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Historical map · 1453

Map of Europe in 1453

In 1453, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 73 states, empires and other polities in Europe. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Kalmar Union, the Vassalage of Electorate of Brandenburg to Holy Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. The Vassalage of Qara Qoyunlu to Timurid Empire reached well beyond Europe: its whole territory measured about 4.7 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Europe in 1453. 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 1453 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1453
Atlas map: What the Norse Left (1450)
FROM THE ATLAS · CLIMATE AND INNOVATION, CHAPTER 6: WHAT THE NORSE LEFT (1450)

States and empires in Europe in 1453

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Kalmar Union Wikipedia1.3 million km²2.1 million km²1402–1525
Vassalage of Electorate of Brandenburg to Holy Roman Empire Wikipedia1.2 million km²1.3 million km²1260–1618
Holy Roman Empire Wikipedia1.2 million km²1.6 million km²922–1806
Allegiance of Swiss Confederation to Holy Roman Empire Wikipedia1.2 million km²1.2 million km²1294–2024
House of Jagiellon Wikipedia1.0 million km²1.0 million km²1395–1571
Novgorod Republic Wikipedia612,000 km²1.5 million km²1056–1481
Ottoman Empire Wikipedia568,000 km²568,000 km²1305–1923
House of Habsburg Wikipedia560,000 km²560,000 km²1260–1515
Kingdom of France Wikipedia531,000 km²770,000 km²990–1848
Golden Horde Wikipedia497,000 km²714,000 km²1294–1695
House of Oldenburg Wikipedia441,000 km²441,000 km²1450–1458
Crown of Castile Wikipedia356,000 km²360,000 km²1236–1515
Grand Principality of Moscow Wikipedia260,000 km²316,000 km²1294–1546
Crown of Aragon Wikipedia243,000 km²243,000 km²1169–1515
Vassalage of Qara Qoyunlu to Timurid Empire Wikipedia228,000 km²4.7 million km²1375–1467
Crimean Khanate Wikipedia222,000 km²222,000 km²1450–1782
Kingdom of England Wikipedia208,000 km²409,000 km²936–1708
Hafsid Dynasty Wikipedia171,000 km²224,000 km²1236–1571
Mamluk Sultanate Wikipedia160,000 km²1.5 million km²1241–1518
Aq Qoyunlu Wikipedia146,000 km²233,000 km²1407–1511
Zayyanid dynasty Wikipedia126,000 km²126,000 km²1236–1555
Marinid Sultanate Wikipedia125,000 km²389,000 km²1250–1467
Livonian Conference Wikipedia116,000 km²116,000 km²1422–1563
Kingdom of Georgia Wikipedia101,000 km²128,000 km²1010–1802
Beylik of Karaman Wikipedia100,000 km²100,000 km²1305–1467
Principality of Moldavia Wikipedia98,000 km²98,000 km²1363–1858
Duchy of Burgundy Wikipedia97,000 km²97,000 km²1003–1481
Kingdom of Portugal Wikipedia92,000 km²97,000 km²1147–1911
Kingdom of Scotland Wikipedia86,000 km²86,000 km²1294–1608
Principality of Wallachia Wikipedia74,000 km²74,000 km²1314–1858
Serbian Empire Wikipedia70,000 km²70,000 km²1352–1458
Teutonic Order Wikipedia69,000 km²69,000 km²1236–1525
Republic of Venice Wikipedia53,000 km²53,000 km²705–1796
Kingdom of Bosnia Wikipedia49,000 km²49,000 km²1385–1481
Beylik of Isfendiyar Wikipedia49,000 km²49,000 km²1305–1462
Papal States Wikipedia39,000 km²39,000 km²755–1870
House of Valois-Anjou Wikipedia39,000 km²39,000 km²1363–1486
Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal Wikipedia38,000 km²38,000 km²1056–1486
Duchy of Brittany Wikipedia37,000 km²37,000 km²947–1491
Duchy of Bavaria Wikipedia36,000 km²36,000 km²1260–1805

Also on the map: County of Savoy, House of Ascania, House of Bourbon, Beylik of Dulkadir, Duchy of Milan, Emirate of Granada, Empire of Trebizond, Republic of Genoa, Ramadanid Emirate, Qasim Khanate, Byzantine Empire, Pskov Republic, County of Périgord, Electorate of Trier, Ryazan, County of Foix, Republic of Florence, County of Armagnac, County of Maine, County of Nevers, Kingdom of Cyprus, Duchy of Lorraine, County of Touraine, Despotate of Epirus, Tver, Earldom of Desmond, Duchy of Saint Sava, Comtat Venaissin, Duchy of Styria, Republic of Ragusa, County of Auvergne, Principality of Theodoro, County of Urgell.

"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 1444

New on the map: House of Oldenburg, Crimean Khanate, Qasim Khanate, Ryazan, County of Maine, Duchy of Lorraine, Duchy of Saint Sava, Duchy of Styria.

Gone from the map: Personal union of Polish-Lithuania Kingdom with Kingdom of Hungary, Vassalage of Kingdom of Bohemia to Holy Roman Empire, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Kingdom of Hungary, Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Naples, Blue Horde, Duchy of Luxembourg, County of Béarn, Patriarchate of Aquileia.

What comes next: 1492

Appear by 1492: Personal union of Crown of Aragon with Crown of Castile, Personal union of Kingdom of Bohemia with Kingdom of Hungary, Kingdom of Hungary, Habsburg Monarchy, Kingdom of Bohemia, Wattasid dynasty, Kingdom of Naples, Samtskhe-Saatabago, Electorate of Saxony, Astrakhan Khanate, Principality of Mingrelia, Kingdom of Imereti, Principality of Abkhazia, Principality of Guria, Kingdom of Kakheti.

Gone by 1492: Novgorod Republic, House of Oldenburg, Vassalage of Qara Qoyunlu to Timurid Empire, Marinid Sultanate, Beylik of Karaman, Duchy of Burgundy, Serbian Empire, Kingdom of Bosnia, Beylik of Isfendiyar, House of Valois-Anjou, Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal, Duchy of Brittany, House of Ascania, Emirate of Granada, Empire of Trebizond, Byzantine Empire, County of Périgord, County of Maine, Kingdom of Cyprus, County of Touraine, Despotate of Epirus, Tver, Earldom of Desmond, Duchy of Saint Sava, Principality of Theodoro.

Read the history of 1453

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

Questions about this map

Which countries were in Europe in 1453?

The map data draws 73 states and other polities in Europe in 1453. The largest by land were the Kalmar Union, the Vassalage of Electorate of Brandenburg to Holy Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Allegiance of Swiss Confederation to Holy Roman Empire and House of Jagiellon.

What was the largest empire in Europe in 1453?

Of the states on this map, the Vassalage of Qara Qoyunlu to Timurid Empire held the most land in total: about 4.7 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Europe in 1453 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1453, 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.

Europe in other years

Other regions in 1453