Where is the Confederation of Owionenseno

I have found them here for the Beta 1.02:

C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\Options\Bindings\

There are 2 files of interest: "Custom.binds" and "StartPreset.start"

I can only definitively answer part (1), and that answer is:

Yes, once you have explored a system you retain that information and it shows on the System Map for you.

I understand from the game forums that the first players to survey a system get more income from doing so than later players - but that later players do get some (presumably this data is confirmation of the earlier surveyors' findings).

I recall from memories of statements by the developers (can't cite, sorry) that in the released game, systems that have been explored and see a lot of player traffic will eventually have space stations built and come under faction control. I don't know whether the faction that players sell the data to has influence on the faction that moves into the system.