(click to enlarge. pictured left: city/country names, right: region/zones)

The world of FF8 has no canon name, but is rich in politics, culture and varying climates. For an overview of the world's military powers, politics and cultures, see the setting page.

Depending on your character's methods of transportation, all of the locations and regions on the map are available to be roleplayed in. Since Balamb Garden is mobile, the game's location will not always be static.

Here we'll break down the world's climate, geographical features and locations by continent. The numbers in parenthesis correlate to the numbers on the map. NP stands for Not Pictured and refers to items not present on the map.

[ Balamb · Galbadia · Trabia · Esthar · Centra · Non-Continental ]

BALAMB GARDEN

Founded thirty-three years ago by Cid and Edea Kramer and funded by NORG, Gardens were built atop an ancient Centra structure which gives them the ability to transform into a mobile form. Specializing in Guardian Force training and para-magic use, Balamb Garden is also the only Garden authorized to conduct the SeeD field exam, which all Garden cadets must pass in order to join the ranks of SeeD. Cadets attending other Gardens must transfer to Balamb in order to complete this final requirement. Balamb's cadet uniform is blue and yellow.

On August 27th 2013, Balamb Garden became an independent political entity, making all Balamb Garden staff and students citizens of the Garden. For additional information on Balamb Garden's doings between Final Fantasy VIII and witchesreign, see here.

BALAMB

An island nation with abundant natural environments surrounded by a beautiful ocean. During a time of war it became independent from the Holy Dollet Empire, and has since remained calm, without any unnecessary interventions into other nations’ affairs. Even after the Balamb Garden was set up thirty-three years ago, there was no change to the national peace, and it has managed to maintain a moderate level of wealth as well. One of the nation’s characteristics is the design of many of its buildings, which are mainly based on curved lines with streamline patterning. In the interest of conserving the natural scenery, the houses in the town are kept to a uniform height.

Balamb has a mild climate; its warm and gentle weather makes it a pleasant environment to live all year round. What little land it has is fertile and peppered with clusters of forest and beach. Its northernmost coast is lined with a mountain range.

In July 2013, the nation opened naturalized citizenship to off-worlders who have been in the world for at least three years and spent most of that time on Balamb continent. Citizens are expected to obey Balamb laws and must pay taxes on their wages, even those earned outside Balamb, but qualify for a range of benefits. Applications take a month to process.

Balamb's locations of interest:

(01) Balamb Town:
The only settlement on the world's smallest continent. Known for its temperate climate and warm people. The harbour in the town not only serves as port for general ships, but also functions as a departure and arrival area for SeeD vessels. It is also connected to the Galbadian continent by underwater train, which offers a service from the town to Timber.

With its refreshing atmosphere, the city in Balamb is a popular tourist destination, and the souvenirs sold at the shop in front of the train station is one of the providers of valuable tourism revenue for the city. The Balamb Fish caught in the coastal waters is a massive fish with bright turquoise scales, and thanks to its good taste is considered one of the 3 Great Delicacies of the World. However, because there is a similar breed of fish (the Badamb Fish) which can be poisonous, amateurs need to take care when cooking with it.

Just outside of town is a chocobo ranch which hires chocobos out for public use and offers petting zoo-style tours of the ranch.

(NP) Fire Cavern:
A cavern near Balamb Garden where a Fire element GF lives. Balamb Garden uses the cavern as a testing ground for its students to see if they're ready for the SeeD exams.

(02) Balamb Garden:
See here.

(NP) Wayne Enterprises:
Founded by Damian Wayne, Wayne Enterprises is an up-and-coming business in Balamb that seeks to provide better airship production, technology (including telecommunications), and even medical care to the general populace. Although it has ties to Balamb Garden, and by extension the SeeD program, Wayne Enterprises doesn't discriminate (except maybe to Galbadia) and seeks to give the rest of the world a proper business experience.

Some Cadets and SeeD, when they're not working for Balamb, have been known to work for Wayne Enterprises in some capacity in their spare time. It is now in the hands of a Balamb local sympathetic to off-worlders.

(NP) Wayne Safehouse:
A small, inconspicuous building in downtown Balamb that's owned by Wayne Enterprises as a meeting place or refuge from Balamb Garden, various military figures, and government agencies. The Wayne safehouse is a two-story building in the middle of downtown Balamb, with a basement that secretly connects itself to the outside of Balamb Garden's campus. The safehouse has its own intranet system, and a rudimentary connection to Razem Safehouse using the broadcast signal from the TV towers located throughout the world.

