Setting of the world

The setting of the world of Middle-earth is very, very much like our own world was back in the middle ages. And as I stated in a  previous post Tolkien did want to create a saga for English litterature and folk-history, so the landscapes of Middle-earth reminds one of England quite alot, well atleast the Shire, with green fields all over, and small closely-knit communities where everyone knows one another. But it is an entire continent though, so everything is not the same way as it is in the Shire.

The Shire as described is in the center of the north-western part of Middle-earth.

If you travel past the mountain ridges north of the Shire you will enter the Lost Realm of Arnor. Which used to be a human empire, and the terrain there reminds one of foresty Sweden.

If you travell to the east towards rivendell you will encounter the misty mountains, which rise high up above middle-earth and divides the entire continent almost completely in half.

In the center of middle-earth is Rohan, Land of the horselords, here you will find long yellow grassy plains wherever you go, and you will also spot a large amounts of horsepacks.

Rhovanion is the largest "region" and is a huge plane of barren fields consisting of dirt.

The giant region of forest on the eastern edge of the misty mountains is Mirkwood, home to the now-isolated wood-elves. It has enormous trees the size of redwoods except they have alot more branches on them, and the trees are very much alive as any other creature in middle-earth, speaking of that there are ents there too, trees with humanoid features such as legs arms and faces, these trees herd other trees around and help them to grow and spread themselves with seeds.

At the bottom of middle-earth is Gondor, the great kingdom of men. These lands also reminds one of england, with long grassy plains where man frolicks and extends their kingdom.

And in the south-easternmost corner is Mordor. The black land. This is the home and root of all evil beings in middle-earth including their leader, Sauron, who from there commands his armies about middle-earth.

Map of Tolkiens middle-earth.

Photo from http://blog.lefigaro.fr/hightech/middle-earth-map.jpg