The Wheel of Time series, written by Robert Jordan and completed by Brandon Sanderson, is set in an unnamed world that, due to the cyclical nature of time as depicted in the series, is simultaneously the distant past and the distant future Earth. The Randlands or The World of the Wheel are names adopted by fans to refer to the world where The Wheel of Time series takes place. They are derived from the name of the central character, Rand al'Thor, and a section of the companion book The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, respectively.
The World of the Wheel
Westlands
The Westlands is one of several names given to the continent or subcontinent that stretches from the Aiel Waste to the Aryth Ocean, and from the Great Blight to the Sea of Storms. It forms the westernmost part of one large landmass that also incorporates the Aiel Waste and the land of Shara, as well as a number of offshore islands belonging to the Sea Folk. The Westlands stretches for roughly 3,500 miles from the Aiel Waste to the Aryth Ocean and is mostly temperate, with hot summers in the southern regions and icy winters in the north. The continent consists of several large plains (notably Almoth Plain, the Plains of Maredo, Caralain Grass, and the Plain of Lances) divided by extensive forests, marshes, and several major mountain ranges, most notably the Mountains of Mist which divide the western coastal regions from the continental interior. The continent is dominated by two extensive river networks. The larger consists of the River Manetherendrelle and its major tributary, the Arinelle. This network rises in the Mountains of Dhoom in the far north and is navigable almost from the Blight to the river mouth at Illian in the far south. The River Erinin flows out the Spine of the World just south of the Niamh Passes westwards, before turning south for 2,000 miles, eventually reaching the sea at Tear. Although not as extensive as the Arinelle-Mantherendrelle network, the Erinin is by far the longer single river and sees much more traffic, as it passes through two of the busiest cities on the continent.
There are currently 14 nations in existence in the Westlands: Altara, Amadicia, Andor, Arad Doman, Arafel, Cairhien, Ghealdan, Illian, Kandor, Murandy, Saldaea, Shienar, Tarabon, and Tear, as well as four major city-states: Falme, Far Madding, Mayene, and Tar Valon. In previous eras, every part of the land was claimed by one nation or another, but in the modern era, there are vast stretches of the continent which are given over to wilderness and are rarely traveled. After the War of the Hundred Years, there were 24 nations in the Westlands. The nations of Almoth, Caralain, Goaban, Hardan, Irenvelle, Kintara, Maredo, Mar Haddon and Mosara all faded away due to lack of population, whereas Malkier was swallowed by the Great Blight.
Aiel Waste
The Aiel Waste is a desert region to the east of the Spine of the World. The Aiel Waste is so inhospitable that only the hardy Aiel can survive for extended periods there. The Aiel call the Waste the "Three-fold Land," referring to the gifts the harsh land gives to the Aiel people. The gifts to the Aiel are: a shaping stone to make them, a testing ground to prove their worth, and a punishment for their sin. Aiel prophecy states that the Aiel will leave the Waste once the Stone of Tear falls. Trollocs call the Aiel Waste "Djevik K'Shar" in their native tongue, meaning "The Dying Ground." The waste is home to many animal species; some of which are unique to this desert region and all of which seem dangerous to humans in some way. The books have mentioned lions, warthogs, several types of venomous snake, and a type of lizard similar to a gila monster can all be found there. The southern part of the Aiel Waste just north of the Sea of Storms is called the Termool. It is so dry, barren, and desolate that not even the Aiel travel there.
Shara
Shara lies to the east of the Aiel Waste, from which it is separated by the Cliffs of the Dawn and the Great Rift. Significant mountain ranges longer than the Spine of the World lie to the east of both features, further inhibiting travel into Shara. The Cliffs of the Dawn are easily scalable only in six locations. The Sharans have built heavily-fortified towns in each of these locations, where trade is permitted with westerners (Aiel and those gleemen and peddlers from the Westlands the Aiel permitted to cross the Waste). In each of these towns, the residents go veiled at all times, and the walls are so tall that it is impossible to see into the towns from outside. Westerners are not permitted to travel through these towns' eastern gates into Shara proper. Those who try disappear.