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Historical map · 1850

Map of China and East Asia in 1850

In 1850, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 16 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 Burma. The Russian Empire reached well beyond China and East Asia: its whole territory measured about 20.9 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on China and East Asia in 1850. 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 1850 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1850
Atlas map: The Closed Country (1842)
FROM THE ATLAS · REMAKING THE STATE, CHAPTER 1: THE CLOSED COUNTRY (1842)

States and empires in China and East Asia in 1850

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Qing Dynasty Wikipedia10.5 million km²12.1 million km²1645–1911
Russian Empire Wikipedia1.4 million km²20.9 million km²1721–1916
Burma Wikipedia554,000 km²554,000 km²1820–2024
British Empire Wikipedia481,000 km²11.8 million km²1706–1999
Siam Wikipedia413,000 km²609,000 km²1783–1931
Tokugawa Shogunate Wikipedia329,000 km²329,000 km²1600–1869
Joseon232,000 km²232,000 km²1395–1897
Nguyễn dynasty Wikipedia170,000 km²302,000 km²1791–1884
Kingdom of Luang Phrabang Wikipedia149,000 km²149,000 km²1709–1894
Spanish Empire Wikipedia99,000 km²1.5 million km²1516–1931
Chiangmai Wikipedia65,000 km²65,000 km²1775–1884
Bhutan Wikipedia41,000 km²41,000 km²1636–2024
Kingdom of Champasak Wikipedia37,000 km²37,000 km²1709–1894
Kingdom of Cambodia Wikipedia7,140 km²116,000 km²1540–2024
Nepal Wikipedia2,140 km²150,000 km²1775–2024
Portuguese Empire Wikipedia600 km²244,000 km²1502–1910

"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 1830

Between 1830 and 1850 the data shows the same states in China and East Asia; their borders may still have moved.

What comes next: 1871

Appear by 1871: British Raj, Empire of Japan, Panthay Rebellion, French Third Republic, French Indochina.

Gone by 1871: Tokugawa Shogunate, Kingdom of Cambodia.

Read the history of 1850

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

Questions about this map

Which countries were in China and East Asia in 1850?

The map data draws 16 states and other polities in China and East Asia in 1850. The largest by land were the Qing Dynasty, the Russian Empire, Burma, the British Empire and Siam.

What was the largest empire in China and East Asia in 1850?

Of the states on this map, the Russian Empire held the most land in total: about 20.9 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 1850 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1850, 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 1850