The Circles of the World (Q. "Ambarrindër")) were depictions of how the world was believed to have looked to Elves, Men, Dwarves and other races of Middle-earth. Depictions usually represented a flat earth in the shape of a disc, where the lands of Arda were positioned around a centered land, often representing the land where the map artist came from to suggest a sense of superiority, for it was their country that was in the centre of the world. Such depictions were often inaccurate and served to provide a sense of pride and authority among the races of Arda.
As the races of Middle-earth began to mix among themselves, and the first ships were built, it became possible for further exploration and charting to occur. Consequently, more and more accurate maps evolved and as the races began to realize that Arda was not a disc, but a sphere, the idea that their country was centered in the world had to be abandoned. As a result, to make up for this lack of dominance in the world, tribes and kingdoms began to wage war on one another to assert dominance over one another.