In Star Trek, a neutral zone is defined as a ‘buffer’ zone, where no political power holds any authority. It is typically the space between the boundaries of the colonies that have agreed to set up the zone. It is similar to the Demilitarized Zone that exists between the United Federation of Planets and the Cardassian Union in the Alpha Quadrant, which is formed according to the terms of the Federation-Cardassian Treaty of 2370.