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Historical map · 1930

Map of Europe in 1930

In 1930, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 39 states, empires and other polities in Europe. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the French Third Republic and the Republic of Turkey. The British Empire reached well beyond Europe: its whole territory measured about 39.1 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Europe in 1930. 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 1930 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1930
Atlas map: The Great Turn: Collectivisation (1930)
FROM THE ATLAS · THE SOVIET UNION UNDER STALIN, CHAPTER 2: THE GREAT TURN: COLLECTIVISATION (1930)

States and empires in Europe in 1930

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Wikipedia2.5 million km²21.5 million km²1922–1991
French Third Republic Wikipedia1.3 million km²13.4 million km²1871–1939
Republic of Turkey Wikipedia763,000 km²763,000 km²1924–2024
French Africa Wikipedia568,000 km²11.1 million km²1846–1957
Kingdom of Spain Wikipedia509,000 km²854,000 km²1516–2024
Spanish Empire Wikipedia509,000 km²854,000 km²1516–1931
Weimar Republic Wikipedia477,000 km²477,000 km²1919–1932
British Empire Wikipedia456,000 km²39.1 million km²1706–1999
Kingdom of Sweden Wikipedia456,000 km²456,000 km²980–2024
Republic of Finland Wikipedia374,000 km²374,000 km²1918–2024
Second Polish Republic Wikipedia372,000 km²372,000 km²1918–1939
Kingdom of Norway Wikipedia343,000 km²418,000 km²1814–2024
Kingdom of Romania Wikipedia300,000 km²300,000 km²1919–1947
Kingdom of Italy Wikipedia299,000 km²299,000 km²587–1946
United Kingdom Wikipedia277,000 km²667,000 km²1709–2024
Yugoslavia Wikipedia246,000 km²246,000 km²1919–1991
French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon Wikipedia192,000 km²202,000 km²1920–1945
British Africa Wikipedia178,000 km²9.1 million km²1885–1960
Czechoslovakia Wikipedia145,000 km²145,000 km²1919–1991
Greece Wikipedia121,000 km²121,000 km²1822–1940
Kingdom of Iceland Wikipedia111,000 km²111,000 km²1918–1943
Kingdom of Bulgaria Wikipedia102,000 km²102,000 km²1909–1946
Kingdom of Hungary Wikipedia92,000 km²92,000 km²1849–2024
Portugal (military dictatorship) Wikipedia92,000 km²2.2 million km²1926–2024
Republic of Austria Wikipedia85,000 km²85,000 km²1919–1937
Irish Free State Wikipedia75,000 km²75,000 km²1922–1937
Republic of Latvia Wikipedia67,000 km²67,000 km²1920–2024
Republic of Lithuania Wikipedia62,000 km²62,000 km²1919–2024
Denmark Wikipedia53,000 km²53,000 km²1046–1940
Estonia Wikipedia48,000 km²48,000 km²1919–2024
Swiss Confederation Wikipedia41,000 km²41,000 km²1294–2024
Netherlands Wikipedia38,000 km²2.1 million km²1811–2024
Kingdom of Belgium Wikipedia31,000 km²32,000 km²1830–2024
Albania Wikipedia28,000 km²28,000 km²1912–2024
Pahlavi Iran Wikipedia15,000 km²1.6 million km²1924–1978
Free City of Danzig Wikipedia2,590 km²2,590 km²1809–1939
Luxembourg2,240 km²2,240 km²1871–2024
Greenland Wikipedia1,100 km²170,000 km²1734–1940
Principality of Andorra Wikipedia380 km²380 km²1815–2024

"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 1920

New on the map: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Republic of Turkey, Portugal (military dictatorship), Irish Free State, Pahlavi Iran, Greenland.

Gone from the map: Republics of the Soviet Union, Ottoman Empire, Portuguese Republic, Georgia, Qajar Iran, United States of America, Klaipėda Region (Allied administration).

What comes next: 1938

Appear by 1938: Nazi Germany, Spanish Nationalists, Kingdom of Iraq, Second Spanish Republic, Éire (Ireland).

Gone by 1938: Kingdom of Spain, Spanish Empire, Weimar Republic, British Africa, Republic of Austria, Irish Free State.

Read the history of 1930

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 1930?

The map data draws 39 states and other polities in Europe in 1930. The largest by land were the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the French Third Republic, the Republic of Turkey, the French Africa and the Kingdom of Spain.

What was the largest empire in Europe in 1930?

Of the states on this map, the British Empire held the most land in total: about 39.1 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Europe in 1930 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1930, 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 1930