Munchkin Country

From Oz Wiki

Munchkin Country is the eastern quadrant of the Land of Oz and is sometimes also called "the land of Munchkins." Munchkin Country is linked to the Emerald City by means of the Yellow Brick Road. As its name suggests, the inhabitants of Munchkin Country are called Munchkins.

Munchkin Country is distinguished by the color blue, which is worn by most of the Munchkins and is the color of their surroundings. The fences and domed houses are usually painted blue.

The Munchkin Country is ruled by a Monarch, who is a vassal to the Ruler of the Emerald City. (The Road to Oz)

History

The Munchkin Country was ruled for many years by the Wicked Witch of the East until Dorothy Gale's house landed on her, killing her and causing much celebration among the Munchkins.

Background

In the 1939 film and its imitators, the Munchkin Country is called Munchkinland.

Other sources

In Gregory Maguire's novels, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and Son of a Witch (which use "Munchkinland"), the people are not all Munchkins, and so they are actually called Munchkinlanders. Maguire portrays Munchkinland as the breadbasket of Oz. Munchkinland is also shown to be the native home of Elphaba, or the Wicked Witch of the West, and her younger sister Nessarose (although in the novel, they grew up in Quadling Country). In the Broadway musical Wicked, based on the novel, their father is the governor of Munchkinland. In both adaptations, Nessarose eventually comes to power, but her corrupt ruling earns her loathing by the Munchkinlanders and the name "Wicked Witch of the East."