Etymology
Old Terra, Terra, Earth and Gaia are all names for the same terrestrial planet in the Sol Solar System. Tellus and Terra are classic Latin names and in Ancient Greek Old Terra was called Gaia. Tellus (Roman) Gaia (Greek), was a Goddess incarnation that represented mankinds original planet. The vintage human knew their planet as Earth. The galactic worlds refer to Earth as Ancient Earth, Old Earth or even Old Terra.
History
The cradle of Mankind for some and our second one for others who accept the theory of the Forerunners as the Creator Race.
For almost 100,000 years, Old Terra was the habitat for the human race, since their inception by the Forerunner and after the Forerunner collapse. Old Terra remained the only home for humans until the first scientist rediscovered the way to make the Forerunner Gateways work and verify the first jump to the stars.
2287. The Jump to the Stars
On 30th of January, in the year 2287, Doctor Falcon Lisi discovered a way to unlock the Forerunner Gateways through the use of ancient relics called Niode Matrices. Each Niode Matrix seemed to work as keys to open the gateways with specific destinations attached to signatures recorded in the Matrix. He made the first successful gate jump long after the Forerunners disappeared.
After this discovery, the Terra Alliance of governments started a fast expansion colonizing the outer worlds that were found to be terraformed. They soon expanded and terraformed other distant worlds using their own technology.
3000's. Decay of the Terran Empire
Progressively, the Terran influence in the Galaxy became less and less as the settlers claimed a higher independence as well as feeling less linked to their former Sol Solar System.
New powers were born who managed to vanquish new territories through the use of the Forerunner Gateways.
3087. End of the Terran Domination.
The Terran Influence over the outer Sectors totally finished eight centuries later, when the Illyris Sector rose in rebellion against their tyrannical control. The Illyrians defeated the Terran conventional army with the first Mech Army. This new weapon was created by the Radix Tribe engineers, who adapted their worker miner Mechs into the first combat mechanized force that was able to smash a standard army.
After this defeat, Old Terra attempted further military missions to recover control, but the new Mech warfare cut every attempt and finally they stopped.
Circa 3100
Old Terra becomes an isolationist policy.
Ecology
Earth, Gaia or Terra is the third planet from their Star, Sol, the densest planet in the Solar System and the only one to be known to harbor life in that system.
Earth has a natural satellite called the Moon or Luna. The gravitational interaction between the Earth and Moon causes the oceanic tides and the stabilization of the rotational axis.
The Earth orbital rotation generates 365.26 solar days, one sidereal year, which has been the standard measure in use throughout the Galaxy.
Approximately 82% of its surface is covered with water. In the past, the proportion of land was greater and closer to 30%. Due to environmental degradation, the ocean level grew, eating away at several of its continental surfaces.
The quality of the environmental habitat has been very poor for the Earth and was caused by barely controlled intense industrialization over the last four centuries.
(By GJ - 685605)
