Beleriand, Lindon The extreme west of Middle-earth in the First Age was
Beleriand. It and Eriador were separated from much of the south of Middle-earth by the Great Gulf. Beleriand was largely destroyed in the cataclysm of the
War of Wrath, leaving only a remnant coastal plain, Lindon, just to the west of the Ered Luin (also called Ered Lindon or Blue Mountains). The cataclysm divided Ered Luin and Lindon by the newly created Gulf of Lune; the northern part was Forlindon, the southern Harlindon.
Eriador In the northwest of Middle-earth, Eriador was the region between the Ered Luin and the Misty Mountains. Early in the Third Age, the northern kingdom of Arnor founded by
Elendil occupied a large part of the region. After its collapse, much of Eriador became wild; regions such as Minhiriath, on the coast south of the River Baranduin (Brandywine), were abandoned. A small part of the region was occupied by
Hobbits to form
the Shire. To the northwest lay Lake Evendim, once called Nenuial by the Elves. A remnant of the ancient forest of Eriador survived throughout the Third Age just to the east of the Shire as the
Old Forest, the domain of
Tom Bombadil. Northeast of there is
Bree, the only place where hobbits and Men live in the same villages. Further east from Bree is the hill of Weathertop with the ancient fortress of Amon Sûl, and then
Rivendell, the home of
Elrond. South from there is the ancient land of Hollin, once the elvish land of Eregion, where the
Rings of Power were forged. At the Grey Havens (Mithlond), on the Gulf of Lune,
Círdan built the ships in which the Elves departed from Middle-earth to Valinor.
Misty Mountains The Misty Mountains were thrown up by the Dark Lord
Melkor in the
First Age to impede
Oromë, one of the Valar, who often rode across Middle-earth hunting. The
Dwarf-realm of
Moria was built in the First Age beneath the midpoint of the mountain range. The two major passes across the mountains were the High Pass or Pass of Imladris near
Rivendell, with a higher and a lower route, and the all-year Redhorn Pass further south near Moria.
Rhovanion East of the Misty Mountains, Anduin, the Great River, flows southwards, with the forest of
Mirkwood to its east. On its west bank opposite the southern end of Mirkwood is the Elvish land of
Lothlorien. Further south, backing on to the Misty Mountains, lies the forest of
Fangorn, home of the tree-giants, the
ents. In a valley at the southern end of the Misty Mountains is
Isengard, home to the
wizard Saruman.
Lands to the South Just to the South of both Fangorn and Isengard is the wide grassy land of the
Riders of Rohan, who provide
cavalry to its southerly neighbour,
Gondor. The River Anduin passes the hills of Emyn Muil and the enormous rock statues of the Argonath and flows through the dangerous rapids of Sarn Gebir and over the Falls of Rauros into Gondor. Gondor's border with Rohan is the Ered Nimrais, the White Mountains, which run east–west from the sea to a point near the Anduin; at that point is Gondor's capital city,
Minas Tirith. Across the river to the East is the land of
Mordor. It is bordered to the north by the Ered Lithui, the Ash Mountains; to the west by the Ephel Duath, the Mountains of Shadow. Between those two ranges, at Mordor's northwest tip, are the Black Gates of the
Morannon. In the angle between the two ranges is the volcanic Plateau of Gorgoroth, with the tall volcano of Orodruin or
Mount Doom, where the Dark Lord
Sauron forged the
One Ring. To the mountain's east is Sauron's Dark Tower,
Barad-dûr. To the south of Gondor and Mordor lie
Harad and Khand.
Lands to the East To the east of Rhovanion and to the north of Mordor lies the Sea of Rhûn, home to the
Easterlings. North of that lie the Iron Hills of
Dain's
dwarves; between those and Mirkwood is
Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, once home to
Smaug the
dragon, and afterwards to
Thorin's dwarves. The large lands to the east of Rhûn and to the south and east of Harad are not described in the stories, which take place in the north-western part of Middle-earth. == Thematic mapping ==