Gemstones
Originally believed to be an island of little value, Meridona held a secret buried deep underneath the surface until 1872, when Sahan de Silva discovered a sapphire gemstone worth nearly $3 million at today's value near what would become the town of Montesala. Today, Meridona is home to some of the world's most productive gem mines, despite it's small size. The towns of Javish, Silican Bend, and Montesala were all formed around gem mines which remain open and employ the majority of the region.
Originally believed to be an island of little value, Meridona held a secret buried deep underneath the surface until 1872, when Sahan de Silva discovered a sapphire gemstone worth nearly $3 million at today's value near what would become the town of Montesala. Today, Meridona is home to some of the world's most productive gem mines, despite it's small size. The towns of Javish, Silican Bend, and Montesala were all formed around gem mines which remain open and employ the majority of the region.
Basalt
Basalt is the most abundant resource on the island. In 1796, Thelonius Alasdair commissioned a team of scientists to research new building materials for the island, lead by renowned French geologist Dr. Ralston Fontaine. The research team discovered a use for the vast amount of basalt found throughout Meridona by using extreme heat to extract basaltic fibers. These fibers, up to 3x stronger than steel, made the construction of Meridona's towering skyscrapers possible several years before their popularity in the United States.
Logging
In the early days of the island's settlement, the forests of Meridona were well-preserved, thanks in large part to the use of basalt as a construction material and Thelonius Alasdair's environmentalist attitude. Most of the logging activity was controlled harvests of Meridona's indigenous islandic teak (Tectona islandis), a species of teak known for it's natural oils, detailed grain, and bright red color. In the 1920's, islandic teak became extremely popular throughout the world. Harvesting of the tree became a profitable industry on the island and by 1972, only 12% of Meridona's islandic teak population remained. The establishment of the Solstico Nature Reserve in 1975 protected the remaining trees from loggers and has allowed for the population to recover. The islandic teak is still harvested today, but is carefully cultivated on tree farms.
Oil
In 1973, the Solstice Oil Company of Brazil discovered vast oil reserves several miles off the western Meridona coast. The Meridonan government was at first reluctant to allow Solstice to drill in their waters, but were persuaded when the company bought several acres of land in northwest Meridona and established the Solstico Nature Reserve, which would become Solstico National Park in 2005. Solstice Oil also provided a new port and quality housing and services for employees of their refinery, which would later become the town of Westcove.
