Demographic Features of ME

[The Witch-King of Angmar]

Hi.

Can anybody tell me something about the demographic features of Middle-Earth? What is the population density or the number of inhabitants(I know that Tolkien isn't exact here, but ME alwas seemed so vast and empty to me with only a few islands inhabitet by people[probably also about First and Second Age?]), how far is it from Hobbiton to Minas Tirith, as the crow flies and so on?

For the distances I could as well read Fonstad's Book, but I would like to know, if there are any other sources. Thanks a lot.

[Encaitare]

how far is it from Hobbiton to Minas Tirith, as the crow flies and so on?

You could look at the maps in the book and use the scale there if you really want to figure it out.

[littlemanpoet]

Middle Earth at the end of the Third Age was largely uninhabited.

The ravages of the Witch King's rule still held effect in Eriador, and the general ravages of orcs had a deleterious effect on the economy generally. Just think of the Dark Ages during the Viking era, only the Vikings never stop raiding; the only thing holding them back in the north and west are the Dunedain. Meanwhile, the Elves and Dwarves keep pretty much to themselves.

Gondor suffered repeatedly from onslaughts by the Kingdoms from the East and South. Rohan was an agrarian society, so the population there may have been the greatest per square mile, but still quite thin by modern standards.

By far the densest population was probably the Shire and Bree, outside of a few fortress cities like Minas Tirith and the rather prosperous region of Esgaroth and Dale, now that Smaug was gone. Hope that helps.

[Orophin]

Well it depends a lot on what time period because of wars etc, but a good source it this book ive seen called the atlas for middle earth. It has detaled maps ans keys and what not. Good stuff really.

[luthien-elvenprincess]

I agree with Orophin, you definetely need to see a book entitled The Atlas of Middle-Earth. This book will answer all your questions listed here plus more!

[A_Brandybuck]

The Atlas of Fonstad is a very good book for discovering Middle-earth, but it doesn't include all things. Of course, it cannot show every thing of middle-earth, because Tolkien told us not every thing. ;-)
The following quote shows us two facts, which are not much known, because it is the only mentions of it (I think).

Originally Posted by UT

The origin of the name Gwathló must be sought in history. In the time of the War of the Ring the lands were still in places well-wooded, especially in Minhiriath and in the south-east of Enedwaith; but most of the plains were grassland. Since the Great Plague of the year 1636 of the Third Age Minhiriath had been almost entirely deserted, though a few secretive hunter-folk lived in the woods. In Enedwaith the remnants of the Dunlendings lived in the east in the foothills of the Misty Mountains; and a fairly numerous but barbarous fisher-folk dwelt between the mouths of the Gwathló and the Angren (Isen).

There are a secret hunter-folk, which have outlasted the Great Plague and lives still in the woods of Minhiriath. Also is there a barbarous fisher-folk dwelling between the mouths of both rivers.
Both folks are not mentioned (correct me if I am wrong) in the Atlas, save a little entry in the population map concerning the fisher-folk. But it is rather unclear, whether this entry is for the Second or the Third Age. The hunter-folk was totally peculated.
The Lossoth are also barely mentioned in the Atlas, and not in the population map. There is, I think, one only mention of the Lossoth as "Snowmen" living in the northern regions of Eriador.
The dwellings of the Dunedain of the North are understandably also not mapped, beacuse of not knowing exactly, where they are.
This might be a reason, why Fonstad didn't include the hunter-folk, but it is not understandably in the case of the Lossoth. We know at least, that they live near the Ice Bay, because of the fate of Arvedui, last King of Arnor.

But I repeat one time: Great Atlas.