Expansion Region

Galactic Sector

The Expansion Region is one of the galaxy's primary I regions for manufacturing and heavy industry. The region underwent extreme corporate development and extensive mining over the centuries. With a significant percentage of the mines played out, the region has suffered economically for the past few centuries. The Expansion Region has an irregular shape, with a very thin band in the northern reaches of the region and a wider bulge in the eastern and southeastern areas. The population density of the region is far less than the Core Worlds, or even the Inner Rim.
While the Inner Rim was still developing, explorers and corporate opportunists surged into the Expanded Rim. A boom was well under way before it was officially opened for colonization. They quickly established major mining colonies and industrial complexes on the worlds they seized. The operations were so disruptive they distorted the shape of the Inner Rim region, producing its northeastern bulge.

Economic Flux

Eventually renamed the Expansion Region, further exploration and development became an experiment in corporate governance and control. Mega corporations and guilds controlled entire star systems and clusters, efficiently stripping them of any usable material for direct shipping back to the inner regions, or to local industrial and manufacturing complexes.
Wars were also a concern in the early years. The conflicts changed the exploration and settlement efforts, pushing them further westward in the region. Eventually, these more successful and diverse sectors sought to culturally distance themselves and-called their area the Trailing Sectors.
The northern sectors lagged in development. In response, the Republic granted their development and governing rights to the Expansionist Oligarchy. The corporate conglomerates that made up the Oligarchy severely abused their power, reducing the citizenry to near-poverty conditions. Once the scandal broke, the Senate removed the Oligarchy from power. Similar situations played out across the Expansion Region over the centuries. Corporate control gave way to Republic representation in most systems, though the companies still exert extensive influence. The experiment led to the development of the Corporate Sector.
In recent centuries, the mines of the original colonies in the Slice region played out, plunging the area into an unstoppable economic decline. The systems and corporations struggle with what remains and they are unlikely to regain the" industrial power they once enjoyed.
During the Clone Wars, large areas of space in the southern and Slice sectors became Separatist holdings. Able to take advantage of the economic troubles, the Separatists made significant inroads in regional politics.
After the establishment of the Empire, an influx of immigrants and refugees from the Inner Rim has created new opportunities for the citizenry. Unfortunately, they also add to the economic woes and unemployment issues already rampant. After the war, the Empire moved to stabilize the economic situation by creating major staging areas for Imperial cargo and military fleets. This included efforts to relocate portions of the population, as well as to take advantage of Inner Rim refugees. The economic revival in those areas helped draw support for the Empire among the population. However, the Rebel Alliance has found the disused mining operations and abandoned worlds are ready-made for secret operations. The Rebels are making inroads with those suffering the worst of the economic situation.

Type

Galactic Sector

Location under

The Galaxy