Harad, also known as the South, refers to the little-known lands in southern Middle-earth. The great region is located south of Harondor and Mordor. Very little is known of the southern lands beyond the great Sea of Ringil.

arad was located south of Mordor, with the Mountains of Shadow forming part of the northern border of Harad. The River Harnen flowed westward from the Mountains of Shadow to the Bay of Belfalas and was Harad's border with South Gondor - a deserted region contested between Gondor and Harad. The Harad Road ran from Harad northward through South Gondor and on to Ithilien. To the north-east of Harad was Khand, a land that also had ties with Sauron. It is not known how far eastward or southward Harad stretched. On the west, Harad was bounded by the Bay of Belfalas and the Sea. The northernmost part of Harad was called Near Harad and the southern part was Far Harad. On the coast there was a natural harbour with a narrow cape curving around it. The coastal region around the harbour was known as Umbar, and the harbour was called the Havens of Umbar. The seafaring raiders known as the Corsairs lived there. At the eastern end of the harbour was the City of the Corsairs. There were fortresses and dwellings upon the coasts in the south. There were also fields and "dark forests" with apes in the south. In Harad lived also camels and the gigantic Oliphaunts, which were used by the Haradrim as moving war towers. Harad was called the "Sunlands" by the Hobbits of the Shire, suggesting the climate was warmer and sunnier. Even the constellations in Harad's night sky down in the southern hemisphere were different from those in northern Middle-earth (Aragorn had travelled far into Harad "where the stars are strange"