Pre-warp civilization

A pre-warp civilization was any society or culture that had not yet become a warp-capable civilization; that is, one that has not discovered and utilized faster-than-light spaceflight like the warp drive. Pre-warp cultures could range in technology level from extremely primitive, such as a pre-industrial society; to that of Earth in the mid-21st century, where spacecraft utilized sublight technology. (; ; ; ) Usually pre-warp civilizations were confined to their homeworld; however, their technical abilities could be sophisticated enough to expand throughout their star system or even beyond. (; ; )
The sometimes used an industrial scale and a technological rating to assess pre-warp civilizations. For example, the natives of Sigma Draconis III had, as of 2268, an industrial scale rating of B – equivalent to Earth in 1485 – and a technological rating of 3. () Another scale was Richter's scale of cultures, which might assign a rating of class D- to an agrarian culture. ()
The Federation's Prime Directive interdicted any disturbance of such civilizations, including any form of contact, until a culture had independently proven its warp-capability. Otherwise, any involvement in the development of pre-warp societies could result in the contamination of their culture, thereby altering their natural evolution. The Federation did allow limited covert research to be conducted on pre-warp civilizations, usually by means of a duck blind. (; ) Observation teams could also be placed among a civilization as a prelude to first contact. () 
In the 32nd century, the Emerald Chain crime syndicate was notorious for contacting pre-warp civilizations in distress, such as the Kwejian, and offering "assistance" in the form of predatory deals. Such civilizations usually collapsed as a result. ()
== Pre-warp civilizations ==
Species/Culture 	Homeworld 	Technology level 	Notes 	Source
892-IV natives 	892-IV 	2267: Post-industrial, equivalent to Earth's mid-20th century 	 	
Akaali 	Akaali homeworld 	2151: Pre-industrial 	 	
Allos' species 	Allos' homeworld 	2374: Interplanetary, capable of synthesizing Omega molecules in enormous quantities	This civilization was experiencing crucial resource shortages as of 2374. 	
Alpha Carinae II natives 	Alpha Carinae II 	 	 	
Amerind inhabitants 	Amerind 	2268: Pre-industrial, agrarian 	Amerind's inhabitants were Humans; specifically American Indians transplanted from Earth by the Preservers. 	
Angel I natives 	Angel I 	2364: Post-industrial 	In contact with aliens despite being pre-warp. 	
Ba'ku 	 	2375: Pre-industrial 	The Ba'ku were warp-capable as of 2375, and were, in fact, refugees from their original homeworld, but their culture rejected technology and willingly confined themselves to their planet. 	
Barkonians 	Barkon IV 	2370: Pre-industrial 	 	
s 	Beta III 	2267: Industrial 	The Betans were originally more technologically advanced prior to 's rise to power. Though freed from Landru's control in 2267, they had begun serving the entity again before or during 2380. 	;
Boraalans 	Boraal II Vacca VI 	2370: Pre-industrial 	The Boraalan homeworld was sterilized by an atmospheric dissipation in 2370; the transplanted the survivors to a new planet without their knowledge. 	
Brekkians 	Brekka 	2364: Interplanetary 	In contact with aliens despite being pre-warp. Their homeworld was invaded by the Breen in 2381. 	
Capellans 	Capella IV 	2267: Pre-industrial 	In contact with aliens despite being pre-warp. 	
Deleb 	Persephone III 	2259: Pre-industrial 	 	
Delta Theta III aborigines	Delta Theta III 	2270: Pre-industrial 	 	
Dremans 	Benev Selec (Drema IV) 	2365: Post-industrial 	 	
Edo 	Rubicun III 	2364: Post-industrial 	In contact with aliens despite being pre-warp. 	
Ekosians 	Ekos 	2268: Interplanetary 	 	
Enderprizians 	Planet 0042692 	2384: Industrial 	Due to cultural contamination by Ensign Garrovick in the late-2260s, Enderprizian culture as of 2384 imitated that of 23rd-century Starfleet. 	
Eminians 	Eminiar VII 	2267: Post-industrial, possibly interplanetary 	 	
Fabrini 	Fabrini homeworld 	2268: Pre-industrial 	The Fabrini homeworld was destroyed by the Fabrina supernova millennia ago; their surviving civilization was confined to Yonada as of 2268. 	
Fantome's species 	 	N/A 	As of 2378, the species subsisted off of resources stolen from starships, and had no known organized civilization. 	
Gem's species 	Gem's planet 	 	 	
Genome colony 	Moab IV 	2368: Post-industrial 	Genome was an isolated Human colony. 	
Gosis' species 	Gosis' species homeworld	2152: Post-industrial, equivalent to Earth's mid-20th century 	 	
Halem'nites 	Halem'no 	3191: Pre-industrial 	 	
Hanonians 	Hanon IV 	2373: Pre-industrial, stone age 	 	
Iotians 	Sigma Iotia II 	2268: Post-industrial machine age, equivalent to Earth's early 20th century 	 	
Kalar 	Rigel VII 	2259: Pre-industrial, Bronze Age 	 	
Kataan natives 	Kataan 	14th century: Post-industrial, atomic age 	Their sun went nova in the 14th century, causing the species to become extinct. 	
