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Historical map · 1939

Map of Asia in 1939

In 1939, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 43 states, empires and other polities in Asia. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the British Empire and the Republic of China.

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Asia in 1939. 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 1939 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1939
Atlas map: China: The War Nobody Declared (1938)
FROM THE ATLAS · THE ROAD TO WAR, CHAPTER 6: CHINA: THE WAR NOBODY DECLARED (1938)

States and empires in Asia in 1939

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Wikipedia19.4 million km²21.3 million km²1922–1991
British Empire Wikipedia10.5 million km²17.1 million km²1706–1999
Republic of China5.8 million km²5.8 million km²1912–1949
British Raj Wikipedia4.9 million km²4.9 million km²1859–1947
British Africa Wikipedia4.3 million km²6.3 million km²1885–1960
Empire of Japan Wikipedia3.4 million km²3.4 million km²1868–1946
Dutch East Indies Wikipedia2.0 million km²2.0 million km²1800–1949
Netherlands Wikipedia2.0 million km²2.1 million km²1811–2024
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Wikipedia1.9 million km²1.9 million km²1936–2024
Italian Africa Wikipedia1.7 million km²3.3 million km²1890–1943
Pahlavi Iran Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²1924–1978
Mongolian People's Republic Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²1925–1991
French Third Republic Wikipedia1.0 million km²13.4 million km²1871–1939
Kingdom of Egypt Wikipedia1.0 million km²1.0 million km²1922–1952
Belgian Congo Wikipedia945,000 km²2.4 million km²1890–1962
Tibet Wikipedia911,000 km²911,000 km²1363–1952
Republic of Turkey Wikipedia768,000 km²768,000 km²1924–2024
French Indochina Wikipedia758,000 km²793,000 km²1860–1957
Kingdom of Afghanistan Wikipedia644,000 km²644,000 km²1926–1972
United Kingdom Wikipedia552,000 km²818,000 km²1709–2024
Kingdom of Thailand Wikipedia524,000 km²524,000 km²1932–2024
Kingdom of Iraq Wikipedia434,000 km²434,000 km²1932–1957
United States of America Wikipedia346,000 km²9.8 million km²1776–2024
Muscat and Oman Wikipedia315,000 km²315,000 km²1900–1969
Republic of Finland Wikipedia267,000 km²374,000 km²1918–2024
French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon Wikipedia196,000 km²196,000 km²1920–1945
Kingdom of Romania Wikipedia178,000 km²300,000 km²1919–1947
North Yemen Wikipedia152,000 km²152,000 km²1919–1989
Nepal Wikipedia149,000 km²149,000 km²1775–2024
Second Polish Republic Wikipedia105,000 km²373,000 km²1918–1939
Kingdom of Bhutan Wikipedia71,000 km²71,000 km²1636–2024
French Africa Wikipedia64,000 km²11.1 million km²1846–1957
Kingdom of Bulgaria Wikipedia51,000 km²102,000 km²1909–1946
Republic of Latvia Wikipedia35,000 km²68,000 km²1920–2024
Communist-held China Wikipedia33,000 km²33,000 km²1928–1949
Kingdom of Norway Wikipedia31,000 km²418,000 km²1814–2024
Estonia Wikipedia30,000 km²48,000 km²1919–2024
Portugal (Estado Novo) Wikipedia28,000 km²2.2 million km²1926–2024
Greece Wikipedia15,000 km²118,000 km²1822–1940
Republic of Lithuania Wikipedia10,000 km²60,000 km²1919–2024

Also on the map: Nazi Germany, Kingdom of Italy, Commonwealth of Australia.

"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 1938

Between 1938 and 1939 the data shows the same states in Asia; their borders may still have moved.

What comes next: 1940

Appear by 1940: Vichy France, Free French.

Gone by 1940: French Third Republic, Second Polish Republic, Republic of Latvia, Estonia, Republic of Lithuania.

Read the history of 1939

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 1939?

The map data draws 43 states and other polities in Asia in 1939. The largest by land were the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the British Empire, the Republic of China, the British Raj and the British Africa.

What was the largest empire in Asia in 1939?

Of the states on this map, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics held the most land in total: about 21.3 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Asia in 1939 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1939, 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 1939