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Historical map · 1980

Map of China and East Asia in 1980

In 1980, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 19 states, empires and other polities in China and East Asia. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the People's Republic of China, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Mongolian People's Republic. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics reached well beyond China and East Asia: its whole territory measured about 21.9 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on China and East Asia in 1980. 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 1980 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1980
Atlas map: The Stagnant Superpower (1980)
FROM THE ATLAS · REMAKING THE STATE, CHAPTER 7: THE STAGNANT SUPERPOWER (1980)

States and empires in China and East Asia in 1980

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
People's Republic of China Wikipedia7.8 million km²9.4 million km²1950–2024
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Wikipedia2.5 million km²21.9 million km²1922–1991
Mongolian People's Republic Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²1925–1991
Burma Wikipedia644,000 km²678,000 km²1820–2024
Japan413,000 km²413,000 km²1947–2024
Kingdom of Thailand Wikipedia387,000 km²524,000 km²1932–2024
Republic of India Wikipedia312,000 km²3.2 million km²1947–2024
Lao People's Democratic Republic Wikipedia230,000 km²230,000 km²1976–2024
Socialist Republic of Vietnam Wikipedia206,000 km²339,000 km²1976–2024
People's Republic of Bangladesh Wikipedia145,000 km²145,000 km²1972–2024
Democratic People's Republic of Korea Wikipedia127,000 km²127,000 km²1948–2024
Republic of Korea105,000 km²105,000 km²1948–2024
Republic of the Philippines Wikipedia100,000 km²345,000 km²1947–2024
Republic of China41,000 km²41,000 km²1950–2024
Kingdom of Bhutan Wikipedia40,000 km²40,000 km²1636–2024
People's Republic of Kampuchea Wikipedia19,000 km²185,000 km²1979–1988
British Empire Wikipedia2,840 km²379,000 km²1706–1999
Nepal Wikipedia1,850 km²149,000 km²1775–2024
Portugal Wikipedia520 km²97,000 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 1970

New on the map: Lao People's Democratic Republic, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, People's Republic of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Kampuchea.

Gone from the map: Kingdom of Laos, Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Republic of Vietnam, Khmer Republic, United States of America.

What comes next: 1990

Appear by 1990: State of Cambodia.

Gone by 1990: People's Republic of Kampuchea.

Read the history of 1980

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 1980?

The map data draws 19 states and other polities in China and East Asia in 1980. The largest by land were the People's Republic of China, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Mongolian People's Republic, Burma and Japan.

What was the largest empire in China and East Asia in 1980?

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 China and East Asia in 1980 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1980, 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 1980