Information on Oz

Now, for some brief information on the Land of Oz:

Hoztory:
Little is known about the very early history of Oz, but it is known that it was once ruled by a King named Pastoria, who had a daughter named Ozma. A wicked witch named Mombi enchanted the King, and she and her fellow witches divided Oz among themselves. After that, Oz did not have one single ruler until the arrival of one Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmanuel Ambroise Diggs, a circus balloonist from Omaha, Nebraska. Since this man descended from the clouds, had the initials "O. Z." painted on his balloon, and knew some tricks, the people assumed that he was a great wizard, and their true ruler. Diggs ruled Oz for some time as Oz, the Great and Terrible. It was during the reign of this humbug wizard that Dorothy Gale, from Kansas, first arrived in Oz. She was partially responsible for destroying the Wicked Witches of the East and the West, and she and her friends revealed the wizard to be a fraud. The Wizard escaped from Oz in a balloon, and left the Scarecrow, one of Dorothy's companions, to rule the land. During the Scarecrow's brief reign, Pastoria's daughter Ozma was located, and she has ruled Oz ever since (except for a few short periods). Both Dorothy and the Wizard later returned to Oz, and the former became a Princess, and the latter a real Wizard.

Geozaphy:
Oz is divided into four main areas, each of which has a national colour. These are the purple Gillikin Country in the north, the blue Munchkin Country in the east, the red Quadling Country in the south, and the yellow Winkie Country in the west. In the middle is a green territory, containing the Emerald City. Each of the major countries of Oz is divided into many smaller areas. All of Oz is surrounded by a Deadly Desert, and beyond the desert are more countries, and the entire world of Nonestica, the size and location of which are unknown to mere mortals such as myself.

My girlfriend, Beth, drew this map of Oz for me. (Malvern and Tunisia were inside jokes, and they do not actually appear in any Oz books. Maybe I'll place them in one of mine.)

Politics:
Oz is ruled by Ozma, who is an Absolute Potentate, with great power. Fortunately, she is an excellent and beneficent leader. The Gillikin Country is ruled by Joe King and Queen Hyacinth. The Munchkins are ruled by King Cheeriobed and Queen Orin. The Quadlings are ruled by Glinda, a powerful Sorceress. The ruler of the Winkies is Nick Chopper, better known as the Tin Woodman. There are also many minor rulers, who rule the numerous subkingdoms of Oz.

Inhabitants:
There are so many odd races and individuals in Oz that I'm not even going to bother beginning to list them now.

Flora:
Flowers, which usually bear the national colour of their native country, grow wild throughout Oz. Trees which produce useful commodities, like sandwiches, umbrellas, and books, are also common in Oz. There are also many magical plants, walking and talking trees, Man-Eating Plants, and many, many others.

Fauna:
Nearly all of the animals in Oz can talk, and many have set up their own societies. Oz contains a variety of animals that exist in our Great Outside World, as well as mythological beings, like unicorns and griffins, and animals never seen outside of Oz, like Kalidahs and Borderbullies.

Magic:
Magic is quite possible in Oz, and happens quite frequently. Although it is illegal to practise magic without a license, many magicians break this law, which is difficult to enforce, and some magic is just part of everyday life. For instance, no one in Oz dies, and sickness is very rare. Magical talismans, places, creatures, and the like also abound in Oz, which is, after all, an enchanted fairyland.

Thanks to Piglet Press for the picture of Ozma.

Click here for my Oz story archives.
Click here for a page about one of the greatest villains ever to set foot in Oz.
Here are some thoughts on what might have happened if Dorothy had not made her first trip to Oz.
This page contains a list of Ozzy computer viruses.
I am a member of an organization of Oz lovers, the International Wizard of Oz Club.

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