Near Harad

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Near Harad
Region
General Information
LocationSouth of Mordor, east of the Harnen, south-west of Khand
TypeRegion
DescriptionLandlocked desert
InhabitantsHaradrim

Near Harad was an indefinite region that lay to the south of Gondor and Mordor, beyond the River Harnen.[1] Little is said of it in the histories of Middle-earth, except that the Men of that land conspired with those of Khand, and with the Wainriders, to overthrow Gondor in the time of King Ondoher. The Gondorians anticipated their strike, and Ondoher created a Southern Army to defend his land against them. That Southern Army, under the command of Eärnil, met the invading Men of Near Harad in South Ithilien, and defeated them completely.[2]

Though Near Harad is not otherwise described in any detail, its inhabitants were clearly great enemies of the Gondorians, and it seems likely that many of the Haradrim who troubled Gondor, actually are the Men of Near Harad. This is especially true of their dealings with the Gondorian outpost of Umbar, which lay on the western shores of Near Harad. It was home to camels and, in the South, Oliphaunts.[3]

References