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Romulan Neutral Zoneedit

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference

A partial map of the Romulan Neutral Zone in 2266
Map showing another region in 2369

The Romulan Neutral Zone was an area of neutral space between the United Federation of Planets and the Romulan Star Empire that was established after the end of the Earth-Romulan War. Entry by either side into the Zone constituted an act of war. There were, however, several breaches, most in the late 24th century. The Romulans incorporated a map of the Neutral Zone into the Romulan Senate chamber's floor. (Star Trek Nemesis)

It has also been stated that if a Federation starship was caught in the Zone, the Romulans could seize and impound the vessel; to contravene would mean war. This, however, seems to only apply to the Federation and not the Romulans; it also seems to be void in cases of a stalemate. (TAS: "The Survivor"; TNG: "The Defector")

After the war, at least eight Earth Outpost Stations were built on asteroids along the Zone. In 2266, four of these outposts were destroyed by a Romulan Bird-of-Prey. Commander Hansen was in command of Earth Outpost 4 until its destruction. (TOS: "Balance of Terror")

In 2311 the Neutral Zone was reinforced and redefined in the Treaty of Algeron. Deanna Troi recalled this fact when she discussed the Pegasus Incident with Commander Riker. (ENT: "These Are the Voyages...")

In 2364, the USS Enterprise-D was ordered to investigate the Neutral Zone to solve a mystery concerning the disappearance of a string of Federation outposts. It is later presumed that the outposts were decimated by the Borg due to a signature obliterative technique unique to their kind. A crew member aboard the ship, Worf, describes it: "The outpost was just not destroyed, it's as though some great force just scooped it off the face of the planet". Later that year, the Enterprise-D encountered a Borg cube that presumably obliterated several other populations in uncharted space in the same fashion. (TNG: "The Neutral Zone", "Q Who")

In 2373, the USS Enterprise-E was ordered to patrol the Neutral Zone during the second Borg assault on Earth, as Starfleet Command felt that Jean-Luc Picard's experience with the Borg would make him a risk during the battle to defend Earth. (Star Trek: First Contact)

Before the Romulans joined the Dominion War in late 2374, the bulk of their fleet was deployed along the Neutral Zone. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

The USS Cairo disappeared and was presumed destroyed by the Dominion near the Neutral Zone. It was believed that the Dominion ships had crossed from the Romulan side of the Zone to attack the Cairo, something they were allowed to do as per their nonaggression pact with the Romulans. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

In 2379, Praetor Shinzon proposed that the Neutral Zone should be abolished. This idea was set aside when Shinzon revealed his true purpose. (Star Trek Nemesis)

The date of creation as well as the exact dimensions of the Zone are unknown. The name of the war suggests that it was fought before the Federation was founded in 2161, though. Different sources suggest a width between one and several dozen light years. TOS: "Balance of Terror" suggests a width of one light year. According to dialog from TNG: "The Enemy", 2.5 light years might be a better estimation. However, it might well be possible that the Neutral Zone differs in width at different locations. The Neutral Zone was also mentioned as a small note on a very large star chart graphic created for TNG: "Conspiracy". It was the image behind the chair in the room where Dexter Remmick was killed.

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Retrieved from "http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Romulan_Neutral_Zone"
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