Twelve Colonies
| Twelve Colonies | |
|---|---|
| Battlestar Galactica, Caprica location | |
| Other name(s) | United Colonies of Kobol |
| Created by |
Glen A. Larson (1978 series) Ronald D. Moore (2003 series) |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Type | Federal Presidential Constitutional republic |
| Ethnic group(s) | 12 colonial groups of common ethnic origins |
| Notable locations | Caprica City, Caprica (upon commencement of the 1st Cylon War)1 (capital) |
| Population | ~28,592,125,000 (BCH) <60,000 (1 ACH) |
| Anthem | Colonial Anthem |
| Language(s) | Caprican, others |
| Currency | Cubits |
The Twelve Colonies of Man, also called the Twelve Colonies of Kobol, are fictional locations that constitute the principal human civilization in the Battlestar Galactica universe. This includes the original 1978 series, the 2003 "reimagined" series, and its spin-offs Caprica (2009) and Blood and Chrome (2012). The names of twelve planets were taken from the signs of the Zodiac.
The Twelve Colonies were established by tribes who left their homeworld, Kobol, the birthplace of humanity. There were at one time thirteen tribes, but one that was separated from the others instead went to a distant planet called Earth. In the reimagined series, the humans of the Twelve Colonies totalled around 50 billion people. In both the 1978 and 2003 series, the Twelve Colonies were attacked by the Cylons who virtually exterminated humanity. A few thousand survivors escaped in a collection of assorted spacecraft that formed a fleet headed by the Battlestar Galactica that attempted to lead them to safety. The concept of twelve colonies alludes to the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
In the 1978 series, the Colonies were very obviously set in a multiple star system, and there was a distinction between "Inner" and "Outer" colonies. The inner colonies – including Virgon, Sagitaria and Caprica – were attacked first. By the time the Galactica arrived, the Cylons were already launching their first wave against the outer colonies.
In one episode, "The Long Patrol", Starbuck refers to the colonies as being located within the "Cyrannus Galaxy." However, in the Battlestar Galactica video game, published in 2003 just prior to the release of the reimagined series, Cyrannus is the name of the star system, not a galaxy. As with many science fiction shows, the terminology used is often self-contradictory. The name "Cyrannus" has not been used in the reimagined series, but appears on a map produced by the writers and producers of the show.
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