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Historical map · 1400

Map of North America in 1400

In 1400, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 4 states, empires and other polities in North America. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Later Mayan City-States, Michoacán and Tenochtitlan.

See this map live. The interactive map opens on North America in 1400. 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 1400 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1400
Atlas map: Living with the Cold (1408)
FROM THE ATLAS · CLIMATE AND INNOVATION, CHAPTER 5: LIVING WITH THE COLD (1408)

States and empires in North America in 1400

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Later Mayan City-States Wikipedia136,000 km²136,000 km²247 BC–AD 1546
Michoacán5,650 km²5,650 km²1305–1533
Tenochtitlan Wikipedia2,390 km²2,390 km²1326–1428
Texcoco Wikipedia2,140 km²2,140 km²1202–1428

"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 1300

New on the map: Michoacán, Tenochtitlan.

Gone from the map: Old Kingdom of Norway, Viking settlements, Puebloans - Aztec Regional System.

What comes next: 1453

Appear by 1453: Haudenosaunee, Aztec Triple Alliance.

Gone by 1453: Tenochtitlan, Texcoco.

Read the history of 1400

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

Questions about this map

Which countries were in North America in 1400?

The map data draws 4 states and other polities in North America in 1400. The largest by land were the Later Mayan City-States, Michoacán, Tenochtitlan and Texcoco.

What was the largest empire in North America in 1400?

Of the states on this map, the Later Mayan City-States held the most land in total: about 136,000 km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore North America in 1400 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1400, 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.

North America in other years

Other regions in 1400