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 Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 8:06 am
 From 1 to 9: Land of Fire, Land of Water, Land of Sound, Land of Earth, Land of Rain, Land of Grass, Land of the Waterfall, Land of Lightning, and the Land of WindAll props go to Wikipedia! Naruto Wikipedia Geography original pageThe five great countries: Of the countries scattered about the Naruto world, five are considered to be the most powerful and influential of them all. These are the Land of Earth, the Land of Fire, Land of Lightning, the Land of Water, and the Land of Wind. Each represents one of the five elements (earth, fire, lightning, water, and wind, respectively) and each is ruled by a Feudal Lord. Land of Earth The Land of Earth (土の国, Tsuchi no Kuni?) has seen little attention in the series thus far. What little is known is that it is covered in rocks and caves, with mountains acting as a natural border for the country that make communication with other countries difficult. The winds of the country are also particularly strong, picking up rocks as they go and dropping them upon cities. They are not allies with the Land of Fire, as noted in the Kakashi Gaiden arc. Their hidden village is Iwagakure, the Village Hidden in the Rocks. Land of Fire The Land of Fire (火の国, Hi no Kuni?) is home to Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and is the home of the majority of the main characters in Naruto. As such, it gets by far the most focus of any country in the plot. It enjoys a relatively temperate climate with generally sunny conditions, allowing for bountiful harvests all year-round. Because of its location, the Land of Fire trades heavily with the other surrounding countries, giving it one of the largest populations and strongest economies in the Naruto world. It was at first widely regarded as one of the strongest countries, but became significantly weaker after Orochimaru's invasion of Konoha. Land of Lightning The Land of Lightning (雷の国, Kaminari no Kuni?) has also seen little attention in the series. The first databook describes it as a peninsula divided by a vast mountain range, with numerous rivers running from it out to sea. Hot springs are also prevalent within the country. Its hidden village is Kumogakure, the Village Hidden in the Clouds. Land of Water The Land of Water (水の国, Mizu no Kuni?) is oriented towards the element of water. It is composed of many islands, with each having its own unique traditions. The country's weather is typically cool and full of mist and lakes. In some places, like the area where Haku grew up, it is very cold and snows quite a bit. Little is currently known about it and it apparently leaves itself out of most political affairs, which is understandable considering that it is an island relatively remote from the continent containing the other four major countries. Its hidden village is Kirigakure, the Village Hidden in the Mist. Zabuza Momochi attempted a coup d'état in the country, but was repelled. The Land of Water is the smallest of the five great countries, which may be the reason Kirigakure used to hold the gruesome graduation tests that it did. Land of Wind The Land of Wind (風の国, Kaze no Kuni?) is a large, dry, and desolate country whose cities are typically found near water sources. While much of the country is inhospitable, the population is large and prosperous due to its frequent trading with the Land of Fire. While not seen as often as the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind receives a great deal of attention in the series, and has a great many powerful ninja to call its own. Its hidden village is Sunagakure, Village Hidden in the Sand. The Land of Wind has been relatively uninvolved with politics until recent times, and even had a peace treaty signed with the Land of Fire. The lord ruling it, however, had been systematically cutting down his military force and transferring missions he would normally address to his own country's hidden village to Konohagakure, prompting desperate measures on the part of the Kazekage at the time. Other shinobi countriesLand of Bears The Land of Bears (熊の国, Kuma no Kuni?) is introduced in the Star Village filler arc and is home to Hoshigakure. It is surrounded by a canyon filled with poisonous gas. Land of Grass The Land of Grass (草の国, Kusa no Kuni?) is home to Kusagakure. Little else is known about the Land of Grass. Land of the Moon The Land of the Moon (月の国, Tsuki no Kuni?) is the focus of the third Naruto movie. It is an island nation in the shape of a crescent moon, hence the name. It is home to the ninja village Getsugakure. In the first Chunin exam, a ninja wearing a headband with a crescent moon shape on it is seen taking the test, but is not mentioned or shown in the other exams. Land of Rain The Land of Rain (雨の国, Ame no Kuni?) is home to Amegakure, and is filled with a great number of small buildings in a heavily wooded area, suggesting that it might perhaps be located in a rainforest. Its borders are highly defended, and those wishing to pass through the country must first give their name, purpose, and amount of time