Historical map · 2020
Map of Europe in 2020
In 2020, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 60 states, empires and other polities in Europe. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Russian Federation, the Republic of Turkey and Ukraine. The Russian Federation reached well beyond Europe: its whole territory measured about 33.7 million km².
See this map live. The interactive map opens on Europe in 2020. 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 2020 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 2020
States and empires in Europe in 2020
| State | In this region | In the data |
|---|---|---|
| Russian Federation Wikipedia | 1.9 million km² | 1992–2024 |
| Republic of Turkey Wikipedia | 767,000 km² | 1924–2024 |
| Ukraine | 588,000 km² | 1992–2024 |
| French Fifth Republic Wikipedia | 554,000 km² | 1958–2024 |
| Kingdom of Spain Wikipedia | 495,000 km² | 1516–2024 |
| Kingdom of Sweden Wikipedia | 456,000 km² | 980–2024 |
| Federal Republic of Germany Wikipedia | 359,000 km² | 1991–2024 |
| People's Democratic Republic of Algeria Wikipedia | 350,000 km² | 1963–2024 |
| Kingdom of Norway Wikipedia | 343,000 km² | 1814–2024 |
| Republic of Finland Wikipedia | 335,000 km² | 1918–2024 |
| Republic of Poland Wikipedia | 313,000 km² | 1990–2024 |
| Italian Republic Wikipedia | 289,000 km² | 1946–2024 |
| United Kingdom Wikipedia | 266,000 km² | 1709–2024 |
| Romania | 238,000 km² | 1990–2024 |
| Republic of Belarus Wikipedia | 208,000 km² | 1992–2024 |
| Republic of Iraq Wikipedia | 175,000 km² | 1959–2024 |
| Morocco Wikipedia | 126,000 km² | 1670–2024 |
| Third Hellenic Republic Wikipedia | 122,000 km² | 1976–2024 |
| Syria Wikipedia | 112,000 km² | 1961–2024 |
| Republic of Iceland Wikipedia | 111,000 km² | 1944–2024 |
| Republic of Bulgaria | 110,000 km² | 1991–2024 |
| Republic of Tunisia Wikipedia | 107,000 km² | 1956–2024 |
| Hungary Wikipedia | 92,000 km² | 1849–2024 |
| Portugal Wikipedia | 92,000 km² | 1926–2024 |
| Second Republic of Austria Wikipedia | 85,000 km² | 1945–2024 |
| Czech Republic Wikipedia | 80,000 km² | 1992–2024 |
| Republic of Serbia Wikipedia | 76,000 km² | 2006–2024 |
| Ireland | 75,000 km² | 1938–2024 |
| Republic of Latvia Wikipedia | 68,000 km² | 1920–2024 |
| Contested areas of Syria and Iraq (source outline from 2014) | 67,000 km² | 2019–2024 |
| Denmark Wikipedia | 66,000 km² | 1333–2024 |
| Republic of Lithuania Wikipedia | 65,000 km² | 1919–2024 |
| Georgia Wikipedia | 54,000 km² | 567–2024 |
| Republic of Croatia Wikipedia | 52,000 km² | 1992–2024 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina Wikipedia | 51,000 km² | 1992–2024 |
| Slovakia | 49,000 km² | 1992–2024 |
| Republic of Estonia Wikipedia | 48,000 km² | 1919–2024 |
| Swiss Confederation Wikipedia | 41,000 km² | 1294–2024 |
| Netherlands Wikipedia | 38,000 km² | 1811–2024 |
| Kingdom of Belgium Wikipedia | 31,000 km² | 1830–2024 |
Also on the map: Republic of Moldova, Republic of Albania, North Macedonia, Republic of Slovenia, Republic of Armenia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Montenegro, Kosovo, Lebanon, Republic of Cyprus, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (recognised only by Turkey), Transnistria (unrecognised breakaway state), Luxembourg, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, South Ossetia (unrecognised breakaway state), State of Israel, United States of America, Malta, Republic of Azerbaijan, 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 2010
New on the map: Contested areas of Syria and Iraq (source outline from 2014).
Read the history of 2020
Guided atlas chapters set near this date, each with its own map, causes and consequences:
- Two Movements ComparedProtest and Change · chapter 12 · 2015
Terrorism and FragilityProtest and Change · chapter 11 · 2015
Building a DemocracyProtest and Change · chapter 10 · 2014
Twenty-Eight DaysProtest and Change · chapter 9 · 2011
Questions about this map
Which countries were in Europe in 2020?
The map data draws 60 states and other polities in Europe in 2020. The largest by land were the Russian Federation, the Republic of Turkey, Ukraine, the French Fifth Republic and the Kingdom of Spain.
What was the largest empire in Europe in 2020?
Of the states on this map, the Russian Federation held the most land in total: about 33.7 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.
Can I explore Europe in 2020 interactively?
Yes. Open the interactive map at 2020, 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
- 1500 BC
- 1000 BC
- 750 BC
- 500 BC
- 323 BC
- 200 BC
- 100 BC
- AD 1
- 100
- 200
- 300
- 400
- 500
- 600
- 700
- 800
- 900
- 1000
- 1100
- 1200
- 1300
- 1400
- 1444
- 1453
- 1492
- 1500
- 1550
- 1600
- 1648
- 1700
- 1750
- 1776
- 1789
- 1800
- 1815
- 1830
- 1850
- 1871
- 1880
- 1900
- 1910
- 1914
- 1918
- 1920
- 1930
- 1938
- 1939
- 1940
- 1942
- 1945
- 1950
- 1960
- 1970
- 1980
- 1990
- 2000
- 2010
- 2020