500 AD
Zulus "turning corner" in New World, Australian and Mongolian bound caravans enroute, Shakeem and followers retain their supreme power, Thoughts on the future........

The Zulu seeds planted in new world are starting to flower...
The Zulus were the first to settle in the new world and are finally starting to see the fruits of their labor. There are now 9 Zulu cities in the new world with several more slated to build in the coming century. With this progress, the citizens of Shakeem's reserve are becoming less and less dependent on the support of the motherland. Foundations of infastructure have been laid and agreements with Consul Keating have been reached. Our entire continent is to be fitted with the finest laid and easily accessible road system in the world (other than that of the Zulu Nation of course). This will involve centuries of work, particularly in the dense forests of the Amazon jungle. Though this land is harsh and dangerous to those that walk among it, the potential is glaringly obvious. The Zulus are a strong people, and we have organized the bravest men in all of Shakeems reserve to go forth and begin settling cities in the dark and mysterious jungle. We wish them luck in this quest. Overall Shakeem is pleased with his people's progress and he shall reward their efforts by sending even more settlers to help in their progress.

The caravan from the Zulu capital is on it's way to Australia...Salt on it's way to Mongolian port....
Consul Keating need not worry about Shakeem's word. Shakeem declared that a trade between both Capital cities would be hugely beneficial to both nations and he has set forth to make this a reality. The Australian capital demanded wool. Coincidentally, the Zulu capital of Zimbabwe produces the finest wool in all of the world. The trireme on which the caravan sails is currently half way between the Zulu Nation and Australia. We anticipate their arrival somewhere in the time frame of the 7th century.

The Mongols have expressed interest in trading with the Zulus and Shakeem has acted quickly upon these words. Salt from the great mines of Mozambique are destined to land in East India very soon. Our boat has set sail for this destination for it is rumored that this is one of the few areas of the world that actually has a demand for salt.

As the Zulus look to the future, several things must be contemplated....
Firstly, where do the Zulus stand in this world? The Zulus can claim no real allies nor real enemies. Though they have been cooperative with all nations upon the globe to this point, there is nothing that will guarantee that this trend stays the same. Shakeem's daughter and foreign relations advisor, Princess Anja makes an individual analysis of each country and how they may play a part in the Zulu's future:

Adriatic League
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The most active country in worldly affairs. Their monarchy is strong minded and very ambitious. Their arrogance is also very high, but they always have the means to back up their words, which is more than most countries can claim. If a true war was to break out, we can almost guarantee that the Adriatics would play a key part. They simply have to be involved in everything! We see the AL as a nation with huge potential for trading and cooperative ventures. However, little more at this time.

Australians
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Very good diplomatic relations with Consul Keating have been founded. We cooperatively share the largest portion of the new world, un-contested. We have agreed to build trade routes and a local infastructure that will benefit both in the future. The Aussies are a still very powerful nation, despite their lack of a suitable army. We expect them to develop into a monarchy in the future if they wish to continue their expansion. The Republic is simply too un-flexible for Consul Keating to compete in the new world. Since we basically share the southern hemisphere with them, we wish to improve relations even further and build the trust that may be necessary for some sort of alliance.

China
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This nation is on the move! Their number of cities grew in leaps and bounds in the last few centuries. Though Prometheus and his people are far from becoming world powers, they have certainly pulled out of the basement and positioned themselves squarely ahead of the Israelis. We expect that with their formidable allotment of land in the new world, that they will only become stronger and stronger in the coming years. Shakeem has yet to have serious discussions with the Chinese concerning politics, but we wish to do so very soon. China could prove to be a most valuable ally to us, particularly in the new world.

Israelis
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Obviously the Israelis have little going for them other than their key strategic location. This location is the only asset that they can truly leverage, and we anticipate that this is just what they shall do. We have already paid a formidable toll to access their roads for trading (the sharing of Mathematics), and we expect that similar tolls will be established. Since the Israelis have very little to offer Shakeem at this time, we do not expect to make any large diplomatic moves with the Israelis. We will be sending caravans into their land with the expectations that they will return the favor. We have heard the Middle East provides luxuries not found in any other place on this earth!

The Mali
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Ever since Shareef took over at the helm of the Mali empire, things have steadily improved for our closest neighbors. Their country has struggled with the arid terrain that they were born upon since their creation, but they have settled a significant amount of very prime real estate in the new world. Though it will certainly take centuries, we expect that one day the Mali's colonies in America will become their biggest source of power. In the new world, their potential for growth will much higher than in the midst of the Sahara....this is why their desire for land in the new world was so strong no doubt, for it was essential to their survival. We have always been peaceful with our neighbors, but we wish to take relations to a new level in the coming years. Shakeem envisions an Africa united, but he knows such ideas will take time to develop....but the African continent united would certainly be a power to reckon with.........wouldn't it?

The Mongols
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Their recent political problems may end up hurting the Mongols in the long run. The crown has been traded 3 times very recently and looks as though it will be traded once again in this new century.....so many issues will be hard to work through. Also, the Mongols power has been declining. Their military has shrunken and their amount of cities has also gone down (due to the ceding of cities to China). That being said, they have more real estate then they know what to do with in Asia. We wish to look into possibly aquiring some of the more remote lands in the North. We hope to talk to Ray King very soon about this possibility....Rashi Kali is currently in Northern Asia surveying this area of the world....he says it is very icy and cold, but there are possibilities.....

The Zulus will be content until their land is filled, that you can be sure of, but after that it is hard to say. As the foreign relations advisor, we highly advise each and every nation to build a good reputation with Shakeem, because it is impossible to predict what he'll do when he has no more land to settle upon......