The North has been ruled by House Stark for thousands of years. It is a cold and difficult land. In size, it is by far the largest, almost as large as the rest of the southern lands together, but it is sparsely populated. On the northern border is the Wall, the edge of civilized land. House Stark was the last to bend their knee to the Targaryens.
A group of seven islands in Ironman’s Bay on the western coast of the continent. The largest island is Pyke. The Ironmen, as they are called, are ruled by House Greyjoy. They are a harsh people, like the sea they live on. They keep their own religion, that of the Drowned God, and their own traditions.
A very fertile area of Westeros. Located in the center of the continent, between the forks of the river Trident. The ruling house of the Riverlands are the Tullys.
The Vale is an area surrounded almost entirely by the Mountains of the Moon. House Arryn’s castle, called the Eyrie, sits high in the mountains, and thus is very defensible. The territory is rough and has only one road through it. Uncivilized men known as the mountain clans live still in the mountains.
A hilly region in the western part of the continent. It is ruled by the Lannisters. The capital city of this region is Lannisport, the greatest city in Westeros (after King’s Landing itself). As its name implies, Lannisport is a thriving port, where much trade passes through, to the great profit of House Lannister.
The lands south of King’s Landing, between the Riverlands and Dorne. They are fertile land, with a pleasant temperate climate. The rulers of the Reach are House Tyrell, and their seat is at Highgarden.
Bordered by Shipbreaker Bay to the east, they lie between King’s Landing and the Sea of Dorne. Twenty years ago, the stormlands were completely ravaged by the war between the Six Kingdoms and Dorne. Some areas have still not entirely recovered.
Dorne is an independent country lying in the south of Westeros. It is a very hot land, and its people have a reputation for hot bloodedness as well. The only desert in Westeros lies in Dorne.
There is a continent across the Narrow Sea to the east. On the coast lie nine cities, called The Free Cities. They include Braavos, Myr, Lys, and Pentos. Most people of Westeros have never crossed the sea. However, Westeros does a fair amount of trade with the Free Cities. Lys is known for its poisoners, and Braavos for it's legendary assasins, called Faceless Men. The Free Cities are ruled by no king, and have their own foreign customs and religions.
Other parts of the eastern continent are even less well-known. Tales are told of horse barbarians, cities of slaves, and evil warlocks.
Valyria was an eastern kingdom which was destroyed a thousand years ago by cataclysm. The Doom of Valyria is legendary, although no one knows how or why it happened. Ships do not sail to the ruins of Valyria, and that part of the eastern continent is avoided by sane men.