Location from Foundation by Isaac Asimov
A trading world economically conquered by Foundation Traders — proof that commerce is a weapon sharper than any warship when wielded with institutional patience.
Korell is where the Foundation discovered that trade was more powerful than religion. The Traders — independent merchants operating from Terminus — sold Foundation technology to Korell without the priesthood wrapper that had worked on Anacreon. Instead they created economic dependency through consumer goods: nuclear appliances, personal shields, luxury items that Korellian elites couldn't manufacture and couldn't live without. When Korell's rulers tried to break free by attacking Foundation Traders, the economic sanctions were devastating. Foundation goods stopped flowing, Korellian industry ground to a halt, and the population turned on its own government. The war ended not with a battle but with a trade embargo. This was the pattern that defined Foundation expansion for the next century: sell them what they can't make, make them dependent, and let economics do what armies cannot.
A developed world with functional spaceports and active commercial districts. Korell's cities are built around markets — wide plazas, warehouse districts, trading exchanges. The architecture reflects mercantile values: practical, solid, designed for commerce rather than ceremony. The ruling family's palace is modest by Imperial standards but ostentatiously wealthy by Periphery norms, decorated with off-world luxury goods that advertise trade connections.
Also known as: the Republic of Korell