Entire Land-Of Oz

The **Land of Oz** is the imaginary land introduced by L. Frank Baum in his book, *The Wizard of Oz*, and the setting for all of the "Oz" stories.

## Geography

Roughly rectangular in shape, Oz is divided along the diagonals into four countries: Munchkin Country in the East, Quadling Country in the South, Winkie Country in the West, and Gillikin Country in the North. There is also a fifth nation in the Northwest, Ugabu. These surround the Emerald City in the center. It is surrounded on all four sides by a desert. If someone touches it they instantly turn to sand. They are the Shifting Sands in the East, the Great Sandy Waste in the South, the Deadly Desert in the West, and the Impasaible Desert in the North, which all help to protect it from discovery and invasion. It is further protected by a barrier of invisibility erected by Glinda. Oz is the largest country on the continent of Nonestica.

Oz as a place is incredibly demographically diverse, with wide varieties of ecology and huge diversity with the number of species and creatures which occupy the land. At least some of Oz's infrastructure is made of yellow brick. The general style of architecture varies by country.

### Munchkin Country

*(Main Article: Munchkin Country)* Munchkin Country is the eastern quadrant of Oz inhabited by the Munchkins. It is shown to be mostly farmland, but does include strange shapes hills and rock arches and the Dark Forest in the southern part of the country. After Evanora's true form was exposed, she was banished from the Emerald City and became the tyrannical ruler of the Munchkins. The Munchkins were later freed when Evanora was crushed by Dorothy Gale's house. The color of Munchkin Country is blue.

### Quadling Country

*(Main Article:Quadling Country)* Quadling Country is the southern quadrant of Oz inhabited by the Quadlings. It is a mostly mountainous country, but also features animal shaped rocks and shards of emerald crystals. It is ruled by Glinda the Good Witch of the South from her palace. It also has strange fauna, like zebra print bird and giraffe creatures and pink, red, and orange colored trees. The color of Quadling Country is red.

### Winkie Country

*(Main Article:Winkie Country)* Winkie Country is the western quadrant of Oz inhabited by the Winkies. It is shown to be covered in farmland and forests but also has fields of flowers, like poppies and sunflowers. In the north there are towering rocky structures. After Theodora was banished from the Emerald City like her sister, Evanora, she became to ruler of the country. Like Munchkin Country, it was freed by Dorothy Gale. Dorothy freed Winkie Country was melting Theodora after throwing a bucket of water on her. The color of Winkie Country is yellow.

### Gillikin Country

Gillikin Country is the northern quadrant of Oz inhabited by the Gillikins. Little in known about the country other than that is is heavily forested and mountainous. It is also shown to have a large lake and a river that runs through the country. Theodora was said to the Good Witch of the North but later turned evil and became the Wicked Witch of the West. It is possible that Mombi is a Gillikin and originally lived in the country before becoming the "princess" of Oz. The color of Gillikin Country is purple.

### Ugabu

Very little is known about Ugabu. It is shown to be in the northwest of Oz meaning it may be part of Winkie Country, although it may be it's own country. It's possible that Oscar Diggs flew over Ugabu when he arrived in Oz.

## Biography

### *Oz the Great and Powerful*

Oz is the main location in *Oz the Great and Powerful* when Dr. Oscar Diggs (the Wizard of Oz) came to it. New modifications and details of Oz were made, such as denizens, like the water fairies and multicolored creatures or places with crystals or animal-shaped mountains.

## Oz: Climate, Landscape & Scenery

Oz is said to be a very beautiful place, the equal of which has never been discovered even in other enchanted countries. Oz's beauty and appearance is unlike any other land seen to outsiders. It is a place filled with endless blue skies and everlasting Rainbows. There are also many lovely glades, raging rivers, deep lakes and open meadows at every hand in Oz. Fields and deep vales are filled with many different types of attractive flowers, buttercups and tropical plants. Numerous little brooks of clear cold sparkling water run through the grassy banks of greensward and florescent birds and colorful butterflies are seen fluttering in the bushes and flying from tree to tree. And the trees and bushes all bare many delicious and ripe fruits, and nuts and plump juicy berries. (If one were to be stranded or lost in Oz, they would never starve to death or die from dehydration.) There is also places in Oz that are very unpleasant, such as in the dark forest were fierce flesh eating beast roam free. There also is a haunted forest, where many spooky animals and creepy critters live. There are many thick woods that stretch out for miles, and large rain-forests and jungles filled with lions and tigers and bears. Many villages and towns sit on hill tops overlooking the valley. And many mountains hold steep misty waterfalls and dark mysterious caves filled with precious treasures. Many Ozians work in the Oz's gold mines and enclaves that are cluttered with gems and jewels such as rubies and emeralds that were used to decorate Oz's imperial capital aka Emerald City and the home of Glinda the Good. There are also many farmers across the lands, especially in the Munchkin Country. The farmers live on prosperous farms that are filled with many richly grown crops of every healthy vegetable all in abundance. Oz even has a College if Ozians wants a proper education. The school is run by "Professor Wogglebug", he runs the College of Art and Athletic Perfection in the southwestern part of Munchkin Country

