Westeros is one of the three known continents in the world. Most of its area is covered by a political entity known as the Seven Kingdoms.
The continent of Westeros is long and relatively narrow, extending from Dorne in the south to the Lands of Always Winter in the far north, where a large amount of land remains uncharted, due to the extremely cold temperatures and hostile inhabitants known as wildlings. Although no scale appears on the maps in the books themselves, George R. R. Martin has stated that the Wall is a hundred leagues long, or three hundred miles. Thus the continent stretches for about 3,000 miles from north to south and for some 900 miles at its widest point east to west. Its eastern coast borders on the Narrow Sea; across those waters lies the eastern continent of Essos and the island chain known as the Stepstones. To the south is located the Summer Sea, and within it the Summer Islands.
The northern lands of Westeros are less densely populated than the south despite their roughly equivalent size. The five major cities of Westeros are, in order of size: King's Landing, Oldtown, Lannisport, Gulltown, and White Harbour.
Westeros was originally divided into several independent kingdoms before the consolidation of the War of Conquest. After this war and the eventual incorporation of Dorne, all the regions south of the Wall were united under the rule of House Targaryen into a nation that is known as the Seven Kingdoms.
The Seven Kingdoms before Aegons conquest were: The Kingdom Of The North The Kingdom Of The Vale and Mountain The Kingdom Of The Isles and Rivers The Kingdom Of The Rock The Kingdom Of The Stormlands The Kingdom Of The Reach Dorne
Aegon conquered all but Dorne and united the other six kingdoms, forming them into 8 regions. Eventually Dorne joined the fold by marriage. He split the The Kingdom Of The Isles and Rivers into two and created a new region to rule from.
The 9 regions of The Seven Kingdoms are: The North Ruled by House Stark from the castle of Winterfell. Bastards born in the North take the surname "Snow". The principal port and city of the North is White Harbor. The North is the largest of the regions of Westeros but also the most sparsely-populated, due the harshness of the long winter and the huge distances between holdfasts or towns. The North also includes the Wall and the lands administered by the Night's Watch, which are technically independent but are almost always thought of in conjunction with the North.
The Vale Ruled by House Arryn from the castle known as the Eyrie. Bastards born in the Vale take the surname "Stone". The principal port and city of the Vale is Gulltown. The Vale is dominated and mostly covered by the Mountains of the Moon and its offshoot chains. Its borders are prowled by hostile hill tribes.
The Riverlands Ruled by House Tully from the castle of Riverrun. Bastards born in the Riverlands take the surname "Rivers". The principal ports of the Riverlands are Seagard, Saltpans and Maidenpool. Notable towns include Stoney Sept. The Riverlands are dominated by the mighty River Trident and its numerous tributaries, including the Tumblestone. The Riverlands, lying close to the center of the continent, have been the site for battles and conflicts throughout the history of Westeros. Once an independent kingdom, they were overrun by the ironborn a century before Aegon's invasion and are thus not counted as an eighth kingdom, despite their significant size and population. The Riverlands are, as their name suggests, one of the most fertile and populous regions in Westeros, which is in many ways the only reason they have been consistently able to recover from the frequent wars that cross their borders.
The Iron Islands Ruled by House Greyjoy from the castle of Pyke on the island of the same name. Bastards born on the Iron Islands take the surname "Pyke". The major islands of the chain are Great Wyk, Little Wyk, Harlaw, Blacktyde, Orkmont, Saltcliffe and Pyke itself. The Iron Islands are rain-lashed and cold, home to a hardy, warrior race known as the ironborn. They live for warfare and reaving, and are the most troublesome and rebellious of the Iron Throne's subjects.
The Westerlands Ruled by House Lannister from the castle of Casterly Rock. Bastards born in the Westerlands take the surname "Hill". The principal city and port of the Westerlands is Lannisport. The Westerlands are noted for their hills and low mountains which are rich in silver and gold, providing House Lannister and their vassals with immense wealth.
