battle for minas tirith (youtube)

The Shire

The shire is situated to the far west of middle earth, past the misty mountains.

It is 18,000 square meters and is populated by Hobbits, a short, hardy people

who enjoy quiet lives filled with food and ale. The shire is bordered by

Westmarch to the west, the river Shirebourne to the south and Buckland to

the east. The area is very picturesque, with beautiful scenery and fruitful land.

It is covered with fields and small pockets of forests similarly to the English

country side on which it is based. It is a peaceful region in which there are

almost no battles. The Shire is split into four farthings:

Northfarthing

It is the smallest region of the Shire. It has the town of Hardbottle and the

bindbole woods which are the largest woods in the shire

Westfarthing

It is the home of the largest town in the shire, Michel Delving. It also has a

smaller town called little Delving which is north of Michel Delving. The majority

of the Tooks live there in the town of tuckborough. The town of Bywater is

home the shire biggest and most popular inn, the green dragon.

Southfarthing

An especially green area in the shire where the Longbottom is to be found,

the area in which all the Shires pipe weed is grown. It is also home to the

Overbourne, a marshy yet fertile area.

Eastfarthing

Mostly taken up by the Marish, a marshy region separated from the

Overbourne by the Brandywine River. It also has the city of Stock, which is the

second biggest city in the Shire.

Gondor

The region of Gondor lies in the west of middle earth opposite Mordor. It

stretches from the White Mountains to the north to the mountains of shadow

in the east. It used to be bigger but much of its lands were given to rohan.

The capital of Gondor is Minas Tirith which is the largest city of man in all of

middle earth. It stand opposite the city of Minis Morgual which was captured

by Sauron and is now the home of the ring wraith. The city is ruled by the King

but while the king is away there is a steward to take his place. It has been

estimated that the region of Gondor is about 716,000 square miles and it is

split up into different regions:

Ithilien

Ithilien lay between the river Anduin and the Mountains of Shadow to the far

east of Gondor. At the beginning of the third age it was a prosperous land but

as the threat of Mordor grew, it inhabitants left until it was only populated

by rangers who live in secret refuges. In the Lord of the Rings the Two Towers

Tolkien describes it as “a fair country of climbing woods and swift-falling

streams with gentle slopes shielded from the east by the Ephel Dúath and yet

not under the mountain-shadow, protected from the north by the Emyn Muil,

open to the southern airs and the moist winds from the Sea”. The area is home

to a vast array of plants, herbs and trees and during the fourth age is said to

have been the fairest country in the entire west.

Calenardhon

Calenardhon was situated to the north of the White Mountains. Its name

means the green province due to its wide plains and rolling hills. It was never

a heavily populated area but after the Great Plague most people migrated

south. The region was later attacked and would have been capture but for the

Éothéod cavalry who defeated the invaders and saved the region. As a reward

they were give Calenardhon and it was renamed Rohan.

Anfalas

Anfalas was to the south of the hills of Pinnath Gelin, between the rivers Lefnui

and Morthond. Its name means longbeach. Due to it being a long distance

from the capital and being constantly attacked by the Corsairs of Umbar, it was

never a very densely populated area.

Belfalas

A shore land between the city of Dul Amroth and the island of Tolfalas after

which the Bay of Belfalas was named. The element of falas in its name means

 shore.