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Historical map · 1815

Map of China and East Asia in 1815

In 1815, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 20 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 the Konbaung Dynasty. The Spanish Empire reached well beyond China and East Asia: its whole territory measured about 17.6 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on China and East Asia in 1815. 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 1815 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1815

States and empires in China and East Asia in 1815

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Qing Dynasty Wikipedia10.5 million km²12.5 million km²1645–1911
Russian Empire Wikipedia1.4 million km²17.3 million km²1721–1916
Konbaung Dynasty Wikipedia644,000 km²678,000 km²1741–1819
Tokugawa Shogunate Wikipedia363,000 km²363,000 km²1600–1869
Siam Wikipedia235,000 km²432,000 km²1783–1931
Joseon232,000 km²232,000 km²1395–1897
Company rule in India (British East India Company)211,000 km²3.4 million km²1811–1819
British Empire Wikipedia211,000 km²6.2 million km²1706–1999
Vientiane Wikipedia173,000 km²173,000 km²1709–1827
Nguyễn dynasty Wikipedia170,000 km²298,000 km²1791–1884
Kingdom of Luang Phrabang Wikipedia148,000 km²148,000 km²1709–1894
Spanish Empire Wikipedia99,000 km²17.6 million km²1516–1931
Chiangmai Wikipedia65,000 km²65,000 km²1775–1884
Kingdom of Champasak Wikipedia42,000 km²42,000 km²1709–1894
Bhutan Wikipedia40,000 km²40,000 km²1636–2024
Kingdom of Cambodia Wikipedia7,140 km²116,000 km²1540–2024
Nepal Wikipedia1,850 km²149,000 km²1775–2024
Portuguese Empire Wikipedia600 km²15.8 million km²1502–1910
Netherlands Wikipedia380 km²469,000 km²1811–2024
Dutch East Indies Wikipedia380 km²327,000 km²1800–1949

"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 1800

New on the map: Company rule in India (British East India Company), Nguyễn dynasty, Netherlands, Dutch East Indies.

Gone from the map: Tây Sơn dynasty.

What comes next: 1830

Appear by 1830: Burma.

Gone by 1830: Konbaung Dynasty, Company rule in India (British East India Company), Vientiane, Netherlands, Dutch East Indies.

Questions about this map

Which countries were in China and East Asia in 1815?

The map data draws 20 states and other polities in China and East Asia in 1815. The largest by land were the Qing Dynasty, the Russian Empire, the Konbaung Dynasty, the Tokugawa Shogunate and Siam.

What was the largest empire in China and East Asia in 1815?

Of the states on this map, the Spanish Empire held the most land in total: about 17.6 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 1815 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1815, 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 1815