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Message: <blockquote data-quote="tleilaxu" data-source="post: 257051" data-attributes="member: 1289">Colonel sez:I don't know, of course, but I always got the impression that the bulk of the organized, civilized people of Middle Earth resided in the region Tolkien detailed. Beyond that region, the population density and civilization level probably dropped dramatically. That's just a guess, based on what we know of Tolkien; I get the feeling he would have considered the rest of Middle Earth a wilderness, essentially./colonelFor Tolkien it all goes back to the elves. Why are the important kingdoms all in one particular area of middle-earth? Why are the three houses of the Edain (and the Numenorians, Dunadain and Gondorans descended from them) more powerful and civilized than other humans?It is because they migrated to the west and happened to run into Finrod Felagund (one of the most interesting chars in the whole thing imho) and the other High Elves. Why are Lothlorien and Rivendell and Eregion and the Gray Havens the most powerful Elven kingdoms? Because the elves in those places were ruled by those who had been to Valinor. This influence, starting with the Noldor is what "raised" humans  of the three houses to a superior position vis-a-vis the rest of the world. THAT is why they got invited to Atlantis, i mean Numenor.The people in the rest of the world are less important and more suseptable to Sauron because of their lack of interaction with the elves. They hate and fear them because of the lies that Sauron has told about them.You can see the extent of decay in Gondor when Boromir himself believes in some of these tales about the evil of elves (his fear of the lady of the golden wood aka galadriel).As far as population density, I don't think anywhere in Middle-Earth (with a possible exception for Gondor) is highly populated. Look at Eriador, nothing but a bunch of rangers and scattered towns. The roads aren't safe, travellers uncommon. I'd venture to guess that the other areas are populated about the same.</blockquote>

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