The Martian Outback is the area of Mars' surface that is neither covered in water nor part of the terraformed city sprawls such as Hesperia. Called so for its resemblance to the arid backlands of Earth's continent Australia, the Outback is also home to a people whose origins are almost unique among the races of the Orion Arm. Though the terminology surrounding the Outback clans and the citizens of the Republic can be confusing, for the purpose of this article and the sake of clarity, the former are referred to as 'Martian', while the latter are 'Republican'.