Coruscant

Coruscant, originally called Notron, is a planet in the Galactic Core, and the birthplace of the human race. It is the capital of the Galactic Republic, and generally agreed upon as the most politically important planet in the known galaxy. The entire surface of the planet has been covered, over the centuries, by Galactic City, the planet-wide ecumenopolis, as the city-states of the past merged together, building new structures on the ruins of the old. The actual surface of Coruscant has not been seen for centuries, and the city gets taller and taller with each passing iteration, leaving the old to crumble and decay on the lower levels.

Surface
The actual surface of Coruscant has not been seen by human eyes for thousands of years, as the ever-growing ecumenopolis of Galactic City has long since covered and recovered nearly every inch of Coruscant's natural ground. Geologically, the planet is composed of a molten core with a rocky mantle, and silicate rock crust, with ice caps at the north and south poles. The skyscrapers of Galactic City vastly dwarf any of the remaining natural features of the planet. Mountains have been eroded or destroyed either by time or by the planet's inhabitants, and the world's oceans have long since dried up, with no physical evidence left of their existence.

Galactic City
Galactic City is the planet-wide ecumenopolis which sprawls across every inch of Coruscant's surface. From space, the city is a marvel to behold, full of light and color, and so long as one does not tread beyond the upper levels of Coruscant, that illusion may well remain intact. The upper levels are kept pristine, well-organized and efficiently maintained by the Galactic City Administration. As the capital of the Republic, Galactic City is intended to be a beacon and an example of what a world could be.

The city is divided into levels, each level is divided into quadrants, and each quadrant further split into sectors. Sectors were designated for certain uses, be they industrial, residential, commercial, or government. The upper levels of Coruscant are almost exclusively zoned for government and commercial use, with only a few residential exceptions made for noble families, diplomats, and high-level government officials. The upper levels are home to areas such as the Senate District, and the Collective Commerce District. Just below the upper levels, most sectors are residential areas, with the cost and quality of living spaces decreasing steadily the lower one goes. The lower levels are mostly industrial, including The Works and Factory districts. The lowest habitable levels of Coruscant are collectively referred to as the Undercity, and are almost completely overrun with criminal elements, feral predators, and refuse. Below the habitable levels of the Undercity lay the surface of the planet. A toxic, barren area where nothing can survive any extended period of time, which has not seen natural light in millenia.

History
The early history of Coruscant is not well-documented. What little is known is largely collected from folklore, legend, and myth. The planet was originally named Notron, taken from an early human dialect, though its exact meaning and origin are unknown. It was on Coruscant which humans first evolved, and from Coruscant which they spread throughout the Galaxy.

The Nations of Zhell
The earliest known human civilization on Coruscant were the thirteen Nations of Zhell. Each Nation, in their day, controlled large portions of Coruscan't surface, and though they were not always directly at war, the Nations of Zhell were in constant conflict with one another in one fashion or another. Each Nation was comprised of a certain specific ethnic group which had evolved distinctly throughout Coruscant's early history, and the basis of the ongoing conflicts between the thirteen Nations was largely based on race and religion, using more practical excuses such as competition for resources, or violations of personal rights in order to escalate conflicts. The Nations of Zhell remained in conflict for centuries, and were not able to unite a single people until the invasion of Taungs.

Taung Invasion
At some point in the distant past, Coruscant was invaded by the warlike Taungs, a race of aliens not exceptionally dissimilar to humans themselves. The Taung invasion solidified the Nations of Zhell into the Batallions of Zhell, and while at war with the invaders, the human race was able to put aside their differences and unite against a common enemy. The war with the Taungs lasted for centuries. At some point, the Zhell were decimated by natural disasters and volcanic activity, possibly caused by the Taungs themselves. Following the worst of the volcanic eruptions, much of the sky over Coruscant was shrouded by ash and smoke, causing the Taungs to take on the name Dha Werda Verda, or The Warriors of Shadow. Despite these disasters, the Zhell were eventually successful in repelling the Taung invasion, forcing the aliens to retreat and leave the planet entirely. In the aftermath of the war with the Taungs, the humans of Coruscant recovered and adapted a great deal of Taung technology, united under a single government, and entered into a period of rapid technological and social advancement.

Unification
Following the defeat of the Taungs, the Nations of Zhell united as a single people under a single government. Peace, after countless millenia of conflict and war, both from within and from without. Over the next centuries, the human civilization on Coruscant experienced rapid progress in technology, thanks to the recovery of a great deal of leftover Taung equipment. Human cities spread across the surface of Coruscant, and eventually the various urban centers became so widespread that they merged into a single, sprawling ecumenopolis, laying the groundwork for what would eventually become Galactic City. At some point around 100,000 BC, the Columi surveyed Coruscant, but dismissed human civilization as primitive and barbaric.

