Centauran

The Centaurans are the decendents of the first Human colonists from Earth that settled on the six inhabitable worlds of the Alpha Centauri System beginning in 2115. They derive that not only from the name of the trinary star system that they call home, but also from the original inhabitants as well. During the 3rd Century BC, the Preservers removed several hundred people from Earth and established them on Centaurus (aka Alpha Centauri IV) to study. Although the experiment failed, the name remained. Centaurans are physically and pathologically indistinguishable from other humans, save the ability to withstand slightly higher levels of radiation. This is believed to be an adaptation to the system's three suns.

Centaurans are as a diverse and industrious people as their human brothern on Earth. Terraforming was a science they helped establish and improve, and even today Alpha Centauri is the standard by which all Federation terraforming projects are judged by. They have succeeded in molding their own culture separate of Earth, with distinct architecture, art, and music.

Although the original colonists were dependent economically on Earth and were governed from there for a while, the Centauran Congress ultimately took up the idea of independence in the mid-22nd Century. It took nearly 12 years of constant negotiation, but Alpha Centauri became its own sovereign world(s) in 2157. It would go on to be a charter member of the United Federation of Planets in 2161.