Cardassia

Cardassia refers to the Cardassian Union, a major political power in the Alpha Quadrant within the Star Trek universe. Its political center and capital is Cardassia Prime. The union is portrayed as a centralized, authoritarian state that emphasizes order, discipline, and a strong security apparatus. The Cardassian state maintains a powerful covert and overt security structure, including the Obsidian Order, and a large standing military that plays a central role in governance and foreign policy.

Government and society are characterized by a bureaucratic, tightly controlled system where dissent is often suppressed and state interests take precedence over individual rights. Leadership has included influential officials who exercised substantial influence in both domestic policy and imperial expansion. The military and security services are traditionally powerful, and the economy tends toward centralized planning with emphasis on heavy industry, resource extraction, and infrastructure development.

Geographically, Cardassia Prime is the political heart of the union, with numerous colony worlds and territories linked by a broad network of star systems. Cardassians are humanoid, typically with distinctive facial ridges, and are depicted as practical, methodical, and often stern in disposition. Culturally, loyalty to the state, duty, and family are emphasized, with a utilitarian aesthetic evident in architecture and technology.

Historically, Cardassia is known for its long occupation of Bajor, a period that shaped relations with neighboring worlds and created enduring tensions. In the 24th century, Cardassia joined forces with the Dominion during the Dominion War, a alliance that precipitated internal reforms and postwar reconstruction. In the years following the conflict, Cardassia faced political and economic upheaval and moved toward reorganization and gradual liberalization, influenced by external actors and internal reform movements.