Zalykia
 | This article is incomplete because it is pending further input from participants, or it is a work-in-progress by one author. Please comment on this article's talk page to share your input, comments and questions. Note: To contribute to this article, you may need to seek help from the author(s) of this page. |
Zalykia
| |
|---|---|
 Sheep herding in the Great Western Plain | |
 Flag | |
| Anthem: Алтны hолуд ("Rivers of Gold")  | |
 | |
| Country |  Soravia |
| Administrative centre | Yashkul |
| Voivodeships | |
| Government | |
| • Body | Grand Khural |
| • Governor | Khermen Osor (PF) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 374,931 km2 (144,762 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 1st |
| Population (2019) | |
| • Total | 11,927,712 |
| • Density | 32/km2 (82/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Zalyk/Zalykian |
| Time zone | UTC-02:00 (Western Euclean Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-01:00 (Western Euclean Summer Time) |
| GDP (PPP) | 7th in Soravia |
| Total | $169.7 billion |
| Per capita | $14,227 |
| Website | visitzalykia |
Zalykia (/'zɑːlɪkiə/, Soravian: Заликія; Zalykiya pronounced [zɐlʲɪ'kijɐ]) is a province in western Soravia. It is the largest province by area and fourth most-populated province in the country, with a population of almost 12 million. It consists of twenty voivodeships and has the largest voivodeship by area (Panai; 41,514km2). The Great Western Plain makes up much of the province's land area and supports its high rural population. Its government is the devolved Grand Khural currently led by Khermen Osor of the Patriots' Front, and is administrative centre is located in Yashkul, which is also the province's largest city.
Zalykia was first inhabited by small Marolevic tribes, but were pushed eastwards as Zalyks began to settle the area during the Tagamic migrations. Early Zalyks followed Badi and established a Khanate in the 9th century, raiding and plundering villages in the Pavatrian veche of the Great Vesemir. When Pavatria declared its independence from the Vesemir and Hippodalia converted Nuruk to Sotirianity in 939, the Badist faith of the Zalyks began to be syncretised with Episemialist Sotirianity. Pavatria and Zalykia experienced intermittent conflict with each other until the latter was decisively defeated by Nikolai of Lipa at the Battle of Usaanbalsan. Cultural and religious assimilation followed the conflict as Pavatria gradually annexed the entirety of Zalykia into its borders, becoming a constituent state of the Archduchy of Soravia in the 1400s.
The province experienced relative decline under the Soravian Empire as neglect from its rulers affected the local economy. Its ports were rarely subsidised and fell out of favour for ports such as Samistopol and Luchintsy, where much of the country's trade entered and exited. Minor Zalyk colonial migrations occurred over the 17th and 18th centuries to Chistovodia and Vinalia, and exist in small populations today. Zalyk leaders fought alongside and greatly influenced Eduard Olsov's Seven Province Union in the First Soravian Civil War. The province was badly affected by the Great War and endured large-scale destruction of property and land as a result of the conflict. Tagai Chulgetei attempted to achieve independence for Zalykia during the Sostava War but was unsuccessful, resulting in greater depravation for the region until it was re-promoted to a provincial entity by the 7th Duma in 2005.
Its economy is mainly based on agriculture, where corporate agriculture is gaining increasing influence. It also contains a significant amount of landmarks, relics and artefacts relating to Tagamic and Zalyk culture, and old Zalyk buildings and shrines can be found in cities throughout the province. The province is also attempting to expand its influence in the tourism market, with its warm coasts providing ideal circumstances for the construction of beach resorts in its coastal cities.