they intend on staying in the country before being allowed admission. Even if one is permitted to enter the country, they will be under constant surveillance by the government for the duration of their stay. Because the Land of Rain is situated between three of the five great countries, it often acts as the battlefield for their wars. As a result, its government lacks stability and much of its population is composed of refugees from the various wars. Unbeknownst to the rest of the Naruto world, apart from Konoha, the country has been in a civil war for an undisclosed amount of time, which only ended after the Akatsuki leader, Pein, overthrew the entire country singled-handedly. Land of Rice Fields The Land of Rice Fields (田の国, Ta no Kuni?), otherwise known as the Land of Sound (音の国, Oto no Kuni?), is a small country bordering the Land of Fire and home to Otogakure, Orochimaru's own hidden village. The Land of Rice Fields is its original name, with the Land of Sound being Orochimaru's own name for it. Many of its shinobi were collected, most being from the Fuma clan, to supply his need for followers and jutsu. Land of Snow The Land of Snow (雪の国, Yuki no Kuni?) was the focus of the first Naruto movie, in which it had been taken over by a tyrant. Its hidden village is Yukigakure. The Land of Snow possesses an unusually advanced level of technology when compared to other countries in the Naruto world. Things such as railroads, airships, power generators, and volley guns are commonplace here, though the latter fired salvos of kunai instead of bullets. Additionally, their ninja wear special chakra armor that makes them virtually immune to ninjutsu and genjutsu. Land of the Waterfall The Land of the Waterfall (滝の国, Taki no Kuni?) consists of a large waterfall which hides Takigakure, its hidden village. Not much is known about this land, except that Team 7 had a mission that brought them here. Obviously, the landmark of the area is its waterfall, which is rather large by modern standards. Land of the Whirlpool The Land of the Whirlpool (渦の国, Uzu no Kuni?) is a former country where Kushina Uzumaki, the mother of Naruto Uzumaki, once hailed from. Nothing else is known about this country at this point.
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 8:07 am
Other non-shinobi countries
Land of the Claw
The Land of the Claw (爪の国, Tsume no Kuni?) is featured in episode 177 of the anime. There was, at one point, tension between this nation and the Land of the Fang. The two sides barely averted a war thanks to one of Jiraiya's Icha Icha novels, which was delivered to the Fang Country's feudal lord by mistake.
Land of Demons
The Land of Demons (悪魔の国, Akuma no Kuni?) is featured in the fourth Naruto movie, Naruto: Shippūden the Movie.
Land of the Fang
The Land of the Fang (牙の国, Kiba no Kuni?) is featured in episode 177 of the anime. There was, at one point, tension between this nation and the Land of the Claw. The two sides barely averted a war thanks to one of Jiraiya's Icha Icha novels, which was delivered to the Fang Country's feudal lord by mistake.
Land of the Forest
The Land of the Forest (森林の国, Foresuto no Kuni?) is featured in the Shinobazu arc of the anime. Naruto, Lee, and Sakura were to oversee the transfer of a member of "Shinobazu" — a group of rogue ninja who commit crimes for a living. Nothing else is known about this land.
Land of Honey
The Land of Honey (はちみつの国, Hachimitsu no Kuni?) is briefly mentioned in episode 194 of the anime. Nothing else is known about this land.
Land of Red Beans
The Land of Red Beans (アズキの国, Amanattou no Kuni?) is briefly mentioned in episode 194 of the anime. Nothing else is known about this land.
Land of the River
The Land of the River (川の国, Kawa no Kuni?) is located between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. Akatsuki had a hideout in this country before Sakura Haruno and Chiyo destroyed it in their battle with Sasori. The terrain resembles the Land of Fire and contains at least one major river. Not much else is known about this country.
Land of the Sea
The Land of the Sea (海の国, Umi no Kuni?) is featured in episode 169. Orochimaru had a hideout here, and several of his forbidden experiments were conducted here as well. One of his subordinates continued the work after Orochimaru abandoned it, leading to attacks on the local ships. It is not a prosperous nation, and relies on the Water Country ninjas for protection.
Land of Stone
The Land of Stone (石の国, Ishi no Kuni?) is featured in episode 159. It is ruled by a priest.
Land of Swamps
The Land of Swamps (泥地の国, Numa no Kuni?) makes an appearance in episode 152. Anko Mitarashi protects its daimyo, Chichiya.
Land of Tea
The Land of Tea (茶の国, Cha no Kuni?) is a small country in which Team 7 helped Ibiki Morino's younger brother, Idate Morino, win a race that was intended to settle the rivalry between the Wasasbi and Wagarashi clans. It consists of two separate islands.
Land of Udon
The Land of Udon (ウドンの国, Udon no Kuni?) is first mentioned in episode 192 of the anime. Chikara-sama is the daimyo of this country and is currently engaged to Princess Fuku of the Fire Country.