GALBADIA

Most of the territory formally claimed by Galbadia is uninhabitable, as desert spreads out from the country’s center. Despite Edea's brief assumption of power in Galbadia, the Presidency remains essentially a dictatorship, possessing absolute power. The allegedly-neutral Galbadia Garden is in reality no more than another extension of Galbadian power.

Galbadia as a continent has a little bit of everything, including but not limited to a desert, lush forests, lakes, fertile plains land and mountainous areas. As well, it's home to one of the world's largest cities and the capital of Galbadia: Deling.

Galbadia's locations of interest:

(NP) Galbadia Garden:
A Garden that originated in the Galbadia Republic. It is the largest Garden of the three. Martine, Galbadia Garden's ex-headmaster and Garden Master, had set up a program to recruit non-SeeD Balamb graduates into the Galbadian Army that lasted after his dismissal. Unlike Balamb Garden, Galbadia Garden doesn't train SeeDs, but instead focuses on advancing weapon technology and as a military academy for the nation of Galbadia. For a list of locations inside the Garden, reference its wiki page. Galbadia's cadet uniform is black and red.

(06) Deling City:
The capital city (which bears the former president's name) of the continent of Galbadia and a hub for the Transcontinental railway. Due to the constant clouds surrounding Deling City, there are only about 10 clear days out of a year.

Deling is massive and populous, rivaling Esthar City for the title of the world's greatest metropolis. In the center of the city and serving as its nexus is the Arc de Triomphe; from there, roads expand out into a ring around the city, and free passenger buses are constantly running as the primary means of transportation about town. Although it is a modern city, classical architecture is preferred, and there are a great many stone statues throughout. The development of industry and commerce has been remarkable, as evident by the crowds in the shopping district, but everything ultimately belongs to the state.

For a list of locations inside the city, reference its wiki page.

(NP) Razem Safehouse:
An inconspicuous building in downtown Balamb used by Wayne Enterprises as a meeting place or refuge from Balamb Garden, various military figures, and government agencies. Deling's safehouse is a five-story building with tinted windows tucked away in the edge of downtown Deling; its location makes it central to the action but also allows it to hide amongst the hustle and bustle.The top floor acts as an apartment, while the bottom floors house office supplies as weapons and para-magic. The safehouse has its own intranet system, and a rudimentary connection with Wayne Safehouse using the broadcast signals from the TV Towers stationed throughout the world.

(07) D-District Prison:
Constructed by imposing an abundance of taxes, it was built for the imprisonment of political dissidents. Located in the desert south of Deling City, is is the destination for all people deemed 'dangerous' by the Galbadian government. Endowed with the capacity to dive underground, it’s difficult to escape from; for those sent here, imprisonment and death are said to have the same meaning.

(08) Dollet:
A small, independent country on the northeastern coast of Galbadia continent, the Dollet Dukedom is the sad remnant of the Holy Dollet Empire which once dominated the continent. The residential areas and commercial district reside on a small peninsula, while the mountain is on the continent proper, accessed by a bridge. With the town accessible by both land and sea, it is quite convenient for incoming and outgoing traffic. Because the mountain range in the surrounding territory serves as a natural bulwark, foreign invasion is difficult. Due to Dollet’s warm climate and beautiful scenery, it enjoys healthy tourism. Additionally, the wealthy from various nations have high-class resorts set up here.

For a list of locations inside the city, reference its wiki page.

(14) Island Closest to Hell:
A dangerous island that gets its name from the beasts and monsters that roam. Novice or intermediate fighters should not step foot here. The island is only accessible by aircraft -- it has no beaches or docks.

(16) Missile Base:
Galbadia's long-range missile base, a military facility south of Deling City. As the only country to own long range missiles with the exception of Esthar, they pose a major security threat to the world. Guided missile technology has not yet adapted to use the communications technology made available by the fall of Adel's Tomb, but Galbadian missiles are still capable of following a programmed flight path to strike stationary targets worldwide. Recognition of the facility’s importance is weak among soldiers; inspections at the gate and inside are conducted out of obligatory habit.

(18) Timber:
A city located south of Dollet in the southeast region of the Galbadian continent. The name “Timber” was derived from the surrounding woods. Previously independent, it was conquered by Galbadia during the Sorceress War to deny Esthar its abundance of natural resources; the nation has held it tightly ever since. Resistances have been crushed with a heavy hand, their members hunted down, and many citizens were slaughtered; consequently, there is a deep-seated hostility toward Galbadia rooted in the local consciousness. Many of its citizens have or presently belong to the resistance, but the thorough management of anti-government entities has put the majority of that mechanism into dormancy.

