Mars

Mars is a once-barren, now terraformed planet inhabited by the humans and other sapients of the Martian Union. Once freezing and covered in red desert, it has since been terraformed by humans and is now warm and lush. It is oft known as the home of humanity, and is the most politically important inhabited planet in the Solar System.

Nations

The only nation to have jurisdiction over Mars in the present day is the Martian Union, however diplomats from other nations and foreign workers live on Mars as well. The entire population of Mars numbers some three billion people. Before the creation of the Martian Union, Mars was governed by the UHALE, who originally terraformed it.

History

Early in the history of the Solar System, Mars, like Earth, had an atmosphere and oceans, and may even have supported life. However, billions of years ago, its magnetic field disappeared, its atmosphere was stripped off by solar radiation, its oceans froze, and it became inhospitable and lifeless.

For billions of years, Mars was a freezing desert with a thin, toxic atmosphere, and water only contained in polar ice caps. It sported barren, red soil, sand, and rock, that would earn it the moniker of the red planet.

Human exploration of Mars began in the 20th century, with robotic rovers such as Curiosity, Opportunity, and Perseverance. The first Martian colonies were established in the 21st century. However, small groups of people living in cramped buildings, far away from help or resources, was not deemed to be a sustainable method of exploration. For now, the idea of people living on other planets was abandoned.

With the advent of FTL technology in the late 22nd century, the idea of life on Mars was brought up again. In the 23rd century, the newly-established UHALE took on the task, and came up with an ambitious plan to terraform Mars.

First, an artificial magnetic field was created to block the Sun’s radiation. Greenhouse gases were imported into the atmosphere, both to help the newly-protected atmosphere thicken properly and to warm the planet. As the polar ice caps melted, basal plants were sent in to break down soil and fill the atmosphere up with oxygen. Eventually, complex life was introduced to Mars.

Since Mars was to be a home for humans, it was prohibited to bring in large wild animals, though that didn’t stop some people. Most of the animals introduced to Mars were livestock, pets, or animals that were comfortable living in cities. Many were genetically engineered for some reason or another. Humans were the last immigrants to Mars, and they would eventually establish large cities and farmlands over most of the surface.

Present environment

Mars is a relatively small rocky planet, with a diameter of less than 7,000 kilometres. It has a day length and seasons very similar to Earth’s. It has two moons; Phobos, which has been turned into a space station for docking ships, and Deimos, which has been turned into an advanced mining facility. Asteroids are also towed into orbit, where they are gutted and turned into useful metals at the Deimos Mining Facility.

Mars, once freezing, is now quite tropical. It is mostly covered in plant-filled cities or farming and factory space. The only place not utilised by humans is Elysium, a small island continent which has a strange ecosystem descended from introduced species.

Pictured: a climate map of Mars, based on what biomes would exist if it weren't covered in cities and farms.