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Historical map · 1938

Map of China and East Asia in 1938

In 1938, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 15 states, empires and other polities in China and East Asia. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Republic of China, the Empire of Japan and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics reached well beyond China and East Asia: its whole territory measured about 21.3 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on China and East Asia in 1938. 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 1938 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1938
Atlas map: The Japanese War Begins (1938)
FROM THE ATLAS · CHINA IN REVOLUTION, CHAPTER 8: THE JAPANESE WAR BEGINS (1938)

States and empires in China and East Asia in 1938

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Republic of China5.0 million km²6.1 million km²1912–1949
Empire of Japan Wikipedia3.1 million km²3.1 million km²1868–1946
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Wikipedia2.5 million km²21.3 million km²1922–1991
Mongolian People's Republic Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²1925–1991
British Empire Wikipedia1.1 million km²17.1 million km²1706–1999
British Raj Wikipedia1.1 million km²4.9 million km²1859–1947
French Third Republic Wikipedia457,000 km²13.4 million km²1871–1939
French Indochina Wikipedia457,000 km²793,000 km²1860–1957
Kingdom of Siam Wikipedia387,000 km²524,000 km²1932–2024
Tibet Wikipedia327,000 km²908,000 km²1363–1952
United States of America Wikipedia100,000 km²9.8 million km²1776–2024
Kingdom of Bhutan Wikipedia41,000 km²41,000 km²1636–2024
Communist-held China Wikipedia33,000 km²33,000 km²1928–1949
Nepal Wikipedia1,850 km²149,000 km²1775–2024
Portugal (Estado Novo) Wikipedia520 km²2.2 million km²1926–2024

"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 1930

New on the map: Kingdom of Siam.

Gone from the map: Anti-Kuomintang Coalition, Siam, Kingdom of Belgium.

What comes next: 1939

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

Read the history of 1938

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 1938?

The map data draws 15 states and other polities in China and East Asia in 1938. The largest by land were the Republic of China, the Empire of Japan, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Mongolian People's Republic and the British Empire.

What was the largest empire in China and East Asia in 1938?

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 China and East Asia in 1938 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1938, 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 1938