United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets (UFP) is commonly referred to as just The Federation.
It is an interstellar federal republic, composed of planetary governments that agreed to exist semi-autonomously under a single central government, and to share their knowledge and resources in peaceful cooperation and space exploration (“Battle Lines, DS9”; “Innocence, VOY”).
The Federation Starfleet Charter
Ronald D. Moore commented that he felt that the Federation Starfleet Charter incorporates military, exploratory, and scientific missions. [1]
The Federation Charter was the document that was ratified at that organization’s founding in 2161 (“The Outcast, TNG”; “Zero Hour; These are the Voyages….ENT”).
One excerpt from the Charter:
CHARTER OF THE UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS
“We the life forms of the United Federation of Planets determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, and to reaffirm faith in the fundamental rights of sentient beings, in the dignity and worth of all life forms, in the equal rights of members of planetary systems large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of interstellar law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of living on all worlds…”
The text is as seen in: “The Void, VOY”.
Time-line of Selected Events:
2154 – 2161
In 2154, to thwart the Romulan’s aggression; a temporary alliance was formed by the Humans, Vulcans, Andorians and Tellarites (“United, ENT”).
After the crisis, these four species remained together, founding the precursor to The Federation, called the Coalition of Planets (2155), a year later. Other species soon joined: the Denobulans, the Rigelians and the Coridanites, (Demons, ENT”).
Over the next several years, the tension between the Coalition members and the Romulans exploded into full scale war. This of course served to strengthen the ties between the members of the Coalition.
After the war, in 2161, the Coalition of Planets proved to be one of the most vital steps leading to the formation of The Federation (”These Are the Voyages…, ENT”; ENT novel: The Good That Men Do).
The Federations headquarters are on Earth, in San Francisco (“The Outcast, TNG”; “Zero Hour, ENT”; ”These Are the Voyages…, ENT”).
Its major neighboring sovereignties were the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Empire, the Cardassian Union and the Ferengi Alliance. Other neighboring sovereignties were the Tzenkethis, the Tholian Assembly, the Breen Confederacy and the Xindi.
