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Memory Alpha

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The quadrants of the Milky Way
Alpha QuadrantBeta QuadrantGamma QuadrantDelta QuadrantGalactic quadrants
The Alpha Quadrant is located in the upper left
(click to navigate)

The Alpha Quadrant was the common designation for one-quarter of the Milky Way Galaxy. It was adjacent to the Beta Quadrant and the Gamma Quadrant. One-quarter of the galactic core was located in this quadrant. (Star Trek: Voyager, Season 7 production art [1]; Star Trek Into Darkness, display graphics)

In late 24th century interstellar politics and diplomacy, the four great powers in the Alpha Quadrant were the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Empire, and the Cardassian Union. Other powers at the time were divided into two groups. The mercantile powers, like the Ferengi Alliance and the Orion Union, traded with the great powers. The isolationist powers, like the Breen Confederacy and the Tholian Assembly, defended their territory aggressively and, would on occasion, battle with the great powers. (Star Trek: The Original Series; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Star Trek Into Darkness, display graphics)

The Bajoran wormhole connected the Bajoran sector in the Alpha Quadrant to a point near the Idran system on the far side of the Gamma Quadrant near Dominion space. The use of this wormhole for exploration and trade by parties from the Alpha Quadrant incited hostility from the Dominion, culminating in the Dominion War. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Governments

Other Societies

Homeworlds

Spatial landmarks

Appendices

See also

Related links

Background information

In the script for DS9: "Playing God", the Cardassian vole was described as being "the Alpha Quadrant's nominee for ugliest creature in the galaxy".

STO galaxy map

The in-game map of the apocryphal Star Trek Online video game, depicting Klingon and Romulan space in the Beta Quadrant

In most reference works, apocryphal novels and games, Klingon and Romulan space and parts of the Federation are usually depicted or stated to be located in the Beta Quadrant. Though it may appear inconsistent with statements made from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, which place these powers in the Alpha Quadrant, it could be that the characters were talking about spheres of influence, whereby a power could exert its influence and prestige far from its homeworld. A good example of this is the Klingon Empire, with its homeworld in the Beta Quadrant, being called an Alpha Quadrant power. The Klingon Empire began exerting its influence and prestige in the Alpha Quadrant in the late 21st century when the empire expanded into the quadrant.

The Star Trek Encyclopedia states that the Federation was spread across the Alpha and Beta Quadrants in order to explain why the USS Enterprise was often the "only ship in the quadrant", though the term quadrant has been often used to refer to smaller segments of the galaxy as well.

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