Planet:Richelieu

Richelieu is the political and economic capital of French Andromeda. It hosts a population of 51 billion concentrated in a large metropolis in the equatorial region, though vast stretches of land still remain untouched even after forty years.

Richelieu was founded in 2758 as one of the eight original French Andromedan Colonies and quickly became the most populous during the Xenian War due to refugees fleeing other colonies. It was during that war that Richelieu became the permanent colonial capital, where previously the government changed capitals every six months to satisfy the needs of every single colony. Trade with the Draconis in the years that followed allowed Richelieu to develop its economy and industry, though it became dependent on them in the process. Renewed contact with France with the signing of the in 2795 somewhat reduced Richelieu's dependency on Draconis centers of trade like Araveene thanks to economic aid.

As an economic center, Richelieu is widely considered to be the leading center of trade within the region surrounding French Andromeda, boasting a small sphere of influence which contains developing tier 3 and 4 civilizations.