Ammonihah

The geography of the Book of Mormon is very consistently described. I described one example of this (elevation difference of the Lands of Nephi and the lands of Zarahemla and a wilderness in between) here. The city of Ammonihah offers us a great example of this.

In Alma 16, we read:

2 For behold, the armies of the Lamanites had come in upon the wilderness side, into the borders of the land, even into the city of Ammonihah, and began to slay the people and destroy the city.
3 And now it came to pass, before the Nephites could raise a sufficient army to drive them out of the land, they had destroyed the people who were in the city of Ammonihah, and also some around the borders of Noah, and taken others captive into the wilderness.

From these verses, we learn that Ammonihah is:

1. In the border area of the lands held by the Nephites.
2. Near the wilderness.
3. Near another area called Noah.

Compare this to what we read 33 chapters later, in Alma 49. In verse 1, we read that the Lamanites approach the city of Ammonihah again. In verse 3 we learn that the Nephites had rebuilt the city with a strong defensive wall after it was previously destroyed. In verse 10 we learn that the Lamanites lose interest in attacking Ammonihah due to the fortifications. So they retreat into the wilderness and then march to Noah instead (verse 12).