Federal District
The primary government sector situated on the planet of Coruscant was the Federal District. This area also went by the names Senate District, Executive District, Legislative District, and Military District. Informally, it was frequently called the Core of Coruscant or Core Square. Key structures located here included the Imperial Senate Building, the Avenue of the Core Founders, the Imperial Executive Building, and the Jedi Temple, which was renamed the Imperial Palace following the proclamation of the New Order. Other significant sites were 500 Republica, the headquarters for the Naval Intelligence Agency, as well as the COMPNOR arcology, which housed the central offices of the Imperial Security Bureau.
During the period of the Clone Wars, the Confederacy of Independent Systems caused a power disruption within the Federal District when they disabled Coruscant's central power distribution grid. Furthermore, a Zillo Beast, which had been captured on Malastare and subsequently transported to the galactic capital, damaged the district. After the transformation of the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire, the Jedi Order's temple was repurposed to serve as the palace for the Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine. Following the death of Emperor Palpatine during the Battle of Endor, the Empire engaged in conflict to maintain control over the Federal District amidst a civil war between the Imperial government and the Coruscanti population, who were supporters of the New Republic.
Description
The Federal District, also known as the Senate District or Legislative District, served as the primary government center of the planet Coruscant under the Galactic Republic. Situated in the northern hemisphere, it also held the designation of Military District during the Clone Wars. Common Coruscanti vernacular referred to it as the "Core of Coruscant" or "Core Square." The Senate Building, the designated meeting place for the Galactic Senate, was centrally located within the Federal District. The Senate Plaza, positioned in front of the Senate Building, featured the Avenue of the Core Founders, adorned with statues commemorating the Republic's founding members. Nearby, one could find the Senate Office Building, which housed the suite of offices for the Supreme Chancellor, along with 500 Republica, an elite residential structure where Sheev Palpatine maintained an apartment during his tenure as a senator representing Naboo. The Jedi Temple, serving as the headquarters for the Jedi Order, was also located in this district.
The Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center, the main incarceration facility of the Republic on the planet, was among the numerous buildings located in the district. Following the fall of the Republic and the establishment of the Galactic Empire, the Jedi Temple was transformed into the Imperial Palace. The surrounding area became the central point of the "supreme triangle," which also included the headquarters of the Naval Intelligence Agency and the COMPNOR arcology, home to the Central Office of the Imperial Security Bureau. The Imperial Military also constructed a combined headquarters within the Federal District to house both the Imperial Army and the Imperial Navy. The district featured towering skyscrapers, and the weather was regulated to maintain clear skies.
History
During the days of the Republic, the "Senate District" epitomized the essence of galactic governance and power. The Clone Wars significantly altered the district, leading to a surge in construction to accommodate the growing number of government agencies established to support the Republic's war efforts. Early in the war, Senator Padmé Amidala ventured to Ziro's Palace within the district to apprehend Ziro Desilijic Tiure, a Hutt crime lord, for his involvement in the abduction of [Rotta](/article/rotta], the son of Jabba Desilijic Tiure. In 21 BBY, the Senate District became the target of a terrorist bombing incident and the site of a destructive rampage carried out by a Zillo Beast that the Grand Army of the Republic had captured on Malastare.
During the Battle of Coruscant, General Grievous and his assault team made landfall in the Federal District. During the implementation of Order 66, the 501st Legion, under the command of Darth Vader, the newly appointed Sith Lord, secured the Jedi Temple. Subsequently, Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith, publicly known as Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine, seized the Temple and renovated it into the Imperial Palace, which became the center of the Galactic Empire. The palace, along with surrounding government structures, formed the core of the Federal District as part of the "supreme triangle."
Following Emperor Palpatine's demise at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, a pivotal moment in the Galactic Civil War between the Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic, [Mas Amedda](/article/mas_amedda], the Grand Vizier, and the Imperial Security Bureau took control of Coruscant to suppress the revolution that had erupted. As the New Republic pushed back the Empire across the galaxy, Gallius Rax, the self-proclaimed Counselor to the Empire, placed Amedda under house arrest. Meanwhile, Imperial forces struggled to maintain their hold on the upper levels of the Federal District, losing ground steadily. After the defeat of the Imperial remnants at the Battle of Jakku, Amedda signed the Galactic Concordance, officially marking the surrender of the Galactic Empire. This led to the replacement of the Imperial government on Coruscant with a provisional government under the supervision of the New Republic.
Behind the scenes
Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon 67 identifies the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center as being located within Coruscant's Military District. However, The High Republic: Cataclysm later indicated that the Central Detention Center was part of the Federal District. Therefore, this article assumes that "Military District" is an alternative designation for the Federal District.