Board Thread:TV Show Discussion/@comment-174.76.140.74-20150617222630/@comment-5014364-20150618013811

Westeros is loosely inspired by the British Isles (but the size of South America), but each of the Seven Kingdoms is also loosely inspired by separate countries from Medieval Europe:


 * The North - Scotland
 * The Westerlands - England (in the sense that they're rivals with the North)
 * The Vale - Wales (very loosely - it's mountainous and isolated off to one side)
 * The Reach - strongly influenced by France
 * Dorne - strongly influenced by medieval Spain
 * The Stormlands - not as direct a match, but loosely like medieval Germany
 * The Riverlands - the Low Countries (Belgium)
 * The Iron Islands - Viking Ireland/Outer Islands.

The Free Cities are the medieval Italian city-states.

Beyond the Wall is loosely a combination of Roman-era Scotland (not medieval, unexplored), and weather from Scandinavia.