At its edges, the town possesses four stations used for the railroad; however, because the violent Galbadian soldiers have so disturbed the peace of the town, travellers generally don’t stay long.

For a long time, Timber’s mass media institution reflected local politcal ideology. The Timber Maniacs company located there is famous worldwide, and has formed the core of the publishing industry. With the gimmick of elegance found in its older buildings, an atmosphere of new and old blends in the city, with houses and stores having a look as though made of stone, while the TV station has a futuristic look. The mixture of Timber and Galbadia’s crests within the city allude to the complicated history of the town.

For a list of locations inside the city, reference its wiki page.

(NP) Winhill:
Located in the hillsides of the southern part of the continent is this quiet village. It has few people due to its distance from Deling City. Pursuing the cultivation of flowers and quality manufacturing, the inhabitants lead peaceful lives. As some villagers have lost their lives after nursing dying soldiers back to health, the town’s elderly look at outsiders with great wariness.

(19) Tomb of the Unknown King:
Located north of Deling City; the burial place of Dollet's last emperor. The tomb remains nameless due to an ancient belief that calling a dead king by his name brings bad luck. There are unconfirmed reports that a GF resides inside, as well as other monsters.

(48) Obel Lake:
A horseshoe-shaped lake with a small ledge, and a river flowing northwards through Vaulny Canyon located north of Timber. It is the world's largest lake. Rumors say something strange happens here if you visit at the right time...

TRABIA

Trabia, unlike Galbadia, is a mountainous cold land that is largely uninhabitable to humans. An arctic climate can be expected, though southern Trabia's climate is slightly warmer. Nearest the pole, human settlement is made impossible by the weather. Reflecting their unique culture, inhabitants have a distinct Trabia dialect.

The northernmost island, Winter Island, is home to the world's only Shumi settlement, where they pursue a quiet lifestyle.

Trabia's locations of interest:

(20) Trabia Garden:
Trabia is the smallest of the three Gardens, and the most remote, surrounded by snowy mountains and forests. Although Trabia Garden conducts itself more informally than the other Gardens, it fosters within its cadets a sense of family and dedication to the Garden. Trabia Garden's motto is "Take Care Of Oneself," but the attitude of its members would be better described as "Take Care of Each Other." Twenty-three years ago, the Garden was destroyed by missiles deployed by Sorceress Ultimecia. Although it's been up and running for over fifteen years since then, it still has yet to recover to its former glory. Trabia's cadet uniform is light blue and purple.

(51) Trabia Crater:
A crater that separates the Trabia continent from Esthar's Mordred Plains. It is the result of a Lunar Cry artificually induced by the Lunatic Pandora.

(52) Vienne Mountains:
Forming the southern border of Trabia just north of Esthar, this mountain range stretches from the west coast to the east coast. A mountain trail allows passage over the mountains from the Trabia Crater to the Mordred Plains but further progress to Esthar City is halted via the impassable Nortes Mountains further south.

(NP) Shumi Village:
The Shumi Tribe and Moombas live in this settlement on the northernmost island of Trabia, Winter Island. Due to the harsh climate, the ground surrounding the village at the surface level is covered with a dome. Via mining, the living space was created 323 meters below ground. Merchants dealing in certain stones sometimes visit.

ESTHAR

A vast, windy wasteland home to the planet's largest and most technologically advanced city, Esthar; this continent backs right up against Trabia, divided naturally by a mountainous border. The continent of Esthar was believed to at one point have been a lush, fertile land, stripped away by the capital city's rapid technological advancements. Now all that remains is barren plains and mountains, almost devoid of flora and fauna. The northernmost part of the continent is constantly windy due to winds trapped inside the natural valley.

For additional information on Esthar's doings between Final Fantasy VIII and witchesreign, see here.

Esthar's locations of interest:

(10) Esthar:
One of the main political powers, and also the name of the capital city of said nation. Located on the large continent to the east of Galbadia, Esthar is Galbadia's major rival in terms of world politics. Esthar is an extremely technologically-advanced society governed by its president Laguna Loire. After the Sorceress War, Esthar's Optical Camouflage System (OCS) caused it to vanish from the world, but its destruction during the Lunar Cry heralded Esthar's return to global politics.

