Federation space

I must protest. To offer the Klingons a safe haven within Federation space is suicide. Klingons would become the alien trash of the galaxy. And if we dismantle the fleet, we'd be defenseless before an aggressive species with a foothold on our territory.Cartwright

A star chart centered on Federation space, 2259

Federation space or Federation territory was the region of space occupied or territory claimed by the United Federation of Planets. Space found beyond Federation space was generally considered to be non-Federation space.

Location and size

See also: Federation members and Federation colonies

Federation space was located approximately thirty thousand light years from the core of the galaxy, located within the Orion Arm, on the border of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. (TNG: "The Nth Degree"; DIS: "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad"; VOY Season 7 production art)

During the Federation-Klingon War of 2256-57, 20% of Federation territory came under Klingon occupation. (DIS: "What's Past Is Prologue")

According to James T. Kirk, as of 2267, the Federation was "on a thousand planets and spreading out." (TOS: "Metamorphosis")

The exact meaning of Kirk's line remains unclear. Given that, a century later, the Federation was repeatedly said to have "over 150 members" (see below), it is unlikely he referred to member planets. Instead, Kirk might have included colonies/outposts, or even included worlds that the Federation merely had diplomatic representatives on, e.g., embassies.

As of 2370, there were "countless M class planets in Federation space which can support" humanoid life. (TNG: "Homeward")

In 2369, Commander Benjamin Sisko described the Federation to be made up of "over a hundred planets." In 2372, Captain Kathryn Janeway said it "consists of over 150 different worlds." The following year, Captain Jean-Luc Picard repeated this number and specified the Federation's territory to be spread across eight thousand light years. (DS9: "Battle Lines"; VOY: "Innocence"; Star Trek: First Contact)

"Eight thousand light years" presumably refers to three-dimensional volume rather than diameter, as it would take a starship several years to travel that distance in a straight line, even at maximum warp.

During the Dominion War, the Female Changeling gave Weyoun the impression that once the Dominion won, that all Federation territories would fall under his jurisdiction, including Earth. Weyoun was later disappointed to learn that she later promised the Breen Confederacy the same terms, explaining that "I would promise the Breen the entire Alpha Quadrant if I thought it would help win this war." (DS9: "What You Leave Behind")

By 3189, approximately 120 years after the galaxy wide event known as "The Burn", which decimated warp faring civilization, the Federation was reduced to only 38 formal member worlds, from a high of 350. (DIS: "Die Trying") By 3190 this had increased to 58. (DIS: "Kobayashi Maru") And later 59 after Earth rejoined the Federation. (DIS: "Coming Home")

Outside of Federation space

The Kaleb sector was located just outside of Federation space. (TNG: "Face Of The Enemy")

The planet Kurl was, according to William T. Riker, "a hell of a long way outside Federation territory." (TNG: "The Chase")

Neighboring powers

It maintained borders with many notable powers, including the Klingon Empire (Federation-Klingon border), the Romulan Star Empire (Romulan Neutral Zone), the Gorn Hegemony, the Tholian Assembly, the Cardassian Union (Federation-Cardassian border, DMZ), the Sheliak Corporate, the Talarians, and the Tzenkethi. (TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles", "Balance of Terror", "Arena", "The Tholian Web"; TNG: "Chain Of Command, Part I", "The Ensigns of Command", "Suddenly Human"; DS9: "The Adversary")

Border territory

The coordinates 140 by 205 were considered to be within Federation space, located adjacent to the Romulan Neutral Zone. (TNG: "The Defector")

The Federation's Argus Array, a remote subspace telescope, was located at the very edge of Federation space near Cardassian space in 2370. (TNG: "The Nth Degree", "Parallels") The McAllister C-5 Nebula was located just across the Cardassian border, approximately seven light years from Federation space. (TNG: "Chain Of Command, Part II")

Krios, homeworld of the Kriosians, was the only Klingon colony located on the border of Federation space as of 2367. (TNG: "The Mind's Eye")

The Typhon sector, located within the flight path of a Borg cube that was on course for Earth in 2373, was located near the border of Federation space. (Star Trek: First Contact)

Laws

Laws for operating in Federation space were established to protect its citizens and aliens alike.

According to the terms of the Klingon-Federation treaty, Klingons have "every right to free transit through Federation space" and they cannot be boarded or subjected to search without just cause. (TNG: "Gambit, Part II")

According to the Ferengi arms dealer Gaila, he conducted his arms business outside of Federation space, so that "Starfleet can't touch us." (DS9: "Business as Usual")

Background information

The Federation was generally referred to as an Alpha Quadrant power, particularly in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which presented the Dominion War as a fight for control of the Alpha Quadrant. Background sources, including the Star Trek: Star Charts, have long depicted the Federation as incorporating both Alpha and Beta Quadrant areas, an idea which was originally intended to rationalize Kirk's line in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan that the USS Enterprise was the only ship in the quadrant. (Star Trek Encyclopedia, 3rd ed., p. 8). Evidence of the Federation's multi-quadrant status long remained elusive, but a map seen in "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad" finally established otherwise.

According to the official Star Trek website, the Federation consisted of 120 members and 700 colonies as of 2258 in the alternate reality. [1] In a deleted scene from Star Trek Into Darkness, a region of space depicting Federation space was labeled with the title "Alpha Quadrant". [2]

According to Star Trek: Star Charts ("United Federation of Planets IV"), in 2378, the area of the Federation was eight thousand cubic light years and there were 183 members and 7,128 affiliates.