Winkie Country facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Winkie Country |
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Official Map of Oz, with Winkie Country shown in the East due to a reversed image
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| The Oz series location | |
| Created by | L. Frank Baum |
| Genre | Juvenile fantasy |
| Type | Fairy country |
| Ruler | Tin Woodman |
| Ethnic group(s) | Winkies |
| Notable locations | Wicked Witch of the West's yellow castle, Oogaboo, Yip Country, Herku, City of Thi, Tin Woodman's tin-palace, Truth Pond |
| Notable characters | Wicked Witch of the West, Winged Monkeys, Jack Pumpkinhead |
| First appearance | The Wonderful Wizard of Oz |
The Winkie Country is a yellow land in the western part of the magical Land of Oz. It was first described in L. Frank Baum's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900. This area is known for its bright yellow color. Most of the people living there, called the Winkies, have yellow-tinted skin and wear yellow clothes. The land itself is full of yellow things. The Winkies are amazing tinsmiths, known for their skill with tin.
This country was once ruled by the mean Wicked Witch of the West. But in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy Gale melted the Witch with a bucket of water. After that, the Winkies asked the Tin Woodman to be their new ruler. He happily agreed and now lives in a huge palace made of tin. His loyal subjects built it for him as a gift.
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Exploring the Winkie Country in Oz Books
The publishing company Reilly & Britton released a map of Oz in 1914. This map was included in the book Tik-Tok of Oz. For some reason, this map showed the directions of east and west swapped. Later, the International Wizard of Oz Club fixed this map.
Where is Winkie Country Located?
The Winkie Country is in the west of Oz. To its northeast is the Gillikin Country. To its south is the Quadling Country. The famous Emerald City is to the east of Winkie Country.
The entire Land of Oz is surrounded by the Deadly Desert. This desert separates Winkie Country from the underground home of the Nome King. The Kingdom of Oogaboo is also near Winkie Country. It is separated by mountains. In Oogaboo, valuable items like jewels grow on trees, as seen in Tik-Tok of Oz. The Black Forest is in the southern part of Winkie Country. A good witch named Gloma rules there, according to The Wishing Horse of Oz.
How Geography Changes in Some Oz Books
In some of the later Oz books written by Ruth Plumly Thompson, the map of Oz is sometimes flipped. This means the Winkie Country might appear in the eastern part of Oz instead of the west.
Who Rules Winkie Country?
The Winkie Country has many cities and smaller kingdoms. Each of these places has its own leader. However, all these leaders report to the Tin Woodman, whose real name is Nick Chopper. The Tin Woodman himself follows Princess Ozma, who is the supreme ruler of all Oz.
Amazing Places and People in Winkie Country
Like other parts of Oz, Winkie Country is full of strange and wonderful sights. It has unique creatures and special places. Here are some of them:
- Wicked Witch of the West's Castle – This was the castle where the Wicked Witch of the West ruled. She controlled the Winkies from here until Dorothy melted her.
- Tin Palace – This palace is made entirely of tin. The Tin Woodman moved here from the Witch's old castle because it was too damp for him.
- Jack Pumpkinhead's House – Jack Pumpkinhead lives in a huge, hollowed-out pumpkin. His house is close to the Tin Woodman's palace.
- Scarecrow's Mansion – Jack Pumpkinhead also designed a five-story mansion for the Scarecrow. It is shaped like an ear of corn and covered in jewels.
- Bear Center – This is a forest where stuffed bears live. The Lavender Bear is their ruler. A mechanical Little Pink Bear guides them.
- Bewilderness – This is a wild and confusing place. Rocks, shrubs, and trees constantly move around. This makes it very hard for anyone to travel through it. It appeared in The Gnome King of Oz.
- Corabia – This is a kingdom on the northern edge of Winkie Country. It borders the Deadly Desert. Corabia is a fertile land, unlike Samandra. The Sultan of Samandra once turned its people into fish. But Speedy and his friends helped them turn back.
