Type: Terrestrial
Diameter: 14,500 km
Atmosphere: Standard
Climate: Temperate
Hydrographics: 40%
Population: Millions
Government: Multiple States
Law Level: Free
Tech Level: VI (Information Age, nearing Stellar)
Hooks: Civil Strife, Resource Extraction
Longview is a colony world located in the Marches which was settled about a century ago. The planet takes its name from its predominantly flat terrain. The two principal economic activities on planet are ranching and resource exploitation. The former is primarily the province of family run businesses while the latter is dominated mostly by off world interests. Despite the relative lack of population, competition for water and range land has become acute over the last 20 years.
Government, where it exists, is centered on the local level. Such parochialism contributed several years ago to growing tensions between population centers as they lacked a clearly defined mechanism for resolving conflicts over access to natural resources. These tensions escalated to the point of sporadic armed conflicts along ill defined border regions. A movement on planet, aided by the State, worked to pull together a coalition government as a means to quell the violence and create a standard for conflict resolution. The so called “Unity Government” displayed great promise but never truly overcame the internal forces seeking to push it apart. It lasted but three years before Longview reverted to its previous balkanized nature, a state which remains today. Continued work by the State however has managed to keep tensions from escalating to their pre-Unity levels. (As a side note, an investigation by the State into the possible role off world resource firms may have played in the failure of the government found no proof of involvement, either positive or negative).
Longview is not terribly sophisticated from a technological standpoint, at least in galactic terms, but it is improving. In particular, an effort has been made of late to entice the larger corporations to base more automated factories on planet. There are rumors that a surge in off planet investment may be in the offing although to date no strong trend in this direction has developed.
The world is generally considered to be pleasant in terms of climate and weather. While no native sapient life exists there is a notable range of flora and fauna. Unfortunately for the ranchers of Longview, some of the native lifeforms are little more than vermin, requiring constant attention lest they endanger the herds.