Badlands

Persistant plasma phenomenon in Sector 0470, within the Demilitarized Zone on the Federation/Cardassian border (DS9: "The Maquis, Part I")
- Gravitational anomalies within the region result in dense collection of plasma, leading to chaotic navigation, extreme danger to vessels within (DS9: "The Maquis, Part I")
- High energy concentrations disrupt near all forms of long-range sensors, and result in severe difficulties for short-range sensors and communication (DS9 Novel: Avatar, Book One)
  - This includes distant telepathic contact or detection (DS9 Novel: Avatar, Book One)
Center of Maquis activity early 2370s due to navigational difficulties, strategic location (DS9)

History

c.500,000ya: The Badlands form (Star Trek: New Worlds, New Civilizations)
2268: First surveyed by the Federation, by the USS Enterprise (Novel: The Badlands, Book I)
- Federation standard name "Badlands" coined by Leonard McCoy during that mission (Novel: The Badlands, Book I)