Political maps

[Ran]

The reason there's no link in the OP is that the poster was _asking_ for such maps to be included in The World of Ice and Fire book.

Various fan-made map images can be found here. The world map is entirely speculative.

[Ser Selmy]

I have seen a lot of fan art mapping but what i would really like to see is The Free Cities, Sothoryos and The Jade Sea. Fan art is never accurate unless it is merely an altered image of a previously revealed map. The only person that really knows what it looks like are probably GRRM and James Sinclair.

[Ran]

There'll be a map of the Free Cities in the next book.

The world book will have it as well, I'd imagine, and I think there was talk of a map of the Jade Sea region. Can't recall.

[mdsb]

We've added two new maps at the Citadel which may help clarify the general boundaries of the larger regions, which you can find here (the political map is the last one).

This one?

http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/Gallery/Entry/1344/

[mdsb]

Did George Martin and/or publisher confirm the political boundaries?

[Ran]

Nope. That's purely based on the details available in the books. It is, after all, a fan map. Whether any of the maps in The World of Ice and Fire will feature boundaries, I do not know.

[MountainThatRides]

Anyone notice that in all the US editions of A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crows, on the world map Riverrun is spelled Riverrrun? Doesn't really matter but it bugs the living hell out of me.

[TrueMetis]

I play Risk online and know I'm thinking of making a board for it. If I do I'll post it to let all of you critique it. (Tear I may use that map of yours for a base if that is alright with you)

ETA My painting program sucks. So this probably won't happen.

[Gurkhal]

This may or may not be off-topic but I found no better alternative.

I'd like to see some general listing of the military strenght and economic wealth that each of the important Houses have - relative towards each other primarily - cause I don't have a clue what is actually more important or powerful than the other, save that the Great Houses are stronger than the rest.

[Lord Mord]

MTR,

Anyone notice that in all the US editions of A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crows, on the world map Riverrun is spelled Riverrrun? Doesn't really matter but it bugs the living hell out of me.

I don't think I'd ever noticed before, but now that I know it's there, my world is a little less secure. Damn you, ser! Damn you!

Is anyone else struck by how small the Stormlands seem to be? And a great part of that land is taken up by the Kingswood, which, I presume, nobody would be allowed to touch. Is Baratheon supposed to be one of the poorer houses, like Stark?

[Lord of Starfall]

I don't know that Stark is necessarily poorer. I'd put it third, behind Tyrell and Lannister. But Baratheon's probably the second poorest of the Great houses, ahead of Martell.

[Werthead]

This may or may not be off-topic but I found no better alternative.

I'd like to see some general listing of the military strenght and economic wealth that each of the important Houses have - relative towards each other primarily - cause I don't have a clue what is actually more important or powerful than the other, save that the Great Houses are stronger than the rest.

The Reach (Tyrells) have the highest population, thus the largest armies. The highest population also means more money in the form of taxes, which means they can equip their armies well. Their lands are fertile, warm and seem to be among the least-hazardous places in Westeros to live (even during the War of the Five Kings most of the Reach was untouched, the ironborn raids on the Shield Islands and Oldtown harbour excepted).

The Westerlands (Lannisters) are smaller and less populous, but have the most notable natural resources, such as gold and silver mines under the hills. They are richer-per-person than the Reach, and the Lannisters can outfit their armies with better equipment. They also have a higher proportion of heavy cavalry than the others.

Who comes third is debatable between the Tullys, Starks and Arryns. I'd actually plump for the Vale (the Arryns), as the lands are mountainous and presumably also have natural resources such as mines (though apparently not as many as the Westerlands). Their ports (most notably Gulltown) also benefit from the proximity of the Free Cities. They also seem more unified and occupy a highly defensible location on the continent. They count themselves as the home of chivalry, and seem to have a reasonable number of knights and disciplined troops.

I'd put the North (Starks) next. They have the largest amount of territory and a reasonable population, but the size of the land works against them, preventing rapid mobilisation (Robb only took maybe half of the North's potential fighting manpower with him, since he couldn't wait any longer for the rest to gather). The North obviously suffers from its climate and the threat of wildling raids in the north.

The Riverlands appear populous and have many skilled knights and troops, but they tend to be divisive and divided, turning on one another during times of war fairly rapidly. If mobilised against a common foe, they would likely be more formidable.

