identities has led to a number of niche fetish resorts appealing to international travelers and domestic tourists alike.

As the government encourages and and promotes foreign investment business travel has increased dramatically with the government investing heavily in air transportation and the development of new luxury hotels and executive parks.

As economic growth and urbanization continues the emerging Zahavan middle class continue to make up a growing percentage of domestic tourism

Labor Force
In a report by the Imperial government there are over 720 million workers, workers being defined as persons between the ages of 15 to 65 in the Imperium. Making it the largest labor force in the world. Of those 49% of the labor force worked in agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 22% in mining, manufacturing, energy, and construction industries; and 29% in the services sector and other categories. The growing trends of urbanization has led to the percentages of the Zahavan workforce in the service and manufacturing sectors to grow rapidly while the number of workers in Agricultural sectors continues to decline. These figures do not include communal, largely sustenance farming that is common in the poorer interior regions of the country or those working in unincorporated, unorganized enterprises.

Some 25 million persons were employed by nearly 750,000 private enterprises, and urban wages expected to increase at a rate of 13 to 19% per year in contrast to 1 to 4% increases in rural areas.

Until the 1960s child labor was a major problem in Zahava, beginning in 1961 the Imperial government began establishing free lunch programs, building additional schools and vocational training programs as well as establishing special investigations. These measures were largely effective and today child labor is a rarity in organized industries, the practice does however remain largely common in rural family agricultural projects where children help their families during the most labor intensive times of the year such as sowing and harvesting seasons. The government has taken measures to expand the use of machinery, even on smaller family operations to ensure families can prioritize education for their children over labor.

Welfare and Development programs
To combat growing regional disparities in development and income the Zahavan government has begun taking steps to reduce these issues. It has developed several key strategies to address these concerns


 * Interior Development and Modernization: A series of projects consisting of constructing new infrastructure such as road and rail networks, telecommunication lines, building of hydroelectric facilities, the deployment of more efficient and modern agricultural equipment and practices yielding larger crops, reforestation and other environmental protection and sustainability efforts, as well as an increased focus on education and the construction, development, and modernization of public utilities in the interior regions.


 * Ophelion Revitalization: Modernization of mining and other mineral extraction practices in an environmentally sustainable way, development of tourist economy through the creation of resorts guided mountain expeditions and investment in cultural sites. Construction and modernization of existing mineral processing facilities and refineries and connecting them to modern infrastructure. Upgrading and construction of infrastructure and telecommunication systems in addition to promoting education, and the construction, development, and modernization of public utilities.


 * Imperial Education and Health Initiative: A nationwide program aimed at upgrading or constructing more schools, particularly in rural underdeveloped areas, in addition to increased funding to education nationwide. Provide incentives for educators to take positions at rural facilities as opposed to the over saturated urban areas The deployment of nationwide literacy programs. Deployment of temporary mobile medical facilities typically carried out by the army in rural areas while modern permanent facilities are built or existing facilities upgraded. Pay incentives to encourage urban and military medical professionals to reside or retire to rural areas and establish practices there. Nationwide vaccine programs and education in safe sex practices, construction of or upgrading of existing water treatment facilities and sewage infrastructure.

Poverty and Income Inequality
Unequal transportation systems —combined with important differences in the availability of natural and human resources and industrial infrastructure—has produced significant variations in the regional economies of Zahava. The coastal regions are significantly more developed, populous, and have the modern infrastructure and industrial facilities ensuring people living in those regions have a significantly higher income and standard of living than those who live in the more rural interior regions.

According to government reports Zahava has roughly 21% of the worlds population and accounts for an almost equal percentage of the worlds poorest people. A government study found more than 54% of Zahavan households did not have access to modern medical care, and 47% did not have access to modern sanitation or acess to water facilities within their own home.

To combat poverty the government has implemented a number of social welfare programs, including primarily hiring rural and poorer locals for public works projects as part of the overall economic development programs currently underway throughout the country. Additionally the government has implemented traditional education and vocational training programs as well as medical programs in poorer areas.

Other measures to combat poverty are Imperial edict 9EC, which stipulated that by 2021 wages in the interior territories must be at least 43% of those in Urban areas, and an overall increase in the national minimum wage.

Transportation and Infrastructure
During most of the 1940s and into the 60's, new road and rail links were built throughout the country, while at the same time old ones were improved. During the 1960 and into the 1980s the improvement of regional transportation networks became the responsibility of the regional governments, this led to the construction of many small rail and roadways as well as improved river transportation networks while communications infrastructure remained under the Imperial government. Emphasis was also placed on developing transportation in remote rural, mountainous, and forested areas, in order to integrate poorer regions of the country and to help promote economies of scale in the agricultural sector a practice which continues through to today.

Freight haulage is mainly provided by rail transport, under the control of the state owned Zahavan Imperial Railway Company, with a wide variation in services provided throughout the country. In urban areas where the transportation links are much more developed, and saturated the ZIRC operates a number of high speed rail lines, for the transport of passengers up and down the coast of the country

The Imperial government has taken steps to ensure water traffic, an important mode of transportation since ancient times remains viable and efficient with ships of up to 10,000 tons able to navigate more than 1,000 km (621 mi) on the Mageiaus, while ships of 1,000 tons can navigate over 1,286 km upstream on the Masali river.