Game of Thrones Maps Complete Atlas of the Known World

What Is the Game of Thrones World Map?

The Game of Thrones world map depicts The Known World — a fictional geography created by author George R.R. Martin for his novel series A Song of Ice and Fire. The world spans two primary continents: Westeros in the west and Essos in the east, separated by the Narrow Sea. A third continent, Sothoryos, lies to the south and remains largely unexplored in both the books and the HBO television series.

How Big Is Westeros?

Westeros stretches approximately 3,000 miles from The Wall in the north to Dorne in the south — comparable in scale to South America. George R.R. Martin has described it as a “stretched-out South America” rotated slightly. The distance from Winterfell to King’s Landing (~500 miles) is roughly equivalent to the drive from New York City to Cleveland, Ohio.

Yet armies in the show cover it in what appears to be days — one of the many geographic liberties the show takes in later seasons, a topic covered in our Book vs Show map accuracy guide.

The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros

Before Aegon’s Conquest, Westeros was divided into independent kingdoms. After Aegon I Targaryen united the continent by dragonfire and diplomacy, it became known as the Seven Kingdoms — though the name is a historical artifact, as the actual kingdoms number more when the Crownlands and Riverlands are included. The seven primary regions are:

• The North — ruled by House Stark from Winterfell
• The Vale — ruled by House Arryn from The Eyrie
• The Riverlands — ruled by House Tully from Riverrun
• The Westerlands — ruled by House Lannister from Casterly Rock
• The Reach — ruled by House Tyrell from Highgarden
• The Stormlands — ruled by House Baratheon from Storm’s End
• Dorne — ruled by House Martell from Sunspear

Essos — The Vast Eastern Continent

Essos is significantly larger than Westeros — stretching from the Free Cities on its western coast to the Shadow Lands of Asshai at its extreme eastern edge. Martin has indicated that Essos is roughly analogous to Eurasia in scale. Central Essos is dominated by the Dothraki Sea — a vast rolling grassland ruled by nomadic horse-lords. Further east lie the ruins of Old Valyria, the city of Qarth, the kingdoms of Yi Ti, and the mysterious ports of Asshai.

The Real-World Inspirations Behind the Map

Martin drew heavily from real-world geography and history. Westeros is inspired by medieval Britain and Europe, with The Wall drawing a direct parallel to Hadrian’s Wall in Scotland. Essos incorporates elements of Central Asia, the Middle East, and ancient Persia. The Free Cities echo the city-states of Renaissance Italy, while Slaver’s Bay draws from African and Mediterranean history. For our full comparison, see the Game of Thrones real-world map comparison guide.