Colonialism
Eventually, the humans of Coruscant developed space travel by adapting the technology of the Taungs, and within a few centuries began to send sleeper ships to distant worlds with the intent to colonize and spread the human race throughout the Galaxy. However, due to the technology of the time, nearly all of these colonies did not maintain contact with their homeworld, and over the centuries were lost, left to their own development. Some, such as Corellia, Alderaan, and Kuat, evolved along the same lines as the humans of Coruscant, but others took drastically different paths, their traits and appearance changing significantly enough to be classified as near-human.

Rakatan Occupation
Around 9947 BC, the Rakatan Infinite Empire was established, and Coruscant was an early conquest of the warlike race. During Rakatan occupation, human exploration of space came to a halt, as did any colonization efforts. The Rakata used Coruscant as little more than a steady supply of slave labor, regularly culling the population to serve their needs. Otherwise, however, it could be said that Coruscant was well-treated during the Rakatan occupation. Many human structures and institutions remained intact, a fact which cannot be said about many of the Rakata's slave races. Coruscant remained under Rakatan rule until around 147 BC, when a number of factors led to the collapse of the Infinite Empire.

Unification Wars
With the Rakata gone, the former slave races of the Infinite Empire inherited a great deal of their technology, and while they were certainly not the only ones to do so, the humans of Coruscant adapted certain pieces of technology for their own use, as they had done with what the Taungs left on the planet. Most importantly, the Rakatan hyperdrive was reverse-engineered, and hyperspace cannons were developed, enabling humans to quickly traverse interstellar distances and reconnect with their former colonies in the Galactic Core and beyond, and also to make first contact with spacefaring alien races, such as the Duros and Zabrak. Over the next several decades, this ability to travel the stars without resorting to long-term commitments, as with sleeper-ships, began to sow a certain sense of entitlement in the humans on Coruscant, as well as on other colony worlds such as Corellia, Kuat , and in the Azure Imperium. These feelings eventually led to the Unification Wars in the Core Worlds, as each sovereign state took steps to expand their territory and influence by absorbing or conquering their neighbors. The Unifications Wars raged for the better part of a century, until the establishment of the Galactic Republic, bringing the Core Worlds into a mutually beneficial association.

Galactic Republic
The Galactic Constitution was signed in 0 BC, uniting the Core Worlds as the Galactic Republic took form. Coruscant was selected as the capital world, and a great deal of expense was put forward to erect new government structures, including the Galactic senate and the Supreme Court, as well as the various embassies and diplomatic residences for member worlds.

Shortly after the Republic was formed, the Perlemian Trade Route was mapped, linking Coruscant to Ossus, and with it, bringing the Jedi Knights into the Republic. In due course, the Corellian Run was also mapped, forming the borders of the Slice region of the Galaxy. These two trade routes would prove crucial to the success of Coruscant as a major political and commercial center. The planet was chosen as the 'center' of the Galaxy, given the coordinates 0,0,0 on the Galactic map, a testament to its strategic and historical importance.

Recent History
In recent years, events on Coruscant have been relatively normal. It continues its function as the Republic capital, and as a major commercial hub. The planet is home to tens of billions of sentients, which include not only its native humans, but also a growing number of alien species from the various worlds of the Republic.

Construction of a Jedi Temple in the upper levels has recently been completed, following the Jedi Knights' pledge of allegience to the Republic; the temple will act not only as a home to the Jedi who find themselves on Coruscant, but also as their embassy and cultural center.

With the addition of the Jedi to the Republic's forces, several alien species and organizations who have had previous dealings with the Order have lodged formal complaints with the Senate, claiming that the Jedi are a violent and radical religious sect, though little evidence has been brought forward to support these claims. The complaints come from groups such as the Followers of Palawa, and the Tionese Embassy, most notably. The Senate has yet to make a ruling in regard to these complaints.

Avenue of the Core Founders
The Avenue of the Core Founders is a wide boulevard leading toward the Galactic Senate, located in the Senate District on the Upper Levels. The Avenue is so named to honor the first signatories of the Galactic Constitution, the forefathers of the Galactic Republic itself. Enormous statues of each signatory are erected on the edges of the Avenue, dwarfing other nearby structures, save for the Senate itself.