Historical map · 2020
Map of the Middle East in 2020
In 2020, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 45 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 33.7 million km².
See this map live. The interactive map opens on the Middle East 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 the Middle East in 2020
| State | In this region | In the data |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Wikipedia | 1.9 million km² | 1936–2024 |
| Republic of Sudan Wikipedia | 1.8 million km² | 1956–2024 |
| Islamic Republic of Iran Wikipedia | 1.6 million km² | 1979–2024 |
| Arab Republic of Egypt Wikipedia | 1.0 million km² | 1953–2024 |
| Republic of Turkey Wikipedia | 767,000 km² | 1924–2024 |
| Republic of Yemen | 465,000 km² | 1990–2024 |
| Republic of Iraq Wikipedia | 439,000 km² | 1959–2024 |
| Turkmenistan Wikipedia | 430,000 km² | 1992–2024 |
| State of Libya Wikipedia | 417,000 km² | 2014–2024 |
| Ethiopia Wikipedia | 343,000 km² | 1942–2024 |
| Sultanate of Oman Wikipedia | 315,000 km² | 1744–2024 |
| Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Wikipedia | 184,000 km² | 1979–2024 |
| Republic of Uzbekistan Wikipedia | 177,000 km² | 1992–2024 |
| Republic of Chad Wikipedia | 138,000 km² | 1961–2024 |
| State of Eritrea Wikipedia | 127,000 km² | 1992–2024 |
| Syria Wikipedia | 119,000 km² | 1961–2024 |
| Federal Republic of Somalia Wikipedia | 115,000 km² | 1960–2024 |
| Republic of Bulgaria | 108,000 km² | 1991–2024 |
| Russian Federation Wikipedia | 93,000 km² | 1992–2024 |
| Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Wikipedia | 90,000 km² | 1947–2024 |
| Kazakhstan Wikipedia | 84,000 km² | 1992–2024 |
| Third Hellenic Republic Wikipedia | 82,000 km² | 1976–2024 |
| Islamic Republic of Pakistan Wikipedia | 82,000 km² | 1947–2024 |
| United Arab Emirates Wikipedia | 78,000 km² | 1972–2024 |
| Republic of Azerbaijan Wikipedia | 70,000 km² | 1992–2024 |
| Contested areas of Syria and Iraq (source outline from 2014) | 69,000 km² | 2019–2024 |
| Georgia Wikipedia | 69,000 km² | 567–2024 |
| Republic of Armenia Wikipedia | 41,000 km² | 1992–2024 |
| South Sudan Wikipedia | 29,000 km² | 2012–2024 |
| State of Israel Wikipedia | 28,000 km² | 1948–2024 |
| Republic of Djibouti Wikipedia | 22,000 km² | 1977–2024 |
| Kuwait Wikipedia | 17,000 km² | 1757–2024 |
| Central African Republic Wikipedia | 14,000 km² | 1961–2024 |
| State of Qatar Wikipedia | 13,000 km² | 1820–2024 |
| Lebanon | 9,690 km² | 1944–2024 |
| Republic of Serbia Wikipedia | 8,510 km² | 2006–2024 |
| North Macedonia Wikipedia | 8,420 km² | 1992–2024 |
| Romania | 8,350 km² | 1990–2024 |
| Republic of Cyprus Wikipedia | 7,120 km² | 1961–2024 |
| Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (recognised only by Turkey) Wikipedia | 4,340 km² | 1976–2024 |
Also on the map: South Ossetia (unrecognised breakaway state), Kingdom of Bahrain, United States of America, 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 2010
New on the map: State of Libya, Contested areas of Syria and Iraq (source outline from 2014), South Sudan.
Gone from the map: Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
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 the Middle East in 2020?
The map data draws 45 states and other polities in the Middle East in 2020. 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 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 the Middle East 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.
Middle East in other years
- 2000 BC
- 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