Land of Valleys
The Land of Valleys (谷間の国, Tanima no Kuni?) is briefly mentioned in episode 193 of the anime. Nanafushi, a shinobi set on stealing Konoha's secrets hails from this country. It is possible that there is a Shinobi village here, but it is unknown.
Land of Vegetables
The Land of Vegetables (菜の国, Na no Kuni?) is featured in episodes 187-191 of the anime. Naruto, Choji, and Hinata are sent there to escort a small convoy, not realizing that the country's daimyo's daughter, Haruna, was with the group, and that she was fleeing from a group of brothers who had taken control of the country with the help of collaborators, who were massacred after the completion of the coup.
Land of Waves
The Land of Waves (波の国, Nami no Kuni?) is a relatively poor nation, and thus does not have a hidden village. It is an isolated island, but used to be prosperous nonetheless, until Gato set his sights on it. He broke the people's will and monopolized the import/export industry, which was crucial for its economy. Team 7's first real mission was to this country, and, with the help of Zabuza Momochi and the townspeople Gato's reign of terror was ended for good.
Great Naruto Bridge
The Great Naruto Bridge (ナルト大橋, Naruto Ōhashi?) was the name given to the bridge built by Tazuna to end Gato's monopoly over the economy. While Gato was still in control of the Land of Waves, Tazuna started building the bridge to allow free import and export once again, giving its economy a chance to recover. Tazuna decided to name the bridge after Naruto Uzumaki because of everything he did to inspire both his grandson and, by proxy, the rest of the citizens. Haku and Zabuza are buried nearby; three years later, in Shippuuden, Sasuke Uchiha would return, to the same area, so that Suigetsu would acquire Zabuza's Zanbato from the swordsman's grave.
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 8:30 am
 Konohagakure Konohagakure (木ノ葉隠れの里, Konohagakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden in the Leaves"), located in the Land of Fire, is the main hidden village in the series and one of the five great villages. As such, it has a Kage as its leader, known as the Hokage. The majority of the major characters live there, and it is one of the most powerful hidden villages. Its power was severely reduced after Orochimaru's assault, but it continues to accept missions in order to preserve its image.  Kumogakure Kumogakure (雲隠れの里, Kumogakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden Among Clouds") is located in the Land of Lightning. As one of the five great Ninja villages, Kumogakure has a Kage as leader, the Raikage. In that past, Konohagakure and Kumogakure were at war, and during peace talks, the head ninja from this village tried to kidnap Hinata Hyuga to obtain the Byakugan. Hiashi Hyuga killed him before he could do so, causing the village to demand Hiashi's body. This resulted in Neji Hyuga's father, Hizashi Hyuga sacrificing himself in Hiashi's place, and Neji mistakenly blaming the main house for his father's death. Nothing apart from that is known about it at this point, but it stands to reason that its ninja specialize in lightning-based jutsu. It should also be noted that Yugito Nii, the container of the two-tailed demon cat, hails from Kumogakure.  Kusagakure Kusagakure (草隠れの里, Kusagakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden in the Grass") is located in the Land of Grass. Nothing apart from that is known about it at this point, but it stands to reason that its ninja specialize in jutsu involving flora or fauna. Judging from the ninja that have hailed from Kusagakure, it can be assumed that this village is far less pleasant than  Takigakure Takigakure (滝隠れの里, Takigakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden in a Waterfall") is located in the Land of the Waterfall. In terms of the village's appearance, Takigakure seems to be based on mostly Southeast Asian aesthetics. It is lead by Shibuki, who seems too much of a coward for the job at first. Nothing apart from that is known about it at this point, but its ninja seem to specialize in water-based jutsu. Also, its leader processed a type of water called the Hero Water, which was extracted from a rather old tree. It gives the user ten times their ordinary chakra level; however, the strain of its use can prove fatal. Kakuzu of Akatsuki hails from this village. There were six genin participants (twelve in the anime) from Takigakure in the first part of the Chunin exam, none of whom made it to the third stage of the examination.  Takumi Takumi village (Takumi no Sato, literally "Village of Craftsman") resides in an unknown country. It was founded approximately one hundred years ago by a man named Seimei. Takumi is known for its skills in making weaponry, many of which are sold to the ninja villages of the world. When the village faced hard times they requested help but they were ignored by the other shinobi villages. Certain skilled Takumi villagers grew resentful and felt the villages didn't respect them for all the help their weapons provided in the past." Four skilled craftsmen trained in the ninja arts wore the Takumi character on their forehead protector and sought to resurrect their village founder, Seimei. They planned to use him to seek revenge against the Five Great Shinobi Villages, who they felt did not appreciate their village. They operated under the name Shitenshounin, or the Four Heavenly Directions. This name stemmed from the characters in their name matching with the deities of the directions: Houki the Turtle, Kujaku the Bird, Ryuugan the Dragon and Suiko the Tiger.  