Planet-state

A Planet-state is a planetary region or regions controlled exclusively by a single unified governmental, usually having sovereignty. Historically, Planet-states have often been contingents of larger cultural areas. More recently the neologism Planet-state has been developed, referring to the planet as the center of a 'planetary region' including relocated businesses like factory and company towns, and supply economies like agricultural, timber and mineral extraction whose commodities find a market in a particular Planet-state. The term "Planet-state" should not be confused with "independent Planet", which refers to a city which is not administered as part of another local government

The success of small geostellar regional units coexisting as autonomous actors in loose geographical and cultural unity, as in the Breen Confederation, often prevented their amalgamation into larger Geostellar national units. However, osther similarly small political entities often survived only for short periods because they lacked the resources to defend themselves against incursions by larger geosteller states. Thus they inevitably gave way to larger organizations of society, including empires, republics and confederations.

Whereas the latter rely on a common cultural heritage, be it linguistic, historical, religious, economic, etc., the Planet-state relies on the common interest in the function of the planetary center. This center and its activity supplies the livelihoods of all sentients inhabiting the Planet-state.

Several confederations, Republicas and Empires do have self-governing areas delineated around cities, but these are not true Planet-states because they are not independent of the larger state. Typically a federal government will have a federal administration from which the capital is granted a separate status.

In those governamental bodies without a federal administrative structure, capital cities sometimes enjoy a greater degree of autonomy,

Planet-States usually consist of groups of interacting polities whose populations share a common language and culture.

Normally, a planet-state is a political entity that governs an entire planet, and those worlds where the species native to that planet live. The United Federation of Planets only allows the admission of planet-states.