So, I am interested in where people think the different races would settle. Personally I think:

Argonian: Riften
Altmer: Solitude
Breton: Markart or Solitude
Bosmer: ?
Dunmer: Windhelm or Riften
Imperial: Solitude
Khajiit: Riften
Nord: Any
Orsimer: ?
Redguard: ?

Orsimer either one of the strongholds or an Imperial city.
A lot of Orcs that leave the strongholds for one reason or another join the legion.

skyrim belongs to the nords

"Why would an outsider fight for Skyrim?"
"Skyrim is home to more tham just the Nords."
"Yes, but are you willing to die for your home?"

Conversation with Galmar Stone-Fist, Ulfrics second-in-command and supposed racist.

every race has its own homeland, why should they settle in skyrim? to stare at dragons?

The same reasons people migrate in our world. Fleeing conflict, want to go to a new land or any other reason you can think of.

It's also home to Dwemer & Falmer. Long before the Nede invasion, Mers were there. So technically Skyrim belongs to the Aldemeri Dominion.

Argonian: Riften
Altmer: Solitude
Breton: The Reach
Bosmer: Falkreath
Dunmer: Riften
Imperial: Solitude
Khajiit: Falkreath, or the Reach
Orsimer: Not sure
Redguard: Whiterun, maybe Markath

The reason I'm writing the Reach as whole instead of Markath is because they're quite different places to live. The Reach would attract people that prefer the wilderness and warm weather, while Markath not so. It's a big stone city for people who like big cities.

whatever, it's just very unlikely, lore-wise

Seeing this quote for the thousandth time just decided for me. On my current playthough....DOWN WITH THE NORDS! I'm joining the imperials.

Err, no? Camilla Valerius(?) left Cyrodiil to escape war for one, Amren settled i Whiterun because he says he "get along with the nords well enough", and many Khajiit traders come bacause there are good profit to be made witht he war.

Lore-wise, none of the known races have stayed in one place. The Nords were in Tamriel, left, then came back again. The Dunmer are from Summerset Isle. The Dwemer were based in Morrowind and a tribe went to Hammerfell. The Redguards were from Yokuda and went to Hammerfell. The only ones who are now where they always were are the Argonians, Khajiit, and to a lesser extent the Orcs (also from Summerset Isle) and the Bosmer (???).

I play Bosmer, whenever I play another race I always end up treating them as if they were Bosmer, so I just stick to Bosmer now.

In my mind the Bosmer are drawn to the southern woodlands of Rift and Falkreath.

But I can picture a "plains" bosmer in whiterun or even a "mountain" Bosmer living in a snow cap.

I try to play them realistic and not pick any plants and only eating meat. Buying potion ingredients already picked is okay to my mind.

my bad then, I thought you mean a place where an "entire race" would settle, of course someone can move and settle in another region, it already happened