United Federation of Planets

"The universe belongs to those brave enough to share it in peace."

- Thomas Vanderbilt, First President of the United Federation of Planets, January 7, 2162

The United Federation of Planets (abbreviated as UFP and commonly referred to as the Federation) was founded in 2161. As of December 2380, the United Federation of Planets consisted of 154 member states plus their affiliated colonies all committed to a single co-operative governmental system. Federation space spanned over 10,000 light-years. (ST novel: Articles of the Federation). Starfleet was responsible for a majority of their exploratory and defensive capabilities, as well as sometimes diplomatic missions. The Federation was an interstellar federal republic, composed of planetary governments that agreed to exist semi-autonomously under a single central government based on the principles of universal liberty, rights, and equality, and to share their knowledge and resources in peaceful cooperation, scientific development, space exploration and defensive purposes. Source: Memory Alpha

History

The Federation was formed on 12 August 2161, the successor to the Coalition of Planets. 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.

Every August 12, Federation citizens observe Federation Day, a patriotic holiday established in remembrance of the founding of the Federation.

The Federation remained a rich, prosperous alliance of worlds that rebuilt swiftly after the staggering losses incurred during the Dominion War. The aftermath of the Dominion and later Borg invasions made the Federation establish new relations with many of its former adversaries, the Romulans in particular.

In 2379, cooperation took place between the crew of a Federation Starfleet vessel, the USS Enterprise-E, and Romulan forces to defeat the Praetor Shinzon, whose actions would have destroyed both Earth and the Romulan Star Empire. It was hoped that this would mark the beginning of an end to hostility between the Federation and the Romulans, marking the beginnings of détente with a traditional enemy of the Federation.

After the death of Shinzon, the initial approaches between the Federation and the Romulans were continued and a new task force led by the USS Titan was dispatched to the Romulan Neutral Zone in order to begin talks with the Romulans. The USS Theurgy was a part of this task force, yet regrettably, the attempt failed, and the consequence was the Romulan Civil War.

A human by the name Nanietta "Nan" Bacco from the Federation Member State of Cestus III was elected Federation President in October of 2379, serving through the sundering of the Romulan Star Empire. It was unknown if the parasitic aliens that had overtaken Starfleet Command had also infiltrated the Federation Council at that point.

Politics

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.

Federation Membership

The Federation Constitution established guidelines for the review and admission of new members, and with the chartering of the Federation Starfleet, the search for like-minded civilizations began. In the first century of the Federation's formation, the membership rose to over fifty systems.

The eventual aim of the Federation was to unite all sentient beings in a single interstellar body, dedicated to protecting the rights of every individual and maintaining peace throughout the galaxy. These were high ideals and few Federation citizens believed such harmony was practically possible.

Although the ideals embodied in the Constitution of the Federation appeal to many lifeforms, planetary governments must justify membership in the UFP to their people. Some worlds want Starfleet as a protector and peacekeeper. Other planets want to improve their economic ties with Federation neighbors. A few governments feel that gaining a voice in galactic affairs validates becoming a member of the UFP. But each world that seeks membership learns to appreciate all of the rights of membership and to should the responsibilities that come with those rights.

Benefits of UFP membership include:

• UFP Council Representation
• Economic Support
• Legal Support
• Diplomatic Support
• Military Support

Responsibilities of Membership

While members enjoy the benefits of belonging to the UFP, they also take on important responsibilities. First and foremost, each member swears to uphold the Federation Constitution. They agree to promote peace in the galaxy and respect the rights of all Federation citizens. In addition, each member contributes to the UFP by contributing material resources and personnel support.

Joining

New worlds join the UFP in one of two manners. Either they and the UFP have a history of past relations and the world opts to petition for membership, or the world is unknown to the UFP and joins after first contact has been made. In both cases, the requirements for joining are the same.

First Contact

Prior to considering a world for membership, the Federation Council must first make contact with the prospective civilization. Often, this first contact results from Starfleet's normal course of business - exploring the galaxy. Any time Starfleet discovers an intelligent species, it dispatches a first-contact team. If the newly encountered species does not possess warp technology the team covertly observes the culture, evaluating its social and technological status. The contact team files its report along with a recommendation for further study, without the culture's knowledge. If the species possess warp drive technology, the rules are somewhat looser. First contact is made directly via subspace radio or direct intervention.

Requirements of Membership

The requirements for acceptance into the Federation are kept intentionally simple. Before being accepted, potential worlds must:

• POSSESS TRUE FASTER-THAN-LIGHT TRAVEL.
• BENEFIT FROM ONE GOVERNMENT.
• EXIST PEACEFULLY WITH ITS NEIGHBORS.
• ACCEPT THE PRINCIPLES OF THE FEDERATION.

