Written by Vasilis Zafiridis

Azeroth

More than worldwide 11 million subscribers, holder of the Guinness Record for the most popular MMORPG, Prize for best role-playing game (2005), Prize for best play for the PC (2005), winner of the most addictive videogame (2005), Technology and Engineering Emmy Award ( 2008) ... and the list goes on.

Of course we are talking about the very popular World of Warcraft (or WoW as we know it).

The World of Warcraft created by Blizzard Entertainment and released on November 23rd , 2004 in North America and Australia and a little later, on February 11st, 2005 in Europe. It belongs to MMORPG category (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game ) and its world, which takes place is a  fantastic medieval universe called Azeroth.

In Azeroth inhabit many diverse tribes and it has rich geographical and morphological landscapes.

At first WoW consisted of four continents, the three continents of Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. Each continent is divided into zones and sections with different geographical and morphological characteristics.

The continent Kalimdor divided into three parts, north, central and south.

The northern Kalimdor is dominated mainly by forested areas such as Ashenvale, the Moonglade, and the giant tree - island of Teldrassil, homeland of the Night Elves, and snowy landscapes (Winterspring).

In the central part, in which inhabit the Tauren, the city Orcs Orgrimmar and Darkspear Trolls, the desert areas of the Barrens, the Durotar and Mesas canyon Thousand Needles are in contrast with the green plains of Mulgore, while in southern Kalimdor are Deserts Tanaris and Silithus compose a landscape very different from the jungle crater Feralas and Un'Goro.

The Eastern Kingdoms (Eastern Kingdoms) divided into three continents: Lordaeron, Khaz Modan and Azeroth.

On the northern continent, Lordaeron, and especially in Tirisfal Glades Plaguelands dwell the Undead. It is a mountainous land with mountains of various gradations, from towering mountains to small hills (Alterac Mountains, Arathi Highlands, Hillsbrad Foothills).

The Khaz Modan is a continent with inhospitable, inaccessible areas with canyons (Searing Gorge, Badlands) or lava rivers and scorched earth (Burning Steppes) and further comprising the snowy region of Dun Morogh, land residence of the Dwarves and Gnomes.

Finally, the southern continent, Azeroth, which bears the same name as  the game world and the continent composed among others of the woods Elwynn Forest, home of the Humans, marshy areas (Swamp of Sorrows), the jungle Stranglethorn Vale and very dangerous areas like the Blasted Lands (where is the gate Dark Portal).

The Burning Crusade (2007) incorporated a new extra-dimensional continent, the Outland, which is the remains of the destroyed world Draenor, homeland of the Orcs. The Dark Portal in the Blasted Lands leads to this land with these separate geographical environments: the Barren nightmarish deserted Hellfire Peninsula with reddish soil and blood thirsty Orcs leads to forest Terokkar Forest and the city of Shattrath City, while north of the green, grassy plains of Nagrand erected giant mushrooms in the swamp Zangarmarsh.

In the northern part of the Outland violet atmosphere and magical domes of Netherstorm and countless sharp rock edges (Blade's Edge Mountains) compose an exotic and otherworldly landscape. Rocks and islands float and surrounding the continent, dominated the demon Illidan Stormrage and demonic followers.

The Burning Crusade has also incorporated zones of two new races, the Blood Elves (at the northern edge of the Eastern Kingdoms) and Draenei (in northern Kalimdor).

The Northrend is the northern continent of the world of Azeroth, headquarters of the Lich King and integrated with Wrath of the Lich King (2008). Frost prevails in this inhospitable continent: east, the dark forests, steep rocks and icebergs of Howling Fjord, land of towering warriors Vrykul, the forested area Grizzly Hills, in Zul'Drak, area with strong presence of trolls and temples ziggurat, in the vast mountainous snow-covered area of ​​Storm Peaks, housing giants and huge centaurs Magnataur. In the south, in the snow-covered valley Dragonblight, dragon cemetery, but where menacing dragons still fly and where stands the Temple Wyrmrest and the floating necropolis Naxxramas, west in Tundra Borean Tundra, house of sea horses Tuskarr.

Climate and geography have a radical change in the lush tropical jungle Sholazar Basin, in the western part, which protect the area from the Scourge, the army of the Undead Lich King, with the colossal columns Titans.

But from all regions the greatest terror comes from the Icecrown in northern Northrend, land of the Scourge and location of Icecrown Citadel, the stronghold of the Lich King.

to be continued ...

source: Wikipedia