- Corumbia – This kingdom is also on the northern edge of Winkie Country. It borders the Deadly Desert and is east of Samandra. The Sultan of Samandra once turned its people into plants and trees. Speedy and his friends also helped them return to normal.
- Great Orchard – This large orchard is located between the Cities of Thi and Herku.
- Herku – This city is ruled by someone named Vig. It has a strange society where some people are masters and others are slaves. The city is square, with copper gates in its walls. People in Herku use a special substance called Zosozo. It makes them very thin but also incredibly strong. This strength allows them to keep giants as their slaves.
- Marsh Land – This is a very swampy and muddy area. It is home to the Sticks-in-the-Muds. These are people covered in mud who walk on stilts. Travelers are often warned to stay away from Marsh Land.
- Merry-Go-Mountains – These are mountains that spin around very quickly. They are made of rubber.
- Monday Mountain – This is a steep mountain in Winkie Country. It is home to an all-female group called the Tubbies. They spend their days washing and cleaning. They wait for a man to come and marry their ruler, Pearl Borax. Monday Mountain is surrounded by a spinning fence. This fence only stops if someone says "stop."
- Oogaboo – Oogaboo is in the far northwestern part of Winkie Country. It is within a mountain range that separates it from the rest of the country. Queen Ann Soforth rules Oogaboo. She is the daughter of King Jol Jemkiph Soforth, who stepped down. Oogaboo is one of the smallest and poorest kingdoms in Oz. This is true even though trees there grow many valuable items.
- Patch – This is a small, patchy kingdom south of Oogaboo. It is home to the Quilties. Their main job is making patchwork quilts, as seen in The Gnome King of Oz.
- Perhaps City – This city is located on Maybe Mountain. It was seen in Grampa in Oz.
- Play – This is a fenced-off area in Winkie Country. Its people are called the Pierrettes and Pierots. They are ruled by King Capers and have a playful, rough-and-tumble personality.
- Remote Tableland – This is a small community in the far southwestern corner of Winkie Country. It is home to the Yips. They are similar to the Hyups from Mount Munch. They do not usually contact the people of Oz below their plateau, as shown in The Lost Princess of Oz.
- Samandra – This is a dry, desert-like kingdom. It is at the far-northern edge of the Deadly Desert. Slavery is practiced here. The Sultan of Samandra rules this land.
- Suds – This kingdom is made of soap and other bath-related things. Sultan Shampoozle rules it. The people there are as big as children and do not like outsiders.
- Thi – This city is a less explored part of Oz. It is surrounded by shifting fields. These fields send travelers in the opposite direction. The people of Thi are called Thists. They have diamond-shaped heads and heart-shaped bodies. Their stomachs and throats are lined with gold. This allows them to eat the thistles that grow around their city. They use mechanical dragons to pull their chariots.
- The Tottenhots – These are small, sprite-like people who live in Winkie Country. They sleep during the day and play at night.
- Truth Pond – This pond is near the Deadly Desert. Anyone who bathes in it can be freed from a magic spell. But after bathing, they must always tell the truth.
- Tune Town – This kingdom is surrounded by a wall. Queen Jazzma rules it. The wall has a piano for a gate. You must play the right chord on the piano to enter Tune Town. Normal talking and walking are not allowed, except during intermissions. To leave Tune Town, you must sing out of tune.
- Wackajammy – This area is known as the "breadbasket of the West." It provides a lot of food. It was seen in Yankee in Oz.
- Wish Ways – These are dusty roads in different parts of Winkie Country. The dust on these roads can grant any wishes.
Winkies in Film
The most famous way Winkies are shown is in the 1939 musical film. In the movie, they are the army of the Wicked Witch of the West. They march in lines and chant. In the film, the Winkies look very different from how they are described in the books. They wear blue uniforms and have green skin and pointed noses, like the Wicked Witch. They are never called "Winkies" in the movie. The Winkie Country is only shown at night in the film. The main colors are blue, black, and gray. The scenery looks very empty, with many mountains and rocks.
