Umbar
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In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Umbar is a fictional place, a great haven to the far south of Gondor in Middle-earth. 'Umbar' was a name—of unknown meaning—given to the area by its original inhabitants. The Númenóreans adopted the name, probably aware of the fact that 'Umbar' was the Quenya word for 'fate'. The great cape and land-locked firth of Umbar south of the Bay of Belfalas formed a natural harbour of enclosing rock, but the "great fortress of Númenor"(LR) that was located within it was not built until S.A. 2280. It was only by this time that Sauron had dared to threaten Númenor;
Like the earlier New Haven in Enedwaith, and the later Pelargir on the Anduin, Umbar became a base from which Númenórean influence spread over Middle-earth. It was at Umbar that the last king of Númenor, Ar-Pharazôn the Golden, landed in S.A. 3261, to challenge Sauron:
After the Downfall of Númenor 58 years later, Umbar remained in the hands of the Númenóreans, in essence a Realm in Exile alongside Arnor and Gondor. But unlike these others, Umbar had been used by the "King's Men", who had turned to the worship of Melkor in the last days of Númenor. These "King's Men" were not friendly to the Elves or to their fellow Númenórean survivors who were allied to the Elves, and became known as Black Númenóreans. Two Black Númenórean lords, Herumor and Fuinur, were probably from Umbar, as at the end of the Second Age they became very powerful amongst the Haradrim, a neighbouring people. Their fate is unknown, but they likely shared Sauron's defeat at the hands of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. The rulers of Umbar retained much influence over the Haradwaith well into the Third Age. When not under Gondor's rule Umbar's system of government may have been a duumvirate: Black Númenórean and later Corsair Lords are paired when mentioned. Examples of this are Herumor and Fuinur, and later Angamaitë and Sangahyando. Gondor's power, however, eclipsed that of Umbar as the Third Age progressed, and in T.A. 933 Gondor's King Eärnil I captured Umbar in a surprise attack, although this was "at great cost." For the following 500 years, Umbar was an important Gondorian city: not only a major sea-port, but as the site of the submission of Sauron to Ar-Pharazôn, and so served as a proud reminder of the might of the Dúnedain of old:
Many Black Númenóreans had fled Umbar from the assault of T.A. 933, to their subjects in Near Harad, but 82 years later, in an attempt to recapture it,
This 'great power' availed the Men of Harad little, however, for despite killing King Ciryandil in their attack and then besieging Umbar for 35 years, they failed to take the city. Its supply was easily maintained "because of the sea-power of Gondor". In T.A. 1050, Ciryandil's son, Hyarmendacil I,
Gondorian possession of Umbar came to an abrupt end in c. T.A. 1447, but not at the hands of an external foe. Following the disastrous Kin-strife, the sons of Castamir the Usurper arrived there with many men and most of the fleet of Gondor.
These men became known as the Corsairs of Umbar, and within two centuries became a major threat to Gondor. In T.A. 1634 Castamir's great-grandsons Angamaitë and Sangahyando raided Pelargir, from Umbar, killing King Minardil. Gondor could not retaliate as it was soon after ravaged by the Great Plague. Vengeance, if not swift, was certainly devastating: 176 years after Minardil's death, his great-grand nephew succeeded in briefly recapturing Umbar, and even renamed himself Umbardacil. However,
Throughout the rest of The Third Age, Umbar was home a new generation of 'Corsairs of Umbar', who must have been closely related to the Haradrim, if not even merely Haradrim themselves. These new Corsairs were cruel slavers who often raided the coasts of Belfalas and Anfalas in Gondor. In T.A. 2746, for example, Amrothos, the 15th Prince of Dol Amroth fell defending Dol-en-Ernil against them. In T.A. 2758 Umbar joined a massive co-ordinated attack with Men of the Harad and even of Dunland, against Gondor and the new realm of Rohan:
In T.A. 2885 Umbar supported the Haradrim who claimed Harondor, although this had long "been a debatable land between the Corsairs and the Kings(LR)", and when Sauron declared himself openly in 2951, Umbar declared its allegiance to him, and the great monument commemorating Ar-Pharazôn's triumph at Umbar was thrown down. Umbar's fleet was largely destroyed 29 years later, when Thorongil (Aragorn Elessar, as it later turned out), then in the service of the Steward of Gondor Ecthelion II led a taskforce south and burned them, killing the Captain of the Haven in the process. During the War of the Ring, Umbar had not fully recovered from this, but could still send "fifty great ships and smaller vessels beyond count" to raid the coastlands of Gondor and draw off major forces from the defence of Minas Tirith. They were once again defeated by Aragorn, and the Dead Men of Dunharrow. With the Fall of Barad-dûr, Umbar, weakened and defeated, finally lost its sovereignty and submitted to the crown of King Elessar. Umbar appeared on the bottom edge of the maps found in earlier editions of The Lord of the Rings, but it is absent from modern editions, which map a slightly smaller area of Middle-earth. In Unfinished Tales it is stated that the Númenóreans had built other Havens south of Umbar, but that they were likely absorbed by the native Haradrim.
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