Dorne is one of the nine constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms. It is the southernmost part of the continent of Westeros, located thousands of miles from  the North, and has a harsh desert climate. The Dornishmen are ethnically distinct from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms, being largely descended from Rhoynar  refugees who intermarried with the local population of Andals and First Men roughly a thousand years ago. As a result, they have very different customs and traditions compared to the other regions of Westeros. Dorne is ruled from the castle of Sunspear. Bastards born in Dorne are given the surname Sand. Things from Dorne are known as "Dornish," while the people of Dorne are properly known as the "Dornishmen," though its people are sometimes simply referred to as "the Dornish."

Dorne was a sovereign kingdom before the invasion of Aegon the Conqueror, and weathered his attack to remain one afterwards, the only one of the Seven Kingdoms to retain its independence. It joined the Seven Kingdoms through peaceful marriage alliance nearly two centuries later, only one century before  Robert's Rebellion. As a result of joining through marriage and not conquest, Dorne was allowed to keep many of its local customs and laws, such as equal inheritance laws for male and female heirs. Due to these different ethnic, legal, and political factors, the Dornishmen are very independently minded, with a stronger sense of "national identity" than many of the other Seven Kingdoms. Following the Sand Snakes-led rebellion, all known trueborn members of House Martell have perished, with the region then under the command of Ellaria Sand. However, Ellaria herself was captured and imprisoned in King's Landing after Euron Greyjoy attacked the fleet transporting her back to Dorne for the army, and with her death as well as her daughter, Dorne was left with an  unidentified Martell to assume power under the newly-formed Six Kingdoms, ruled by King Bran Stark.

Dorne contains the only desert on the entire continent of Westeros, and due to its arid climate it has one of the smallest overall populations. It is the only part of Westeros where citrus fruits and spices grow. Dornish wine is also highly prized throughout all of Westeros, and considered to be among the best imports available. Dorne is separated from the Stormlands by the Sea of Dorne and is surrounded by water on three sides. However, the coast of Dorne is rocky and mostly consists of towering cliffs. The only notable port is at Sunspear, and even this is poor compared to Oldtown to the west or King's Landing to the north. For this reason, Sunspear lacks any major strength at sea and is not a notable center for trade. However, the Dornish traditionally have greater ties to Essos than many of the other parts of Westeros, with the Prince of Dorne enjoying friendly relations with several of the Free Cities.

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