Zanza

Zanza
Megalopolis
Clockwise from top: Skyline, TBD, TBD, the Tazenkar, TBD, TBD
Vak
Etymology: Great crag (mountain)
Country	Vespia
Zharukdom	Veskan
Founded	Antiquity
Government
• Type	TBD
• Zhamar	TBD
• TBD	TBD
• TBD	TBD
Area
• Megalopolis	0 km2 (0 sq mi)
• Land	0 km2 (0 sq mi)
• Water	0 km2 (0 sq mi)
• Metro	0 km2 (0 sq mi)
Elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population (5997 Ʋ)
• Megalopolis	71,518,732
• Density	0/km2 (0/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	TBD
Time zone	TBD
ISO 3166 code	TBD
Major airports	TBD
Secondary airports	TBD
Tazehunok	TBD
Hun'Hakun	TBD
Commuter rail	TBD
Rapid transit	TBD
Website	www.megalopolis.zanza.vs

Zanza (Vespian: , Zânza; lit. "Great Crag"), officially Zanza Megalopolis, is the capital and most populous city of Vespia. Located at the center of the Zhona at the feet of the Izhono Mountains in central Vespia, Zanza is simultaneously the world's largest city with an estimated population of 71,518,732 inhabitants, as well as the world's largest desert city, being located at the center of the Tuvada in the northern half of Vesperia. The city is located on a large plateau which lays at the bottom of the Izhono Mountains just to the south, and sits on one of the largest aquifers in the world, providing for most of the city's water needs in conjunction with the Zhona. Zanza is listed as one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world, with a recorded history going back some five thousand years with the return of Vespians back into the central region of Ja'Hud, or "The Neck", where the surrounding terrain constricts to its narrowest point between the Izhono Mountains in the south, and Ja'Hava in the north. The city is not claimed by any of the twelve major households of Vespia, and is under the direct protection and governance of the imperial government of Vespia, which is headquartered within the heart of the city. More than a fourth of the city's vast population consists of slaves, while the rest of are members of the four higher castes of the Vespian nation. By law, foreigners are required to hold an authorized permit to enter the city, even if they are already in possession of a visa granting them access to Vespia as a whole.

Prehistoric Zanza was originally the home of the proto-vespoid race some one million years ago based on fossils carbon-dated to back to that period. It has been theorized that these early vespoids migrated to the far east during the era of prolonged global warming which made the central region of Ja'Hud inhospitable for life, forcing the nomadic hunter-gatherer vespoids to follow the fauna out of the region to survive. Zanza would remain uninhabited for tens of thousands of years until the rise of the Lead Empire of Vespia, the ancient era of Vespian history following its unification in 937 Ʋ, and spanning some four centuries until 1338 Ʋ. Vespian settlers from the Zhona Delta region would slowly return to the place of their origin over a period of several centuries, establishing settlements along the Zhona at the food of the Izhono Mountains which provided a measure of protection from the annual sandstorms known as TBD, which presented enough of a danger that a permanent place of safety would be required for migrants heading west. Zanza would soon grow over the next several centuries as a center of trade and refuge, growing into a major power in its own right during the era of Lead Vespia.

The city would gain national prominence in TBD U, when Tazen Zhautemankijadek II moved his imperial court to the city during the construction nearby Ravaza, which was to become the center of the Zheaniic faith under the strict purview of the Tazen. The move was as much to help aid in the supervision of Ravaza's ongoing construction, as well as to end the dominance and infighting of the powerful cities located in the Zhona Delta region. This singular act would also cement Zanza's role and reputation as the new center of power in Vespia for thousands of years, making its control vital to any household seeking to pronounce itself as the ruler of a united Vespia. Over the intervening centuries, Zanza would continue to be expanded as transit from Greater Vespia in the west, to the newly-settled lands of Lesser Vespia in the east, became a driving factor in the continuous population and urban expansion experienced by the city. Its secure location within the recesses of the surrounding mountains, as well as the commanding heights afforded by Ravaza to the south, gifted Zanza with innumerable advantages that allowed it the opportunity to supplant the much older and influential cities of the delta, now dominated by the house of Zharan.

Zanza today has grown into one of the most important centers of trade, finance, industry, and religion within the vespoid world, surpassed only by the equally large and powerful cities of Zharakara, Shokina, and TBD of the Eastern Reaches in Ankuria. As one of the world's oldest cities, Zanza boasts a number of world heritage sites, such as the TBD, TBD, and TBD, as well as several natural wonders, including the TBD and TBD. Adorned with great neon lights and vibrant street-life, Zanza is a center of Vespian culture and entertainment, with several of the largest Vespian advertising and digital media companies such as Onavo Media Group and Namakin headquartered in the city. There are some 300 colleges and universities located within Zanza, the most prestigious of which is the Imperial Veskan University. Zanza's close proximity to Ravaza has likewise made it a center of rest for tens of millions of Zheaniic pilgrims traveling to the holy city to worship. The extensive parks, skyscrapers, housing, and services have contributed to Zanza being listed as one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in, though it boasts the highest standard of living in the country. Two of the five largest yazanin zigguraut structures in the country are located within Zanza, and serve as some of the most visited cultural and religious sites in the world.