"What Are the Seven Kingdoms," You Ask? Here's Your Answer

This is where the Starks started it all back in season one. House Stark was the ruler of the North before Aegon came, with the lands encompassing the Barrowlands, White Harbor, Bear Island, and The Dreadfort. Other important houses of the region include Bolton, Glover, Karstark, Mormont and Umber. Winterfell is the regional capital of the North, and its residents generally follow the religion of the Old Gods.

This kingdom was ruled by House Arryn of the Eyrie, the house of Jon Arryn, hand to King Robert Baratheon and to whom Lysa Tully was married. It is on the east side of Westeros and includes Gulltown, Runestone, Longbow Hall, and the Bloody Gate. Other important houses of the region include Redfort, Royce, and Sunderland. The Eyrie is its regional capital, and its citizens mostly follow the Faith of the Seven.

This kingdom, located smack dab in the middle of Westeros, was originally ruled by House Hoare when the Riverlands were conquered by the Kingdom of the Iron Islands. It includes the Iron Islands, the Twins, Riverrun, and the Trident. Other important houses in the region include Blackwood, Bracken, Frey, Greyjoy, and Tully. Its regional capital is Harrenhal, and its citizens are split between the Faith of the Seven, the Old Gods, and the Drowned God of the Iron Islands.

As you may have guessed, this western kingdom is home to the Lannisters, though it was originally ruled by House Casterly. House Lannister took it over during the Andal invasion. It includes Kayce, Crakehall, and Lannisport, with Casterly Rock as its regional capital. Other important houses of the region include Blount, Clegane, Payne, Reyne, and Yarwyck. Its population almost exclusively follows the Faith of the Seven.

This kingdom, located in the southeastern portion of Westeros, was ruled by House Durrandon. It includes Bronzegate, Summerhall, Shipbreaker Bay, Tarth, and Storm's End, which is its regional capital. Other important houses of the region include Caron, Dondarrion, Seaworth, Selmy, and Tarth. Its citizens generally follow the Faith of the Seven.

This large kingdom, which appears to be second in area only to the North, stretches from the middle of Westeros to the southwest corner. It was ruled by House Gardener, with Highgarden as its regional capital; the Gardener dynasty eventually went extinct and was replaced by the Tyrells. Other places of note in the nation include Old Town, Goldengrove, Horn Hill, The Arbor, Redwyne Straits, and the Uplands. Important houses of the region include Florent, Hightower, Redwyne, and Tarly. Like other southern regions, its citizens are Faith of the Seven followers.

In Aegon's conquest, Dorne remained a sovereign nation and stayed that way (save for a four-year Targaryen occupation at one point) until King Daeron united Dorne with the rest of Westeros by having himself and the Prince of Dorne marry each other's sisters. Dorne has always been ruled by House Martell, with Sunspear as its regional capital. Important houses of the region include Blackmont, Dayne, Jordayne, Manwoody, Uller, and Yronwood. Other areas within the kingdom include Torentine, Brimstone, Skyreach, Sandstone, and Prince's Pass. Its citizens follow the Faith of the Seven.

The Crownlands is an eighth area within Westeros that was never its own kingdom and sits in the middle of continent on the eastern side. When Aegon conquered Westeros, he wanted to establish a capital city where his army first landed, so he borrowed land from nearby kingdoms (The Vale, Isles and Rivers, the Reach, and the Stormlands) and created a region to support the capital city of King's Landing. Other notable locations within the Crownlands include Dragonstone, Sharp Point, and Blackwater Bay, and other important houses of the region include Rosby, Rykker, and Stokeworth.