Editing History of Zamastan (section)

===The Era of Avi Taures ===

====Rebuilding the Military====
Throughout the rest of the 1840s and into the first half of the 1850s, President [[Avi Taures]] directed his focus on establishing both the military and the infrastructure of Zamastan. Money was needed for these endeavors, and that money began to flow in steadily as Taures negotiated trade deals with Pacific Ocean neighbors such as the United States of America and British and French colonies, who since the rebellion had been a vital ally and friend of Zamastan. The Americans agreed to a deal which would see them purchasing vast amounts of lumber and ore from their western neighbors each month; this arrangement alone provided Taures with enough funds to begin the construction of army barracks facilities and naval bases for the country's young armed forces. Taures also purchased an enormous number of rifles and other infantry equipment from the Canadian port of Vancouver.

====Infrastructure projects====
Taures also tasked the Ministry of State with the job of creating an elaborate network of railroads to link town across the country, which also aided the young nation's economy by making the shipment of goods and transportation in general an easier endeavor. By the 1860s, a completed railroad system connected the entire island together. Construction also began on many new towns during this decade; prior to this Zamastan was made up of a handful of major cities from which the rest of the country was relatively isolated. Roads were also starting to pop up across the island alongside the railroad network; this provided yet another effective form of transport.

Taures opened up an immense communications network with other nations, including the British Empire, the United States of America (which at the time was requesting support from any nation militarily and morally in the midst of a civil war, but the embassy opened previously in 1853), the Canadian Commonwealth (Embassy opened in 1871).

President Taures unveiled a wide array of industrial ambitions during the 1860s as well, with the country constructing hundreds of factories within the newly built cities as the nation's workforce more than doubled and the enormous amount of natural resources available were utilized to their full potential. Many citizens relocated to urban areas to find work in the factories; others found work in the booming ore industries. The average income among Zamastan citizens more than tripled during the 1860s and the national economy flourished; these advances allowed Taures to commit additional resources to the country's military as well; troop numbers increased, more modern equipment and firearms were acquired, and the construction of more combat-capable ships improved the capacity and effectiveness of the country's naval forces, which were regarded as the most important branch given the fact that the country was an island chain.

====Death====
In 1867, Avi Taures fell ill with a rare strain of influenza which all but incapacitated him. Upon the realization that he could no longer fully take care of his own basic needs, let alone govern a nation, Taures called for an immediate election in order to find his replacement. He himself nominated several candidates from his cabinet since the election was occuring on such short notice; [[William Castovia]] was his Minister of Defense and a trusted personal friend who had once been a member of the National Liberaton Front. Castovia had fought alonside Taures and Hapson during the War of Independence and loyally served as Minister of Defense since Taures became President. The other candidate chosen was Renald Porres, the Minister of the Interior and also a former NLF member. The two candidates toured the nation for several weeks campaigning before the national election was held in March of 1868. William Castovia won the office of President by a narrow margin in an extraordinarily close ballot; both men were extremely popular around the country due to their close association with Zamastan's beloved first leader.

====William Castovia====
[[File:William Castovia.jpg|thumb|right|William Castovia]]
Avi Taures lived long enough to personally swear [[William Castovia]] into office and give his full approval to his close friend and successor; he died a few weeks later at his home. One of William Castovia's first acts as the new President was to declare an official month-long nationwide period of mourning; Taures had been widely regarded by citizens and scholars alike as being the one of the prime reasons the country had gained its independence from the Skithan Empire in the first place due to his formation of the National Liberation Front and his determination in fighting the occupiers. The people of the country turned out in the thousands for Taures' public viewing in May 1868, as men and women alike could be seen openly weeping at the loss of their leader. Over the course of his 24-year reign, he won all 12 presidential elections that were held. As a historical figure, Taures was responsible for Zamastan's transformation from a nation newly freed from the grips of colonialism to a nation of considerable influence in the region with a respected and rapidly growing military and a burgeoning economy that showed enormous promise.