The Galaxy

250px|thumb|Map of the galaxy, with most major planets.
The galaxy is one of the billions of galaxies that exist in the universe. This galaxy is particularly important since it was the setting of the histories of the Old Republic, the Galactic Empire, the Galactic Civil War, the Jedi and the Sith.
Judging from the maps available, it appeared to be a galaxy of Sb type. According to some sources, the galaxy was 120,000 light years across, or 37,000 Parsecs (a parsec is 3.258 light years) across. A black hole existed at the center of the galaxy.
There were approximately 400 billion stars and around half of these had planets that could support life. 10% of those developed life, while sentient life developed in 1/1000 of those (about 20 million). The galaxy was populated by approximately 100 quadrillion different life forms.
==History==
Before recorded history, the first known galaxy-spanning political entity was the Infinite Empire of the Rakata, which ended long before the forming of the official so-called "galactic civilization".
The galaxy as an official entity began to exist millennia later, when Humans discovered hyperspace travel and met other sentient races. When several worlds and species came to know each other, they formed a loose affiliation that accepted common laws and currency, and the Old Republic became the "official" galactic government. The smaller Sith Empire rivaled the Republic, and the beginnings of that rivalry were religious—the understanding of the Force. The Sith were defeated and re-emerged several times.
Finally, after a millennium of hiding, the Sith managed to restore their Empire, after dissolving the Republic and replacing it with the Galactic Empire.
==Astrography==
The galaxy was divided into several regions. They are listed here in ascending order of distance from the core. These regions were further divided into various sectors, systems, and planets.
===Deep Core===
At the very heart of the galaxy, the Deep Core (a.k.a. Core Systems) was a small region that hid unusual worlds. Due to the gravitational pull of the vast number of stars, local space-time was severely warped, making hyperspace travel difficult at best. The region was thought to be inaccessible until the Galactic Empire found several safe hyperlanes into the region.
===Core Worlds===
An ancient region bordering the outlying areas of the Deep Core, the Core Worlds were some of the most prestigious, well-developed, well-known, and heavily populated planets in the galaxy. The Core Worlds were the original areas of Human occupation. The Old Republic and subsequently all galaxywide governments were born in the Core Worlds and spread out over the galaxy. The Humans are supposed to have originated from this region.
===Colonies===
The Colonies was the name given to a region of the galaxy between the Core Worlds and the Inner Rim. It was among the first areas outside the Core to be colonized, and the worlds here were typically heavily populated and industrialized.
During its reign, the Galactic Empire was very forceful in controlling the Colonies, and as a result, the New Republic gained support quickly there.
===Inner Rim Territories===
The Inner Rim was a region of the galaxy between the Colonies and the Expansion Region. It was originally just called "The Rim", as it was expected to be the farthest extent of the Known Galaxy for centuries, but the Expanded Rim (later renamed the Expansion Region) was opened within a hundred years of the Inner Rim.
The Galactic Empire ruthlessly controlled the Inner Rim. Rather than rebel, many residents chose to flee to the Outer Rim Territories.
After the Battle of Endor, the Empire, despite its unpopularity, held the region far longer than expected; many later resented the New Republic's sluggishness in liberating the region. Many worlds, despite joining the New Republic, were openly afraid that the government was not strong enough to maintain power. Their concerns were born when the Empire reclaimed most of the Inner Rim.
===Expansion Region===
The Expansion Region was an experiment in corporate-controlled worlds, with powerful corporations exploiting and profiting heavily from the planets for their raw materials, metals and ores. Inhabitants were oppressed while the corporations stripped entire stellar systems of all their resources. Eventually civil unrest spread from system to system. The Old Republic eventually took control of the system due to mounting pressure from its denizens by limiting or evicting corporate interests. Expansion Region worlds continued to be producers of raw materials and ores. However, most natural resources were exhausted by the Imperial era.
===Mid Rim===
With fewer natural resources (and therefore a smaller population) than many neighboring regions, the Mid Rim was a territory where residents worked hard for everything they had. Several planets had built up impressive economies, and pirate raiders often hid in the relatively unexplored spaces far from major trade routes.
===Outer Rim Territories===
The Outer Rim Territories was the last widely settled expanse before Wild Space and the Unknown Regions. It was the birth place of the Dark Lord Revan, and was also where the Mandalorians began their crusades in the hope of provoking the Old Republic into war. It was strewn with obscure worlds, and rugged, primitive frontier planets. Due to its distance from the Core, the region was home to many supporters of the Rebel Alliance.
===Beyond the Outer Rim===
There were several sectors beyond the Outer Rim, on various arms of the galaxy. It was believed that a turbulent energy field surrounded the galaxy and prevented inter-galactic travel.
