The Land of Oz has finally returned inWicked, and here is every location in the prequel’s iconic fantasy realm explained. The Land of Oz is one of the most famous movie locations of all time, with1939’sThe Wizard of Ozand the many other adaptationsof L. Frank Baum’s classic book series realizing Oz into a massive world with all kinds of iconic landmarks. Although there are a lot of similarities between the various Lands of Oz,Wickeddoes make a few major changes, and here is a full breakdown of the movie’s beloved setting.
2024’sWickedis the first part of a two-part adaptationof the epic Broadway musical, with the films telling the story of how The Wicked Witch of the West actually became wicked. Rather than simply following the adventures of Dorothy,Wickedshows all new corners of the Land of Oz. Although Elphaba, Glinda, and the rest of theWickedgang haven’t quite crossed paths with the merry band of Yellow Brick Road travelers yet, they have already explored many areas in Oz, giving insight on all of these Oz locales.
Wicked’s Land Of Oz Explained
How Does Wicked’s Oz Compare To Other Versions?
The Land of Oz was popularized by the1939The Wizard of Ozmovie, with the endingof the film revealing that Oz was actually a world made up in Dorothy’s dream. However, this isn’t the case forWicked’s take on the Land of Oz, with the prequel and most otherOzprojects presenting Oz as a real place. Oz is a country that is divided into four provinces known as Munchkin Country, Gillikin Country, Winkie Country, and Quadling Country. Where all of these counties meet rests the capital city, known as Emerald City, with this prosperous kingdom containing the ruler of Oz.
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The Land of Oz goes through a lot of changes throughout the runtime ofWicked,with the Wizard of Oz being in the midst of rebuilding Oz to his liking when Elphaba first meets him. The Land of Oz is connected by a complex railway system as well as the Yellow Brick Road, a large path created by the Wizard that leads from the four provinces to the Emerald City. The Land of Oz is populated by all sorts of peoples and creatures, with the four countries containing all kinds of interesting and unique places that can be found inWickedand otherOzstories.
Munchkin Country
Eastern Oz
Munchkin Country, also known as Munchkinland, is the most famous of the four provinces in theOzfranchise, as it is where Dorothy finds herself after first landing inThe Wizard of Oz. In some adaptations of theOzseries,the people of Munchkinland, known as Munchkins, are known for their short stature, with this being the case in the 1939 film. However, this isn’t the case inWicked, with the average size of Munchkinlanders being roughly the same as the inhabitants of the other provinces of Oz.
Munchkin Country is the easternmost province in Oz, with the Yellow Brick Road taking travelers to Emerald City in the west. Elphaba and Nessarose are natives of Munchkin Country, with their father being the governor of Munchkinland. Other characters like Boq also originate from Munchkin Country. Munchkinland is often seen as less harsh than some of Oz’s other provinces, with it containing locations such as The Pine Barrens, Munchkin River, The Corn Basket, and more.
Gillikin Country
Northern Oz
Gilkin Country is the northernmost province of Oz, with it being another ever-present location throughout theOzfranchise. Gilkin Country is the main setting of the firstWickedmovie, with it containing the city of Shiz as well as Shiz University, the school that the main cast ofWickedattends. Gilkin Country is the wealthiest of the various provinces in Oz, with major economic powers like Shiz and other cities making up the province. Gilkin also contains several deserts and mountain ranges, such as Mount Runcible, The Pertha Turnings, and Red Sand.
A grand forest can also be found in Gilkin, known as The Great Gilkin Forest. Gilkin Country is also the home of The Great Gilkin Railway, which connects Shiz, the Emerald City, and various other locations. Gilkin Country is the home of many ofWickedand theOzfranchise’s wealthier characters, such as Glinda.
Winkie Country
Western Oz
Winkie Country is a more difficult area to live in due to its harsh terrains, with it not being as kind to visitors or as populated as some of Oz’s other provinces.Winkie Country is the westernmost province of Oz, with it mostly being made up of deserts, grasslands, and mountain regions. The Thursk Desert takes up the north of Winkie Country, while the Thousand Year Grasslands takes up the south. A mountain range runs along the eastern and southern borders, with this being known as The Great Kells and The Lesser Kells.
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Unlike Gilkin and Munchkin, Winkie Country doesn’t have major cities or economic centers. Instead, it is organized into a system of different tribes, with each tribe having a chief. While there are all sorts of different people in Winkie Country, the province’s inhabitants are referred to as Winkies,with Fiyero Tigelaar being the princeof one of these tribes. Winkie Country is also the location of the Wicked Witch’s castle inThe Wizard of Oz.
Quadling Country
Southern Oz
The final of the four provinces in Oz is Quadling Country,with it being the southernmost province in Oz. Quadling Country’s swampy terrain makes it hard to inhabit, explore, or develop, with it being less well-known than the other provinces in Oz. While there are plenty of swamps and mountains in Quadling Country, very few of them have been named or explored.
There are some inhabitants of Quadling Country, with them being known as Quadlings. The Quadlings are people with red skin who enjoy heat, with them mostly being found in the capital city of Qhoyre (sometimes known as Quox).Quadling Country is connected by the Waterslip river, with this allowing Qhoyre to communicate and trade with the province’s few other settlements.
Emerald City
The Capital Of Oz
Of all of the locations in Oz, the most famous and glamorous is the Emerald City.Acting as the capital of Oz, the Emerald Cityis a shiny green kingdom built in the heart of Oz, with it acting as the political and economic center of the land. With it being the home of The Wizard of Oz and the land’s various other rulers, the Emerald City is also a major military power. Massive gates and the Yellow Brick Road connect the Emerald City to the other provinces of Oz, with it being the desire of many of the characters inWickedto make their way there.
Wicked
Cast
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
