Map of "The Known World"

The Master DMs book includes a continental map of The Known World, attributed to François Marcela-Froideval:

Francois Froideval is adding his creativity to the projects.  He’s already done a map of the globe, with all the continents and things, and the area described in Expert is in one small corner of the world, the starting point for epic adventure.

Frank Mentzer, in Dragon #77

The Known World

The map was based on our planet, as it appeared 135-150 million years ago.  The probable source was "Continents in Collision" (1983), a Time Life book in the Planet Earth series (as discussed here).

The original concepts were quite vague, leaving the majority of development work to future authors.  Francois Froideval (formerly of Jeux d'Carte) and I worked out that known world as originally portrayed in the Expert set, and you will also find our names together in the credits of Monster Manual II.  It left open the possibility of realms inspired by various authors as well, including RE Howard, if we so chose.

Some are obvious and derivative... Hyborea, Arypt (Egypt), Brasol (Brazil), Hyborea and the related Borea, Oceania of many legends, Northworld (Norwold) and the corresponding Southold, and the Empire of the Khans (corresponding to the empires of central Asia).  Some were completely fantastic but undetailed, while some are mentioned in my preplanning notes (like the Arm of God and Zyxl) but were never completed.

Frank Mentzer on Dragonsfoot (July 31, 2006)

1. Addakia

Region corresponding to West Africa, south of the Atlas Mountains.

2. Arm of God

Region corresponding to the Baha California peninsula.

3. Arypt

Region corresponding to Ancient Egypt.

4. Barbarians (not united)

"Located where the real world Imazighen peoples live, better known as "Berbers".  This is fitting since the name "Berber" is thought to derive from the Latin barbari." here

5. Borea

Latin borealis from the Greek boreas "north wind, north".

6. Brasol

Region corresponding to Brazil.

7. Cestia

"Cestia derives from the Greek* rather than the Latin, and is another matriarchy." here

*possibly derived from Cestus (the Girdle of Aphrodite)

8. Empire of Alphatia

Alphatia is described as the oldest empire in the world in CM1 "Test of the Warlords", a civilization built on a foundation of magic.  The secret name of Alphatia is Atlantis,* in keeping with the framework that the D&D game world is a version of our own world in the ancient past.

*Alphatia is referred to as "Atlantis" throughout CM2 "Death's Ride"

9. Empire of Dorfin IV

"...a tangent reference to Amber.*" here

*The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny

10. Empire of the Great Khan

The Great Khan is mentioned in CM4 "Earthshaker!" (pg. 10).

11. Empire of Tangor

"Tip o' the hat to Burroughs...*" here

*see "Beyond the Farthest Star"

12. Empire of Thyatis

"At that time we envisioned that Empire to be the dominant socioeconomic and political force in that region, and thus the only one worthy of mention in the company of the other major/dominant forces in other areas." here

13. The Coast (a.k.a. The Four Kingdoms)

Region corresponding to the Barbary Coast (the Four Kingdoms likely correspond to the Sultanate of Morocco and the Regencies of Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli).

The Four Kingdoms are mentioned in DA1 "Adventures in Blackmoor":
"before...the Four Kingdoms fought their deadly wars" (pg. 2)

14. Hyborea

A contraction of "Hyperborea", meaning "beyond Boreas (the north wind)".

15. Isle of Dawn

Island corresponding to Great Britain.

16. Izonda

"Izonda was from whole cloth, not the Wordworth.*" here

*see "The Romance of the Water Lily" by William Wordsworth

17. Jen

Region corresponding to Central Asia.

18. Lower Arypt

Region corresponding to India, when as a subcontinent it was part of Gondwana.

19. Matriarchy of Pelatan

Region corresponding to the Amazon basin.*

*the mythical Amazons were a matriarchal society

20. Minaea

"Sea traders & specialists in bronze, famed for the Labyrinth; Minoa (q.v.); destined to fall because of the rise of iron & steel worldwide" here

Pirates of Minaea are described in M2 "Vengeance of Alphaks" (pg. 22).

21. Nentsun

"nent (arch., about/towards) [the] -sun, ie land of eternal sun*" here

*aka "land of the midnight sun" (Norway)

The Nentsun are mentioned in DA1 "Adventures in Blackmoor":

"before the cruel Nentsun built their longships" (pg. 2)

22. Norworld

Described in CM1 "Test of the Warlords".

23. Oceania

See "The Mythos of Oceania" in The Dragon #29 (September, 1979).

24, 25. The Sea Kingdoms

A waterborne civilization? (see X7 "The War Rafts of Kron").

26. The Serpent Peninsula

See X6 "Quagmire!".

27. Southold

See X9 "The Savage Coast".

28. Thonia

"Thonia, rather than from Blackmoor, is more easily searched if you put a "C" on the front...  Try Chthonic" here

Thonia was mentioned in DA1 "Adventures in Blackmoor":

"That barren, frozen Thonia is but a pale shadow of the Thonia that was," (pg. 2)

Thonian Mercenary Raiders are described in M2 "Vengeance of Alphaks" (pg. 22).

The death of Marick of Glevum, Archbishop of Thonia and High Cleric of Serison is described in IM3 "The Best of Intentions" (pg. 2), after which "the King declared a week of mourning".

29. Vulcania

Region corresponding to Antarctica/Australia.

30. Vulture Peninsula

A name based on its shape (as with "Orc's Head Peninsula" in X9 "The Savage Coast").

31. Zyxl