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EtymologyLand of Stone
Head of StateKing of Gondor/Ruling Steward
ExecutiveCouncil of Gondor
Societal information
CapitalOsgiliath/Minas Tirith
LocationSouth of the White Mountains, west of Mordor
PopulaceMostly Men
CurrencyThe castar
Historical information
Formed fromThe escape of the Faithful from the Downfall of Númenor in S.A. 3319
EstablishmentS.A. 3320
ReorganisationT.A. 3019
"Gondor! Gondor, between the Mountains and the Sea!
West Wind blew there; light upon the Silver Tree




Early History

Before the Downfall of Númenor, the region that would become Gondor was home to many Númenórean colonists, who either mingled with the indigenous Middle Men if they were friendly, or dispersed them into Ras Morthil, Dunland, and Drúadan Forest. The land on which Gondor was founded was more fertile than the more northerly areas of Middle-earth, and therefore it already had a fairly large population before the ships of Elendil's sons arrived, including a well-established haven, Pelargir.[2] Pelargir was founded by the Faithful Númenóreans in the year 2350 of the Second Age.

The refugees from Númenor led by Isildur and Anárion were given a warm reception upon their arrival by those that had already colonized this area of Middle-earth. The colonists north of the river Anduin accepted Elendil's claim to kingship over them. South of the Great River, however, the also-newly-exiled Black Númenóreans did not recognize Elendil's claim. Since the Black Númenóreans were the descendants of the King's Men of Númenor, who were opposed to the Faithful, they did not unite with Elendil and his sons, who represented the Faithful in Middle-earth. Much of Gondor's early history was marked by conflict with the Black Númenóreans.

The White Tree by Ted Nasmith
After their arrival and acceptance by the people, Isildur and Anárion put themselves to the task of ordering their realm. Isildur built the tower of Minas Ithil near Mordor as a threat to the Black Land, and within its walls he planted a seedling of the White Tree of Númenor that he had taken before its destruction. Anárion raised the tower of Minas Anor on the other side of Anduin's floodplain as a bulwark against the Wild Men. In between their cities, the brothers founded Osgiliath, their capital. From this city Isildur and Anárion ruled side-by-side, and used the palantíri, the Seeing Stones that the Faithful had taken with them from Númenor, to maintain contact with Elendil and the other areas under their control.

First Conflict with Sauron


The War of the Last Alliance


Gondor in the Beginning of the Third Age


After the battle, during which the long Second Age came to an end, Isildur built a secret tomb for Elendil on the mountain Amon Anwar.[4] He also aided Anárion's son Meneldil, who was now King, in reorganizing Gondor. Isildur planted the seedling of the White Tree that he had saved in Minas Anor, and it endured for several centuries. After these acts, Isildur left Gondor in the third year of the Third Age with the intent of ruling his father's kingdom of Arnor. He never arrived.[5]

Gondor Prospers


Gondor's Golden Age

Gondor's power reached its Golden Age under the four "Ship-kings"[6]

The reign of Tarannon was an unhappy one: he married Berúthiel, nefarious and loveless. Unlike her husband, she hated the Sea, its smells and its sounds. Mystery began to surround her as she used her cats to spy on every one, and paranoia and fear rose. After much ado, Tarannon banished her from Gondor, setting her on an adrift ship with her cats. It was last seen passing Umbar in the South.[7]

In the reign of the powerful king Hyarmendacil I Gondor reached the height of its power. During Hyarmendacil's reign Gondor's borders reached their furthest extent. The Kingdom extended east to the Sea of Rhûn, south to the nearest lands of the Haradrim, as far north as Mirkwood and west towards the borders of Arnor. Gondor would also enjoy several centuries of peace due to its military might.[6]

Rómendacil II built on the northern approach to Nen Hithoel the giant pillars Argonath to mark the northern border of Gondor around Third Age 1340.

The Decline of Gondor


The Kin-strife


The Great Plague


The Invasion of the Wainriders

Following the sapping of Gondor's strength by the plague, the Wainrider invasions devastated Gondor, and the conflict lasted for almost a century. The Wainriders destroyed the Northern Army of Gondor, but survivors linked up with the victorious Southern Army of Gondor, led by a general named Eärnil, and they destroyed the Wainriders as they celebrated their victory during the Battle of the Camp, in Third Age 1944.

The Line of the Kings Fails

Reunification Rejected



The Last Heir of Anárion



The Stewards of Gondor

The Ruling Stewards


Cirion and Eorl

The Oathtaking of Cirion and Eorl by Ted Nasmith



War of the Ring

In 3019, during the War of the Ring, Gondor was the strongest of the free nations that opposed Sauron, and thus, its defeat was his primary strategic goal in the war.[8] Gondor faced an all out attack on its capital Minas Tirith in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Although nearly defeated, the Rohirrim once again turned the tide of battle, and helped win the war, though with heavy losses.[9] The combined army of the West then carried the battle to Sauron at the Battle of the Morannon, a feint to distract Sauron's attention from Frodo Baggins's quest to destroy the One Ring in Mount Doom, thus causing Sauron's destruction and the allies' ultimate victory.


Faramir, last heir of the Ruling Stewards, was to retain the office of steward (though not ruling), and was made Prince of Ithilien, which had been reconquered from the forces of Mordor.[10] Faramir would serve as the King's representative during absence or illness, and became the chief counsellor of the Council of Gondor.[11]


Initially, Gondor was comprised of the lands to the North and South of the White Mountains, but a large part of the northern territories was gifted to the Éothéod in Third Age 2510.[4] Gondor's close proximity to Sauron's land was the catalyst of many battles and skirmishes, but its location also gave the Gondorians more ability to protect the other regions of Middle-earth from the Dark Lord and his servants.[12]



The long cape of Andrast was not populated.


  • Harondor or South Gondor, which was contested between Gondor and Harad
  • Calenardhon, which was given to the Éothéod and became Rohan
  • Enedwaith, never really populated by Gondor and soon abandoned


Cities in Gondor included:

  • Calembel
  • Dol Amroth, a city on the coast of Belfalas
  • Erech, fortress of Gondor, abandoned by the end of the Third Age
  • Linhir
  • Minas Tirith (originally named Minas Anor), City of the Kings
  • Osgiliath, city and former capital of Gondor on the river Anduin, largely destroyed and abandoned by the end of the Third Age
  • Pelargir
  • Tarnost (debatable)[13]

Fortresses and outposts



As the Gondorians came from Númenor, so came their language: Westron, or the Common Speech, was the main language of the people of Gondor. Though the source of Westron lied in Pelargir,[14] the clearest form, without any accent, was spoken in Minas Tirith.[15] This style was nobler and more antique than other dialects, and this was the Westron the Elves adopted.[16] In reverence of the mighty lords of Númenor of old, Eldarin was spoken by nobility. Quenya was known to the learned, and Sindarin was used to be polite, especially by those of high Númenórean blood.[17] However, especially the Sindarin contained several dialectical differences.[18]



The name Gondor was likely adopted from the lesser people's terminology[20] and translates from Sindarin as "Stone-land", from the words gond, "stone", and (n)dor, "land".[20] The (generally not used) Quenya form of the name was Ondonóre.[21] Gondor received its name because of the abundance of stone in the Ered Nimrais, and the usage of it in great stone cities, statues, and monuments, such as Minas Tirith and the Argonath.

In Rohan, it was known as Stoningland (a modernization of Old English Stāning-(land)[22]),[9] and Ghân-buri-Ghân of the Drúedain also recognized their use of stone.[23]


  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 244 (dated c. 1963)
  21. Vinyar Tengwar, Number 42, July 2001