East-lands

The East-lands or the Eastern Territories was a region of Gondor.

The East-lands comprised of the lands east of Dagorlad, south of the realm and region of Rhovanion, north of the Ash Mountains, and west of the Sea of Rhûn.

The area totaled about 206,511 square miles.

Description
The East-lands were mainly a plains-land consisting of scattered woodlands and cold winters and warmer summers. It was possibly sparsely populated by the Men of Gondor who spoke Westron.

Early
The East-lands were once part of Rhûn or 'The East' for thousands of years and inhabited by Easterlings and other Men of Darkness. During the late fifth century of the Third Age in TA 490, the Easterlings invaded Gondor from this land and were at war with Gondor periodically for about fifty-one years until King Turambar decisively defeated them in TA 541. After which, the King led his armies into the land and after about nine years of campaigning there the land became a province of Gondor by TA 550, and the Easterlings were forced further east.

Middle years and Loss
The East-lands remained a part of Gondor for over 1,300 years during which the province apparently remained well-preserved even during the disastrous Kin-strife. The province suffered heavily during the Great Plague. The traditionally hostile Easterlings could have threatened the province but was not attacked probably because the Easterlings were hit hard by the Plague as well.

Two-hundred years later in TA 1851, the Easterling Wainriders invaded Gondor thru the East-lands and in TA 1856 the King Narmacil loss a key battle that lost Gondor the East-lands completely for over a thousand years. After this time, the land became a haven of Easterling invaders again who were frequently stirred up by Sauron directly or indirectly.

War of the Ring and Recovery
The Easterlings allied themselves with the forces of Sauron during War of the Ring were defeated along with him and gradually pushed back into the Far Eastern part by King Elessar, and the East-lands once again became part of Gondor and the Reunited Kingdom