Today, I was going using my parametric equations to make a really nice galactic map on Microsoft Excel. For the most part, it succeeded nicely.

Then, I noticed it. I'm not sure if it was a goof-up with the math or if I just wrote down the equation wrong somewhere along the way (it has been quite a while since I originally did this particular computation), but Romulan space is slightly off. And since I computed Klingon space based on that computation, its slightly out-of-whack also.

Now, being off at college, I'm cut off from the cartographical resources needed to fix this error for a few weeks. However, this has given me an opportunity to rethink the position of the Romulans and Klingons in the parametric equations...

All of the new, brash galactic cartographers ( ) arrange the major Alpha Quadrant powers somewhat differently that I have in the past, in that they place the Cardassians, Romulans, and Klingons in a nearly continuous arc around the "upper" Federation. I can see the merit in this. However, this doesn't really mesh with the more canon maps in the Star Trek Encyclopedia and the DS9TM, which seem to emphasize the Romulans and Klingons are on the opposite side of the UFP than the Cardassians.

Thus, I come to a crossroads. I came up with the position of the Romulans and Klingons through the twisted manipulation of the coordinates given in the extemely non-canon book "Worlds of the Federation" (The Klingon homeworld is "Kling" in it. ) Anyway, I did the Romulans first, then I fit the Klingons in-between the Federation and Romulans since they wouldn't fit in their WotF location. However... I could decide to go and recalculate their positions by doing the Klingons first, then the Romulans, which would create an Alpha Quadrant more like those pictured in these new maps.

Thus, I pose the question to you, the Forum-goers: Shall I go with the "Cardassians on one side of the Federation, Romulans & Klingons on the other side" argument, or should I go with the "Cardassian-Romulan-Klingon arc around the top of the Federation" train of thought?

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"Captain! I must protest! I am NOT my neighbour's dog!"

- The First One, TrekSunday chat, Oct. 17, 1999.

But I have to take issue with the idea that nations have to share a common border to allow for travel between the two. As I understood it, the whole weight of the Jem'Hadar attacking from Romulan space rested on the idea that it was far away from where the majority of the fleet was. That is, away from the Cardassian border.

Remember the Romulan space is closer to Earth than Klingon Space...

see: Klingon and Romulan first contact situations (assuming the UESPA moved out from earth in a rough sphere.)

Klingons were about 100 years after the Romulans.

The Romulans had bases in the Rigel system - when Earth hadn't moved into space - in the alternate timeline in 'Past Tense'

Romulans and Earth to war with each other with low speed warp ships.

Cardassia is a "new kid on the block" when it comes to galactic conquest - it's practically next door to Bajor, yet failed to conquer it until the early 24th century. Cardassian ships are junk, their fleet no match to the Klingons, and they are absent from TOS
politics despite their apparent proximity to Earth.

I believe many problems faced by Trek cartographers would be removed if one assumes that Cardassia is a very small sphere that just happens to lie in a trategic spot close to the intersection of the UFP, Klingon and Romulan spheres. Placing it above or below galactic plane would further diminish early UFP interest in it.

The same goes for Ferengi space, for different reasons.
The Ferengi do not conquer volumes of space, so their home turf ought to be rather small even if it is ancient. Their trade routes towards the Federation could have been blocked by the tiny Cardassian sphere of influence, so that contact with them would come only in the aftermath of the first Cardassian-UFP war. Again, they should lie above or below the beaten path.

Timo Saloniemi