The Crownlands Ruled directly by the King on the Iron Throne from the city of King's Landing, the largest city in Westeros and the capital of the Seven Kingdoms. Bastards born in the Crownlands take the surname "Waters". Other notable townships of the Crownlands include Duskendale and Rosby. The Crownlands stretch along the shores of Blackwater Bay and also across several islands in the Narrow Sea, such as Dragonstone, Driftmark and Claw Isle. The islands are separately administered from Dragonstone.
The Stormlands Ruled by House Baratheon from the castle of Storm's End. Bastards born in the Stormlands take the surname "Storm". The Stormlands include several offshore islands, most notably Estermont and Tarth. It ranks moderately among the other regions in terms of population and wealth. The Stormlands are wracked by frequent storms off the Narrow Sea, and experience significant rainfall. The Stormlands are also one of the most densely wooded areas in Westeros, particularly south of the Neck. It contains not only the Rainwood (which covers the southern half of the Stormlands), but also shares much of the Kingswood (spilling across the northern border with the Crownlands). As a result, its climate is in general that of a temperate rainforest.
The Reach Ruled by House Tyrell from the castle of Highgarden. Bastards born in the Reach take the surname "Flowers". The principal city and port of the Reach is Oldtown, the second-largest city of Westeros. The Reach is the second-largest region of Westeros and by far the most fertile and populous, allowing the Tyrells to field vast armies and also results in them being wealthier than any other family but the Lannisters. The Reach also includes several offshore islands, such as the Shield Islands and the Arbor.
Dorne Ruled by House Martell from the castle of Sunspear. Bastards born in Dorne take the surname "Sand". The prinicpal ports of Dorne are Sunspear itself and the Planky Town at the mouth of the Greenblood. The people of Dorne are isolated from the rest of Westeros by the Sea of Dorne and the Red Mountains, giving them a greater sense of national identity than most of the other peoples of Westeros, save for the Ironborn and the Northmen. Since Robert's Rebellion and the murder of several prominent Dornish nobles during the Sack of King's Landing, the Dornish have pursued a more isolationist path.
The continent of Westeros is long and relatively narrow, extending from Dorne in the south to the Lands of Always Winter in the far north, where a large amount of land remains uncharted, due to the extremely cold temperatures and hostile inhabitants known as wildlings. Although no scale appears on the maps in the books themselves, George R. R. Martin has stated that the Wall is a hundred leagues long, or three hundred miles. Thus the continent stretches for about 3,000 miles from north to south and for some 900 miles at its widest point east to west.
Its eastern coast borders on the Narrow Sea; across those waters lies the eastern continent of Essos and the island chain known as the Stepstones. To the south is located the Summer Sea, and within it the Summer Islands.
The northern lands of Westeros are less densely populated than the south despite their roughly equivalent size. The five major cities of Westeros are, in order of size: King's Landing, Oldtown, Lannisport, Gulltown, and White Harbour.
Westeros was originally divided into several independent kingdoms before the consolidation of the War of Conquest. After this war and the eventual incorporation of Dorne, all the regions south of the Wall were united under the rule of House Targaryen into a nation that is known as the Seven Kingdoms.
The Seven Kingdoms before Aegons conquest were:
The Kingdom Of The North
The Kingdom Of The Vale and Mountain
The Kingdom Of The Isles and Rivers
The Kingdom Of The Rock
The Kingdom Of The Stormlands
The Kingdom Of The Reach
Dorne
Aegon conquered all but Dorne and united the other six kingdoms, forming them into 8 regions. Eventually Dorne joined the fold by marriage. He split the The Kingdom Of The Isles and Rivers into two and created a new region to rule from.
The 9 regions of The Seven Kingdoms are:
The North
Ruled by House Stark from the castle of Winterfell. Bastards born in the North take the surname "Snow". The principal port and city of the North is White Harbor. The North is the largest of the regions of Westeros but also the most sparsely-populated, due the harshness of the long winter and the huge distances between holdfasts or towns. The North also includes the Wall and the lands administered by the Night's Watch, which are technically independent but are almost always thought of in conjunction with the North.
