Kingdom of Axia: Economy
Questions and Answers
Is Axia an Autarky?
No, while Axia is rich in industry, and material wealth, it cannot rely only on itself for its economy. Resources such as cloth, salt, spices, and tin are not produced locally or are not produced in great enough amounts to meet demand. Furthermore, while restrictions are put on trade, it is recognized that imports in some case may be cheaper. There is also not enough labor for it to be considered such regardless.
What is the greatest strength and weakness of the Axian Economy?
The greatest strength is the great diversity and abundance of resources Amemichaelia has.
The greatest weakness is the lack of population, and labor. Something which Axia is stubborn on, being that it will not enslave other population and it will not allow mass immigration to its lands.
What are some other strengths and weaknesses?
Some more strengths are the general dutifulness of the Axian people, the quality of Axian goods, and the divsersity of even local economies.
Some more weaknesses, from the point of view of an economical perspective, is that free trade is frowned upon, that religion and morality will always be first above the economy which leads to it not being at peak efficiency and its own industries able to fall prey to outside competition, and the abversion to a banking system.
How does Axia aim to overcome its weaknesses?
Interest Free Lending and Credit Unions are the Axian solution to it's banking problem, but for the main issue of population, great incentive has been placed on having large families since the start of the kingdom which has resulted in rapid population growth, but this solution will take time. Further solutions are the use of machinery and industrialization to solve the problems of lacking labor, for if a machine can replace the job of a laborer, that laborer can be used elsewhere.
General Economical Overview
"A State's worth to its people is not measured by one means, but by all means of what it brings." - Probus Dominicanus
Probus' quote refers to that a nation is the sum of it's equal parts. A nation can be rich economically, but poor morally. Indeed, it is better to be a poor moral state than a depraved rich state in Axian common thought. But Axia, blessed by my Wife, can count itself as both morally righteous and rich.
Amemichaelia is a rich land, full of natural wealth and fertile soil. She truly can be counted as the 'Chosen Land' for her people as their righteousness has been rewarded over the years with prosperity that continues to grow year after year. The superstitious Axians believe that their prosperity will only continue if they are faithful and loyal servants of my Wife, and natural disasters are signs of impiety.
As for the economy itself, it is extremely diverse, having a strong farming sector concentrated along the coastal plains and rivers, endless riches that seem to come from the Amemichaelian Mountains and the seas around Axia, great forests that cover her land, and a great deal of self-sufficiency though her artisans and industry. Her goods are shipped worldwide thanks to her great merchant marine, and the growingly renowned 'Axian Quality'.
Geography and Climate
Geography and Climate play a major role in a nation's economy and to properly understand the Axian Economy, understanding the geography and climate is important. Greater details for both can be found here, but to summarize by region:
- Chersonesus has great bituminous coal seams that are found in Cherson peninsula along the Rusia river and Lake Rusia. This river valley and the other river valleys in Chersonesus such as the Ilargus river valley also has moderate deposits of Zinc, Lead, Arsenic, and Copper. As a whole, Chersonesus (Greater) and Fuscarnacia also is home to great amounts of Siliciclastic sedimentary rocks in this area like shale, claystone, sandstone, silt, and Mudrocks. Decent agricultural soil can be found along the other rivers, along with deposits of clay and limestone. Coniferous swamps, flat grasslands, deciduous forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests are the most common biomes. The end of the Cherson Peninsula in its Humid Subtropical climate being made up of subtropical moist and dry broadleaf forests, subtropical coniferous, mixed and coniferous forests, and subtropical grasslands.
- Basilicusa is the breadbasket of the Kingdom, with rich fertile soil being found across its plains. Deposits of copper, silver, lead, and bismuth are found here, along with shale, sandstone, clay, limestone, and marble, mostly found along the Theodotos River and Nazuna Rivers. Much of her land is flat grasslands along her coastal plain, with coniferous swamps, deciduous forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and evergreen forests existing in the interior.
- Akrita, like Chersonesus, has great amounts of coal but also oil, phosphorite and nitratine found in abundance in it. Farming here isn't as good as it is in Basilicusa, but it is still commonplace with its good soil. Many bogs, coniferous swamps, deciduous forests and evergreen forests dot its landscape.
- Chrysavunia is extremely rich minerally and ore wise, with large deposits of hematite iron, gold, copper, uranium, antimony, and zinc being harvested from its mines, along with precious gemstones like topaz, rubies, aquamarine, peridot, and aquamarine being found near the great lakes. Basalts, limestone, marble, granite, kyanite, rutile, quartz, lawsonite, coesite, amphibole, phengite, paragonite, zoisite, and dolomite are also found here. Evergreen forests, and Coniferous forests that provide great amounts of lumber are the dominant biomes here. Farming isn't that common and is mostly restricted thanks to the poor soil quality.
- The Thymusian islands are volcanically rich mineral islands, which have a burgeoning mining industry based around hematite iron, copper, nickel, platinum, and gold. They largely have extrusive igneous rocks like basalt, feldspars, and pyroxenes. Farming isn't that common but is largely subsistence.
Economics by Industry
Farming
Farming is one of the most common industries found in Axia, and for good reason. Both Chersonesus and Basilicusa are great regions for farming in general, especially the flat and fertile Basilicusa which is known as the 'breadbasket' of the Kingdom. The general staple crops of Axia as a whole vary little by region, those being: Barley, Potatoes, Rhy and Wheat. Fruits and Vegetables are found in abundance in the lowlands of all kinds, as is pastoral agriculture and all it's by products.
In Chrysavunia and Thymus, farming beyond subsistence is uncommon, and most of the food within these regions comes from the vast fisheries of the sea and great lakes, or is imported from their neighbors.
Fishing within the Sea of Heraclius and Sea of Axia is an extremely profitable and plentiful profession, with many of the Thymusian Islanders being fishermen. Cod, Salmon, Herrings, Eels, Oysters, Crabs, Lobsters, and Tuna are common catches within the oceans. Within the Lakes, Sturgeon, Trout, Pike, and Tench are common catches.
Mining
Mining is a very profitable industry, particularly within Chrysavunia, Thymus, Akrita and Chersonesus as noted above, and is a key part of the national economy and its growth. The mineral wealth the comes from Chrysavunia in particular fuels the growing industrialization of the nation as a whole. Of note, the quality of Iron from Chrysavunia is particularly prized within the Kingdom and outside it as of particularly high quality.
Logging
Logging is concentrated largely within Chrysavunia and Fuscarnacia, but is also present in all regions. The growing needs of the nation have lead to this sector growing more and more, and sustainable logging practices of replanting are starting to be adopted as a preventative measure, particularly in the two logging heavy regions as erosion from clearcutting has caused problems.
Secondary Sector
The skill of Axian artisans has always been notable given their devotion to their craft, but with the introduction of the steam engine and water wheel, factories have started to appear in industrial hubs such as the regions Galatia, Opisician and Phoenica, along with other major cities.
The most prominent and profitable industries and trades within these sectors are all things metal working, food processing, alcohol production, shipbuilding, construction materials, chemical industries, and the rapidly growing Coke industry.
Trade and Infrastructure
Trade, interstate or externally is another important part of the economy. Axia prospers both as an importer and an exporter as its economy grows, and its trade network certainly provides for its needs. Internally, great investments have been made into road networks, way stations, irrigation and canals to improve commerce internally. The Great Lakes in particular are hotspots of internal trade, with many raw materials from Chrysavunia making their way down to the industrial towns of the center.
