Unified Earth Government
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
| Unified Earth Government | |
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| Government overview | |
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Government branches: |
Colonial Administration Authority
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| Societal overview | |
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Official language(s): |
English (primary), Spanish, Hungarian, German, Japanese and many others |
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Official religion(s): |
Multi-religious |
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| Historical overview | |
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The Unified Earth Government (UEG), is the central civilian government that administers Earth and its colonies throughout a portion of the Orion Arm of the Milky Way galaxy. It houses the Colonial Administration Authority and the United Nations, which in turn governs the United Nations Space Command.[3]
During the Human-Covenant War, the UNSC has assumed the governing function of the civilian UEG in the face of possible extinction from the overwhelming Covenant threat.[4][3][5] The UEG still exists by January 2553, though whether it has regained executive and legislative power from the UNSC is unknown.[6]
History
The Unified Earth Government traces its origins back to the early days of human colonization of the Sol System in the late 21st century. The organization was originally created by the United Nations in 2075, as an assembly of political leaders and brilliant minds and tasked with attempting to avert the crises of the next century by solving governmental unification issues of colonizing non-Earth territories.[1][2]
The UEG was reformed into a full-fledged governing entity in 2170,[2] in response to the destructive Interplanetary War of the 2160's. With numerous Earth governments fighting independent battles against Frieden and Koslovic forces, the United Nations became involved, eventually using the war to absorb most, if not all, Earth and off-world governments into itself to form a united governing body to combat the terrorists and stabilize the planet and its off-world colonies. The UN-aligned forces won the war in 2170 and the Unified Earth Government was formed, with its primary military, scientific, and exploratory force being the newly established United Nations Space Command.
With the beginning of the Human-Covenant War in February of 2525 and the Covenant systematic annihilation of the Outer Colonies, the UNSC became humanity's greatest protector against the genocidal threat. The UNSC thus overrode the civilian rule of the UEG and established itself as an emergency military government, with it being humanity's primary government. Although the Unified Earth Government was more open to stepping down in this time of crisis, the Colonial Administration Authority, the arm of the UEG that governed the colonies, resisted the UNSC's drastic rise in power. Thus, it was subsequently stripped of its powers and influence. Following the end of the Human-Covenant War in 2553, it is unknown whether the powers and position of both the UEG and CAA held before the war were restored, although it is likely as the UNSC's emergency military government was no longer necessary with the end of the war.
In January 2553, Dr. Ruth Charet took office as the President of the Unified Earth Government. She called for a new era of peace, progressiveness, and rebuilding in the wake of the Human-Covenant War.[6]
In 2557, the UEG became involved in a war with surviving Forerunner Prometheans, led by the Didact.[7]
Government and politics
The UEG is headed by a President.[6] A number of other executive offices are known to exist, among them the Minister of Information,[8] the Secretary of Defense,[9] and the Minister for the Colonies.[6] Based on the first and last positions, the UEG would appear to be based around a parliamentary system. Other executive ministries include the Department of the Treasury, under which operates the Internal Revenue Service.[10]
It has been noted that Earth is in a privileged position over the colonies in the election process, which has been a source of discord with some colonials.[5]
The Colonial Administration Authority is the government branch that administers the various colonies that belong to the UEG. It keeps extensive files on every colony world and city under the UEG, available to UNSC members for planning missions.[11]
Even though it originally formed the UEG, the United Nations has been absorbed into a branch of the Earth government by the 26th century. Its exact function or role is unclear.[3]
Foreign relations and military
- Main article: United Nations Space Command
