List of Star Trek races: Encyclopedia II - List of Star Trek races - Bajoran

List of Star Trek races - Bajoran

The Bajorans are a humanoid race, distinguished outwardly only by extra wrinkles at the bridge of the nose, and have wandered the galaxy and settled on various worlds ever since their homeland was occupied by Cardassians 40 years previously (circa 2328). The ancient Bajorans had a tremendously rich and developed civilization complete with architecture, art, philosophy and even advanced technology before human civilization began. They were in a period of gentle decline when the ascendent Cardassians, their inter-stellar neighbors, invaded.

According to custom, their family name goes before their given name. Thus Kira Nerys' given name is Nerys, and family name is Kira. Bajorans all wear an earring on their right ear which indicates membership in a particular family, and serves as a personal insignia. Famous Bajorans will be recognized by others by the design of their earrings alone.

The depth and complexity of Bajoran spiritual beliefs has been at the core of their ability to survive the 50 year Cardassian Occupation. Bajorans are a very spiritual people and worship the non-temporal beings that dwell in the wormhole as their Prophets. This is not entirely without basis, as the wormhole aliens do seem to have taken a material interest in the welfare of Bajor and do at times take a hand in the progress of history. The enemies of the Prophets are the Pah wraiths that were cast from the wormhole due to their wish to interfere more extensively in the temporal, corporeal world. The Pah-wraiths live in the Fire Caves on Bajor.

Bajorans are led by both a spiritual leader (Kai) and by a provisional government supported by the Federation that was created to transition Bajor away from their occupied state and towards independence. Bajoran membership in the Federation is a stated policy goal for the Federation, and though Bajor remains independent in the television series, the relaunch novels indicate eventual Federation membership. Bajoran-Federation ties began even before the end of the occupation, as numerous Bajorans have joined Starfleet and others have sought their own way as Federation citizens.

Since the discovery of the wormhole in the Bajoran system on stardate 46379.1, the Bajorans have enjoyed an increase in political prominence in the sector, but decades of victimization during the Cardassian occupation has hampered efforts to fully utilize this opportunity.

School years are organized by age "levels," and perhaps even in the refugee camps they offered art to youngsters as young as age 4. Bajor's tradition of art and architecture was strewn around countless planets before the occupation. Its science and space programs were back on track soon after the occupation: at least one probe was sent to scan planets and life signs in the Gamma Quadrant.

Bajoran article at Memory Alpha, the definitive Star Trek wiki

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Bajoran", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki