These specific circumstances allow the Lannisters to field armies much larger than the size of the Westerlands suggests. However the people possess coins to purchase food in the markets, while working in other, slightly better paying jobs. Of course, being born as smallfolk isn't a much kinder fate in the west than anywhere else. The region's prosperity is only comparable to the bountiful Reach. The gold mines and the access to trade in the region have made the Lannisters the richest family in all of Westeros. After all Lannisport, the third largest city of Westeros, lies in the Westerlands in the shadow of Casterly Rock. The coastal region is more apt for farming, but the dense population of the Westerlands strains the lands' resources. Despite being the smallest of the Seven Kingdoms, these lucrative mines make it the richest. The west is a hilly region, full of knolls and mountains renowned for their gold mines. House Lannister has ruled the Westerlands from their mighty keep of Casterly Rock for centuries. Tywin Lannister, Warden of the West (Artist: Fergus Duggan) House Lannister
