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Historical map · 1980

Map of Europe in 1980

In 1980, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 43 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 Republic of Turkey and the French Fifth Republic. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics reached well beyond Europe: its whole territory measured about 21.9 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Europe 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 Europe in 1980

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Wikipedia2.9 million km²21.9 million km²1922–1991
Republic of Turkey Wikipedia768,000 km²768,000 km²1924–2024
French Fifth Republic Wikipedia554,000 km²680,000 km²1958–2024
Kingdom of Spain Wikipedia495,000 km²506,000 km²1516–2024
Kingdom of Sweden Wikipedia456,000 km²456,000 km²980–2024
People's Democratic Republic of Algeria Wikipedia350,000 km²2.3 million km²1963–2024
Kingdom of Norway Wikipedia343,000 km²418,000 km²1814–2024
Republic of Finland Wikipedia335,000 km²335,000 km²1918–2024
Polish People's Republic313,000 km²313,000 km²1945–1989
Italian Republic Wikipedia289,000 km²289,000 km²1946–2024
British Empire Wikipedia266,000 km²379,000 km²1706–1999
United Kingdom Wikipedia266,000 km²266,000 km²1709–2024
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Wikipedia250,000 km²250,000 km²1919–1991
Federal Republic of Germany Wikipedia246,000 km²246,000 km²1949–1990
Socialist Republic of Romania Wikipedia238,000 km²238,000 km²1948–1989
Syria Wikipedia177,000 km²187,000 km²1961–2024
Iraqi Republic Wikipedia175,000 km²434,000 km²1959–2024
Czechoslovakia Wikipedia129,000 km²129,000 km²1919–1991
Morocco Wikipedia126,000 km²407,000 km²1670–2024
Third Hellenic Republic Wikipedia122,000 km²122,000 km²1976–2024
German Democratic Republic Wikipedia112,000 km²112,000 km²1949–1990
Republic of Iceland Wikipedia111,000 km²111,000 km²1944–2024
People's Republic of Bulgaria Wikipedia109,000 km²109,000 km²1947–1990
Republic of Tunisia Wikipedia107,000 km²152,000 km²1956–2024
Portugal Wikipedia92,000 km²97,000 km²1926–2024
Hungarian People's Republic Wikipedia92,000 km²92,000 km²1950–1989
Second Republic of Austria Wikipedia85,000 km²85,000 km²1945–2024
Ireland75,000 km²75,000 km²1938–2024
Denmark Wikipedia66,000 km²2.3 million km²1333–2024
Swiss Confederation Wikipedia41,000 km²41,000 km²1294–2024
Netherlands Wikipedia38,000 km²76,000 km²1811–2024
Kingdom of Belgium Wikipedia31,000 km²31,000 km²1830–2024
People's Socialist Republic of Albania Wikipedia28,000 km²28,000 km²1946–1990
Islamic Republic of Iran Wikipedia15,000 km²1.6 million km²1979–2024
Lebanon9,810 km²9,810 km²1944–2024
Republic of Cyprus Wikipedia7,120 km²7,120 km²1961–2024
Turkish Federated State of Kıbrıs Wikipedia4,340 km²4,340 km²1976–2024
Luxembourg2,400 km²2,400 km²1871–2024
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Wikipedia1,600 km²90,000 km²1947–2024
State of Israel Wikipedia1,370 km²90,000 km²1948–2024

Also on the map: West Berlin, Malta, 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 1970

New on the map: Kingdom of Spain, Third Hellenic Republic, Islamic Republic of Iran, Turkish Federated State of Kıbrıs.

Gone from the map: Francoist Spain, Greek junta, Pahlavi Iran.

What comes next: 1990

Appear by 1990: Republic of Poland, Romania, Hungary, Republic of Lithuania.

Gone by 1990: Polish People's Republic, Socialist Republic of Romania, Hungarian People's Republic.

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 Europe in 1980?

The map data draws 43 states and other polities in Europe in 1980. The largest by land were the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Republic of Turkey, the French Fifth Republic, the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Sweden.

What was the largest empire in Europe 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 Europe 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.

Europe in other years

Other regions in 1980