List of Final Fantasy VIII locations

Throughout the course of Square Co., Ltd.'s computer role-playing game Final Fantasy VIII, the player will likely encounter most of the following destinations:

Balamb Island
A temperate island between the two major continents, Balamb Island lends its name to both the Garden and the small town located on it.
 * Balamb Garden: A military academy at which SeeDs are trained. Balamb Garden is the second largest of the three Gardens (Galbadia, Balamb, and Trabia). Balamb Garden was founded by Cid Kramer, who became its headmaster, using funds donated from the Garden Master, a Shumi named NORG. Characters Squall Leonhart, Zell Dincht, Seifer Almasy, Quistis Trepe and Selphie Tilmitt all attended this military academy, the last being a transfer student from Trabia Garden. The hidden secret of the facility is its construction as a Centran mobile fortress, capable of hovering at low altitudes and move freely over lowlands and the ocean.


 * Balamb Town: A small town on the southern coast of the island, not far from the Garden itself. Zell Dincht lived here with his adoptive parents. Trains travel between Balamb Town and Dollet, through the use of an underground transcontinental railroad.


 * Fire Cavern: The site used by Balamb Garden for the final individual evaluation of potential SeeD students, and the resting place of the fire-elemental Guardian Force Ifrit who must be beaten in combat. It was outside this cavern that rivals Squall and Seifer are seen fighting in the game's introductory sequence, and where both receive the scars on their faces.

Western Continent
Occupying a large area of the upper western hemisphere, this continent has seen the rise and fall of the Dollet Empire and the establishment of the dominant Republic of Galbadia.


 * Dollet: A coastal town on the northern arm of the continent, the last remnants of the empire founded by those Centrans that migrated west after the destruction of Centra itself. Formerly the capital of the continent until Galbadia rose to power. The SeeD candidates from Balamb Garden which Squall, Zell and Selphie were part of were taken here for the final examination – a live-combat situation in which they are tasked to perform flush-and-hold operations while experienced SeeDs fight off an invasion of the town from Galbadian soldiers.


 * Timber: A coastal town near the eastern edge of the continent. Formerly an independent state until it was invaded and occupied by Galbadia. Many of the town's residents oppose the occupation and have formed various resistance groups. Rinoa Heartilly is a member of one of these resistance groups, the Forest Owls. The town's most noteworthy feature is its TV station, where President Vinzer Deling of Galbadia first announces his nation's alliance with Sorceress Edea.


 * Galbadia Garden: The largest Garden, located near the centre of the continental landmass. Sorceress Edea chose Galbadia Garden as her base of operations when she took power over the Galbadian Military forces. Galbadia Garden has the same flight capability as Balamb Garden.
 * The player may visit Galbadia Garden only twice during the game: when it is a building and still under the Garden scheme's control, and again when it is an airship and under the control of Sorceress Edea. It is a tough place with strong enemies to fight on the second visit. The final major playable character, Irvine Kinneas, joins the party from Galbadia Garden at the end of the first visit.


 * Deling City: Capital of the Republic of Galbadia, named after President Vinzer Deling, Deling City is the largest and most advanced population center outside of Esthar. The city has a relaxed, slightly decadent atmosphere, with several examples of architectural beauty. One of these is the triumphal arch at Deling Plaza located at the centre of the city, the scene of a failed assassination attempt on the Sorceress Edea. Given the events that transpire here, it is possible that the city and plaza are named after Dealey Plaza, the site of the infamous assassination of American president John F. Kennedy.


 * Tomb Of The Unknown King: The tomb of Dollet's last king. Since it is considered bad luck to call a dead king by his name it remains nameless, and therefore unknown. Located northeast of Deling City, the tomb can optionally be explored (requiring the solution of the Tomb's topographical puzzle) to gain an additional Guardian Force, the earth-elemental Brothers.


 * D-District Prison: A remote, underground prison run by Galbadian President Vinzer Deling as a holding area for political opponents and insurgents. The prison structure can be raised above ground (thus placing its single point of escape high in the air) when security alerts occur.


 * Galbadia Missile Base: The launch site of Galbadia's intercontinental missile capability. Sorceress Edea launches an attack on Balamb and Trabia Gardens from this facility in retribution for the assassination attempt on her at Deling City. The missiles miss when Balamb Garden becomes mobile, but unfortunately Trabia Garden is hit and destroyed.


 * Winhill: A quiet village near the continent's southern tip. Laguna Loire moved here after leaving the Galbadian army and began a relationship with a local woman who helped him recover from his injuries, Raine. It is greatly hinted, though not explicitly said, that he fathered Squall Leonhart while living here, though events drew him away before the child was born. Raine died during childbirth and is buried in a field of flowers located next to the village. This is also where Ellone lived before being captured by Esthar soldiers.

Shumi Island
Northernmost area of the planet, this small island is completely snowbound and, at first glance, deserted.


 * Shumi Village: A village located underground in an enviromentally controlled facility. It is inhabited by the Shumi, a people who oddly resemble a squid. The Shumi are very technologically advanced, as the have their own "biodome" contained underneath the frigid northern continents. Laguna Loire recovered here, after being injured jumping from the cliffs of Esthar. This is also the homeplace of the Moombas, the orange cat-like creatures who help Sqaull out during his escape from the D-District Prison.