Yukigakure Yukigakure (雪隠れの里, Yukigakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden in the Snow") is located in the Land of Snow and featured in the first Naruto movie. Little is known about this village at the time. In the movie, the ninja from this village had a special "chakra armor" which protected them from most attacks while amplifying the user's abilities, and their jutsu arsenal typically used ice in the forms of various animals. At the end of the movie, the snow is subsequently melted and the country is renamed the Land of Spring. It is unknown what happens to the village.  Amegakure Amegakure (雨隠れの里, Amegakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden in Rain") is a small hidden village in the Land of Rain that appears highly industrialized. It seems to be a rather loosely knit village, befitting the destabilized country, as a fair number of its ninja seem to either be missing-nin or end up as missing-nin. Amegakure was once led by Hanzo, though he was killed during the Land of Rain's civil war by the Akatsuki leader, Pein. Pein now uses the village as his base of operations for Akatsuki and reigns as an enigmatic godlike figure over the townspeople. Those loyal to the former Amegakure attack the village on occasion in an attempt to assassinate Pein, though their efforts are never successful. At least three of their Genin teams advanced to the second stage of the Chunin Exam held in Konoha during the Chunin Exam arc. The first team is killed by Gaara, while the second team is defeated by Team 7 near the stage's end. This second team appears once more during the Tea Country filler arc, along with a former Konoha Jonin, Aoi Rokusho. In the anime, a third Amegakure team is quickly defeated by Team 8 the moment the stage begins.  Getsugakure Getsugakure (月隠れの里, Getsugakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden under the Moon") is a hidden village in the Land of the Moon. The country appears briefly on a headband during the Chunin exam.  Hoshigakure Hoshigakure (星隠れの里, Hoshigakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden Among Stars") was introduced during the Star Village filler arc. It is located in the Land of Bears. Hoshigakure was formed sometime after a strange meteorite, which they call the "star", struck its location 200 years previous. No trees or plants could grow around the vicinity after it landed. Dialog from its inhabitants suggests that the village can't have been founded much sooner than Konoha was. Its leader is the Hoshikage (星影, Star Shadow?), though the leader is a Kage in name only. The other villages do not recognize Hoshigakure as an equal, nor is there any ninja truly worthy of the title. The meteorite itself is not that large, but it emits a chakra-enhancing radiation. The First Hoshikage was able to devise a training method to allow the ninja in the village to harness the power of the star, allowing the ninja to gain supernatural chakra levels. The technique used to harness this power is the Mysterious Peacock Method (Kujaku Myohō). When this technique is fully mastered, it gives the user almost unrivaled chakra control, to the point where they can solidify it as a shield or create wings for flight. The training was eventually forbidden by the Third Hoshikage, after he realized the deadly toll the training took on those doing it. Even if a ninja survived the training, the side effects would eventually kill them. Only Natsuhi and Hotorubi, the parents of Sumaru, managed to survive the training, and both died eventually. The Third was assassinated by Akahoshi, who became the substitute Hoshikage and reinstated the training. Knowing what the star did, he decided to ignore the effects in the hope of forcing the other villages to accept Hoshigakure.  Iwagakure Iwagakure (岩隠れの里, Iwagakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden Among Rocks") is located in the Land of Earth. As one of the five great ninja villages, Iwagakure has a Kage as leader, the Tsuchikage. Little is known about it, but it stands to reason that its ninja specialize in earth-based jutsu. In the past, the village was at war with Konohagakure, part of which is seen in the Kakashi Gaiden arc. A large number of their ninja were slain by the Fourth Hokage, so they are not allies of Konoha. Deidara of Akatsuki hails from here.  