The magnetic domain structures of Fe thin films on rectangular land-and-groove structures have been studied by spin-polarized secondary electron microscopy (SP-SEM) under an applied dc field. The coercive force on the land area was found to be higher than that on the groove area in the magnetization reversal due to the difference in surface roughness between land and groove areas. The magnetic domain structure and domain wall pinning behavior during the reversal process depended on the direction of the magnetic field relative to the rectangles. These results show that the anisotropy induced by film geometry also contributes to the magnetization reversal process of thin magnetic films on land-and-groove substrates. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.