View source for Vulcan (LUG)

{{MyriadVulcanPlanet}}
{{ImageInfoBox2|name=Vulcan|file=vulcan-tos-34.jpg|caption=Vulcan ([[Star Trek|TOS]] [[Amok Time (Episode)|34]])}}
{{TableRow|title=Official Name|data=Confederacy of Surak<ref name="STSC"/>}}
{{TableRow|title=Affiliation|data=[[United Federation of Planets]]<ref name="TOS00"/>}}
{{TableRow|title=Orbital Period|data=250.1 days<ref name="LUG25102"/>}}
{{TableRow|title=Rotational Period|data=27.6 horus<ref name="LUG25102"/>}}
{{TableRow|title=Class|data=[[Class M|M]]<ref name="TOS34"/><ref name="STSC"/>}}
{{TableRow|title=Gravity|data=1.4g<ref name="LUG25102"/>}}
{{TableRow|title=Natural Satellites|data=None,<ref name="TOS04"/> but shared its orbit with [[T'Khut]]<ref name="TAS03"/><ref name="ST01"/><ref name="STSC"/>}}
{{TableRow|title=Points of Interest|data=[[Fire Plains]],<ref name="ENT79"/> [[The Forge]],<ref name="ENT83"/> [[Mount Seleya]],<ref name="ST03"/> [[ShiKahr]],<ref name="TAS03"/><ref name="ENT83"/> [[Vulcana Regar]],<ref name="TNG119"/> [[Vulcan Science Academy]]<ref name="ST11"/>}}
{{TableRow|title=Notable Species|data=[[Vulcans]],<ref name="TOS00"/> [[Sehlats]],<ref name="TOS34"/> [[Le-Matyas]]<ref name="TAS03"/>}}
{{TableRow|title=Notable Individuals|data=[[Surak]],<ref name="TOS77"/> [[Soval]],<ref name="ENT01"/> [[Sarek]],<ref name="TOS34"/> [[Spock]],<ref name="TOS00"/> [[T'Lar]],<ref name="ST03"/> [[T'Lara]]<ref name="LUG25102"/>}}
{{TableRow|title=Notable Events|data=[[Time of Awakening]]<ref name="ENT84"/>}}
{{TableRow|title=First Appearance|data={{bullet}} ''Mentioned:'' [[Star Trek|TOS]]&nbsp;[[The Man Trap (Episode)|05]] ([[1966 (Production)#SEP08|8 Sep 1966]])<br/>{{bullet}} ''Appeared:'' [[Star Trek|TOS]]&nbsp;[[Amok Time (Episode)|34]] ([[1967 (Production)#SEP15|15 Sep 1967]])}}
{{TableRow|title=Advertising|data={{AmazonLinkDecipher1}} }}
|}</div>
The second planet orbiting [[40 Eridani system|40 Eridani A]] in the [[Vulcan Sector]] (''aka'' [[Sector 005]]) in the [[Beta Quadrant]],<ref name="STSC"/> and well known as a hot, desert world, Vulcan nevertheless became the cradle for not just one, but two major starfaring civilizations.
{{InfoBox|name=Gallery|float=left|boxwidth=60%}}
|}<div style="text-align:center;"><gallery mode="nolines">
File:vulcan_surface-ent-79.jpg|Vulcan surface, 2154 ([[Star Trek: Enterprise|ENT]] [[Home (Episode)|79]])
File:vulcan_surface-tos-34.jpg|Vulcan surface, 2267 ([[Star Trek|TOS]] [[Amok Time (Episode)|34]])
File:vulcan_surface-tos-34-2.jpg|Vulcan surface, 2267 ([[Star Trek|TOS]] [[Amok Time (Episode)|34]])
File:vulcan_surface_1-st01.jpg|Vulcan surface, 2273 ([[Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Film)|ST01]])
File:vulcan_surface_2-st01.jpg|Vulcan surface, 2273 ([[Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Film)|ST01]])
File:vulcan_surface_3-st01.jpg|Vulcan surface, 2273 ([[Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Film)|ST01]])
File:vulcan_surface-st-03.jpg|Vulcan surface, 2285 ([[Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Film)|ST03]])
</gallery></div>
</div>
{{Clear|value=left}}
==Environment==
Vulcan&mdash;known as ''Ti-Valka'ain'' in the Vulcan language<ref name="LUG25102"/>&mdash;is a hot, dense world with little water and a comparatively thin atmosphere.<ref name="TOS34"/>  Vulcan's atmospheric pressure is only 74% that of [[Earth]],<ref name="LUG25102"/> and [[Humans]] engaged in strenuous physical activity require the aid of a medication, such as a [[Tri-Ox]] compound, to endure alongside their [[Vulcans|Vulcan]] companions.<ref name="TOS34"/> Temperatures are high on Vulcan;<ref name="TOS34"/> averages ranged from 50 to 60 degrees Centigrade.<ref name="LUG45000"/>

