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Historical map · 2000

Map of the Middle East in 2000

In 2000, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 43 states, empires and other polities in the Middle East. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Sudan and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Russian Federation reached well beyond the Middle East: its whole territory measured about 33.6 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on the Middle East in 2000. 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 2000 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 2000
Atlas map: The End — and the Arguments (Dec 1991)
FROM THE ATLAS · THE COLD WAR, CHAPTER 12: THE END — AND THE ARGUMENTS (DEC 1991)

States and empires in the Middle East in 2000

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Wikipedia1.9 million km²1.9 million km²1936–2024
Republic of Sudan Wikipedia1.9 million km²2.5 million km²1956–2024
Islamic Republic of Iran Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²1979–2024
Arab Republic of Egypt Wikipedia1.0 million km²1.0 million km²1953–2024
Republic of Turkey Wikipedia768,000 km²768,000 km²1924–2024
Republic of Yemen465,000 km²465,000 km²1990–2024
Iraqi Republic Wikipedia439,000 km²439,000 km²1959–2024
Turkmenistan Wikipedia430,000 km²468,000 km²1992–2024
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Wikipedia417,000 km²1.6 million km²1969–2013
Ethiopia Wikipedia343,000 km²1.1 million km²1942–2024
Sultanate of Oman Wikipedia315,000 km²315,000 km²1744–2024
Syria Wikipedia187,000 km²187,000 km²1961–2024
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban)184,000 km²561,000 km²1996–2001
Republic of Uzbekistan Wikipedia177,000 km²414,000 km²1992–2024
Republic of Chad Wikipedia138,000 km²1.3 million km²1961–2024
State of Eritrea Wikipedia127,000 km²127,000 km²1992–2024
Somalia Wikipedia115,000 km²649,000 km²1960–2024
Republic of Bulgaria108,000 km²110,000 km²1991–2024
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Wikipedia90,000 km²90,000 km²1947–2024
Kazakhstan Wikipedia84,000 km²2.6 million km²1992–2024
Third Hellenic Republic Wikipedia82,000 km²122,000 km²1976–2024
Islamic Republic of Pakistan Wikipedia82,000 km²877,000 km²1947–2024
United Arab Emirates Wikipedia78,000 km²78,000 km²1972–2024
Russian Federation Wikipedia76,000 km²33.6 million km²1992–2024
Republic of Azerbaijan Wikipedia70,000 km²70,000 km²1992–2024
Georgia Wikipedia69,000 km²69,000 km²567–2024
Republic of Armenia Wikipedia41,000 km²41,000 km²1992–2024
State of Israel Wikipedia28,000 km²28,000 km²1948–2024
Republic of Djibouti Wikipedia22,000 km²22,000 km²1977–2024
Kuwait Wikipedia17,000 km²17,000 km²1757–2024
Chechnya (Second Chechen War) Wikipedia17,000 km²17,000 km²1992–2005
Central African Republic Wikipedia14,000 km²623,000 km²1961–2024
State of Qatar Wikipedia13,000 km²13,000 km²1820–2024
Lebanon9,810 km²9,810 km²1944–2024
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia8,510 km²91,000 km²1992–2002
Republic of Macedonia Wikipedia8,420 km²25,000 km²1992–2024
Romania8,350 km²238,000 km²1990–2024
Republic of Cyprus Wikipedia7,120 km²7,120 km²1961–2024
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (recognised only by Turkey) Wikipedia4,340 km²4,340 km²1976–2024
South Ossetia (unrecognised breakaway state)1,520 km²1,520 km²1992–2024

Also on the map: State of Bahrain, United Kingdom, French Fifth Republic.

"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 1990

New on the map: Turkmenistan, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban), Republic of Uzbekistan, State of Eritrea, Republic of Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Armenia, Kuwait, Chechnya (Second Chechen War), Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Republic of Macedonia, South Ossetia (unrecognised breakaway state), French Fifth Republic.

Gone from the map: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Republic of Afghanistan, People's Republic of Bulgaria, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, British Empire.

What comes next: 2010

Appear by 2010: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Republic of Serbia, United States of America.

Gone by 2010: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban), Chechnya (Second Chechen War), Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Read the history of 2000

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 2000?

The map data draws 43 states and other polities in the Middle East in 2000. The largest by land were the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Sudan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Republic of Turkey.

What was the largest empire in the Middle East in 2000?

Of the states on this map, the Russian Federation held the most land in total: about 33.6 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 2000 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 2000, 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 2000