Initially inhabited by native Jawa and Tusken Raider species, it would soon see a population explosion following the search for valuable mining deposits on the planet's silicate surface. Finding the ore to have unwanted metallurgic properties, mining firms would leave the planet en masse, leaving behind valuable equipment, most notably large sandcrawlers, which would later be used by the Jawa population.
The Hutt Clan also maintain a presence on Tatooine, with Jabba the Hutt owning a palace in the desert.
It has three moons, Ghomrassen, Guermessa and Chenini. Due to Tatooine orbiting its two suns, Tatoo I and Tatoo II, the planet is oppressed by a scorching climate. The whole planet is covered in harsh deserts, and only a small part of its northern hemisphere can sustain intelligent life. The landscape is covered with sand dunes, mountains, and canyons which make traversing the planet very difficult. Due to the absence of surface water , those who live on Tatooine have to draw moisture through the dry air.
Inhabiting the planet are many native species, the largest of which are the carnivorous krayt dragons. The common krayt dragon, while more plentiful is shadowed by the greater krayt dragon, which submerges itself under the shifting sands and uses its powerful limbs to swim through the dunes. In addition, the common bantha and eopie species also find a home on the world, along with dewbacks, rontos, womp rats, massiffs and scurriers.
Most wealth would eventually find its way into the city of Mos Espa, with most of it procured from gambling and off-world trade, especially through the lucrative black market. The influx of commercial ventures would fuel Mos Espa's growth, eventually securing its regional importance as a hub of economic and financial activity. With high tariffs imposed by the Hutt's, some believed themselves able to escape paying them by doing business in the planet's de facto capital, however often found themselves scammed and broke if not through gambling, through simple bad luck.
There exist only a few port cities on Tatooine, including Mos Espa and Mos Eisley. Beside those cities, which attract many criminals, most settlers of Tatooine operate moisture farms in the expanse of the desert. Tusken Raiders often attack isolated settlements on the fringes of their territory such as Anchorhead, and often take potshots at podracers during the Boonta Eve Classic, celebrated once every year as part of the Boonta Eve holiday celebrating the famed Hutt Boonta Hestilic Shad'ruu and his ascension to godhood.
Lawful inhabitants on the planet often utilize moisture vaporators owing to their energy efficiency, resulting in their status as one of the most crucial pieces of equipment for survival. While single vaporators often cost 500 credits each, some individuals buy and own multiple units, creating moisture farms. Often utilizing the extra water for small hydroponic gardens, few gardens yield enough to make substantial profits. In addition, vaporators require frequent maintenance and security systems, all in hopes of deterring attack from Tusken Raiders, who believed all water was sacred and belonged to them. The Raiders, native to the planet, are a nomadic tribal society with strict social and moral codes, along with defined territorial boundaries. Frequent colonial trespasses on their sovereign territory, along with the collusion between old values and galactic modernization, often force the Tuskens to attack colonists whom they both vehemently fear and despise.
Jawas are also native species to Tatooine, and as such deeply entrenched into a nomadic lifestyle. Unlike the Tuskens, whom they attempt to avoid, Jawas frequently sell collected scrap metal and droids to the scattered settlers on the planet, earning a reputation as merchants and vagabonds. Myth and folklore also play an important part in Jawa society, with the Jawa's belief that the great Dune Sea was once a true ocean. Later research into ancient fossil-bearing rock and eroded canyons seemed to support this notion. Nonetheless, most of Tatooine's inhabitants refuse to believe the story, finding it far-fetched and ludicrous.
Slavery, while banned through Republic laws finds itself readily and blatantly exposed under the twin suns. An entire section of Mos Espa is purposed as a Slave Quarter. On Tatooine at least, the institution of slavery is seen more as a socioeconomic symbol of wealth and prestige, resulting in highly protective owners who reluctantly part with their possessions. Used as capital in business transactions, nearly all slavery operations are overseen by the Hutt gangsters, who regard slavery as a useful institution.
- Map of inhabited part of Tatooine
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- Tatooine
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