Kemurigakure Kemurigakure (煙隠れの里, Kemurigakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden in Smoke") is a village alluded to in episode 101 of the anime. Its location is unknown. The only three ninja from the village that have appeared were portrayed as rather inept, but this may not be indicative of the overall state of the village. Instead, the three ninja in question are likely untalented outcasts. The Smoke Shinobi featured in the episode, who identified themselves as the Moya brothers, were portrayed as bumbling, incompetent ninja who never even tried to perform any jutsu, (except for Genjutsu in the flashback) instead resorting to various underhanded, and seemingly strange, tricks to achieve victory. Kakashi saved a woman from the leader, referred to as "big brother", who was trying to wed her by force. After tying them up, Kakashi left with the woman, annoying the leader. This event is apparently so insignificant that Kakashi could not remember it after meeting them once more. Since Kakashi's intervention would seem to be a product of random chance, Kemurigakure is likely in the Land of Fire, given that smoke is a natural product of fire. They return three years after the fact to attempt to get revenge on Kakashi using several odd (but apparently functional) poisons, which would have ended up letting him hiccup, laugh, or cry himself to death, none of which work due to Team 7 inadvertently placing Kakashi out of harm's way, or because Kakashi dodged it by chance.  Kirigakure Kirigakure (霧隠れの里, Kirigakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden in Mist") is one of the five great hidden villages and is located in the Land of Water. Its leader is the Mizukage. Little is known about Kirigakure, except that its ninja specialize in water-based jutsu. However, it would also seem that many of its ninja wield swords, based on flashbacks in the anime. In the past, the graduation exam for becoming Genin was rather inhumane: students who had been friends, trained together, and ate from the same table, were pitted against one another in fights to the death. Kakashi mentioned that for this exam, the village earned the nickname the Village Hidden in the Bloody Mist. This gruesome method was cut short, however, when Zabuza Momochi, a boy who had failed to pass the preliminary exam to even attend the ninja academy, went mad and killed all of the students in that year's graduating class. The seven greatest ninja in the village are known as the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, and each one wields a large and/or unique weapon. Kisame Hoshigaki, Zabuza Momochi, and Raiga Kurosuki, the three known members of the group, all became missing-nin. Of those three, only Kisame is still alive. The identities of the other four members remains a mystery. This village was once the home of the famous Kaguya clan, who had a kekkei genkai ability allowing them to control their own bones. The Kaguya clan was wiped out after they went to war on their own village. The reason for the Kaguya's clan actions was their love for battle and killing. Presumably, the Land of Water was already at peace, which caused the clan to attack their ninja village for their love of battle. They were soundly defeated, leaving Kimimaro Kaguya as the only survivor. In Chapter 303, this village is referenced by Yamato again as "the Village Hidden in the Bloody Mist", and how it pitted trainees against one another in order to make them into emotionless killing machines. Yamato contends that Sai was subjected to this method in preparation for serving Danzo's Root division.  Land of Tea The Land of Tea (茶の国, Cha no Kuni?) is a small country in which Team 7 helped Ibiki Morino's younger brother, Idate Morino, win a race that was intended to settle the rivalry between the Wasasbi and Wagarashi clans. It consists of two separate islands.  Land of Birds The Land of Birds (鳥の国, Tori no Kuni?) is a small country that Naruto and Team Guy (minus Rock Lee) were sent to in the Bird Country filler arc. They were sent to investigate the rumor of the ghost of Noroimusha, as well as protect the daimyo, Toki. They eventually learned that a group of wandering ninja (The leader posing as the adviser of the Feudal Lord) was hoping to take over the country through a complex conspiracy. The ninja were defeated in the end.
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 8:49 am
 Tonbogakure Tonbogakure (蜻蛉れの里, Tonbogakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden under the Dragonfly") is a small village introduced in the Konoha 11 filler arc that was located in the Mountain Country. Thirty years before the series begins, it was at war with Konoha. After a surprise attack by Konoha, they declared a cease-fire. Two days later, however, another village wiped them out. Only Gennou, who had been in Konoha at the time, survived its destruction.  Sunagakure Sunagakure (砂隠れの里, Sunagakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden in the Sand") is the hidden village of the Land of Wind. As one of the five great ninja villages, Sunagakure has a Kage as leader, the Kazekage. Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro are all high-level ninja from the village. The one-tailed Shukaku was said to originate here, having been created from the spirit of a dead monk who was trapped in a teakettle. The Akatsuki member Sasori also originated from here, but left twenty years prior to his introduction.  Otogakure Otogakure (音隠れの里, Otogakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden in Sound") is Orochimaru's personal village, founded for the express purpose of collecting ninja for his experiments and quest to learn jutsu. Three Sound ninja (Dosu Kinuta, Zaku Abumi, and Kin Tsuchi), under Orochimaru's orders, entered the Chunin Exam with the goal of killing Sasuke Uchiha. However, Orochimaru was actually using them as test subjects for Sasuke's power after Orochimaru gave him the cursed seal. Its ninja use a diverse amount of different jutsu.
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