Only 28% of Vulcan's surface area is covered by water, most of which is concentrated in two relatively shallow seas. Other bodies of water, such as rivers or lakes, are rare.<ref name="LUG25102"/> While a few fertile areas dot the planet along the shores of the seas, and are home to virtually all of the planet's arable farmland,<ref name="LUG25102"/> Vulcan remains primarily a desert world,<ref name="TOS34"/> marked by mountainous terrain, semi-barren plains, and many active volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, and other geological phenomena.<ref name="LUG25102"/>

In addition to Vulcan's farmland, the shores along the seas are also home to old-growth forests and jungles, which produce the planet's breathable atmosphere, as well as the animals that inhabit those areas. Many of Vulcan's cities are also located along these shores; the population in desert and mountain regions is, understandably, relatively light.<ref name="LUG25102"/>

==Geography==
{{ImageBox2|file=vulcan_fire_plains-ent-79.jpg|caption=Fire Plains ([[Star Trek: Enterprise|ENT]] [[Home (Episode)|79]])}}
Vulcan's surface is divided into three continents&mdash;Na'nam, Han-shir, and Xir'tan&mdash;which are themselves divided by two relatively small and shallow bodies of water&mdash;the Voroth and Thanar seas, which are joined in the planet's southern hemisphere. Na'nam and Han-shir are immense land masses, each divided into several provinces, whose boundaries date back to the [[Age of Antiquity]].<ref name="LUG25102"/><ref name="Decipher7"/>

Na'nam is the home of Vulcan's capital, [[ShiKahr]], as well as the planet's primary spaceport, [[Vulcana Regar]], and several other important locations, including [[Mount Seleya]]. Han-shir contains three major cities&mdash;[[Kwil'inor]], [[Vulcinis]], and [[Da-leb]]&mdash;as well as the massive [[T'ralor Preserve]], which is home to many examples of endangered Vulcan wildlife.<ref name="LUG25102"/>

Vulcan's third continent, Xir'tan, is a massive island, much like [[Australia]], but somewhat larger.<ref name="LUG25102"/> Visitors to the planet are advised to give the continent a wide berth,<ref name="Decipher7"/> as it is the most tectonically unstable area on the planet,<ref name="LUG25102"/> to the point of uninhabitability.<ref name="Decipher7"/> Xir'tan had more than 40 active volcanoes in the late 24th century, and is frequently wracked by seismic activity. As a result, it is sparsely populated, and most of that population consists of geologists, other scientists, and personnel from the [[Vulcan Mining Institute]], academic institutions, or private companies.<ref name="LUG25102"/>

{{ImageBox2|file=vulcans_forge-ent-83.jpg|caption=The Forge ([[Star Trek: Enterprise|ENT]] [[The Forge (Episode)|83]])}}
Much of Vulcan's surface is covered in deserts and sharp mountain ranges.<ref name="TOS34"/><ref name="ST01"/><ref name="ST03"/><ref name="ENT83"/> Perhaps one of the most famous of these areas is [[The Forge|the Forge]],<ref name="ENT83"/> which is home to powerful electromagnetic fields that can disrupt sensors and even cause electrically-charged sandstorms, known as "[[sandfire|sandfires]]," with lightning discharges powerful enough to kill a humanoid.<ref name="ENT83"/>

