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Historical map · 1492

Map of North America in 1492

In 1492, 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, Aztec Triple Alliance and Michoacán.

See this map live. The interactive map opens on North America in 1492. 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 1492 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1492
Atlas map: Water: Dikes, Aqueducts and Floods (1499)
FROM THE ATLAS · CLIMATE AND INNOVATION, CHAPTER 8: WATER: DIKES, AQUEDUCTS AND FLOODS (1499)

States and empires in North America in 1492

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Later Mayan City-States Wikipedia188,000 km²188,000 km²247 BC–AD 1546
Aztec Triple Alliance Wikipedia154,000 km²154,000 km²1429–1520
Michoacán74,000 km²74,000 km²1305–1533
Haudenosaunee Wikipedia72,000 km²72,000 km²1450–1782

"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 1453

Between 1453 and 1492 the data shows the same states in North America; their borders may still have moved.

What comes next: 1500

Appear by 1500: Personal union of Crown of Aragon with Crown of Castile, Crown of Castile.

Read the history of 1492

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 1492?

The map data draws 4 states and other polities in North America in 1492. The largest by land were the Later Mayan City-States, Aztec Triple Alliance, Michoacán and Haudenosaunee.

What was the largest empire in North America in 1492?

Of the states on this map, the Later Mayan City-States held the most land in total: about 188,000 km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore North America in 1492 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1492, 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 1492