Europe as Middle Earth. (For you LOTR fans).

[Feuer Frei!]

I've thought of something.
What about this:

Gondor---Northern Italy/Austria/Slovenia/western Slovakia
Harandor--- (Southern Gondor)--Southern Italy/Sicily
Rohan---Germany/Switzerland/eastern France
Umbar---Morocco
Near Harad---Egypt/Libya
Far Harad---Sub-Saharan Africa
The Bay of Belfalas---The Meditteranean Sea
The Sea of Rhun---The Black Sea
Khand---Turkey
Dunlad--Denmark
Rhun---Russia
The Misty Mountains---Mountain range in Norway/Sweden
The Iron Hills---The Ural Mountains
The Grey Havens---Ireland
Brandywine River---The Thames River
The Anduin--- Most of Europe's rivers run east/west and not north/south.
The Shire/Bree---England
Arnor---The British Isles
Amon Sul---Scotland!! It should be further west.
Rivendell--Trondheim, Norway
Carrock--Umea, Sweden
Moria---West Gate (Bergen) East Gate (Oslo)
Trollshaws---The Faroe Islands
Mirkwood---Primarily Finland
Dol Goldur---Malmo, Sweden. The Necromancer could represent Malmo's huge and violent Muslim minority.
Erebor---Murmansk, Russia
Esgaroth/Lake Men of Dale---Arkhangelsk, Russia
The Long Lake---The White Sea
The River Running---The Volga River
The White Moutains---The Alps
Emyn Muil---The Lusatian Mountains
Helm's Deep---Zurich, Switzerland
Dunharrow---Bern, Switzerland
Edoras---Munich, Germany
Minas Tirith---Vienna, Austria
Isengard---Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Osgiliath---Bratislava, Slovakia
Mordor---Hungary/Northern Romania/Western Ukraine
Minas Morgul---Budapest.

Baradur---Debrecen, Hungary
Mt. Doom---Uzhhorod, Ukaine
Ered Lithui/Ash Mountains---The Carpathians

The Silmarillion

The Blue Mountains--Have been replaced as a natural barrier by the Atlantic Ocean
Dorthonion---Iceland
Gondolin---Reykjavík
Hithlum---Greenland
Ice Bay of Forochel---Arctic Ocean
Anfauglith---The Norwegian Sea
The ruins of Angband---Svalbard

Here a map, looks just like Europe, England, France, Ireland, Spain and Italy are all clearly seen:

Tolkien probably did look at a map when making Middle Earth.
Middle Earth is supposed to be a mythological pre-history of Europe.

Thoughts?

[Torplexed]

Does this make the Americas Valinor? Could explain all the cheap elvish labor in the country lately.

[Betonov]

Blast, I'm right between Gondor and Mordor

[Feuer Frei!]

Originally Posted by Betonov

Blast, I'm right between Gondor and Mordor

[Chad]

Originally Posted by Betonov

Blast, I'm right between Gondor and Mordor

You would be in Osgillliath.

http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Osgiliath

--No this is a pretty good comparison. Better than many I've seen. I'm a pretty big LOTR fan so this makes me happy

[jimbob]

Mirkwood, land of about a thousand lake.
No wait....

[Betonov]

Originally Posted by Chad

You would be in Osgillliath.

http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Osgiliath

--No this is a pretty good comparison. Better than many I've seen. I'm a pretty big LOTR fan so this makes me happy

Yep, you're right. That's definately our economy on those screens.

[Feuer Frei!]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

Does this make the Americas Valinor? Could explain all the cheap elvish labor in the country lately.

Not sure, but, North America represents the Undying Lands.
Back on-topic, i missed a few:

Numenor is Bermuda,
Pelenor is Hainburg, Austria,
Cirith Ungol is Jazbereny, Hungary,
The watch tower at Amon Hen is Dresden, Germany,
The Dead Marshes is Prague, Czech Republic, and
The Pirate Port in Harad is Algiers, Algeria.

[Oberon]

Proudfeet!

[Torplexed]

From looking where Rohan roughly is is I guess they decided to switch from horses and cavalry to Mercedes and BWM.

[Feuer Frei!]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

From looking where Rohan roughly is is I guess they decided to switch from horses and cavalry to Mercedes and BWM.

Yes, they've come a long way!

[UnderseaLcpl]

Geographic and topographical similarities be damned. Contrary to Torplexed's claim, Texas is the only proper home of the horse-lords, so we're Rohan, not some homeland for overly effeminate people who look like men but actually aren't. Well, maybe Austin could be described as such... but not the rest of the state!

[DarkFish]

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

Geographic and topographical similarities be damned. Contrary to Torplexed's claim, Texas is the only proper home of the horse-lords, so we're Rohan, not some homeland for overly effeminate people who look like men but actually aren't. Well, maybe Austin could be described as such... but not the rest of the state!

Texas?! You know who the real horse-lords are? The Netherlands, located in Northwestern Rohan on the map

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batavi_...manic_tribe%29

Finds of horse skeletons in graves suggest a strong equestrian preoccupation.
[...]
Well-regarded for their skills in horsemanship and swimming—for men and horses could cross the Rhine without losing formation
[...]
The Batavi also provided a contingent for the Emperor's Horse Guard.

[Tchocky]

The Dutch gave up on horses after the invention of the bicycle

[Weiss Pinguin]

Originally Posted by Tchocky

The Dutch gave up on horses after the invention of the bicycle

"Ride now! Ride to ruin, and the World's endiiiiiing!"