==History & Government==
Vulcan was once divided among many nation states prior to the [[Time of Awakening]], when [[Surak]] brought logic and reason to Vulcan.<ref name="TOS77"/><ref name="ENT83"/><ref name="LUG25102"/> By Surak's time, the 15 nation states that existed at that time<ref name="LUG25102"/> had allied into two opposing factions.<ref name="Decipher7"/> As Surak sought to bring peace to Vulcan through logic, however, he was opposed by [[Sudoc]], a tyrant from the city of [[Jaleyl]] who had conquered most of the planet.<ref name="LUG25102"/> Sudoc's followers, who had resorted to nuclear strikes in their bid to conquer Vulcan,<ref name="ENT84"/> eventually were overwhelmed by the sheer number of Vulcans who had embraced the teachings of Surak. Disgusted, and unwilling to embrace a life without emotion, Sudoc's followers instead chose to leave Vulcan. They commandeered a fleet of primitive interplanetary ships, and set out to find a world of their own.<ref name="LUG25102"/>

{{ImageBox2|file=vulcan_high_command-ent-85.jpg|caption=Vulcan High Command ([[Star Trek: Enterprise|ENT]] [[Kir'Shara (Episode)|85]])}}
The existing city states became provinces in the new, united Vulcan government.<ref name="LUG25102"/> Over time, the [[Vulcan High Command]], which initially was tasked only with space exploration, took over all functions of the government.<ref name="ENT83"/> By the mid-22nd century, the Vulcans in charge of the High Command felt a sense of superiority to other races,<ref name="ENT85"/> and routinely lied, withheld information, and meddled in the affairs of other races.<ref name="ENT01"/><ref name="ENT07"/> These Vulcans, particularly Administrator [[V'Las]], were insular, suspicious, and not wholly devoted to Surak's teachings. Indeed, when the [[Syrranites|Syrranite]] movement arose, V'Las went to great lengths to try to discredit them, and even attempted to kill the group wholesale by bombing their encampment at the [[T'karath Sanctuary]] when they claimed to have found the ''[[Kir'shara]],'' a lost, original copy of Surak's writings, as it could have turned Vulcan's population against a war that he intended to start against the [[Andorian Empire]].<ref name="ENT83"/><ref name="ENT84"/><ref name="ENT85"/>

Following the discovery of the ''Kir'shara'' and V'Las' removal as head of the High Command, the Syrranite leader [[T'Pau]] was named as the new head of the Vulcan government. One of her first acts was to disband the High Command, and she began a top-down review of the High Command's actions over the previous decades.<ref name="ENT89"/>

The new government instituted in the wake of the Syrraninte reforms<ref name="ENT89"/> was the smallest in the [[United Federation of Planets|Federation]],<ref name="LUG25102"/> which was formed less than a decade later.<ref name="ENT98"/> Seven members make up the Vulcan Council: the Ministers of State, Defense, Security, Trade, Thought, Science, and Health, each elected for ten-year terms. While anyone is able to run, the system&mdash;like the High Command before it<ref name="ENT85"/>&mdash;is essentially a meritocracy, with only the best and wisest being chosen. Each seat is elected separately, and every eligible Vulcan citizen votes when an election is held. The Minister of State, while officially equal to the other ministers on the Council, is generally regarded as the "leader" of the council. Passage of new laws or revision of existing laws is relatively uncommon<ref name="LUG25102"/> (discounting the Syrranite reforms that instituted the Council),<ref name="ENT89"/> as the laws are rigorously and logically debated, and thus require little revision once enacted.<ref name="LUG25102"/>

==Conflicts==
===Romulans===
Vulcan's most enduring conflict has been with the [[Romulans]], who were descended from the followers of Sudoc,<ref name="LUG25102"/> or "those who marched beneath the raptor's wings,"<ref name="ENT84"/> who left Vulcan during the Time of Awakening.<ref name="LUG25102"/> During the V'Las administration, the Vulcan High Command was infiltrated by Romulans.<ref name="ENT85"/> Vulcan was allied with Earth and the other members of the [[Coalition of Planets]] during the [[Romulan War]],<ref name="TOS08"/><ref name="ENT97"/> but the genetic link connecting Vulcans and Romulans didn't become general knowledge until 2266.<ref name="TOS08"/> By the late 24th century, a [[Romulan Reunification Movement]] began to grow on [[Romulus]]; it advocated a reunification of the Vulcan and Romulan peoples, allowing the Romulans to reclaim their Vulcan heritage. Although its goals were noble, the [[Romulan Star Empire]]'s government tried to use the movement for an attempted invasion of Vulcan in 2367.<ref name="TNG208"/><ref name="TNG207"/> Some Federation leaders, as a result, were justifiably concerned that reunificationists might have secretly been controlled by Romulan agents.<ref name="LUG25102"/>

