Thanks. I hope that you will find the series bears out your
optimism.

To your questions: 1) The method of transit is called a Jump Gate.
2) We're still in the process of drawing up a detailed starmap with the
distances from B5 to each of our major governments, but we're looking at
roughly 25 light years from Earth. 3) The Earth/Minbari war lasted
almost five years. The terms of surrender were conditional; there was
to be no reparation. It was simply a cessation of hostilities. It was
not a clear-cut issue of being beaten or doing the beating; it just
stopped...which left a lot of people feeling about the same way some did
after Vietnam. Peace with honor? Maybe, maybe not. 4) The Earth
government -- located in Earthdome -- is basically a republic, with
reps from each nation serving as senators or in other capacities. 5)
Earth has fougth in some other conflicts, on a smaller scale; prior to
the Earth/Minbari war, they came to the assistance of the Non-Aligned
Worlds against a race known as the Dilgar, which devastated whole worlds.
(You'll see the last survivor of this race in "Deathwalker.")

jms