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Historical map · 1776

Map of China and East Asia in 1776

In 1776, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 21 states, empires and other polities in China and East Asia. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Qing Dynasty, the Russian Empire and Tibet. The Spanish Empire reached well beyond China and East Asia: its whole territory measured about 20.2 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on China and East Asia in 1776. 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 1776 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1776

States and empires in China and East Asia in 1776

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Qing Dynasty Wikipedia9.8 million km²11.2 million km²1645–1911
Russian Empire Wikipedia1.4 million km²16.0 million km²1721–1916
Tibet Wikipedia671,000 km²1.3 million km²1363–1952
Konbaung Dynasty Wikipedia585,000 km²619,000 km²1741–1819
Tokugawa Shogunate Wikipedia329,000 km²329,000 km²1600–1869
Joseon232,000 km²232,000 km²1395–1897
Thonburi Kingdom Wikipedia224,000 km²361,000 km²1769–1782
British Empire Wikipedia202,000 km²3.2 million km²1706–1999
Vientiane Wikipedia173,000 km²173,000 km²1709–1827
Kingdom of Luang Phrabang Wikipedia161,000 km²161,000 km²1709–1894
Trịnh lords Wikipedia156,000 km²159,000 km²1572–1787
Spanish Empire Wikipedia99,000 km²20.2 million km²1516–1931
Kingdom of Mrauk U Wikipedia59,000 km²59,000 km²1429–1787
Chiangmai Wikipedia53,000 km²53,000 km²1775–1884
Kingdom of Champasak Wikipedia42,000 km²42,000 km²1709–1894
Bhutan Wikipedia40,000 km²40,000 km²1636–2024
Kingdom of Cambodia Wikipedia18,000 km²267,000 km²1540–2024
Tây Sơn dynasty Wikipedia14,000 km²57,000 km²1775–1802
Nepal Wikipedia2,350 km²57,000 km²1775–2024
Portuguese Empire Wikipedia600 km²13.3 million km²1502–1910
Mughal Empire Wikipedia550 km²328,000 km²1529–1858

"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 1750

New on the map: Thonburi Kingdom, Chiangmai, Tây Sơn dynasty, Nepal.

Gone from the map: Dzungar Khanate, First Toungoo Empire, Ayutthaya Kingdom, Nawabs of Bengal, Nguyễn lords, Lan Na, Gorkha Kingdom.

What comes next: 1789

Appear by 1789: Siam.

Gone by 1789: Thonburi Kingdom, Trịnh lords, Kingdom of Mrauk U.

Questions about this map

Which countries were in China and East Asia in 1776?

The map data draws 21 states and other polities in China and East Asia in 1776. The largest by land were the Qing Dynasty, the Russian Empire, Tibet, the Konbaung Dynasty and the Tokugawa Shogunate.

What was the largest empire in China and East Asia in 1776?

Of the states on this map, the Spanish Empire held the most land in total: about 20.2 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore China and East Asia in 1776 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1776, 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.

China in other years

Other regions in 1776