Kelemane's species 	Kelemane's planet 	2376: N/A 	Due to the rapid passage of time on the planet (caused by its tachyon core), this civilization advanced from pre-industrial to interplanetary in mere weeks (from an outside perspective) in 2376. 	
Kelis' species 	Kelis' homeworld 	2376: Industrial, bronze age 	 	
Kelpiens 	Kaminar 	2257: Pre-industrial 	The Kelpiens shared their planet with the warp-capable Ba'ul. They became warp-capable in 2258. 	;
Kiley 	Kiley 279 	2259: Post-industrial, equivalent to Earth's early-21st century 	The Kiley witnessed the Battle near Xahea in 2258 and reverse-engineered warp technology for use in weaponry; the and made contact with them in 2259 and pursuaded them to pursue space exploration instead. 	
Kolarans 	Kolarus III 	2379: Industrial, equivalent to Earth's mid-20th century 	 	
Kwejian 	 	3189: Industrial 	The Kwejian were "uplifted" by the Emerald Chain following the Burn, with the Chain providing access to spaceflight while helping them deal with sea locusts. 	
Ligonians 	Ligon II 	2374: Post-industrial 	In contact with aliens despite being pre-warp. 	
Loque'eque 	Loque'eque homeworld 	Post-industrial, capable of engineering Mutagenic viruses 	The Loque'eque went extinct centuries prior to 2153. 	
Makull's species 	Makull's homeworld 	2371: Post-industrial, atomic age 	 	
Malcorians 	Malcor III 	2367: Post-industrial, possibly interplanetary 	While technically warp-capable as of 2367, Chairman Avel Durken chose to suppress the technology in order to better prepare his people for first contact. 	
Menk 	Valakis 	2151: Pre-industrial 	The Menk shared their homeworld with the technologically-superior Valakians. 	
Mintakans 	Mintaka III 	2365: Pre-industrial, bronze age 	 	
Miri natives 	 	2266: Pre-industrial 	Miri was identical to Earth, but with a divergent history. A life prolongation project in the mid-20th century produced a virus that killed all adults ("Grups"), leaving long-lived children ("Onlies") as the only survivors.	
Na'rel natives 	Na'rel 	2248: Industrial 	 	
Neural natives 	Neural 	2268: Pre-industrial 	Neural was "uplifted" by the Klingon Empire, who gave them flintlock firearms in 2267. 	
Nibirans 	Nibiru 	2259: Pre-industrial 	 	
Ocampa 	 	2371: Post-industrial 	The Ocampa were dependent on the for resources as of 2371. 	
Ohawk 	Man-us II 	 	 	
Omega IV natives 	Omega IV 	2268: Industrial, iron age 	Technological civilization was wiped out by biological warfare, regressing them to the iron age. 	
Otrin's species 	Otrin's homeworld 	2378: Pre-industrial 	The species' post-industrial civilization was decimated by an antimatter disaster prior to 2378. 	
Ornarans 	Ornara 	2364: Interplanetary 	In contact with aliens despite being pre-warp. 	
Perrican 	 	 	 	
Sarpeidon natives 	Sarpeidon 	2269: Post-industrial 	Their homeworld was destroyed by the Beta Niobe supernova in 2269; the species fled into the planet's past via time portals. 	
Sigma Draconis III natives	Sigma Draconis III 	2268: Pre-industrial, medieval ages, equivalent to Earth in 1485 	 	
Sigma Draconis IV natives 	Sigma Draconis IV 	2268: Post-industrial, equivalent to Earth in 2030 	 	
Takarians 	Takarian homeworld 	2373: Pre-industrial, bronze age 	 	
Taurus II anthropoids 	Taurus II 	2267: Pre-industrial, stone age 	 	
Terralysium inhabitants 	Terralysium 	2257: Pre-industrial 	Humans transplanted from Richmond, Indiana in 2053. 	
Vaalians 	Gamma Trianguli VI 	2267: Pre-industrial, stone age 	 	
Valakians 	Valakis 	2151: Interplanetary 	The Valakians shared their homeworld with the technologically-inferior Menk. Though pre-warp, they were familiar with aliens and capable of limited interstellar travel. 	
Vendikans 	Vendikar 	2267: Post-industrial, possibly interplanetary 	Vendikar was formerly an Eminian colony. 	
Ventu 	Ledos 	2378: Pre-industrial, stone age 	An isolated society of Ledosians. 	
Veridian IV natives 	Veridian IV 	2371: Pre-industrial 	 	
Vori 	Vori homeworld 	2374: Post-industrial, equivalent to Earth's 20th century 	 	
Zeons 	 	2268: Interplanetary 	 	
== Pre-warp vessels ==
== External link ==
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