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Historical map · 1930

Map of the Middle East in 1930

In 1930, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 22 states, empires and other polities in the Middle East. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the British Empire, the British Africa and the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd. The British Empire reached well beyond the Middle East: its whole territory measured about 39.1 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on the Middle East 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 New Map of Europe (Jul 1923)
FROM THE ATLAS · WWI, CHAPTER 15: THE NEW MAP OF EUROPE (JUL 1923)

States and empires in the Middle East in 1930

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
British Empire Wikipedia3.1 million km²39.1 million km²1706–1999
British Africa Wikipedia2.6 million km²9.1 million km²1885–1960
Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²1926–1935
Pahlavi Iran Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²1924–1978
Kingdom of Egypt Wikipedia1.0 million km²1.0 million km²1922–1952
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Wikipedia970,000 km²21.5 million km²1922–1991
Republic of Turkey Wikipedia763,000 km²763,000 km²1924–2024
Italian Africa Wikipedia512,000 km²2.1 million km²1890–1943
United Kingdom Wikipedia401,000 km²667,000 km²1709–2024
French Third Republic Wikipedia378,000 km²13.4 million km²1871–1939
Ethiopian Empire Wikipedia343,000 km²1.1 million km²1272–1935
Sultanate of Muscat and Oman Wikipedia331,000 km²331,000 km²1900–1969
French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon Wikipedia202,000 km²202,000 km²1920–1945
Kingdom of Afghanistan Wikipedia185,000 km²644,000 km²1926–1972
North Yemen Wikipedia182,000 km²182,000 km²1919–1989
French Africa Wikipedia176,000 km²11.1 million km²1846–1957
Kingdom of Bulgaria Wikipedia101,000 km²102,000 km²1909–1946
British Raj Wikipedia82,000 km²4.9 million km²1859–1947
Greece Wikipedia82,000 km²121,000 km²1822–1940
Yugoslavia Wikipedia17,000 km²246,000 km²1919–1991
Kingdom of Romania Wikipedia15,000 km²300,000 km²1919–1947
Kingdom of Italy Wikipedia6,310 km²299,000 km²587–1946

"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: Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd, Pahlavi Iran, Kingdom of Egypt, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Republic of Turkey, Kingdom of Afghanistan.

Gone from the map: Qajar Iran, Republics of the Soviet Union, Ottoman Empire, Emirate of Nejd, Kingdom of Hejaz, Emirate of Jabal Shammar, Emirate of Afghanistan, Asir, Georgia.

What comes next: 1938

Appear by 1938: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Iraq, Nazi Germany.

Gone by 1938: Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd, Ethiopian Empire.

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 the Middle East in 1930?

The map data draws 22 states and other polities in the Middle East in 1930. The largest by land were the British Empire, the British Africa, the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd, Pahlavi Iran and the Kingdom of Egypt.

What was the largest empire in the Middle East 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 the Middle East 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.

Middle East in other years

Other regions in 1930