* There are also many little towns and neighborhoods within Oz that are not mentioned in Oz movies but do indeed appear in Baum's Oz books; such as Dixie Land, the city of Utensia, the home of the Cuttenclips and other little locations.

## Ozian Culture

**Ozians**: Baum apparently did not exactly mean that only Munchkins are short (as depicted in the iconic 1939 film), but that this is 50% of the norm for all of the adult humans of Oz. If you read the original book, you'll notice W. W. Denslow's illustrations of the characters (which were approved by Baum), Dorothy Gale, who's no older than twelve, is about the same height as most of the adults in Oz, even the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman are seen as being only a few inches taller than Dorothy. And later in the book, the Guardian of the Gates, (the first inhabitant of the Emerald City met by Dorothy and apparently representative of its citizens), is "a little man about the same size as the Munchkins." And later, the Quadlings of the southern quadrant in Oz called Quadling Country are described as "short and fat." In W. W. Denslow's illustrations the only Ozians depicted as remarkably taller than Dorothy are the Soldier with the Green Whiskers and Glinda the Good. Overall, you will notice that everyone on Oz treats Dorothy as an equal adult and not as a child. The short stature of Oz's residents is rarely mentioned in the later sequel books of the Oz series written by Baum.

However, in later Oz books, the Munchkins, and the people of Oz in general, were not described as being unusually short and were depicted as no shorter than the human characters from the United States. The one exception is the Munchkin wrestler that Dorothy's cousin Zeb Hugson fought in *Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz*.

**Population**: Oz is inhabited by more than half a million people, although many of them are not made of flesh and blood. The *Royal Historians* claim that all of them are happy and prosperous.

No disease is known in the land, and no one dies unless they meet with an accident which prevents them from living.

**Government**: Oz is an absolute monarchy, its ruler named Oz or Ozma. This rule is incompletely enforced, as many parts of Oz have never heard of the reigning Princess Ozma. The Emperor of the Winkies, the Monarch of the Munchkins, the King of the Quadlings, and the Sovereign of the Gillikins are all vassals of the Ruler of the Emerald City.

**Economy**: Although money has been used in the past, since the reign of Ozma began it is not a monetary economy; magic is a source of much of its production. There are no rich or poor people, and greed is unknown. Everyone is willing to share what he has in order to make his neighbor happy. (See: Money in Oz)

Everyone works half the time and plays half the time, and the people enjoy the work as much as the play. There are no overseers, and each is proud to do his best for his friends and neighbors.

Since the Land of Oz is cut off from other countries by the Deadly Desert, it produces all of its own food. Most of its produce is the same as the rest of the world, but there are some foods which are known only in the land of Oz, such as lacasa nectar and tamornas. Also, in many parts of Oz other commodities such as books and guns grow on bushes.

**Legal System**: The people of Oz are generally so well behaved that there is not a single lawyer among them. Eureka the kitten is one of the few defendants who have ever been put on trial. She was judged by a jury of nine (consisting of both people and animals) and was defended by the Tin Woodman.

There is only one prison in Oz and it is rarely used. Ojo is the only prisoner to ever spend the night there.

**Flag**: The Royal flag is divided into four quarters colored sky-blue, pink, lavender, and white. In the center is an emerald green star. The colors represent the four countries of Oz, and the star the Emerald City. (See: Flags of Oz)

**National Anthem**: The national air is "The Oz Spangled Banner" and there are many other popular tunes.

The people of Oz enjoy festivities and music. Performing groups like the Imperial Cornet Band, the Royal Court Band, the Emerald City Cornet Band, and the Tin Band play at many special occasions. *(Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, The Road to Oz)*

## Dominant colors

Other examples of color variety in Oz can be given, to show that the color scheme of Oz is far from uniform or absolute, despite the exaggerated claims sometimes made. (There seems to be something about Oz that leads people to hyperbolize and exaggerate on a range of subjects, including death and aging.)