Arnor was a human realm in Eriador. It was founded by Elendil and his people, who survived the Fall of Númenor towards the end of the Second Age. The peoples living in Arnor were the descendants of the Númenorean survivors, and the indigenous human peoples who had lived there before. The capital of Arnor was the city Annúminas on the shores of Lake Evendim in northern Eriador. Elendil became the first King of Arnor; after his death, his older son Isildur became King.
After the death of the tenth king, Eärendur, in T.A. 861, his three sons split Arnor into three new lands, one for each of them: Arthedain in the west, Cardolan in the south, and Rhudaur in the north. With time, all three countries were destroyed in wars against the northern land Angmar.
After the War of the Ring, the land again became part of the Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor, ruled by King Elessar Telcontar and his descentants.
Bree-land is a small region in Eriador, which is around the Breehill. It has four villages: Bree (the biggest), Archet, Combe and Staddle. The peoples living in the villages of Bree-land are Men and Hobbits; it is the only place where both people live together. The only other place inhabited by Hobbits is the Shire.
Bree is at the meeting point of two large roads, the Great East Road and the North-South Road, which made it an important centre of trade and travel.
The Lonely Mountain or Sindarin Erebor is a mountain in the northeast of Rhovanion. When the dwarves had to leave their ancient home Khazad-dûm, it became the new home of Durin's folk. They were led by Thráin I, who became "King under the Mountain". Later Erebor was attacked by the dragon Smaug, and the dwarves had to flee again. In the story told in "The Hobbit", the dragon Smaug is killed and the dwarves again return to the Lonely Mountain. Dáin II Ironfoot becomes new King under the Mountain.
Esgaroth or Lake-town is a town in the northeast of Rhovanion. It is built at the Long Lake, south of the Lonely Mountain and east of Mirkwood. It was destroyed by the dragon Smaug, but was rebuilt.
Fangorn or Fangorn Forest is a large forest on the eastern side of the southern end of the Misty Mountains. Fangorn is the only known home of the Ents, a people of giant tree-like beings. The Sindarin word "Fangorn" translates to "Beardtree", and is also the Sindarin name of the Ent Treebeard.
Gondor was a human realm in southeastern Middle-earth. It was founded by the brothers Isildur and Anárion and their people, who had survived the Fall of Númenor towards the end of the Second Age.
In the later part of the Third Age, Gondor was between the sea in the south, the Mountains of Shadow in the east, and the White Mountains in the north; in earlier times the land of Gondor reached farther north. The city Osgiliath, built over the river Anduin, became the capital of Gondor. Isildur also founded the city Minas Ithil east of the Anduin, and his brother Anárion founded the city Minas Anor west of the Anduin on the mountain Mindolluin.
Gondor had several regions. Ithilien is in the east, between the river Anduin in the west and the Mountains of Shadow in the east. Anórien was a small land north of the White Mountains, between the river Anduin in the east and Rohan in the west. Calenardhon was the land north of the White Mountains, which later became Rohan in the 26th century T.A. Enedwaith was northwest of the White Mountains, which was mostly abandoned in the later part of the Third Age. Between the coast and the White Mountains were several regions, from the west to the Anduin in the east. Near the seashore in the south were the regions Anfalas, Belfalas, Dor-en-Ernil, Lebennin, and Lossarnach. Along the Mountains in the north were the Morthond Vale, Lamedon, and the Ringló Vale. Southeast of the Anduin was the region South Gondor.
After the "War of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men" against Sauron, Isildur left to rule the northern kingdom Arnor, while the son of Anárion stayed to rule Gondor.
In the 15th century there was a great civil war, the city Osgiliath was destroyed, and Minas Anor became the new capital.
During the time of the rule of King Eärnur, the Ringwraiths captured Minas Ithil, and it was renamed Minas Morgul. Minas Anor was renamed Minas Tirith ("Tower of Guard"). Both cities were in a constant state of war, much of the action taking place around or in the former capital of Osgiliath. During the War of the Ring, Gondorian-controlled Western Osgiliath fell to Mordor, allowing Sauron to attack Minas Tirith. The Orcs attacked the city, but the coming of the Rohirrim forced them to stop, allowing the defenders to charge the enemy. The Battle of the Pelennor Fields was won by the Men of Gondor and Rohan.
The last King, Eärnur, disappeared in 2050 of the Third Age. After this Gondor was ruled by the "Stewards of Gondor" instead of a king until the end of the Third Age.
After the War of the Ring, the land became part of the Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor, ruled by King Elessar Telcontar and his descendants.
The Great East Road is an ancient Dwarven road, which ran from western Beleriand, over the Ered Luin, through the Shire, to the Misty Mountains, and to the dwarven lands in the east.
Helm's Deep was a deep valley on the north side of the western part of the White Mountains, south to the "Gap of Rohan". The valley was blocked by a natural series of hills called Helm's Dike. Behind this lay a fortress: the Hornburg. At the end of the valley is the entrance to the Glittering Caves.
Isengard is a fortress at the southern end of the Misty Mountains. It is a small valley inside a ring-shaped wall, the Ring of Isengard, and in its middle is a tall black tower, Orthanc.
It belonged to Gondor, but in the 28th century it was given to Saruman. It housed a palantír. In the War of the Ring the Ents destroyed the ring-wall. After the War, the tower Orthanc was given back to King Elessar and the Reunited Kingdom.
Khazad-dûm was the ancient home of the Dwarves under the Misty Mountains. It was a great underground city and mines. It was the only place in Middle-earth where the precious metal "mithril" could be found, which made the dwarves very rich.
Khazad-dûm was founded by Durin the Deathless early in the First Age, long before the rise of the Sun and Moon.
In the Third Age the dwarves woke a Balrog deep in the mines of Khazad-dûm. The Balrog killed King Durin VI and many Dwarves, and the surviving Dwarves had to flee and left for other places. Khazad-dûm got a new name, Moria, which is Sindarin for "dark pit".
Lothlórien was an elven realm, between the Misty Mountains and the Anduin. It lay on the land between the rivers Anduin and Silverlode, close to the dwarven realm Khazad-dûm. Lothlórien was founded in the Second Age, and Amdír became the first King. The elves of Lothlórien fought in the War of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men against Sauron. In the war Amdír was killed, and his son Amroth became king after him, but Amroth later left Lothlórien. Since then until the end of the Third Age it was ruled by Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel. Caras Galadhon was the main city of Lothlórien. Other names of Lothlórien are the shortened form Lórien, and the names Laurelindórenan, Dwimordene (Rohirric), or The Golden Wood.
Mordor (Sindarin: "Black Land" and Quenya: "Land of Shadow") is a land in the southeastern part of Middle-earth, east of the Anduin. It was the land of Sauron in the Second and Third Age.
Mordor is surrounded by mountain ranges: the Ered Lithui (Sindarin: "Mountains of Ash") in the north, the Ephel Dúath (Sindarin: Mountains of Shadow) in the west and another mountain range in the south. In the northwest is the plateau Gorgoroth. At the foothills of the Ered Lithui in northwestern Mordor was Sauron's main fortress Barad-dûr. Southwest of Barad-dûr lay the volcano Mount Doom.