United Emirates of Orb

The United Emirates of Orb is also known as the Orb Union. The Pacific nation is made up of several islands in the Orb Archipelago, located to the east of New Guinea. The nation was neutral in the wars between the Earth Alliance and People Liberation Acting Nation of Technology. The Orb Union is a wealthy nation with a mighty military, despite its small size. The Union welcomes both Naturals and Coordinators as citizens.

The United Emirates of Orb was formerly a part of the Oceania Union. It was a state that encompassed the Orb Archipelago. The inhabitants of the state were made up of an almost equal number of Naturals and Coordinators. When the majority of the Oceania Union population voted in support of the government's decision to take a pro-PLANT stance in CE 35, the state revolted. The people were unwilling to throw themselves in to the senseless war. The rebellion lasted for a couple of years. Pressure from the United Nations resulted in the Oceania Union's agreement to acknowledge that the Orb Archipelago has become an independent state. Thus, in CE 37, the state declared independence, marking the formation of the United Emirates of Orb.

True to its roots, the Orb Union upheld its neutrality policy. The nation focused on maintaining neutrality in political issues, choosing to concentrate on developing and advancing the country instead. The Union was willing to accept both Naturals and Coordinators as citizens. These Orb citizens are more interested to spend their time and effort for the good of the nation that so graciously took them in, rather than waste their energy on the mindless hatred that gripped the Earth Alliance and PLANT.

As such, technological advancements progressed exponentially. Within a short period of time since gaining independence, the small nation grew into a developed nation.

However, the Union's neutrality was despised by foreign powers, especially the members of the Earth Alliance. The Alliance felt that as a country on Earth, Orb had the duty to defend it from the Coordinators that descended from space. The Alliance was eager to add the advanced technology of the Union into the arsenal of the OMNI Enforcer.

The Orb Union was conquered by the Atlantic Federation in CE 71 during the First Bloody Valentine War, as the latter did not respect the Union's neutrality. After the war, the Federation pulled out of the Union.

During the time of peace, the Seiran noble family's influence expanded and it held a significant control over the Parliament. The Seiran noble family ended Orb Union's neutrality in the Second Bloody Valentine War by making the Union a member of the Earth Alliance. The Attha family regained their control of the nation near the end of the war. The Seiran noble family was subsequently stripped of its titles.

The Union is governed by an elected legislature and an aristocracy of four leading noble families, the Torren, Kamakura, Pulwar and Cragus families. Since the end of the Athha and Sahaku families and the banishment of the Seiran family, three next most powerful noble families have been made eligible for office. The nation is led by the Chief Representative elected from one of the four noble families. Princess Alvielle Torren is the current Chief Representative of the Orb Union. The capital of the Orb Union is the City of Kusanagi, which is the main city on the Orb mainland. This is where the main governance takes place and it is mainly prosperous except for the existence of slums on the city’s outskirts.

The Orb Union is one of the few nations that have the capability to build and own space colonies.

The Orb Union constructed the Heliopolis that was located at Lagrange point 3. However, the space colony was destroyed in the First Bloody Valentine War when ZAFT attacked it to steal the prototype mobile suits developed secretly by Morgenroete, Inc.

A new space colony, the Persepolis colony, was finally completed in CE 82 at Lagrange point 4. It was part of the Union's efforts to provide living space for people who were displaced by the destruction of the Heliopolis colony.

The Orb Union constructed the Kaguya Mass Driver in CE30 but it was self detonated in the First Bloody Valentine War. When Earth Alliance forces attempted to take the nation by force. The Mass Driver was reconstructed by CE75.

The Orb Union military was formerly known as the Orb Military. However, it has since been reformed under a new name - the Federation of Royal Emirates Elite (FREE) Forces.