The Vale
Ruled by House Arryn from the castle known as the Eyrie. Bastards born in the Vale take the surname "Stone". The principal port and city of the Vale is Gulltown. The Vale is dominated and mostly covered by the Mountains of the Moon and its offshoot chains. Its borders are prowled by hostile hill tribes.
The Riverlands
Ruled by House Tully from the castle of Riverrun. Bastards born in the Riverlands take the surname "Rivers". The principal ports of the Riverlands are Seagard, Saltpans and Maidenpool. Notable towns include Stoney Sept. The Riverlands are dominated by the mighty River Trident and its numerous tributaries, including the Tumblestone. The Riverlands, lying close to the center of the continent, have been the site for battles and conflicts throughout the history of Westeros. Once an independent kingdom, they were overrun by the ironborn a century before Aegon's invasion and are thus not counted as an eighth kingdom, despite their significant size and population. The Riverlands are, as their name suggests, one of the most fertile and populous regions in Westeros, which is in many ways the only reason they have been consistently able to recover from the frequent wars that cross their borders.
The Iron Islands
Ruled by House Greyjoy from the castle of Pyke on the island of the same name. Bastards born on the Iron Islands take the surname "Pyke". The major islands of the chain are Great Wyk, Little Wyk, Harlaw, Blacktyde, Orkmont, Saltcliffe and Pyke itself. The Iron Islands are rain-lashed and cold, home to a hardy, warrior race known as the ironborn. They live for warfare and reaving, and are the most troublesome and rebellious of the Iron Throne's subjects.
The Westerlands
Ruled by House Lannister from the castle of Casterly Rock. Bastards born in the Westerlands take the surname "Hill". The principal city and port of the Westerlands is Lannisport. The Westerlands are noted for their hills and low mountains which are rich in silver and gold, providing House Lannister and their vassals with immense wealth.
The Crownlands
Ruled directly by the King on the Iron Throne from the city of King's Landing, the largest city in Westeros and the capital of the Seven Kingdoms. Bastards born in the Crownlands take the surname "Waters". Other notable townships of the Crownlands include Duskendale and Rosby. The Crownlands stretch along the shores of Blackwater Bay and also across several islands in the Narrow Sea, such as Dragonstone, Driftmark and Claw Isle. The islands are separately administered from Dragonstone.
The Stormlands
Ruled by House Baratheon from the castle of Storm's End. Bastards born in the Stormlands take the surname "Storm". The Stormlands include several offshore islands, most notably Estermont and Tarth. It ranks moderately among the other regions in terms of population and wealth. The Stormlands are wracked by frequent storms off the Narrow Sea, and experience significant rainfall. The Stormlands are also one of the most densely wooded areas in Westeros, particularly south of the Neck. It contains not only the Rainwood (which covers the southern half of the Stormlands), but also shares much of the Kingswood (spilling across the northern border with the Crownlands). As a result, its climate is in general that of a temperate rainforest.
The Reach
Ruled by House Tyrell from the castle of Highgarden. Bastards born in the Reach take the surname "Flowers". The principal city and port of the Reach is Oldtown, the second-largest city of Westeros. The Reach is the second-largest region of Westeros and by far the most fertile and populous, allowing the Tyrells to field vast armies and also results in them being wealthier than any other family but the Lannisters. The Reach also includes several offshore islands, such as the Shield Islands and the Arbor.
Dorne
Ruled by House Martell from the castle of Sunspear. Bastards born in Dorne take the surname "Sand". The prinicpal ports of Dorne are Sunspear itself and the Planky Town at the mouth of the Greenblood. The people of Dorne are isolated from the rest of Westeros by the Sea of Dorne and the Red Mountains, giving them a greater sense of national identity than most of the other peoples of Westeros, save for the Ironborn and the Northmen. Since Robert's Rebellion and the murder of several prominent Dornish nobles during the Sack of King's Landing, the Dornish have pursued a more isolationist path.