Gondor

From t2twiki

The greatest of all kingdoms of Men in Middle-earth, overshadowed only by Sauron's empire at it's current height. Gondor ("Stone Land") survived over three millennia of attacks, invasions, plague, disruptions of succession, and civil war. Through it all, the Gondorians ever wavered in their defiance of Sauron or in their dedication to the Númenórean traditions they inherited from Elendil and his sons. Unlike the Dúnedain of Arnor, Gondor preserved the great Númenórean seafaring tradition. Even if in later days they largely restricted themselves to coastal travel, they still remember the great armadas once assembled to help defeat Angmar.

As the Third Age has worn on, Gondor dwindled in population and territory until, by the time of the War of the Ring, most of its people dwelt south of the White Mountains, along the river valleys or by the shores of the Great Sea in Anfalas, Belfalas, Lamedon and Lebennin or along the eastern end of the mountains in Anórien. Harondor had been abandoned following repeated invasions from the Haradrim, while Ithilien, once Isildur's principality, just as Anórien had been Anarion's, was deserted. Of the four great cities of Gondor---Osgiliath, Pelargir, Minas Ithil and Minas Anor---only Pelargir and Minas Anor remain. After Osgiliath, the original capital, was ruined during the civil war and Minas Ithil had been captured by the Nazgúl and became Minas Morgul, Minas Anor was renamed "Minas Tirith".

Gondor is a pleasant land with a warm climate, plentiful rain in season and rich fields. The delta lands near the mouth of the Anduin are some of the richest farmland in Middle-earth. Fishing plays a large part in the economy and in earlier days trade with foreign lands provided much much of Gondor's legendary wealth. Its cities, fortresses and bridges are all in the classic Númenórean style of huge, close-fitting, mortarless blocks.

View the Two Towers map of Southern Gondor