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Historical map · 1960

Map of Asia in 1960

In 1960, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 51 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 People's Republic of China and the Republic of India.

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Asia in 1960. 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 1960 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1960
Atlas map: The Great Famine (1960)
FROM THE ATLAS · THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC UNDER MAO, CHAPTER 7: THE GREAT FAMINE (1960)

States and empires in Asia in 1960

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Wikipedia19.7 million km²21.9 million km²1922–1991
People's Republic of China Wikipedia9.4 million km²9.4 million km²1950–2024
Republic of India Wikipedia3.2 million km²3.2 million km²1947–2024
British Empire Wikipedia2.4 million km²6.5 million km²1706–1999
Republic of Sudan Wikipedia2.3 million km²2.5 million km²1956–2024
Republic of Indonesia Wikipedia2.0 million km²2.0 million km²1946–2024
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Wikipedia1.9 million km²1.9 million km²1936–2024
British Africa Wikipedia1.8 million km²3.6 million km²1885–1960
Pahlavi Iran Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²1924–1978
Mongolian People's Republic Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²1925–1991
Ethiopia Wikipedia1.3 million km²1.3 million km²1942–2024
United Arab Republic Wikipedia1.2 million km²1.2 million km²1958–1972
Islamic Republic of Pakistan Wikipedia1.0 million km²1.0 million km²1947–2024
Democratic Republic of the Congo Wikipedia894,000 km²2.3 million km²1960–2024
Republic of Turkey Wikipedia768,000 km²768,000 km²1924–2024
Burma Wikipedia678,000 km²678,000 km²1820–2024
Somali Republic Wikipedia649,000 km²649,000 km²1960–2024
Kingdom of Afghanistan Wikipedia644,000 km²644,000 km²1926–1972
Kingdom of Thailand Wikipedia524,000 km²524,000 km²1932–2024
Iraqi Republic Wikipedia434,000 km²434,000 km²1959–2024
Territory of Papua and New Guinea (Australian)432,000 km²480,000 km²1946–1974
United Kingdom Wikipedia426,000 km²692,000 km²1709–2024
Japan411,000 km²411,000 km²1947–2024
Republic of the Philippines Wikipedia345,000 km²345,000 km²1947–2024
Muscat and Oman Wikipedia315,000 km²315,000 km²1900–1969
Kingdom of Laos Wikipedia230,000 km²230,000 km²1954–1975
Republic of Finland Wikipedia228,000 km²335,000 km²1918–2024
Kingdom of Cambodia Wikipedia185,000 km²185,000 km²1540–2024
Republic of Vietnam181,000 km²181,000 km²1956–1975
Democratic Republic of Vietnam Wikipedia158,000 km²158,000 km²1954–1975
North Yemen Wikipedia152,000 km²152,000 km²1919–1989
Nepal Wikipedia149,000 km²149,000 km²1775–2024
Federation of Malaya Wikipedia140,000 km²140,000 km²1958–1962
Democratic People's Republic of Korea Wikipedia127,000 km²127,000 km²1948–2024
Romanian People's Republic Wikipedia117,000 km²238,000 km²1948–1989
Republic of Korea105,000 km²105,000 km²1948–2024
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Wikipedia104,000 km²104,000 km²1947–2024
Dominion of Ceylon Wikipedia74,000 km²74,000 km²1948–2024
French Fifth Republic Wikipedia64,000 km²8.5 million km²1958–2024
People's Republic of Bulgaria Wikipedia59,000 km²109,000 km²1947–1990

Also on the map: Belgian Congo, Republic of China, Kingdom of Bhutan, Kingdom of Norway, Portugal (Estado Novo), State of Israel, Kingdom of Greece, Lebanon, Kingdom of Libya, United States of America, 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 1950

New on the map: Republic of Sudan, United Arab Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somali Republic, Iraqi Republic, Kingdom of Laos, Kingdom of Cambodia, Republic of Vietnam, Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Federation of Malaya, French Fifth Republic, Kingdom of Libya.

Gone from the map: Kingdom of Egypt, Tibet, French Fourth Republic, French Indochina, Kingdom of Iraq, Second Syrian Republic, French Africa.

What comes next: 1970

Appear by 1970: Tanzania, Republic of Kenya, Malaysia, Sultanate of Oman, People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, Republic of Uganda, Syrian Arab Republic, Khmer Republic, Zambia, Central African Republic, Republic of Rwanda, Republic of Burundi, Greek junta, State of Kuwait, Republic of Cyprus, Malawi, Libyan Arab Republic, Republic of Singapore.

Gone by 1970: British Africa, Muscat and Oman, Kingdom of Cambodia, Federation of Malaya, Belgian Congo, Kingdom of Greece, Kingdom of Libya.

Read the history of 1960

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 1960?

The map data draws 51 states and other polities in Asia in 1960. The largest by land were the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of India, the British Empire and the Republic of Sudan.

What was the largest empire in Asia in 1960?

Of the states on this map, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics held the most land in total: about 21.9 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Asia in 1960 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1960, 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 1960