Silk Road

The Silk Road was an economically important network of hyperlanes running across the northern Outer Rim. The most prominent of these hyperlanes was the Chang'an-Tianshan corridor.

"Silk Road" was also the name of an Internet black market that sold various illegal drugs and weapons smuggled through the Galactic Republic's Intersector Postal Service.

History
The Silk Road existed from at least 6000 BBY and was mostly used by silk merchants, hence the network's name. Other goods such as spices, medicine (and medicinal herbs such as cannabis), gold, quartz, and crop seeds also dominated trade in this area at the time. The Galactic Republic played a small role in the Silk Road's formation, though some explorers from Republic worlds charted some of the Road's southern hyperlanes. The Silk Road was crucial in the Republic's expansion, as it was these ancient hyperlanes that Republic explorers, diplomats, and military personnel used during their operations in the northern Outer Rim. Most of these hyperlanes remained intact into the modern era, though "Silk Road" was solely a traditional term. As dozens of newer hyperlanes also arose in the area, it was difficult for historians to determine exactly which hyperlanes were once part of the Silk Road.