===Andorians===
The Vulcan High Command came into conflict with the Andorian Empire for more than a century, as their two home systems wre very near one another.<ref name="ENT07"/> This conflict came to a head in the 2150s,<ref name="ENT85"/> ending with the Syrranite reforms, the formation of the Coalition of Planets,<ref name="ENT97"/> and the subsequent foundation of the Federation following the Romulan War several years later.<ref name="ENT98"/>

===Vulcan Isolationist Movement===
A small group of radicals, the [[Vulcan Isolationist Movement]] believes that contact with alien cultures has polluted Vulcan culture and destroyed the Vulcan way of life. While widely regarded as a fringe movement, the group's membership grew in the late 24th century. Some Federation officials were concerned that the group may have had ties to the Romulan government. Regardless, group members showed that they were willing to employ terrorist tactics to further their cause.<ref name="TNG256"/><ref name="TNG257"/>

{{References}}
<references>
<ref name="TOS00">{{RefTOS01}}</ref>
<ref name="TOS04">{{RefTOS05}}</ref>
<ref name="TOS08">{{RefTOS09}}</ref>
<ref name="TOS34">{{RefTOS34}}</ref>
<ref name="TOS77">{{RefTOS77}}</ref>
<ref name="TAS03">{{RefTAS03}}</ref>
<ref name="ST01">{{RefST01}}</ref>
<ref name="ST03">{{RefST03}}</ref>
<ref name="TNG119">{{RefTNG119}}</ref>
<ref name="TNG208">{{RefTNG208}}</ref>
<ref name="TNG207">{{RefTNG207}}</ref>
<ref name="TNG256">"[[Gambit, Part I (Episode)|Gambit, Part I]]." ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]],'' episode 256. Television. 11 October 1993.</ref>
<ref name="TNG257">"[[Gambit, Part II (Episode)|Gambit, Part II]]." ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]],'' episode 257. Television. 18 October 1993.</ref>
<ref name="LUG45000">{{RefLUG45000}}</ref>
<ref name="LUG25102">{{RefLUG25102}}<br/>"[[Planets of the UFP: A Guide to Federation Worlds (LUG-25102)|Planets of the UFP: A Guide to Federation Worlds]]." [[Star Trek: The Next Generation Roleplaying Game|''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' Roleplaying Game]], book 25102. Game. [[Last Unicorn Games]]. 1999.</ref>
<ref name="Decipher7">{{RefDecipher7}}</ref>
<ref name="ENT01">{{RefENT01}}</ref>
<ref name="ENT07">{{RefENT07}}</ref>
<ref name="STSC">{{RefSTSC}}</ref>
<ref name="ENT79">"[[Home (Episode)|Home]]." ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]],'' episode 79. Television. 22 October 2004.</ref>
<ref name="ENT83">"[[The Forge (Episode)|The Forge]]." ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]],'' episode 83. Television. 19 November 2004.</ref>
<ref name="ENT84">"[[Awakening (Episode)|Awakening]]." ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]],'' episode 84. Television. 26 November 2004.</ref>
<ref name="ENT85">"[[Kir'shara (Episode)|''Kir'shara'']]." ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]],'' episode 85. Television. 3 December 2004.</ref>
<ref name="ENT89">"[[United (Episode)|United]]." ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]],'' episode 89. Television. 4 February 2005.</ref>
<ref name="ENT97">"[[Terra Prime (Episode)|Terra Prime]]." ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]],'' episode 97. Television. 13 May 2005.</ref>
<ref name="ENT98">{{RefENT98}}</ref>
<ref name="ST11">{{RefST11}}</ref>
</references>
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