Final Fantasy VIII is primarily set in a fictional world consisting of five major continents. The second largest continent is Galbadia, located in the west of the world and has many must pass destinations for gaming. The northernmost continent of Trebia is an ice covered region. In the approximate center of the world map is Balam, which is the smallest land and the starting point of the game. There is also a relatively small continent in the middle, which has become desolate, riddled with holes, and covered in rocks due to the impact of the "Tears of the Moon" - the event of a monster falling from the moon to Earth. The southern land is composed of fragmented and separated islands.