The Continent

**The Continent** is a continent located in the far west of the known world.

## Geography

The Continent is bordered to the west by the Sunset Sea, to the south by the Summer Sea and to the east by the Narrow Sea and Shivering Sea. The northern edges of the continent have not been charted, but are believed to extend to the northern polar ice cap. The continent shares similar geography and geometry to the real-life isle of Great Britain, and is narrow, about 900 miles wide at its widest point, but long, extending for almost 2,000 miles from the Summer Sea to the Wall that marks the northern border of the Seven Kingdoms. The extent of the wildling lands beyond the Wall are unknown.

The continent's terrain varies immensely. There are significant mountain ranges, such as the Mountains of the Moon in the Vale of Arryn, the Red Mountains of Dorne and the Frostfangs. There are also several extensive river networks, most notably the Trident and its numerous tributaries, but also the Blackwater Rush, the White Knife, the Mander, and the Greenblood.

The climate varies between extremes of heat and cold across the large continent. The North is the only region in which snowfall is common, even in the middle of the years-long "summers". Beyond the Wall the temperature becomes even lower and hostile, forming the taiga woodlands of the Haunted Forest, reaching into the truly polar regions of the "Lands of Always Winter", in the unmapped farthest north. In the far south, the terrain becomes hotter and more arid, and Dorne contains the continent's only deserts. Notable offshore islands include Bear Island, Skagos, the Iron Islands, Tarth, Dragonstone and the Arbor.

The continent is also home to immense woodlands, such as the Haunted Forest beyond the Wall. South of the Wall, within the Seven Kingdoms, there are three major forested regions: the Wolfswood around Winterfell, the Kingswood south of King's Landing and straddling the northern border of the Stormlands, and the Rainwood in the southern half of the same region. Numerous smaller wooded areas dot the continent.

## Climate and seasons

The Continent's climate shifts from a subarctic wasteland in the furthest north, beyond the Wall, to a desert climate in the furthest south, along the peninsula of Dorne.

## Regions

The Seven Kingdoms are divided into nine administrative regions, seven of which were independent kingdoms before Aegon's Conquest. Each region is ruled by a Great House, who in turn are commanded by the King on the Iron Throne. These regions are:

### Beyond the Wall

A vast, snow-covered wilderness independent from the Iron Throne and separated from the Seven Kingdoms by the Wall. It is inhabited by tribes of people known as wildlings, who often attempt to raid along the Bay of Seals or the Bay of Ice or climb over the Wall for the same purposes.

## Population

The population of the Continent extends into many millions, though a precise count has never been attempted. The major cities of the continent have populations in the hundreds of thousands, and each of the Great Houses can field a reasonably-well-equipped army in the tens of thousands. Due to its desert climate, Dorne has the smallest overall population. Due to their extremely small size, the Iron Islands are also among the least populated. The North has one of the smallest overall populations, and is the most *sparsely*-populated region, with huge regions of deserted wilderness extending between the major towns and holdfasts. Meanwhile, the prosperous and fertile Reach is the most heavily-populated, followed closely by the Riverlands.

## Settlements

The Continent is home to several distinct types of settlement:

### Cities

The Continent has a primarily agrarian population, with few major cities relative to its size. The five major cities of the continent are, in descending order of population:

* King's Landing: the capital of the Seven Kingdoms with a population of half a million. The largest city of the Continent, founded by Aegon the Conqueror on the site where he first set foot on the continent. Originally ruled by House Targaryen, then by House Baratheon, now by House Lannister.

The likes of Duskendale, Barrowton, and Stoney Sept, with populations of a few thousand each, are considered to be large towns rather than cities.

### Castles

Castles are held by the noble houses of the Continent and range in size from the vast, city-sized edifices of Harrenhal or Winterfell to small towerhouses or fortified farmsteads run by landed knights. The size of a castle and in what state of repair it is kept reflects the wealth and power of its ruling family.

The most notable castles of the Continent include Harrenhal, Storm's End, the Eyrie, Pyke, Riverrun, the Twins, Winterfell, the Dreadfort, Casterly Rock, Highgarden, Sunspear, Dragonstone, and the Red Keep of King's Landing.

## Animals

The Continent is home to several notable animal species:

### Dragons

Winged reptiles of tremendous age and ferocity, capable of breathing fire. Originated in the east and enslaved by the Valyrians, who used them to forge their empire. Most dragons were destroyed in the Doom four centuries ago, leaving the few possessed by House Targaryen as the only known surviving dragons in the world, which they used in their invasion of the Continent. The last Targaryen dragons died over 150 years ago. The skulls of more than a dozen dragons are kept in the Red Keep.

* The dragon is taken as the sigil of House Targaryen.

### Ravens

Trained messenger-ravens are used as part of a widespread communications network that links all of the major cities and holdfasts.