Munchkin Country aka Munchkinland |
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Map of Oz, with Munchkin Country shown in the West due to a reversed image
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The Oz series location | |
Created by | L. Frank Baum |
Genre | Juvenile fantasy |
Type | Fairy country |
Ethnic group(s) | Munchkins |
Notable locations | Yellow brick road, Deadly Poppy Field, Mount Munch |
Notable characters | Wicked Witch of the East, Boq, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, Jinjur, Dr. Pipt, Ojo the Lucky, Ku-Klip, Nimmie Amee |
Munchkin Country or Munchkinland, as it is referred to in the famous MGM musical film version, is the fictional Eastern region of the Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). Munchkin Country is in the East, noted by later being ruled by the Wicked Witch of the East.
In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, it was originally called "the land of Munchkins", but is referred to as "Munchkin Country" in all subsequent Oz books. Munchkin Country is linked to Oz's imperial capital the Emerald City by means of the yellow brick road. The native inhabitants of this quadrant are called Munchkins. In the story, the novel's protagonist Dorothy Gale, attends a celebration upon her arrival to Oz at the mansion of Boq, who is the friendliest and wealthiest Munchkin man. "Munchkin" does not necessarily mean someone of short stature. Many Munchkins portrayed in the books are of normal height, most notably Nick Chopper (also known as the Tin Woodman).
Munchkin Country is distinguished by the color blue, which is worn by most of the Munchkins, as well as the color of their surroundings. While the Eastern part of the Munchkin Country is described as rich, beautiful, fertile and pleasant, and inhabited by friendly people, the Western part of the province (i.e., the region bordered by a large forest and the area surrounding the Emerald City) is wild, rough and dangerous. Certain areas of this land are densely forested, and inhabited by ferocious beasts.
Munchkin Country is the site where Dorothy Gale's house lands after being carried to Oz by a cyclone. Munchkin Country's ruler was the Wicked Witch of the East but upon Dorothy's arrival in Oz, she is eliminated when the house lands on top of her, causing much celebration among the Munchkins.