Anduin is the great river flowing through much of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
Often called the Great River, the Anduin runs southward from the northwestern regions of Middle-earth toward the sea. It passes through or near important places including Lothlórien, Amon Hen, the Emyn Muil, and the Falls of Rauros. The Fellowship travels on it by boat after leaving Lothlórien.
The river is a major geographical feature in The Lord of the Rings because it forms a natural route through several different regions. Its banks also connect many episodes, including the departure from Lothlórien, Boromir’s death, and the breaking of the Fellowship.
Anduin is sometimes confused with other named rivers. The Baranduin, also called the Brandywine, flows near the Shire, while the Isen lies farther west and the Lhûn marks a region near Eriador. None has the same scale or central role as the Great River.