However, looks can be deceiving since there are some pretty key differences between Westeros and the British Isles. Here are just a few:
According to the Game of Thrones Wiki: ” George R.R. Martin has stated in interviews that the continent is roughly the size of South America.” If true that means Weteros is around 17.8 million km2 vs the British Isles 0.3 million km2, making Westeros 60 times larger.
A Wiki of Ice & Fire states that the “The Wall is a massive wall over 700 feet high and is made of ice, stretching 300 miles.” On the other hand Wikipedia states that: “Hadrian’s Wall was 80 Roman miles or 117.5 km (73.0 mi) long… [and some sections were] 5 to 6 metres (16 to 20 feet) high.” Thus, the Wall in Westeros is at least 4 times longer than the real Hadrian’s Wall and around 35 times taller.
In terms of population, the British Isles today have just under 70 million people and over two dozen cities with more than 200,000 people, whereas the population of Westeros numbers in the millions with only 5 cities in the hundreds of thousands.
Ireland is about the furthest thing from a desert, unlike Dorne.
Finally, Scotland may or may not be filled with wildlings and white walkers.
For another perspective, this map compares how big Westeros is relative to Europe and Africa:
For more Game of Thrones see:
- George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones 5-Book Boxed Set (Song of Ice and Fire series)
- Game of Thrones: A Pop-Up Guide to Westeros
- The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones
- Game of Thrones Map of Weste Wall Poster
Can you think of any more parallels between Westeros and either Britain or Ireland? Leave your comments in the comment section below: