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Historical map · 1990

Map of Europe in 1990

In 1990, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 44 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 21.8 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Europe in 1990. 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 1990 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1990
Atlas map: Camps, Screening and the CPA (1989)
FROM THE ATLAS · UPROOTED, CHAPTER 11: CAMPS, SCREENING AND THE CPA (1989)

States and empires in Europe in 1990

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Wikipedia2.9 million km²21.8 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
Republic of Poland Wikipedia313,000 km²313,000 km²1990–2024
Italian Republic Wikipedia289,000 km²289,000 km²1946–2024
British Empire Wikipedia266,000 km²318,000 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
Romania238,000 km²238,000 km²1990–2024
Syria Wikipedia177,000 km²187,000 km²1961–2024
Iraqi Republic Wikipedia175,000 km²457,000 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
Hungary Wikipedia92,000 km²92,000 km²1849–2024
Second Republic of Austria Wikipedia85,000 km²85,000 km²1945–2024
Ireland75,000 km²75,000 km²1938–2024
Denmark Wikipedia66,000 km²2.3 million km²1333–2024
Republic of Lithuania Wikipedia65,000 km²65,000 km²1919–2024
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 Republic of Northern Cyprus (recognised only by Turkey) Wikipedia4,340 km²4,340 km²1976–2024
Luxembourg2,400 km²2,400 km²1871–2024
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Wikipedia1,600 km²90,000 km²1947–2024

Also on the map: State of Israel, 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 1980

New on the map: Republic of Poland, Romania, Hungary, Republic of Lithuania.

Gone from the map: Polish People's Republic, Socialist Republic of Romania, Hungarian People's Republic.

What comes next: 2000

Appear by 2000: Russian Federation, Ukraine, Federal Republic of Germany, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Bulgaria, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Czech Republic, Republic of Latvia, Georgia, Republic of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, Republic of Estonia, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Albania, Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Slovenia, Republic of Armenia, Kosovo (UN administration), Transnistria (unrecognised breakaway state), Chechnya (Second Chechen War), South Ossetia (unrecognised breakaway state), Republic of Azerbaijan.

Gone by 2000: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, British Empire, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Germany, Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic, People's Republic of Bulgaria, People's Socialist Republic of Albania, West Berlin.

Read the history of 1990

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 1990?

The map data draws 44 states and other polities in Europe in 1990. 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 1990?

Of the states on this map, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics held the most land in total: about 21.8 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Europe in 1990 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1990, 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 1990