People in Westeros would probably put Dorne next, followed by the Stormlands and Iron Islands. However, AFFC indicates that Dorne may be weaker than previously believed, possibly weaker than the Stormlands (remember that the Stormlands also include the Marches along the northern border of Dorne, though on a map they should probably be in the Reach). It is debatable, however, since Dorne is (arguably, versus the ironborn and northmen) culturally the most unified and distinctive culture in all of Westeros, and have a proud history and, in war, likely higher morale than many of their opponents. They also have a number of success in their past that means they may feel able to take on much stronger opponents (even if the Sand Snakes buy the myth of Dornish strength, they must know that waging war on the Tyrells is still folly but still feel confident of suggesting it). The ironborn come last - they couldn't stand up either in a field engagement or a large-scale naval battle against other forces in Westeros - with their success deriving from guerrilla raids.

On in both economic and military terms (richest to poorest) I'd say:

1: The Reach

2: The Westerlands

3: The Vale

4: The North

5: The Riverlands

6: The Stormlands

7: Dorne

8: The Iron Islands

(3-4-5 are probably highly debatable and almost interchangeable depending on the circumstances)

I've left the Crownlands out, as they're quite hard to judge.

[Rodrik of Dorne]

How the mapping is going?

Any chance we know where are the seats of House Hornwood and House Ryswell? I know that in HBO's map theres a place called Hornwood. Is it cannon?

Also, it would be interesting to have a map with places like Castle Cerwyn (I know, its in the HBO map), and all seats of the Stark bannermen.

And, finally, which of the Stark bannermen rules over Ramsgate?

Since GRRM finished the next one, and he already posted that is going back to his work on A World of Ice and Fire, I would like to know more about the upcoming maps, not necessarily the political ones.

[Brandon the Epithetless]

Can we have maps that are reproductions of the maps on the Castle Black archives which Sam brings on their Ranging? perhaps with Sam's annotations as they journey up North. I'd like that as well as a few pages of the White Book, and the Seven-Pointed Star and the Old Nan's Tales idea.

[King Valamir Stark]

hi, i'm a bit new to the series and i've been wondering, what are the seven kingdoms?

when i see the maps, there's like 9 regions, right? so what's the seven kingdoms?

[Brandon the Epithetless]

hi, i'm a bit new to the series and i've been wondering, what are the seven kingdoms?

when i see the maps, there's like 9 regions, right? so what's the seven kingdoms?

The name refers to the kingdoms at the time of Aegon's Conquest (the Valyrian ancestor of House Targaryen who united Westeros).

Aegon I conquered 6 of the 7 kingdoms - The North, The Vale of Arryn, The Westerlands, The Reach, The Stormlands and the Iron Islands (the Ironborn at that time also held the Riverlands and had their seat at Harrenhal).

The seventh kingdom of Dorne only permanently joined 200 years later.

The 8th domain of the Riverlands was given by Aegon I to House Tully who led the Riverlords in a rebellion against the Ironborn and sided with the Targaryens.

The 9th domain is the Crownlands whose lords allied themselves to the Targaryens first, so are sworn directly to the crown.

[King Valamir Stark]

The name refers to the kingdoms at the time of Aegon's Conquest (the Valyrian ancestor of House Targaryen who united Westeros).

Aegon I conquered 6 of the 7 kingdoms - The North, The Vale of Arryn, The Westerlands, The Reach, The Stormlands and the Iron Islands (the Ironborn at that time also held the Riverlands and had their seat at Harrenhal).

The seventh kingdom of Dorne only permanently joined 200 years later.

The 8th domain of the Riverlands was given by Aegon I to House Tully who led the Riverlords in a rebellion against the Ironborn and sided with the Targaryens.

The 9th domain is the Crownlands whose lords allied themselves to the Targaryens first, so are sworn directly to the crown.

so there's nine kingdoms, now? yet they still call it the seven kingdoms. hmm.

could this be possible:

1. the north

2. the west (westerlands)

3. the east (the vale)

4. the south (reach + dorne)

5. the iron islands

6. the riverlands

7. the crownlands + stormlands

or

1. the north + iron islands

2. the west (westerlands)

3. the east (the vale)

4. the south (reach)

5. riverlands

6. dorne

7. crownlands + stormlands

or

1. the north

2. the west (westerlands)

3. the east (the vale)

4. the south (reach)

5. riverlands + iron islands

6. dorne

7. crownlands + stormlands

[Brandon the Epithetless]

I imagine it is still the 7 kingdoms because the historians (Maesters at the time of Conquest) called it as such and it stuck.

Plus the Andals are in love with the number 7. 7 hills of Andalos, 7 faces of the gods, 7 colors of the spectrum, 7 kingsguard, 7 kingdoms...

The Crownlands isn't really a kingdom more of the King's personal domain, the king's kingdom is the whole realm. And the other domains are no

longer kingdoms either yet still 7 kingdoms.

It's just tradition don't think much about it.