| This article or subsection has an associated category. | Federation |
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- For other uses, see Federation.
- See also Federation, a novel.
- For the mirror universe counterparts, see Terran Empire, Terran Republic, Galactic Commonwealth.
The United Federation of Planets is an interstellar state composed of 154 member states, colonies, protectorates, and other planetary governments unified under the goals of universal liberty, justice, equality, trade, exploration, scientific advancement, peace, and mutual protection. The most powerful state in local space, the Federation encompasses 10,000 light-years and is by far the largest state in the known Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The Federation, along with the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Star Empire, is one of the three traditional superpowers of known space. Unlike its traditional rivals who derive power from a single dominant species subjugating other races within the boundaries of their empire, the Federation's various Member States join willingly and are equals in the Federation's democratic society. For centuries, the Federation's capital city was Paris, Earth. (ST novel: Articles of the Federation)
History and specifics[]
History[]
The Signing of the Articles of the Federation on 12 August 2161.
- See main article: Federation history.
The Federation was formed on 12 August 2161, the successor to the Coalition of Planets. (ENT novel: Last Full Measure, TNG episode: "The Outcast", ENT episode: "Zero Hour", ENT episode: "Demons")
The founding Member States of United Earth, the Confederacy of Vulcan, the Andorian Empire, the United Planets of Tellar, and the Alpha Centauri Concordium were subsequently joined by numerous other worlds to form one of the largest states in the galaxy. (ENT episode: "Zero Hour", ST novel: Articles of the Federation)
By 2380, the Federation consisted of 155 Member States. (ST novel: Articles of the Federation)
Alongside periods of peaceful relations and expansion, the Federation was also involved with numerous conflicts, some of the largest and most prolonged being with the Klingons in the 23rd century, and the Borg and the Dominion in the 24th century.
Around 12,250, a Galaxy wide Mega-Federation was founded, consisting of the vast majority of civilizations in the whole of the Milky Way Galaxy. It is speculated that the Federation loosely united a chunk of the universe later on. (ST Short Story: “Our One-Million Year Mission”)
Politics[]
See also: Federation Government
The Federation is a representative republic, with an elected president as the head of the entire interstellar state. An election is held every four years, and a president may serve for an unlimited number of terms.
Political and direct administrative power is held within the Federation Council, which is composed of one councillor from every Member World. There is no limit as to how many terms a person may serve as councillor. T'Latrek of Vulcan, for instance, served on the Federation Council for nearly a century. Each individual Member determines how its councillors will be determined; the First Minister of Bajor, for instance, nominates that world's councillor and the Chamber of Ministers ratifies him or her, while the electorates of many other Members elect their councillors directly.
The Federation government has several executive departments whose heads form the Presidential Cabinet, who advise the president on their issues of jurisdiction and run their departments on a day-to-day basis. Cabinet members can have strong influence on Federation policy based upon their work with the president and the appropriate members of the Federation Council.
By the late 23rd and 24th century, the capital city of the Federation is Paris, and the capital planet is Earth. The seat of government is the Palais de la Concorde.[citation needed]
Earlier in the 23rd century the Federation government was based out of Geneva, Switzerland. (TOS novel: Crisis on Centaurus)
Still earlier, a Federation capital was Federa-Terra, Florida. (TOS novel: The Final Reflection)
Departments[]
| Executive departments and cabinet-level agencies of the United Federation of Planets | ||
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture • Commerce • Defense • Exterior • Housing • Interstellar Travel • Science • Technology • Temporal Investigations • Travel
independent cabinet-level agency: Office of the Federation Security Advisor |
| |
Groups[]
- Federation Bureau of Colonization
- Federation Bureau of Interplanetary Affairs
- Federation Council
- Federation Diplomatic Corps
- Federation Grand Jury
- Federation Medical Council
- Federation Naval Patrol
- Federation Planetary Development Council
- Federation Science Council
- Federation Security
- Federation Supreme Court
- First Contact Division (Director of Exosocial Relations)
- Starfleet
Members of the Federation[]
- See: Federation members.