The curved, translucent parts in the tall, orderly lined buildings gives Esthar City the appearance of a futuristic city. The streets and floors of buildings are kept so meticulously clean that the long robes serving as the national dress are guaranteed not to become dirty. Travel around the city is facilitated by floating on plate lifters in the pipes throughout the city, a demonstration of how pervasive high technology is in the county. In addition to those involved in the military and administrative affairs, there are those dedicated to the advancement of technology, as well as the research of magic and mechanical engineering. Due partly to the introduction of computers in the buying and selling of commodities, the shopping mall area in the eastern part of the city doesn’t contain the crowds seen in foreign countries.

For a list of locations inside the city, reference its wiki page.

(11) Esthar Sorceress Memorial:
A structure built to commemorate the Sorceress War, it also functions as a place to seal potentially dangerous Sorceresses.

(NP) Lunar Gate:
An airport-like facility used by Esthar to shuttle people to the Lunar Base. To launch someone (or presumably something) into space, s/he is placed in a capsule. They then undergo a process called "cold sleep", rendering them unconscious for the trip, and are shot out of a cannon-like apparatus into space. They are "thawed" upon arrival at the Lunar Base.

(13) Island Closest to Heaven:
The sister island of the Island Closest to Hell, it is the easternmost island of the world. Like the Island Closest to Hell, it is only reachable via air travel.

(15) Lunatic Pandora Laboratory:
Headed by Dr. Odine, the Laboratory is located in the Great Plains of Esthar, just out of Esthar City. The researchers here were devoted to the study of the Lunatic Pandora and are responsible for finding the secrets within the machine; now it serves as a facility for all research that cannot be safely conducted within Esthar City.

(17) Tears' Point:
Lunar Cry's point of origin determined by Esthar scientists. Formerly, security boxes restrained the power of the Crystal Pillar by an energy field should it enter the area, but this system failed. In the present time a massive Time Compression distortion renders Tears' Point inaccessible.

(31) Grandidi Forest:
The largest of the world's woodlands, the Grandidi Forest occupies almost the entire stretch of the Grandidi peninsula, north of Esthar's Great Plains.

(34) Great Salt Lake:
A lake on the Esthar continent. What used to be a beautiful lake is now a barren field. It's speculated that Esthar's experiments led to the lake's destruction.

CENTRA

Centra, the southernmost continent, is almost entirely devoid of human life. Over 100 years ago the main island was destroyed by a natural Lunar Cry, leaving nothing but a crater and the shattered remains of the land. Even though the eastern island of Centra was unaffected by the Lunar Cry, the land there is as uninhabitable as Trabia, for what isn't covered in mountain range is a cold desert wasteland.

Because it's south of the equator, Center has seasons opposite those of the northern continents.

Centra's locations of interest:

(03) Cactuar Island:
A small island located south of Esthar City and just east of the Kashkabald desert. It can only be accessed by air travel. It is rumored to be inhabited entirely by Cactuar, and the home of the elusive Jumbo Cactuar.

(04) Centra Ruins:
A location on the Centra continent that is dominated by an octahedral frame and is the only remaining structure from the ancient Centra civilization. It is the home of Tonberries as well as the GF Odin. Adventurers passing through will be subjected to the ruin's riddles.

(09) Edea's House:
Located on the southernmost peninsula on the Centra continent, Edea Kramer has had the place renovated and started up her orphanage again. It is often the recipient of charitable donations from the GFC.

(27) Centra Crater:
The remains of the Lunar Cry 100 years ago.

OTHER AREAS

Locations not on a major landmass.

(12) Fisherman's Horizon:
A station located in the center of Horizon Bridge. It's now a haven for expatriates who refused to have their skills exploited by the government; this town originated with mechanics active during the time of Esthar’s development who were dissatisfied with developments taking place in that country and only had a desire to “make.” As such, the town is filled with fishermen and skilled mechanics. The name was coined by one of the men who played an essential role in establishing independence from Esthar, deriving it from the town’s ideal atmosphere; it’s typically shortened to “F.H.” Many of those involved in the town’s construction have begun to reach older age, and, in recent times, it has seen the births of its first genuine native residents. Vestiges of the intercontinental railroad station used to cross the sea to the east and west remain and have been subject to upgrades in recent times; as of July 2013, train services to and from Esthar have resumed three days a week. The town is neutral and will not tolerate violence.

(05) Deep Sea Research Center:
A man-made mobile island for marine life research. Disappeared mysteriously after much wandering. Since the facility members are still alive, it is assumed to be concealed intentionally. It is located far out in the middle of the ocean, in the very south-west corner of the world. It is an abandoned, half-sunken laboratory which was formerly used to research Draw effects, however other, less commonly known, research may have been going on.

(NP) Lunar Base:
It is a base located in outer space created to watch over Sorceress Adel. Its current purpose is unknown.

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