NationStates Jolt Archive


Prospecting Prospects (Open)

Steelternia
04-10-2008, 08:36
There are plenty of records of the history of Steelternia's surface. Its watering holes, its forests, its desert. Iron and coal are both big enough to lead to Steelternia's namesake, but not as large as its primary industries. Steelternia is largely an agrarian nation, focusing on animal husbandry and a large freshwater fish industry. Food is the focus of the people, and with good reason. With all the chaos of their region, food is necessary. This, however, has left a vacuum. Without proper industrialization, there has been little foreign exports, and to fight their wars and protect their borders, local warlords have had to buy weapons from foreign nations and arms dealers, and many cities owe money to them, debts that have been taken by the government.

A recent offer has been made to Steelternia to upgrade its ports to modern standards, in exchange for two year's worth of the ore Wolframite, a Tungsten-Iron-Manganese mineral. It is unknown on whether or not Steelternia has deposits of Wolframite, but due to its large iron deposits, it is entirely likely. The debate in Parliament and within the Chancellor's cabinet is whether or not the deal is worth it from Steelternia's standpoint. Steelternia has some bright leaders, but none are geologists, and only a handful of them are economists. So they understand little about the stuff, and whether or not they actually have it.

Before any decision can be made, it must be confirmed on whether or not deposits of Wolframite exist in Steelternia. We do have a few geologists, but they lack the proper founding and backing to perform the necessary surveys to prospect for it. Steelternia, however, is reluctant to turn to foreign investment. It is a young nation, and is somewhat distrusting of foreign powers. If one becomes too powerful and influential, Steelternia fears a corruption of its government. Furthermore, Steelternia feels that its regional neighbors, all of whom strive for similar goals for a Utopian Playland as Steelternia. Too much foreign influence would draw Steelternia away from that goal. However, severing exposure to foreign nations, including investors, would exclude them from Dr. Steel's teachings.

Whether or not Steelternia accepts the Imperium's offer to upgrade its seaports is irrelevant. Searching for precious and useful metals will aid in Steelternia's economy regardless. Education is, and remains, the focus of growth for Steelternia, but without infrastructure, it means little. As a result, Steelternia is looking for solutions to encourage vocational training and expansion of the infrastructure of the nation.