====Tingel Arm====
The Tingel Arm was an exterior spiral arm of the galaxy. It contained the Corporate Sector Authority, a political entity which was semi-independent of the Old Republic and the Galactic Empire. Under the Galactic Empire, the sector expanded from a few hundred to thirty thousand systems.
====Unknown Regions====
The term "Unknown Regions" most commonly referred to the large, unexplored region which some interpret to have been outside the plane of the galactic disk. The Unknown Regions comprised only a few billion stars, out of a galactic total of 400 billion. For reasons yet to be demonstrated there was a lack of reliable hyperspace routes through the region. The "Unknown Regions" designation included uncharted areas in dense nebulae, globular clusters, and the galactic halo.
====Wild Space====
Wild Space was the frontier of galactic society, separating the known parts of the galaxy from the Unknown Regions. Wild Space differed from the Unknown Regions in that some of Wild Space has been explored, though not extensively; the Unknown Regions remained mysterious.
===Traffic routes===
Various established "ways" like hyperlanes passed through the sectors. These routes were explored and established by spacers known as hyperspace explorers. Astromech droids had the responsibility of guiding spaceships through these routes.
*Rimma Trade Route
*Perlemian Trade Route
*Hydian Way
*Corellian Run
*Corellian Trade Spine
*Kessel Run
*Ison Trade Corridor
*Sisar Run
*Myto's Arrow
*Daragon Trail
==Government and politics==
Various governments have ruled within the galaxy over the millennia, the earliest known galaxy-spanning government being the Infinite Empire. Other significant political powers within the galaxy included:
* Bothan Space
* Centrality
* Chiss Ascendancy
* Confederacy of Independent Systems
* Confederation
* Corporate Sector Authority
* Cronese Mandate
* Empire of the Hand
* Expansion Region
* Hapes Cluster
* Hutt Space
* Imperial Remnant
* Juvex Sector
* Senex Sector
* Ssi-Ruuvi Imperium
* Tion Cluster
* Tion Hegemony
* Vagaari Empire
==Economy==
The galactic economy was a very complex and diverse economy. The main currency of the Old Republic was the credit, divided into ten decicreds.
==Races and species==
Life developed in 10% of the livable planets, while sentient life developed in 1/1000 of those (about 20 million sentient species). It was estimated that they together totaled 100 quadrillion beings.
In classical history, the dominating species have been Humans. Possibly originating from the Core Worlds, Humans had been the basis of the major governments. Sentients other than Humans (examples: Twi'leks, Hutts, Mon Calamari) were simply known as 'aliens'. Aliens were also distinguished as humanoid or not.
Although not considered a race for obvious reasons, droids formed a significant part, helping and coexisting with the population. On Naboo, higher level droids were considered equal as fellow sentients.
===Extragalactic interaction===
Extragalactic aliens (species coming from another galaxy) were believed to have visited, by unknown means, the galaxy in an unknown point in the past for unknown reasons, and made contact with the galactic species.
The Intergalactic Banking Clan had influence as far as the Rishi Maze and the other satellite galaxy.
Extragalactic travel was difficult due to a disturbance that prevented hyperspace routes outside the disk. However the Extragalactic Society was an organization devoted to the search for life outside the galaxy. During the last days of the Republic and according to Republic HoloNet News Special Inaugural Edition 16:5:241, the Brodo Asogi leader, Senator Grebleips sent an expedition to another galaxy but all information about the outcome of this endeavor is unknown.
==Speech==
The lingua franca of the galaxy was the Human language that evolved in the Galactic Basic Standard. Its origins must have been the vernacular speech of Humans and was partially derived from several ancient Human languages, like Olys Corellisi. Humans being the dominant species of the galaxy, Basic has been adopted by many alien species as well.
The second most common language was Huttese, expanded through the criminal and financial activity of the Hutts, and has been as well adopted by other races that were in close cooperation with them through the ages, like the Rodians.
It was possible for droids to have fluency in millions of forms of communication, and based on them, could also understand and improvise in even more. Protocol droids were essential in interracial relations as translators and interpreters.
==Gallery==
galaxyMap.gif|Galaxy map
Political Map.gif|Political map
==See also==
*Otherspace
*List of sectors
*List of systems
*List of planets
*List of cities
*List of locations
==External links==
*Star Wars Atlas
*Galaxy navigator and maps Currently non-working, points to a domain parking page
*Main galaxy map from above siteAs above, see the nav-computer.com entry on Wookieepedia.
*Dark Horse Star Wars Galaxy Map
*Star Wars Galaxy Maps - A Leland Chee blog
*Galaxy Map Discussion - Official thread at StarWars.com
*Map of the galaxy far, far away....
 
Galaxy