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Historical map · 1850

Map of Europe in 1850

In 1850, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 54 states, empires and other polities in Europe. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire and the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway. The Russian Empire reached well beyond Europe: its whole territory measured about 20.9 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Europe 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 Railway Age (1850)
FROM THE ATLAS · THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, CHAPTER 4: THE RAILWAY AGE (1850)

States and empires in Europe in 1850

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Russian Empire Wikipedia3.5 million km²20.9 million km²1721–1916
Ottoman Empire Wikipedia1.5 million km²2.1 million km²1305–1923
United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway Wikipedia798,000 km²799,000 km²1815–1904
French Second Republic Wikipedia747,000 km²1.5 million km²1848–1852
Spanish Empire Wikipedia495,000 km²1.5 million km²1516–1931
Kingdom of Spain Wikipedia495,000 km²495,000 km²1516–2024
Austrian Empire Wikipedia422,000 km²422,000 km²1806–1867
United Kingdom Wikipedia344,000 km²348,000 km²1709–2024
British Empire Wikipedia344,000 km²11.8 million km²1706–1999
German Confederation Wikipedia281,000 km²281,000 km²1815–1867
Kingdom of Hungary (Austrian rule) Wikipedia271,000 km²271,000 km²1849–2024
French Africa Wikipedia212,000 km²236,000 km²1846–1957
Denmark Wikipedia160,000 km²160,000 km²1046–1940
Morocco Wikipedia124,000 km²388,000 km²1670–2024
Kingdom of Portugal Wikipedia92,000 km²190,000 km²1147–1911
Portuguese Empire Wikipedia92,000 km²244,000 km²1502–1910
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Wikipedia91,000 km²91,000 km²1815–1860
Beylik of Tunis Wikipedia85,000 km²88,000 km²1706–1884
Kingdom of Sardinia Wikipedia78,000 km²78,000 km²1721–1861
Kingdom of Bavaria Wikipedia73,000 km²73,000 km²1806–1870
Greece Wikipedia44,000 km²44,000 km²1822–1940
Serbia Wikipedia41,000 km²41,000 km²1805–1915
Swiss Confederation Wikipedia41,000 km²41,000 km²1294–2024
Netherlands Wikipedia41,000 km²587,000 km²1811–2024
Papal States Wikipedia39,000 km²39,000 km²755–1870
Kingdom of Hanover Wikipedia38,000 km²38,000 km²1803–1865
Kingdom of Belgium Wikipedia30,000 km²30,000 km²1830–2024
Duchy of Holstein Wikipedia20,000 km²20,000 km²1848–1852
Kingdom of Saxony Wikipedia18,000 km²18,000 km²1806–1870
Grand Duchy of Baden Wikipedia18,000 km²18,000 km²1806–1870
Kingdom of Württemberg Wikipedia17,000 km²17,000 km²1806–1870
Qajar Iran Wikipedia15,000 km²1.6 million km²1788–1923
Electorate of Hesse Wikipedia14,000 km²14,000 km²1803–1867
Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg11,000 km²11,000 km²1815–1870
Grand Duchy of Hesse Wikipedia11,000 km²11,000 km²1806–1870
Duchy of Parma and Piacenza Wikipedia7,440 km²7,440 km²1815–1859
Duchy of Modena and Reggio Wikipedia7,080 km²7,080 km²1815–1859
Duchy of Nassau Wikipedia5,730 km²5,730 km²1806–1865
Duchy of Brunswick Wikipedia4,800 km²4,800 km²1814–1870
Duchy of Oldenburg Wikipedia4,790 km²4,790 km²1806–1870

Also on the map: Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Saxe-Meiningen, Free City of Lübeck, Principality of Reuss-Gera, Duchy of Anhalt, Saxe-Altenburg, Free City of Hamburg, Principality of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Caucasian Imamate, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Principality of Lippe, Free City of Bremen, Principality of Andorra.

"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

New on the map: French Second Republic, Kingdom of Hungary (Austrian rule), French Africa, Kingdom of Hanover, Duchy of Holstein.

Gone from the map: Kingdom of France (July Monarchy), Regency of Algiers, Polish insurgents (November Uprising), French Algeria, Principality of Svaneti, Free City of Krakow, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Kingdom of Prussia.

What comes next: 1871

Appear by 1871: French Third Republic, German Empire, Austria-Hungary, Kingdom of Italy, Romania, Montenegro, Luxembourg.

Gone by 1871: French Second Republic, Austrian Empire, German Confederation, Kingdom of Hungary (Austrian rule), Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, Kingdom of Sardinia, Kingdom of Bavaria, Papal States, Kingdom of Hanover, Duchy of Holstein, Kingdom of Saxony, Grand Duchy of Baden, Kingdom of Württemberg, Electorate of Hesse, Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg, Grand Duchy of Hesse, Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, Duchy of Modena and Reggio, Duchy of Nassau, Duchy of Brunswick, Duchy of Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Saxe-Meiningen, Free City of Lübeck, Principality of Reuss-Gera, Duchy of Anhalt, Saxe-Altenburg, Free City of Hamburg, Principality of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Caucasian Imamate and others.

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 Europe in 1850?

The map data draws 54 states and other polities in Europe in 1850. The largest by land were the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, the French Second Republic and the Spanish Empire.

What was the largest empire in Europe 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 Europe 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.

Europe in other years

Other regions in 1850