Presidents of the Federation[]
Federation Council[]
Relations with other states[]
Diplomatic treaties[]
- Cheron Accords
- Khitomer Accords
- Frontier Accord
- Neutral Zone Treaty
- Treaty of Algeron
- Treaty of Alliance
- Treaty of Ectair
Symbols[]
Symbols of Federation patriotism include the Great Seal of the United Federation of Planets, which serves as the official emblem of the UFP. The Flag of the United Federation of Planets is also a prominent Federation symbol, often displayed at government buildings, official events, and at state and Starfleet funerals. The Anthem of the United Federation of Planets is the official musical composition of the UFP.
Awards[]
As a government body, the Federation issues awards and medals for beneficial military, medical or exploratory service. While many of these are generally given to members of Starfleet, there are some that are for citizens in general. The constituent nation-states of the Federation also sometimes have their own similar awards. One such award that is given to members of Starfleet for victories in battle is the Andorian Battle Star which recognizes command officers who demonstrate superior tactical abilities. (FASA RPG module: Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual)
Culture[]
There is no official Federation religion, although members are free to practice their own religious and philosophical beliefs, as protected by the Guarantees contained in the Articles of the United Federation of Planets.
Every August 12, Federation citizens observe Federation Day, a patriotic holiday established in remembrance of the founding of the Federation.
Economy[]
The credit became the Federation's standard currency unit in 2227. (Last Unicorn RPG module: All Our Yesterdays: The Time Travel Sourcebook) Poverty was eliminated though a policy of Guaranteed personal income and public housing. (TOS novel: Best Defense)
Language[]
- See main article: Federation Standard.
Territory[]
Planets[]
- See the category for Federation worlds.
Stars and systems[]
Borders[]
- Maps of Federation space can be found the ST reference: Star Charts and Last Unicorn RPG module: The Way of D'era: The Romulan Star Empire.
Conflicts[]
- Earth-Romulan War
- Earth-Kzin Wars
- Tholian expansionist programs
- Four Years War
- Galen border conflicts
- Federation-Cardassian War
- Battle of the Border (alternate timeline)
- Tzenkethi War
- Dominion War
- Federation-Klingon War of 2405-2410
- Iconian War
Alternate timelines and realities[]
In an alternate timeline created by the death of Gabriel Bell prior to the Bell Riots in 2024, Earth remained a pre-warp civilization, which had never expanded beyond the Sol system by the 24th century. Consequently, neither the Federation nor Starfleet ever existed. The USS Defiant, having been protected from the changes in the timeline by a subspace bubble, detected Romulan transmissions emanating from Alpha Centauri. This would indicate that the Romulan Star Empire was able to expand considerably further in this timeline due to the lack of Federation interference. (DS9 episode: "Past Tense, Part I")
In 2269, the Romulans implemented their Second History project, briefly creating a timeline in which the Federation never existed. (TOS novel: Killing Time)
In another alternate timeline, Captain James T. Kirk was unable to prevent the assassination of Federation President Ra-ghoratreii at the Khitomer Conference in 2293, leading to war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. The Klingons eventually emerged victorious and controlled most of the Federation's former territory by the 2360s. (TNG - Myriad Universes comic: "Do Not Close Your Eyes")
In another alternate timeline created when the USS Enterprise-C was accidentally sent through a temporal rift from 2344 to 2366, the Federation had been at war with the Klingon Empire for almost 20 years as the Enterprise-C's disappearance resulted in the destruction of the Klingon colony Narendra III. By 2366, 40 billion people had died in the war and, although it was not generally known, Starfleet believed that surrender would be inevitable within six months. (TNG episode: "Yesterday's Enterprise")
In an alternate reality, the Borg Collective had succeeded in conquering the Federation and much of the Alpha Quadrant by 2370. The USS Enterprise-D was one of the last surviving Federation starships by this time. (TNG episode: "Parallels")
In another alternate reality, the Federation had absorbed many of its former enemies including the Klingons, the Romulans, the Cardassians, the Tzenkethi and the Breen by 2377. (DS9 novel: Fearful Symmetry)
In another alternate reality, the Federation had fallen to the Borg by 2377. (DS9 novel: Fearful Symmetry)
In another alternate reality, the Klingon Empire had conquered the Federation and most of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants by 2380. (TNG novel: Q & A)
Appendices[]
Connections[]
External links[]
- United Federation of Planets article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- United Federation of Planets article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
- Federation article at Star Fleet Universe wiki, the wiki for Star Fleet Universe / Star Fleet Battles.