<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Cardassians are an alien species from the Star Trek universe. They seem to be evolved from reptiles, and have scaley gray skin and ridges running along various areas of their bodies, with a spoon-like ridges in the center of their foreheads. The species originates on the planet,Cardassia Prime, located in the Alpha quadrant.

Cardassians are a noted enemy of the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire. They have engaged in war with the Federation, and, while peace came eventually, the cold war between the Cardassian Union and the Federation continued for years, until Cardassia's almost total distruction at the end of the Dominion War.

They are a race largely run by their military class, and the military are basically in control of the government. Cardassians believe loyalty and the preservation of the state is senior to all things. This is reflected in their legal and judicial system, in which the accused is considered guilty until proven innocent (which almost never happens) and a "trial" is just an exercise to teach the general population the consequences of showing disloyalty to the state. They think of themselves as a race superior to all others, and often use this to justify their own actions. They feel that its their "duty" to act as stern parents to lesser races, and that the benefit of the Cardassian Union justifies the exploitation and oppression of all others.

Despite their "superiority", their home world, Cardassia Prime, was unable to produce sufficient food to feed their population. This led to the Cardassians to occupy the world of Bajor, where food has always been plentiful, and the ruthless exploitation of the Bajoran's natural resources, including their population. The Bajorans were a politically naive and spiritual people, and fell easily to the Cardassian war machine. Their oppressive rule of the Bajoran people was marked by slavery and atrocities, which led to many Bajorans becoming guerilla freedom fighters (or terrorists, depending on your point of view) to try and free their people. The once peaceful Bajorans were posessed with an natural rage at their oppressors, which found an outlet in many violent acts. Eventually, the cost of doing business on Bajor became more than it was worth, and the Cardassians left Bajor. As the Bajorans struggle to recover their society and culture from years of brutal occulation, the once great Cardassian Union dreams about its return to a status as a people to be feared and respected. This led their alignment with the Founders, and their becoming a member of the Dominion, a controlling dicatorship from the Gamma Quadrant who set out to conquer the Alpha Quadrant as well.