Gulliver's Travels takes place during the early 18th century, which marked a dramatic shift in the British political landscape. Gulliver first sets sail from England in 1699, during the reign of Queen Anne, and makes his final return in 1715, during the reign of King George I. Queen Anne strongly favored the conservative Tory party, and while she sat on the throne from 1665 to 1714, the Tories wielded considerable political control. Anne's successor, King George I, did not share her political sympathies, instead favoring the liberal Whig party. Following George's accession to the throne, the Whigs came to dominate English politics, drastically reducing the role of the Tories. Jonathan Swift satirizes this struggle between Tories and Whigs at numerous points throughout the novel.
Gulliver's Travels features several other real-life places, including Japan and the East and West Indies, but the majority of the novel takes place in more remarkable locations. These lands are often presented as amalgamations of different European and Asian countries in terms of dress and language, and despite their fantastical nature, they usually serve as satirical reflections of England. City and town names often reference locations in England and Ireland, and many parts of the novel satirize English and Irish politics.
Book 1 of Gulliver's Travels takes place in Lilliput, an island nation in the South Indian Ocean inhabited by a race of tiny people. Lilliputian society values honesty and egalitarianism, but its citizens also place great emphasis on trivial matters, and members of the court tend toward deceit and cruelty. The Lilliputian King bears a strong resemblance to King George I, and the conflict between Lilliput's two major political parties satirizes the struggle between the Whigs and Tories. The war between Lilliput and the neighboring country of Blefuscu also mirrors the historical conflict between Britain and France.
Book 2 takes place in Brobdingnag, a massive rocky peninsula situated somewhere between Japan and California. This country is inhabited by a race of giants, who are depicted as practical, efficient, and morally superior to ordinary humans. Their systems of law and government are far more straightforward than those in England.
In Book 3, Gulliver travels to Laputa, a flying island above the realm of Balnibarbi, which is located somewhere east of Japan. Its inhabitants are overly absorbed with abstract matters of the mind and fail to make practical use of their knowledge. Their obsession with impractical matters is intended as a satire of the Royal Society in London, and the rebellion of the city of Lindalino against Laputa is an allegory of Ireland's resistance to British rule.
After leaving Laputa, Gulliver visits Glubbdubdrib, an island governed by sorcerers, and Luggnagg, an island kingdom that trades extensively with Japan. Notable among the inhabitants of Luggnagg are the struldbrugs, who enjoy eternal life but not eternal youth.
Book 4 of the novel takes place in the land of the Houyhnhnms, a race of intelligent horses. Their nation, located south of Australia, is also inhabited by a race of "uncivilized" humans called Yahoos. Houyhnhnm society is based solely on reason, has no conception of evil or falsehood, and it enjoys perfect peace and order. This apparent utopia, however, is quite bleak and boring, as the Houyhnhnms seem incapable of human emotion and lack compassion.
A large part of the novel also takes place on the open ocean, which is depicted as a place of natural and interpersonal upheaval. While at sea, Gulliver must weather violent storms, attacks by pirates, and mutinies, all of which serve to separate him from ordinary society and set in motion his extraordinary adventures.