Eastern Continent
Occupying most of the eastern hemisphere and encroaching into the northern polar regions, this continent is the largest on the planet. It is devided by a near-impassable mountain range that seperates the two regions into Trabia, in the north, and Esthar, to the south.


 * Trabia Garden: The smallest of the three Gardens, located in the northern polar regions of the eastern continent. Selphie Tilmitt studied at this academy before being transferred to Balamb Garden. It is later destroyed by Galbadian missiles.


 * Great Salt Lake: Once a huge, beautiful lake teeming with life until scientific experiments by Esthar ruined it, leaving a barren wasteland. Also home to the zombie creature Abadon.


 * Esthar: The capital city of the technologically advanced and isolationist country of the same name. At the end of the first Sorceress War, the people of Esthar withdrew from world affairs, and used their advanced technology to erect an immense dome over the entire city, rendering it completely invisible. Laguna Loire's world travels eventually lead him to Esthar, where events transpire to leave him president of the city-state after the confinement of Sorceress Adel.


 * Research Facility: Esthar's primary centre of scientific study outside of the city proper. The Crystal Pillar - a mysterious artifact originating from the planet's moon - was recovered and moved here, leading to the creation of Lunatic Pandora.


 * Lunar Gate: The base of Esthar's space programme. Essentially a spaceport with a catapult-like launch assist system for surface-to-orbital vessels.


 * Tear's Point: A peculiar construction found near the southeastern extent of Esthar's territory on the eastern continent, which appears to share some connection with Lunatic Pandora. The Galbadians move Pandora in conjunction with the Tear's Point device, thus triggering a Lunar Cry.


 * Lunatic Pandora: A giant enclosure and transport vehicle constructed by Esthar to hold the Crystal Pillar. During a preceding Lunar Cry event this artifact fell to the planet's surface, destroying the Centra civilisation in the process. It was recovered and moved to Esthar's Research Facility for study, during which time the Lunatic Pandora shell was built around it. After the studies were abandoned, Pandora was re-excavated by the Galbadians and used as a mobile attack platform. The name most probably refers to Pandora's Box (in mythology, the source of all evil); Lunatic in this case would mean 'of or from the moon'.


 * Sorceress Memorial: The scientific facility used by Laguna Loire to seal Sorceress Adel's power and end of her rule over Esthar. After Rinoa Heartilly gains her sorceress powers, she is taken here by Esthar soldiers to be sealed.


 * Chocobo Forest(s)
 * Chocobo Sanctuary

Central Archipelago
Once a landmass in its own right and the site of a calamatous impact event that destroyed the Centra civilisation that resided on it.


 * Edea's Orphanage: An orpahanage founded by Edea. Home to Squall, Seifer, Quistis, Zell, Irvine, and Selphie until they either were adopted or attended either of the three Gardens.


 * Centra Ruin: Former home of the Centra, it was annihilated when the last Lunar Cry occured. The Lunar Cry liquified a majority of the civilization, spreading it about the immediate area which are now known as the islands off the main continent. The ruins are all that is left of the once great civilization. It is the home of semi-GF Odin and the GF Tonberry King.


 * White SeeD Ship: A sailing ship crewed by a special group of SeeDs, responsible solely for the protection of Ellone, whom was moved to the ship in order to keep her from the Sorceress Ultimecia. The ship hides amongst the jagged, rocky remains of the Centra continent.


 * Cactuar Island: An island of Centra's eastern coast. Only reachable after obtaining the Ragnorak. It is a barren plce only inhabited by Cactuars and the GF Cactuar.


 * Chocobo Forest

Other

 * Fisherman's Horizon: An artifically constructed atoll built equidistantly between the western and eastern continents, home to ex-pats and wanderers who opposed the use of violence as a solution to problems. An intercontinental railroad runs across the central ocean, through Fisherman's Horizon, and was in use until the end of the first Sorceress War, which saw the self-imposed isolation of Esthar.


 * Moon: While not a location that the player may actually visit, the unnamed planet's moon plays a big role in the Final Fantasy VIII story. It is revealed through play that the moon is the original home and breeding ground of the monsters that infest the planet. A natural event called a Lunar Cry occurs periodically, in which masses of monsters converge towards a single area of the moon and are subsequently drawn from its surface and towards the planet itself in a flux tube (the massing of monsters on the moon's surface gives the satellite the appearance of an eye when observed from the planet, crying tears down towards the surface). Despite bringing monsters to the planet, Lunar Crys are not in themselves destructive, however during a previous Cry the Crystal Pillar also fell from the Moon, with an impact so violent it annihilated the continent of the Centra civilisation, liquifying much of the central landmass and flinging it out to cool into long, jagged island chains that radiate from the impact site.


 * Ultimecia's Castle: The home of the sorceress, Ultimecia, which hovers high above the orphanage, held down by a number of massive chains. Upon entering the castle, Squall and his party have their abilities sealed by Ultimecia in a last attempt to stop them. Only by defeating the guardians of the castle can they restore their powers. The castle is also home to the Omega Weapon, the strongest enemy in the game.


 * Deep Sea Research Facility: A mysterious construction that exists seperately to the main storyline. Not shown on the game map, but located at the extreme southwestern corner of the map projection, the research facility was built to allow access to, and subsequently seal away, an extremely dangerous monster known as Ultima Weapon. Also houses the King of Dragons - the GF Bahamut.


 * Island Closest To Hell
 * Island Closest To Heaven