Terra Nova

Mass Effect
Terra Nova was one of the Class-1 colonization prospects discovered by the first wave of Alliance surveys in 2150. It was the second extrasolar colony, and the first beyond the Charon Mass Relay. It currently has the highest population of any Alliance colony.

Thought banded by a harsh equatorial desert, areas closer to the poles are temperate. The pace of development was modest until extensive deposits of platinum were discovered in the 2170s. This rare metal, required in the clean-burning hydrogen fuel cells that power private vehicles, attracted a "platinum rush" of immigrants and investment from throughout Alliance space. In the past twelve years, Terra Nova has seen a 30% rise in population, and growth does not appear to be slowing.

Mass Effect 3

 * Population: 4,150,000 (Pop. estimates are pre-invasion)

Terra Nova was one of the Class 1 colonization prospects discovered by the first wave of Alliance surveys in 2150. It was the second human extrasolar colony beyond the Charon mass relay. It once boasted the highest population of any formally endorsed Alliance colony, but in recent years threats of batarian attack caused many to emigrate. The name "Exodus Cluster" became all too apt.

The Reapers landed on Terra Nova after a brief battle with the Alliance's Sixth Fleet. Aware that it would lose, the fleet retreated in hopes of meeting with allies and retaking the planet. Intelligence indicates that the Reaper force here is light, and debate rages over whether to try to liberate the planet, or if such an effort would prove futile if the Reapers sent reinforcements.