I think that’s a bit strong: I wouldn’t call Myr the “workshop of the world.” It’s somewhat more diversified, but not that much more. Yes, they have optics, weaponry, fine woolens, lace, glassworks and tapestries….
But Qohor has metalworking on lockdown, Tyrosh has dyemaking and distillation (which suggests chemistry) and competes with Myr on armaments, Lys is a competitor in the tapestries business and has a better chemicals industry, Norvos is a competitor in the tapestries business, Braavos dominates in finance and is the only place that’s figures out the assembly line and interchangeable parts.
So I would say that the Free Cities are fairly even when it comes to industrial development.
So I would say that the Free Cities are fairly even when it comes to industrial development.
Even Lorath, Volantis, and Pentos? Volantis seems like it relies mostly on being the gateway to the east, and its heavily slaveholding society doesn’t seem well-suited to industrial development. Pentos also seems to mostly get by on trade rather than value-add, and Lorath is just sort of the weird poor northern cousin of the Nine.
Here’s where “fairly” does a lot of work, I’ll admit. But Lorath produces some rather fine velvets, as well as the byproducts of their whaling business. Pentos does seem to be entirely commercial, although they have more agricultural hinterlands than many of the other Free Cities, so that compensates.
And while Volantis is somewhat technologically stagnant, but they’re on decline from a great height.
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