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Historical map · 1920

Map of Asia in 1920

In 1920, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 44 states, empires and other polities in Asia. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Republics of the Soviet Union, the British Empire and the Republic of China (Beiyang era). The British Empire reached well beyond Asia: its whole territory measured about 41.0 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Asia in 1920. Zoom in, move the year slider to watch the borders change, or ask the history guide a question and it draws the answer on the map.

OPEN 1920 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1920
Atlas map: The Borderlands’ Own Revolutions (Aug 1919)
FROM THE ATLAS · THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION, CHAPTER 11: THE BORDERLANDS’ OWN REVOLUTIONS (AUG 1919)

States and empires in Asia in 1920

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Republics of the Soviet Union Wikipedia19.4 million km²21.4 million km²1920–1921
British Empire Wikipedia12.0 million km²41.0 million km²1706–1999
Republic of China (Beiyang era)7.6 million km²7.6 million km²1912–1949
British Africa Wikipedia5.4 million km²10.1 million km²1885–1960
British Raj Wikipedia4.9 million km²4.9 million km²1859–1947
Dutch East Indies Wikipedia2.0 million km²2.0 million km²1800–1949
Netherlands Wikipedia2.0 million km²2.1 million km²1811–2024
Qajar Iran Wikipedia1.5 million km²1.5 million km²1788–1923
Tibet Wikipedia1.4 million km²1.4 million km²1363–1952
Ethiopian Empire Wikipedia1.1 million km²1.1 million km²1272–1935
French Third Republic Wikipedia1.0 million km²13.5 million km²1871–1939
Belgian Congo Wikipedia945,000 km²2.4 million km²1890–1962
Empire of Japan Wikipedia923,000 km²928,000 km²1868–1946
French Indochina Wikipedia757,000 km²793,000 km²1860–1957
Ottoman Empire Wikipedia650,000 km²650,000 km²1305–1923
Emirate of Afghanistan Wikipedia644,000 km²644,000 km²1828–1925
Italian Africa Wikipedia591,000 km²1.6 million km²1890–1943
Siam Wikipedia524,000 km²524,000 km²1783–1931
Emirate of Nejd Wikipedia504,000 km²504,000 km²1824–1925
United Kingdom Wikipedia420,000 km²765,000 km²1709–2024
United States of America Wikipedia346,000 km²9.9 million km²1776–2024
Muscat and Oman Wikipedia334,000 km²334,000 km²1900–1969
Kingdom of Hejaz Wikipedia293,000 km²293,000 km²1916–1925
Republic of Finland Wikipedia267,000 km²374,000 km²1918–2024
Emirate of Jabal Shammar Wikipedia245,000 km²245,000 km²1825–1921
French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon Wikipedia210,000 km²210,000 km²1920–1945
North Yemen Wikipedia182,000 km²182,000 km²1919–1989
Kingdom of Romania Wikipedia178,000 km²300,000 km²1919–1947
Nepal Wikipedia149,000 km²149,000 km²1775–2024
Second Polish Republic Wikipedia105,000 km²372,000 km²1918–1939
Greece Wikipedia101,000 km²206,000 km²1822–1940
Asir Wikipedia96,000 km²96,000 km²1917–1923
Georgia Wikipedia73,000 km²73,000 km²567–2024
French Africa Wikipedia64,000 km²11.1 million km²1846–1957
Kingdom of Bulgaria Wikipedia51,000 km²101,000 km²1909–1946
Kingdom of Bhutan Wikipedia41,000 km²41,000 km²1636–2024
Republic of Latvia Wikipedia35,000 km²67,000 km²1920–2024
Kingdom of Norway Wikipedia31,000 km²344,000 km²1814–2024
Estonia Wikipedia30,000 km²48,000 km²1919–2024
Portuguese Republic Wikipedia28,000 km²2.2 million km²1911–1925

Also on the map: Republic of Lithuania, Kingdom of Italy, Commonwealth of Australia, Kingdom of Belgium.

"In the data" gives the first and last year the dataset draws the state under this identity; states often existed earlier or later in another form.

What changed since 1918

New on the map: Republics of the Soviet Union, French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon, North Yemen, Kingdom of Romania, Republic of Latvia, Estonia, Republic of Lithuania.

Gone from the map: Anti-Bolshevik Russia (White governments), Russian SFSR (Soviet Russia), Bogd Khanate of Mongolia, German Empire, Khanate of Khiva, Emirate of Bukhara, Austria-Hungary, Imamate of Oman, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, First Republic of Armenia.

What comes next: 1930

Appear by 1930: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd, Pahlavi Iran, Mongolian People's Republic, Kingdom of Egypt, Republic of Turkey, Kingdom of Afghanistan, Anti-Kuomintang Coalition, Communist-held China, Portugal (military dictatorship).

Gone by 1930: Republics of the Soviet Union, Qajar Iran, Ottoman Empire, Emirate of Afghanistan, Emirate of Nejd, Kingdom of Hejaz, Emirate of Jabal Shammar, Asir, Georgia, Portuguese Republic.

Read the history of 1920

Guided atlas chapters set near this date, each with its own map, causes and consequences:

Questions about this map

Which countries were in Asia in 1920?

The map data draws 44 states and other polities in Asia in 1920. The largest by land were the Republics of the Soviet Union, the British Empire, the Republic of China (Beiyang era), the British Africa and the British Raj.

What was the largest empire in Asia in 1920?

Of the states on this map, the British Empire held the most land in total: about 41.0 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Asia in 1920 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1920, zoom into any region, move through the years, and ask the history guide questions: it answers in plain words and draws places, armies and borders on the map.

About these borders

The borders come from Cliopatria (v0.2.1, Seshat Global History Databank, CC BY 4.0), the dataset behind our interactive map, with our audited name and border corrections. It records each state's territory year by year from 3400 BC to 2024. Borders before modern surveys are reconstructions: the data draws a state where it held control, and frontier zones, nomadic realms and loose overlordships are approximate. Areas are measured on an equal-area projection. Read how we make our maps.

Asia in other years

Other regions in 1920