Númenor was J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional island kingdom destroyed beneath the sea.
Númenor was raised from the sea by the Valar after the War of Wrath and given to the Men who had aided the Elves in the First Age. Its people became renowned for long life, seafaring, and power. Over time, however, many Númenóreans grew jealous of the Elves and fearful of death.
Sauron exploited that fear after being taken to Númenor as a prisoner. He influenced King Ar-Pharazôn and encouraged rebellion against the Valar. When the king’s fleet sailed west to attack the Undying Lands, Eru Ilúvatar changed the world and sank Númenor in the Second Age.
The survivors included Elendil and his sons, Isildur and Anárion. They founded the realms of Arnor and Gondor in Middle-earth. Númenor is therefore also the origin of the Dúnedain, whose descendants include Aragorn.