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Historical map · 1939

Map of India and South Asia in 1939

In 1939, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 16 states, empires and other polities in India and South Asia. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the British Empire, the British Raj and the Republic of China. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics reached well beyond India and South Asia: its whole territory measured about 21.3 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on India and South Asia in 1939. 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 1939 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1939
Atlas map: The War Claims India (Mar 1940)
FROM THE ATLAS · INDIAN INDEPENDENCE & PARTITION, CHAPTER 10: THE WAR CLAIMS INDIA (MAR 1940)

States and empires in India and South Asia in 1939

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
British Empire Wikipedia4.9 million km²17.1 million km²1706–1999
British Raj Wikipedia4.9 million km²4.9 million km²1859–1947
Republic of China1.0 million km²5.8 million km²1912–1949
Tibet Wikipedia911,000 km²911,000 km²1363–1952
Kingdom of Afghanistan Wikipedia641,000 km²644,000 km²1926–1972
Pahlavi Iran Wikipedia327,000 km²1.6 million km²1924–1978
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Wikipedia168,000 km²21.3 million km²1922–1991
Nepal Wikipedia149,000 km²149,000 km²1775–2024
Netherlands Wikipedia103,000 km²2.1 million km²1811–2024
Dutch East Indies Wikipedia103,000 km²2.0 million km²1800–1949
Kingdom of Bhutan Wikipedia71,000 km²71,000 km²1636–2024
Kingdom of Thailand Wikipedia67,000 km²524,000 km²1932–2024
Muscat and Oman Wikipedia13,000 km²315,000 km²1900–1969
Portugal (Estado Novo) Wikipedia5,240 km²2.2 million km²1926–2024
French Third Republic Wikipedia1,100 km²13.4 million km²1871–1939
French Indochina Wikipedia1,100 km²793,000 km²1860–1957

"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 1938

Between 1938 and 1939 the data shows the same states in India and South Asia; their borders may still have moved.

What comes next: 1940

Appear by 1940: Vichy France.

Gone by 1940: French Third Republic.

Read the history of 1939

Guided atlas chapters set near this date, each with its own map, causes and consequences:

Questions about this map

Which countries were in India and South Asia in 1939?

The map data draws 16 states and other polities in India and South Asia in 1939. The largest by land were the British Empire, the British Raj, the Republic of China, Tibet and the Kingdom of Afghanistan.

What was the largest empire in India and South Asia in 1939?

Of the states on this map, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics held the most land in total: about 21.3 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore India and South Asia in 1939 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1939, 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.

India in other years

Other regions in 1939