Prior to first contact with the Covenant at Harvest, the Unified Earth Government kept no foreign relations, with the exception of battles against Insurrectionists on rebellious colonies, whose independence the UEG did not recognize.[12][13] As of 2553, the UEG maintains its earlier truce with those members of the Covenant separatists who remain loyal to Arbiter Thel 'Vadam. However, tensions remain as the UEG must again deal with elements of the weakened Insurrectionist movement, with worlds like Venezia actively seeking to secede.[14]
The United Nations Space Command is the UEG's primary military, exploratory, and scientific arm. The military arm, known as the UNSC Defense Force, is intended to protect innocent colonists and colony worlds from attack by privateers, Insurrectionists and other threats, such as the Covenant. It includes various special forces, and militia organizations, but is mainly comprised of the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Army. The UNSC also maintains a number of scientific organizations, among them UNSC Astrophysics,[15] while the UNSC Engineering Corps is devoted to surveying viable planets for colonization or terraforming.[16]
The UEG's member nations maintain their own standing militaries. It is unclear how they are maintained in relation to the UNSCDF, though they are presumably coordinated by the latter. Prospective members of the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers are drawn from the ranks of national special operations groups as well as from the UNSCDF's own special forces.[17]
Economy
The UEG uses the United Nations Credit monetary unit to organize its economic stability by selling or buying military equipment, supplies and costs for shipping, etc. The UN Credit was likely implemented by the United Nations at some point before the formation of the Unified Earth Government in 2170. For transporting food and raw materials between colonies, the UEG maintains a merchant navy, run by the Department of Commercial Shipping.
Sphere of influence
Colonies
- Main article: Human colonies
Human-occupied systems were known to encompass a relatively wide radius of the Orion Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, in various stages of colonization, from the well developed Inner Colonies to the relatively recent and struggling Outer Colonies. By 2490, there were more than 800 worlds under human control, ranging from small outposts and settlements to thriving colonies and military strongholds.[18] Most of these colonies, under the influence of the UEG, were therefore governed by the Colonial Administration Authority.[3]
The territory encompassed by the Inner Colonies seemed to stretch in at least a 11.5-light year radius around Earth, and the Outer Colonies beyond that. By 2468, the outermost colony was Harvest, at twelve light years from Earth - later, colonies were founded well beyond in the Outer Colonies. Colonies may have been settled after Harvest, or founded during the Human-Covenant War.
Influence over these worlds were greatly reduced by the Covenant during the Human-Covenant War, with only Earth and a few scattered colonies left mostly intact by the end of the conflict in 2552. Since the end of the conflict, the UEG is working to restore its galactic territories and avoid secessionism, and has even recolonized some of its former worlds, including Reach.
Nation-states
There are still numerous national governments on Earth and other planetary bodies that fall under the UEG's power.[17] They appear to have maintained a limited degree of independence, although their overall authority is negligible as most governing functions are handled by the UEG.[19]
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Asia Oceania Americas |
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Trivia
- Though the UN and the UEG are functionally separate entities,[3] the name "United Nations" was used to refer to humanity's central governing agency in Halo: Contact Harvest.[19]
- Both the Unified Earth Government and the United Nations Space Command are references to the human government (United Earth Government) and military (Unified Earth Space Council), respectively, from Bungie's Marathon series.
List of appearances
Sources
- ^ a b Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 229
- ^ a b c d Halopedia:Letter - RE: Quick clarification - UEG
- ^ a b c d e f Halo Story Page: Frank O'Connor/Robt McLees Interview - August 2008
- ^ Bestiarum
- ^ a b YouTube: Halo: From A to Z with Frank O'Connor
- ^ a b c d Halo: Glasslands, page 43
- ^ Halo 4
- ^ Halo 2, Metropolis: Image:Metrosign-8.jpg
- ^ Halo 2, campaign level Metropolis: File:Metrosign-3.jpg
- ^ http://transmit.ilovebees.com/outbound/taxes_suck.wav
- ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 177
- ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach
- ^ Halo: Contact Harvest
- ^ Halo: Glasslands
- ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 138
- ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 123
- ^ a b Bungie.net: Halo 3: ODST Field Guide
- ^ Xbox.com/Halo - Timeline
- ^ a b Halo: Contact Harvest, page 37
