Tarlam was a relatively small urban center located on the world of Makeb, as documented in legends. The city's City Hall was centrally positioned within the settlement, which itself was built upon one of Makeb's towering stone mesas, each reaching heights of seven kilometers. The Tarlam Estates Marketplace was the most prominent feature of the city's southern section. To the east of City Hall lay Tarlam Central Square, while the Tarlam Oasis defined the city's northern area.
Circa 3638 BBY, the Hutt named Toborro deployed one of his newly created Isotope-5 droids against the city. This action was taken to pressure Shalim Avesta into relinquishing control of the Ark. Furthermore, the city found itself besieged by forces belonging to both the Hutt Cartel and the InterStellar Regulators. During this period, Tarlam was governed by Mayor Erkens, who received backing from Councilor Soler and other municipal officers. However, the mesa itself faced an imminent threat of collapse due to the extensive deep-mining operations conducted by the Hutt within Makeb's core. Tarlam possessed four shuttle landing platforms: one situated in the southeast, another in the northwest, one within the Oasis, and a final one in close proximity to the mayor's official home.