The galaxy governed by the Galactic Republic is a typical spiral galaxy consisting of several hundred billion stars. The galactic disk is 120,000 light years in diameter. There are roughly a hundred billion star systems and twenty million intelligent species.

In this Galaxy there are over twelve million industrialized systems. Within the Galactic Republic, there are over a million member worlds, supplemented by colonies, protectorates and governorships amounting to nearly fifty million inhabited systems. The member worlds are the only worlds represented by the Galactic Senate. The total sapient population of the Galaxy is about 100 quadrillion (100,000,000,000,000,000) beings (roughly 2 billion inhabitants per inhabited system). Given that perhaps 90% of the inhabited systems have populations of less than 100 million, that leaves the vast bulk (99.5%) of the Galactic Population on 10% of the Core Worlds (roughly 20 billion inhabitants per Core World).

History

In the dim recesses of pre-history, the hyperdrive was invented and interstellar travel and commerce became commonplace. This era is a time of exploration and conflict. Disputes over resources or trade led to great wars between contentious factions. Petty warlords like Xim the Despot raised empires and exploited the masses. These conflicts led to the establishment of the early Republic, whose initial goal was to peacefully resolve conflicts and protect weaker planets from aggression.

This simple premise has established the longest-lived political entity in the history of the Galaxy. For over 10,000 years, the Republic has kept the peace and cooperatively defended it's members from threats from both external and internal.

The Republic

The modern Republic consists of over 1 million member worlds, not including colonies, protectorates and other affiliated but independent worlds. Member worlds receive the full benefits of the Republic both in military protection, development, and in Senatorial representation. As a result, Member Worlds provide the most resources to the operation of the Republic. Protectorates and Colonies receive military protection but receive no developmental benefits and have no Senatorial representation, and as a result provide the least resources.

Joining the Republic is remarkably easy. So long as the potential Member World is willing to adopt the Republic's regulations regarding trade, agression, and sapient rights, and is willing to provide for the mutual defense of all Member Worlds. Acceptance into the Republic simply involves petitioning a Senator for representation. The Senator will then make his decision to represent the world based on merit and qualifications. Often, many Senators my compete to represent a single important world. In these cases, the world's government (or governments) review the qualifications of each Senator and choose based on which one will benefit them most.

New Senatorial positions are approved by vote of the Senate and must be proposed by the Senator (or Senators) whose worlds are affected, or by reccomendation of the Senatorial Committee on Representation. Currently there are 10,000 seats in the Republic Senate.

Senate positions are elected by the governments of its constituent worlds every 10 years. Usually, a planet's votes are based on planetary elections, but ultimately it is the vote of that planet's head of state.

The Senators, in turn, elect the Supreme Chancellor from their number, the Head of State of the Republic. The Supreme Chancellor is responsible for the appointment of committee memberships (leaders of which are called Chancellors), oversees Senatorial proceedings, and is the Commander-in-Chief of the Republic Peacekeeping Forces. The current Supreme Chancellor is 65-year-old Corellian female, Galron.

Member worlds are free to maintain whatever form of government they wish without interference from the Republic. Each world is independent and retains the right of self-determination. Only in cases of intransigent violations of sapient rights will the Republic intervene in the operation of a world's government.

Maintaining the Peace

The Republic Peacekeeping Forces consists of the Republic Navy, Army, and Security Forces. The Navy oversees all aerospace operations and consists of tens of thousands of starships organized into massive fleets. The Army oversees all planetary operations both on land and in the seas. The Republic Security Forces are civilians who enforce planetary and Galactic laws.

The duty of the RPF is to defend Republic Member Worlds, Colonies, and Protectorates from agression and instability. The RPF is never used for conquest or oppression. Each Member World provides resources for the maintenance of the RPF. The nature of the resources varies depending on cultures. Martially-inclined worlds might provide fleets of battlecarriers and crews. More pacifistic worlds might provide materials, ores, and other commodities, or simply money, that ultimately help maintain the RPF. Once all this support is combined and coordinated, the result is a very large military and security force that acts as an overwhelming deterrent to any hostile force.

At present, the only possible hostilities the Republic Military may face come from Hutt-employed mercenaries, isolated pirates, and small regional independent powers.