Earth

Earth, also known as The Motherworld, Old Terra and "Third Rock", is the third planet in the Sol system, resting between Venus and Mars. It is the homeworld of the human species and was a center of civilization in its system before the end of the third interplanetary civil war and subsequent bombardment by Mars, instantly reducing its population by over 15%.
This number slowly increased over time via deaths from exposure during a short ice age, numerous small-scale conflicts and a mass exodus to various human colonies including not only Luna, Titan, Mercury, Venus and Mars, but also the efforts to colonize Revant, Ares, and Aphrodite. Its population today is around 1.3 billion and it is regarded as an important and protected cultural site by the Orion Confederation, much to the chagrin of those remaining on its surface.
== Description ==
Earth was the center of human society for the vast majority of the history of the species until the second interplanetary civil war in the 2220s, where a massive number of experimental jump drive warheads kicked up large amounts of rock and ejected roughly 9% of the planet's atmosphere. This caused a short ice age due to the dust in the atmosphere, and once recovering, the temperature has stayed a few degrees below the previous average. 
This dust also collected in orbit, creating rings that will remain for tens of thousands of years. 
Earth has one of the most diverse climates in the known galaxy as a result of its relatively fast rotation, vast oceans, and tall mountain ranges induced by its tectonics being stable, but also active. 
The planet's surface is broken up into six main landmasses with a seventh arbitrary line drawn by its inhabitants based on culture more than anything else. 
The Americas, located in the western hemisphere, are best known for the Amazon rainforest in South America, the vast deserts surrounding the Rocky and Andes mountain ranges, and the prevalence of hurricanes and tornadoes in southeastern and central north america, the latter of which is caused by warm ocean air coming from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, and cold northern air. 
Europe once featured a mild climate, one much warmer than other regions at the same latitude. After the ice age, however, it became next to uninhabitable as the ice caps grew to cover it. While its climate has mostly recovered, the far northern parts of Europe have failed to see a large return of human civilization, with the New German Empire having recently colonized Scandinavia only for its material wealth. 
Asia is the largest continent on earth, and the most populated. The most striking feature from space is the massive Himalayan mountain range and vast swaths of dry land ranging from the Gobi desert in the former nations of China and Mongolia to the Arabian and Syrian deserts in the farthest western stretches of Asia. Its southern side is largely tropical, with the north is especially cold and barren. 
Africa is the origin point for the human species and their closest relatives. It has had a largely unstable climate for millennia, which has been blamed for the relative lack of development in the region since such observations could be made. What once was fertile land could be barren the next year, forcing many early groups to become nomadic to survive and harming their capability for technological advancement in the process. It is dominated by the Congo rainforest in central Africa, and the Sahara desert in the north. Due to being centered on the equator, it is also the hottest continent. 
Oceania is composed of hundreds of islands dominated by tropical rainforests and savannas, while New Zealand and Australia's eastern coast are temperate. The vast majority of its landmass is made up of the Australian desert. 
Antarctica is the southernmost continent, made up of an archipelago covered by the Earth's southern polar cap. Its low precipitation makes it the worlds largest desert, placing the vast, hot Sahara in second place.
== Governments ==
Earth's political structure has become complicated since the days of the United Earth, which dissolved as its leaders and citizenry fled or died en masse, with their successors refusing help from the victors of the war. 
At present, there are a total of nineteen political bodies recognized as "New-Earth States" by the Orion Confederation, a class of organizations that have clear leaders, defined borders, and a structure that does not resemble "might makes right", as is the case with the majority of tribal bands that roam the remainder of Earth's habitable surface.
Name 	Continent 	Capital City
Republic of California	North America 	San Francisco
Texas 	North America 	Austin
Amazonas 	South America 	Rio De Janeiro
The New German Empire 	Europe 	Berlin
The Turkish Empire 	Europe / Asia 	Istanbul
Crimea 	Europe / Asia 	Sevastopol
Egypt 	Africa / Asia 	Cairo
New Mozambique 	Africa 	Nairobi
Kunta 	Africa 	Addis Ababa
Arabia 	Asia 	Dubai
India 	Asia 	Mumbai
Singapore 	Asia / Oceania	Singapore
China 	Asia 	Beijing
Mueang Thai 	Asia 	Bangkok
Hong Kong 	Asia 	Hong Kong
Korea 	Asia 	Seoul
Japan 	Asia 	Tokyo
Victoria 	Oceania 	Melbourne
 
No Earth states maintain an extraplanetary navy, as none have the infrastructure or influence to maintain orbital construction facilities. 
A growing number of tribes, especially those in North America and eastern Europe have been entering alliances with one another, the "Cult of the Earth that Was". They are a coalition of pro-terran fascists, and are extremely hostile to extraterrestrial visitors. They have no borders or official meeting places, instead being made up of a number of cells, each with their own leadership. They have been listed as a terrorist organization by the Orion Confederation, and a more strict travel advisory for any landmarks outside the borders of known-friendly NES' has been in effect since they made their presence known. 
== History ==
=== Formation ===
The proto-Earth, known as Gaia, formed in the early Sol system, and remains the most massive rocky body in its system. A co-orbital Mars-sized planet, retroactively named Theia, collided with it and launched a large amount of its mass into orbit. The two bodies that resulted from the collision are now known as Earth and Luna. 
Earth's liquid nickel-iron core and relatively fast rotation powers its strong magnetic field, second only to Jupiter in its strength within the system. The moon gradually slowed its rotational period from five hours to twenty four hours. Comets from the asteroid belt carried water to the molten planet and allowed life to flourish around a billion years after the planet's formation. 
=== Life ===
Life stayed extremely simple until around 541 million BCE, when an event known as The Cambrian Explosion occurred, resulting in unparalleled genetic diversity in the world's oceans. A number of extinction events with varying causes including asteroid impacts, ice ages, and changes in the atmosphere and oceans resulted in massive climate change causing up to 90% of all living species to die off. The end result of this was the rise of the great apes, and later humans. The effect that humans had on the planet was its own extinction event, with the transformation of natural habitats, the exploitation of Earth's resources and the use of weapons of mass destruction on a massive scale taking a toll on the genetic diversity of the planet. 
Humans had long since spread out from their homeworld onto others, making new homes out of Mars and Venus, and building outposts on the exotic moons of Jupiter and Saturn, especially Callisto, Titan, and Enceladus.