The Review Period

After the initial contact teams have completed their missions, and a planet wishes to join the UFP, the planet is placed under Probationary Review. There is no predetermined length of time for this review; Probationary Reviews have been completed in as little as a few months in the case of the Evora, while others have been ongoing for decades as in the case of the WIP. During this process, Federation officials evaluate the planet on a variety of factors to determine suitability for membership.

The Review Board, a permanent subcommittee of the Federation Council assigns a Federation Cultural Attache to oversee the review. The Federation Cultural Attache is assigned a review team to aid in the process. Members of review teams include individuals drawn from the UFP Diplomatic Service and Contact Commission. If special circumstances exist, the team may also include officers from the Colonial Office, Starfleet, or even the Science Council.

The review team conducts periodic surveys and planetside interviews, preparing both the populace and the government for full-fledged membership. Areas, where the world does not adhere to UFP ideals, will be pointed out to the plane's leadership, along with suggestions to correct the problems. The Federation Cultural Attache and his team must make certain that their review is accurate and the leadership is providing them with all relevant information.

At the same time, the Federation Cultural Attache must educate the people of the world about the nature of the UFP. The review team has the task of laying the groundwork for inclusion in the Federation and making the transition as easy as possible. The primary concern of the team is to evaluate the world's capacity for full UFP participation. The civilization under review must successfully meet the requirements of membership.

When the review period ends, the attache files the report with the Review Board, which returns a verdict usually within a few weeks. The verdict is rarely a surprise to the potential member since one of the attache's duties is to explain the Federation Constitution to the culture and ensure the prospective species understands these principles. If the verdict is a recommendation of admittance, the Federation Council will vote on accepting the world as a new member. Membership Review Board recommendations are not ironclad guarantees one way or the other, and many times membership for some new world becomes a touchy political issue in the Council. If the vote fails, the whole review process repeats itself.

Associate Membership

when a world has successfully completed its Probationary Review, members of the UFP Integration Commission join the Cultural Attache to help the planet on its transition into full membership. During this time, the Federation officially gives the world status as an associate member of the UFP, which entitles the world to full Starfleet protection.

Integration is a joint process between the Federation and the planetary government. When both the UFP and the world agree that the time has come for full membership, the planet gains voting rights in the Federation Council and all associated benefits of full UFP membership. The integration process can last for months or even years; on rare occasions, it may be as short as a few weeks. Each planet and culture adjusts at its own speed.

Rejection

For those worlds rejected, the reasons are usually obvious and fall into one of the categories: the culture is too belligerent, does not respect the personal liberty of its citizens, or does not respect the right of each citizen to achieve his full potential. While these last two may seem like the same thing, many cultures believe in personal liberty- the right of the individual to live free from fear or exploitation- while at the same time confining the individual's development to a given "caste" or other socio-economic subclasses. These cultures often have a difficult time understanding why the Federation would reject them.

Withdrawal from the Federation

Member worlds, colonies and species have occasionally left the Federation, or had their membership withdrawn.

In 2165, the Orion Syndicate manipulated public opinion on Vulcan to force them into a secession. The plan was foiled by Starfleet. (ENT - Rise of the Federation novel: Uncertain Logic)

Between the 23rd century and the 2370s, the Caitians withdrew and reapplied for Federation membership repeatedly. Cait was welcomed back each time. (NF - Gateways novel: Cold Wars)

In 2376, the revelation of manipulation in the Federation Council by the Selelvians left to the membership of their homeworld Selelvia to be revoked. This led to the Selelvian War between the Federation, the Selelvians, and their Tholian Assembly allies. (NF novel: Stone and Anvil)

In 2378, a Changeling manipulated the government of Kerovi into withdrawing from the Federation. (VOY - Spirit Walk novel: Enemy of My Enemy) Despite the revelation of foreign intervention, the Kerovian leader stuck to the decision to save face. (VOY novel: Full Circle)

Federation Member Species (2381)

Below is a list of Federation member species as of 2381.
(Note: A few are not listed because they have no relevance to the Star Trek: Theurgy story.)

