Winkie Country
The
Winkie Country is the eastern division (by the original maps of
Oz; later versions make the Winkie Country the western division) of
L. Frank Baum's land of Oz. It is distinguished by the color
yellow worn by most of the local inhabitants as well as the color of their surroundings.
This was the country ruled by the Wicked Witch of the West before Dorothy melted her with a bucket of water in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; since then, the Tin Woodman has ruled the Winkies as their Emperor. The Winkie Country is separated only by the Deadly Desert from the underground Dominions of the Nome King.
Like all the countries of Oz, the Winkie Country contains various unusual sights and places. Among them are,
from Ozma of Oz:
- the Scarecrow's house, which is shaped like an ear of corn
- the house of Jack Pumpkinhead, a giant hollowed-out pumpkin
from
The Road to Oz:
- the palace of the Tin Woodman, created because the Wicked Witch's castle was too damp
- the Truth Pond, which anyone can bathe in and be freed of an enchantment, but must always afterward tell the truth
from
The Patchwork Girl of Oz:
- the Tottenhots, small sprite-like people who sleep during the day and play at night
from
Tik-Tok of Oz:
- Oogaboo, a monarchy where items of value grow on trees; it is separated from the Winkie Country by a mountain range
from
The Lost Princess of Oz:
- Thi, where bipeds with heart-shaped chests subsist only on thistles and use mechanical dragons to pull their chariots
- Herku, where the natives and extremely thin and muscular, strong enough to keep giants as slaves
- Bear Center, in a forest where stuffed bears are ruled by the Lavender Bear and guided by the wind-up Little Pink Bear
- Yip Country, a republic advised by the Frogman and separated from the Winkie Country at the top of a mountain