Star Trek: Examining The Founding Members Of The Federation

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The United Federation of Planets is at the center of the Star Trek universe, and has gone through many iterations since its first introduction during Star Trek: The Original Series. Whether it's the shining beacon of hope and aspiration for the future of humanity during the early series, or a sometimes shady political and occasionally corrupt all-encompassing corporation where questionable ethics and tentative morality come into play constantly — it's a constant in the world of Star Trek.

The Federation, changing in size as it expands and diminishes over the franchise, spreads over eight thousand light-years at the time of Star Trek: First Contact (the year 2373), and is made up of at least 150 planets. During its peak, this grew to just over 350 planets. While growing in size and adding previous enemies such as the Klingons into the flock, there were only four key founding members in 2161 when the Federation of Planets formed, but who were they?

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What is there to say about Earth? Things changed when the Vulcans introduced themselves in First Contact after warp drive was discovered. Earth, also known as Sol III or Terra, was inhabited by humans (as well as the Voth, but that’s something for another article). In 2150, they all came together and unified as the United Earth Government, after realizing country segregation was far less of a dividing factor than planetary division, and that humans should band together as one government. Earth is also the capital planet of the United Federation of Planets. It is also the home of Starfleet, the Federation's military, exploratory, and science service.

While this new united Earth was the dream of the show's creator Gene