SPECIES	PLANET (SYSTEM)	STATE	ADMITTED	COUNCILLOR (2381)
Aaamazzarite or Therbian	Aaamazzara (Therbia / Epsilon Serpentis)	Aaamazzarite Technocracy	2221
Algolian	Algol (Beta Persei II)	Algolian Council	2336
Alonis	Alonis		2336	Nerramibus
Andorian	Andor (Andoria V / Procyon VII)	Andorian Empire	2161	Kellerasana zh'Faila
Antosian	Antos IV (Kappa Delphini IV)	Antosian Unity	2257
Arbazan	Arbazan	Arbazan Republic	2300
Arcadian	Arcadia (Vellun Gamma V)	Arcadian Free States	2286
Arcturian	Arcturus (Alpha Bootis IV)	Arcturian Systems	2212
Ardanan	Ardana (Mu Lonis A III)	Plutocracy of Ardana	2263
Argelian	Argelius II (Xi Herculis)	Argelian Star Union	2230
Ariolo	Fillandia		2286
Arkenite	Arken II	Confederation of Arken	2165
Ash'reem
Aurelian	Aurelia	Aurelian Alliance	2248
Axanar (Axanarri)	Axanar (Epsilon Eridani)	Republic of Axanar	2265
Bajoran	Bajor (B'hava'el VII)	Third Republic of Bajor	2376	Krim Aldos
Benzite	Benzar (Gamma Xertia)	Benzarian Commonwealth	2369
Betazoid	Betazed	Fifth House of Betazed	2273	Cort Enaren
Betelgeusian	Betelgeuse II (Alpha Orionis II)	Betelgeusian Empire	2230
Bolian	Bolarus IX	Bolian League	2320
Bre'ella	Bre'el IV	Bre'ellan Alliance	2366
Brikar	Brikar
Burani	Buran	United Nations of Buran	2369
Bynar	Bynaus (Sigma Regonis)	Bynar Domains	2335
Bzzit Khaht	Althos IV	Bzzit Khaht Cooperative	2279
Cairn	Cairn	Cairn Khaganate	2380
Caitian	Cait (15 Lyncis)	Caitian Union	2181
Catullan	Catulla (Theta Pictoris)	Commonwealth of Catulla	2185
Centaurian	Alpha Centauri IV	Alpha Centauri Concordium	2161
Coridanite	Coridan Prime (Coridan III)	People's Republic of Coridan	2267
Cygnian	Cygnet XIV	State of Cygnet	2251
Damiani	Damiano	Damiano Allied Planets	2341
Delbian	Delb II	Kingdom of Delb	2330
Deltan	Delta IV	Deltan Union	2223
Denevan (Human)	Deneva (Ingraham B)	Denevan Diaspora	2162
Denobulan	Denobula Triaxa (Iota Bootis)	Denobulan Unity	2180
Draylaxian	Draylax
Efrosian	Efros	Provisional Government of Efros	2283
Elasian	Elas (Tellun I)	Empire of Elas
Elaysian	Gemworld	Elaysian Council	2345
Elsarian
Evoran	Evora	Evoran Duchy	2375
Fabrini	Yonada (UFC 376082)
Gallimite	Gallima
Grazerite	Grazer	Grazer Status	2305
Haliian	Haliia
Hekaran	Hekara	Hekaran Independent Alliance	2350
Hermat	Hermat (Amphibalus III)	Hermat Directorate	2349
Horta	Janus VI		2268
Huanni	Huan	Principality of Huan	2294
Human	Earth (Terra / Sol III)	United Earth	2161
Icorian	Icor IX
Ithenite	Ithen	Ithenite Republic	2165
Iazarian (Centauran/Human)	Izar (Epsilon Bootis III)	Colony of Izar	2183
Kasheeta	Kashet	Kasheetan Commonwealth	2286
Kazarite	Kazar	Kazar League	2281
Kelpien	Kaminar
Koa	Koa	Koan Colonies	2380	Sicarios
Ktarian	Ktaris
Lirin	Liria	Lirin Unity	2250s
Makusian	Makus III
Martian	Mars (Sol IV)	Confederated Martian Colonies
Medusan	Medusa (Xi Hydrae)
Melkotian	Melkot (Theta Kiokis II)
Merakan	Merak II
Nasat				C29 Green
Ontailian	Ona (Ontail)		2375	Eftheria Lo
Ovri
Pacifican ("Selkie")	Pacifica
Pandril				Govrin
Phylosian	Phylos II
Rigellian	Rigel Colonies	United Worlds and Colonies of Rigel	2164	Tomorok
Risan	Risa
Sauriam	Sauria (UFC 512)
Tabukan	Tabuk III & IV		2290
Tandaran	Tandar Prime		2320s
Tarsusian	Tarsus II		2268
Tellarite	Tellar Prime (61 Cygni)	United Planets of Tellar	2161
Tessenite	Tessen III
Tiburonian	Tiburon (Omega Fornacis A)		2190	Gnizbreg
Triexian	Triex
Trill	Trillius Prime	<no wiki>Trill</no wiki> Symbiosis	2285	Jix
Troyian	Troyius (Tellun V)
Tyrellian	Tyrellia (Tyrelli)
Ullian	Ullia	Ullian Free State
Valzhan	Valzhan		2310
Venturi	Alpha Venturi Major
Vestian	Vestios Prime	Vestian Council	2310
Vissian	Vissia Prime
Vobilite	Vobilin
Vulcan	Vulcan (40 Eridani A II)	Vulcan Confederacy of Surak	2161	T'Los
Vulpinian	Inari
Xanno	New Xannon		2229
Xelatian	Xelata (Tau 56 III)		2286
Xindi	New Xindus	Xindi Ruling Council	2311
Zakdorn	Zakdorn		2344
Zaldan	Zalda (Zald or Dolium V)		2290	Molmaan
	Zanri
Zaranite	Zaran (Byrdica II / Mu Capricorni)		2257