No need to pause -- here's a labelled map (http://avatarrevisited.proboards54.com/index.cgi?board=info&action=display&thread=1190532462&page=1)!
The Earth Kingdom, as you can see, is HUUUUGE, which makes wiping them out problematic -- no wonder in the current timeline there were still big unconquered chunks even after a century of war. And the Water Tribes, while much smaller, were much more remote and in fairly inhospitable climates, so it's not too surprising they had a bit of a standoff, particularly with the bigger Northern Tribe.
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The Earth Kingdom, as you can see, is HUUUUGE, which makes wiping them out problematic -- no wonder in the current timeline there were still big unconquered chunks even after a century of war. And the Water Tribes, while much smaller, were much more remote and in fairly inhospitable climates, so it's not too surprising they had a bit of a standoff, particularly with the bigger Northern Tribe.