Zahava

Zahava officially The Divine Empire of Zahava or The Imperium of Zahava is a country located on the eastern coast of Avalonia. Zahava borders Albaterra to the west, Koryeo to the south, and SiWallqanqa to the South West and shares a maratime border with Agrana y Griegro via the isle of Trinidad. Zahava is the worlds most populous country with over one billion inhabitants and is the third largest country in total land area encompassing 2,268,896 square kilometers.

The territory that comprises the Imperium of Zahava has been home to numerous ancient civilizations intertwined with the history of the broader history of the Avalonian continent. There are numerous archeological sites dating back to Neolithic times and bronze age civilizations. Many peoples and former civilizations had different religions and customs, many of which have been assimilated into Zahavan culture as the empire expanded and evolved into what has become modern Zahavan culture.

Zahava is governed by an but primarily a. As a Zahava has the largest military in the world in terms of manpower and equipment, is a recognized  and is a leading member of the Economic Community of Southern and External Avalonian States global alliance.

Zahava has the worlds fourth largest economy with 5.3 trillion dollars gross domestic purchasing power parity with a gdp per capita of 5,300 dollars. The currency of Zahava is the Drachma, a coinage originally implemented in about the 7th century BC. Zahava is a country with a  with a large rapidly growing  and  thanks largely to outside investment as well as a well-integrated. Despite this Zahava faces many issues with, , , and increased tensions with its neighbors governed by colonial minorites.

Etymology
The name Zahava derives from the name of Zahavarius, the mythological demi-god hero that saved mankind from the evil forces of the underworld and established the first city state, which also bore the name Zahava.

History
The region known as Zahava has been inhabited by human beings dating back more than 10,000 years. The first instances of what Zahavan historians consider to be the earliest form of modern Zahavan culture arose in 1400 CE following the arrival of the Aestheukre peoples. A form of the Zahavan culture as it is today has existed in Avalonia since at least this time, with certain gods and even the language dating to even further back. Zahava has been the starting part for several kingdoms and Empires, and portions of its territory have also made up foreign empires.

Politics and Government
Zahava is a despotic absolute monarchy, in which all authority ultimately rests in the hands of the Primogenitor. Imperial power, however, is kept in check by a complex system of religious and cultural traditions and expectations which the emperor is expected to adhere to. This includes seeking council with the Magos, keeping the military leadership loyal, and ruling on appeals won in the Judicatum. Further, the Primogenitor seeks the advice of several councils, chiefly the Rehati, and the Imperialis Administratum.

The Imperium is divided into two types of province: Segmentums, which are considered core territories of predominantly Zahavan character, and Ethnarchates, which are considered to be frontier territories of the empire. At a local level, Segmentums are predominantly ruled by regional Agoras. Ethnarchates, conversely, are governed by military governors called Ethnarchs which head military councils that govern the territory.

Agora or citizen councils, Epistates noble councils, and Ecclesia religious cult councils each contribute representatives to the Synedrion or Senate. For this reason, the legislation drafted by the Synedrion and presented to the Primogenitor are considered to carry the weight of a mandate of the citizenry. This fact has not always stopped emperors from exercising a veto over legislation passed in the Synedrion.

Military
The Sanctorus Imperialis Militarum, lit (Divine Military of the Imperium) is the name for the the unified armed forces of Zahava. The Zahavan Armed Forces are broken up into Sanctorus Imperialis Stratia (Army), Sanctorus Imperialis Nautika(Navy), the Sanctorus Aeronautica Imperialis (Air Force) and the newly formed Zahavan Special Operations and Counter Terrorism Command(Zahavan Special Operations and Counter Terrorism Command).

Military service is compulsory for men at age 18, and conscripts served six-month tours of duty; conscientious objectors could instead opt for an equal length of ______ (civilian service), or a six-year commitment to (voluntary) emergency services like a fire department or various humanitarian aid groups, or an equal length of service in the Gendarme. Women may serve in all functions of service without restriction.

The military is directed by the Primogenitor through the Zahavan General Staff under the appointed Magister Militarum.

Economy
See Also: Slavery in Zahava Zahava has a Development in Zahava is highly uneven with cities and coastal areas far more prosperous compared to rural and interior regions. Zahava is a. The interior of the country is still largely and remains largely focused on  in addition to ., with coastal urban areas experiencing rapid  and  growth over the past ten years. The State is the largest shareholder in many of Zahava's largest corporations.

The fastest growing sector of the economy has been manufacturing, with a focus on, , and s in addition to certain electronic components and arms manufacturing. Efforts to industrialize the interior have also been implemented with the development of chemical production plants and refineries

Zahava has a for both income and industry, a  from 1.3% to 17%, no sales tax, and relatively low property taxes.

Class Income and Inequality
Zahava has always had a large income inequality gap. In 2018 the top one percent of Zahavans controlled roughly forty-five percent of the countries wealth. Over seventy-five percent of Zahavans urban population is expected to earn between 22,000-63,000 drachma a year while in rural areas are expected to earn 10,000-17,000 or less. This has led the government to implement a number of social welfare programs and infrastructure programs to help develop troubled areas

Communications and Media
See also: Culture of Zahava

Transportation and Infrastructure
See Also:

Religion


The Epitoma Aiona contains the majority of Zahavan religious tradition and serves as a spiritual guide to the Zahavan ideas of the origin of the universe, the origins of the humanity, the lives of heroes, interactions between the gods and mankind, and the nature of the human soul. Zahavan religion is organized under a system of priestly offices the highest being the Synod Imperialis, with the highest church official being the Ecclesiarch Imperialis. Duties of the priestly offices include include deifying the Emperor, supervision of rituals and leading of prayers. Zahavans practice daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly rituals as well as some infrequent ones. Rituals may consist of sacrifices, or prayers to heroes or gods. In addition to the gods and heros of the Aiona, Zahavans also worship ancestors and often have a chosen familial deity meant to watch over protect or provide for the family, many Zahavans also worship the Emperor and the idea of the empire itself

Most communities in Zahava have their own local shrine or temple, which can be quite large in more populous areas while most minor prayers and rituals take place in the home.

Education
Zahavans have enjoyed some form of public education since the height of the second Tetrarch era nearly two thousand years ago. Zahava has maintained a high level of literacy throughout its history. With many towns and cities having multiple libraries, the Imperium considers it crucial that its citizens have access to the deep literary tenets of the Zahavan culture extending back as far as 700 BCE.

Crime and law enforcement
Each Province maintains its own provincial wide police force, while cities, towns and villages also have their own smaller law enforcement forces. Provincia Arbites, Urbs Arbites and Praedium Arbites respectively. Besides the Ordo Custodes the Imperialis Arbites are the only Empire wide police force. Unlike the Custodes the Arbites are focused primarily on enforcement of the Lex Imperialis which serves as the legal code of the Empire, although the two agencies regularly work closely together.

Sports
Association football is the most popular sport by far with the Zahavan National Football Team regularly qualifying for the Anterran Cup. is another highly popular sport, with the Zahava Open being one of the major tennis festivals of the Anterran Tennis League. Other popular spectator sports include, , , , , , , and. Water sports like, , and are popular in Zahava as well. Motorsports have become increasingly popular in recent years particularly racing with a number of Zahavan metropolises having built tracks.

, mainly of white stags and general, , , , , , and general  as well as other outdoors, exploration type activities are popular in Zahava.