Tolkein

Everywhere Else

Arnor

The North Kingdom of the Dunédain (descendants of the Númenoreans). Arnor was founded in the the Second Age, after the destruction of Númenor. Its first ruler was Elendil, who was high king of both Arnor and Gondor. The tenth king of Arnor, Earendur, split the realm between his three sons, so it later comprised Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur. Cardolan and Rhudaur became overtly allied with Angmar, the realm of the Witch-King in the Third Age.

Lothlórien

("Land of blossoms dreaming", "Land of the Valley of Singing Gold", "Land of Gold")A fair kingdom of wood elves, named for its golden-leaved, silver-barked Mallorn trees. Lórian lies just to the East of the Misty Moutains beyond the Gates of Moria. In the Third Age Galadriel and her husband Celeborn came to Lórian and lent it some of the grace of the ancient elven kingdoms. Galadriel used Nenya, one of the elven Rings of Power forged in the Second Age, to cast a spell of protection around Lórian that made it invisible to Sauron and his minions.

Rohan

Originally a province of Gondor, these rolling grasslands were granted to Eorl of the Northmen in 2510 in recognition of the military aid Eorl had given Gondor at great risk to himself and his men. The people of Rohan are famous horsemen and their horses, including Gandalf's great steed Shadowfax, are legendary. Important sites include the great fortress of Helm's Deep and the capital, Edoras.

Misty Mountains

A great mountain chain that runs through the northwest of Middle-earth for a thousand miles. In the Third Age, a growing population of orcs made the Misty Mountains extremely dangerous.

Gondor

The Southern counterpart to Arnor. Gondor was ruled by Elendil and his two sons until the War of the Last Alliance, when Elendil and Anarion were killed and Isildur became the high king of both kingdoms. The kingship lasted until the year 2050 of the Third Age, when the last king rode out to meet the challenge of the Witch-King of Angmar and was never seen again. After this stewards ruled until Aragorn took back the kingship of both Arnor and Gondor. Gondor had three main cities and several smaller ones. The main cities were Minas Anor (Minas Tirith), Minas Ithil (Minas Morgul), and Osgiliath.

Rivendale

Imladris, known to men as Rivendell, is Elrond Halfelven's refuge in the western reaches of the Misty Mountains. Bilbo Baggins visits during the Quest of Erebor (2941), and later takes up residence there. In 3018 Frodo Baggins reaches Rivendell with the One Ring and the council of Elrond creates the Fellowship of the Ring.

Erebor

Erebor is Dwarven Kingdom in the Lonely Mountain. Thráin I founded a kingdom for the dwarves under Erebor after they lost Khazad-dûm. The kingdom was destroyed by the dragon Smaug but restored by Thorin II Oakenshield. The quest to retake Erebor is the focus of The Hobbit.

Mirkwood/Greenwood

In the Third Age the ancient forest of Greenwood grew dark and choked with ivy and became the dreaded Mirkwood. As related in The Hobbit, it was here that Bilbo Baggins and the Dwarves encountered the giant spiders. In the southwest corner of Mirkwood stands the fortress of Dol Goldur, Sauron's hiding place and the source of the forest's blight.

The Shire

Located in the northwest of Middle-earth, the Shire is a loosely organized territory in which most of Middle-earth's hobbits live. It is a bucolic, agricultural land that has seen little of the evil growing to the east. The Baggins family home of Bag End is in Hobbiton, a large town in the western farthing, or district, of the Shire.