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Archenland, officially the Kingdom of Archenland, was a mountainous country situated south of the Kingdom of Narnia and north of the Calormene Empire.
Along with Narnia and other dominions, Archenland constituted part of the larger Narnian Empire. The seat of government was at Anvard, in the heart of the country. Anvard, the name of the castle, also gave the name to the city, which was the Kingdom's capital and only known populated area.
Geography
Archenland was located between the continental divide, which separated it from Narnia in the north, and the Great Desert in the south that bordered the Calormene Empire. The Winding Arrow River also formed a natural barrier between Calormen and Archenland.
To the west, and through the Western Wild region, was the gorge path, which led to the Calormene colony of Telmar.
Located to the east of Archenland was the Merpeople Nation.
Events
Archenland, as a nation, was in existence before the reign of King Frank I and Queen Helen of Narnia, after its creation was decreed by Aslan, though it had no human inhabitants.
During the reign of Frank I and subsequent Narnian monarchs, Archenland was under Narnian control. In 180, the second son of Frank V, Col, led the first human inhabitants into Archenland, separating it from the Kingdom of Narnia, but remaining within the Narnian Empire. Col became the country's first monarch, and titled himself King Col.
During the rule of Jadis (900-1000), it is uncertain of the political position of Archenland. It is believed that the population of humans in the Kingdom were unknown to Narnia at the time.
The Golden Age, under the reign of the Pevensie monarchs of Narnia and Lune of Archenland, helped strengthen the alliance between the two countries, which later evaded the attempted attack from Calormen under the leadership of Prince Rabadash. Prince Cor, also commonly known as Shasta, played a major role in the conflict, and later became King after the death of his father. His son, Ram the Great, was said to be the greatest ruler of Archenland.
It is possible, after the disappearance of the Pevensie siblings, the rulers of Archenland also ruled Narnia. However, during the Telmarine invasion and occupation, Archenland had a frozen relationship with Narnia.
Following the deposition of Miraz, and the beginning of the Age of Exploration, Caspian X visited King Nain in Anvard to renew the two nation's relationship.
Archenland still existed at the time of 2555, during the Late Ages, but was destroyed by Aslan, along with the rest of the world, before a Calormene invasion.
Castle of Anvard
The Castle of Anvard was also the capital of Archenland at the year 1014.
It was a moat-less castle, where the Kings and Queens resided, made of red-brown stones, and sitting on a green lawn in front of a high woody ridge.
The castle lay in the Anvard Pass, and was the only place of population mentioned in the Chronicles.
Trivia
- Since Archenland was never ruled by the Telmarines, and Archenland still existed during the events of The Last Battle, it would seem that the kings of Archenland can trace their lineage right back to King Frank I of Narnia, literally accounting for every single day of the world's existence.
- In the Russian translation of the Narnia books, Archenland is known as "Orlandia" (Орландия).