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Historical map · 1880

Map of North America in 1880

In 1880, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 18 states, empires and other polities in North America. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the United States of America, the British Empire and Mexico. The British Empire reached well beyond North America: its whole territory measured about 25.2 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on North America in 1880. 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 1880 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1880
Atlas map: The Continent Follows (1870)
FROM THE ATLAS · THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, CHAPTER 7: THE CONTINENT FOLLOWS (1870)

States and empires in North America in 1880

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
United States of America Wikipedia8.9 million km²8.9 million km²1776–2024
British Empire Wikipedia3.6 million km²25.2 million km²1706–1999
Mexico2.0 million km²2.0 million km²1868–2024
Venezuela Wikipedia550,000 km²938,000 km²1811–2024
Republic of Colombia Wikipedia293,000 km²1.2 million km²1866–2024
Kingdom of Spain Wikipedia135,000 km²990,000 km²1516–2024
Spanish Empire Wikipedia135,000 km²990,000 km²1516–1931
Honduras Wikipedia116,000 km²116,000 km²1840–2024
Republic of Nicaragua Wikipedia112,000 km²112,000 km²1840–2024
Guatemala Wikipedia109,000 km²109,000 km²1840–2024
Republic of Costa Rica Wikipedia56,000 km²56,000 km²1840–2024
Greenland Wikipedia55,000 km²103,000 km²1734–1940
Dominican Republic Wikipedia53,000 km²53,000 km²1846–2024
Haiti Wikipedia31,000 km²31,000 km²1792–1915
Kingdom of Hawaiʻi Wikipedia25,000 km²25,000 km²1791–1894
Republic of El Salvador Wikipedia22,000 km²22,000 km²1840–2024
French Third Republic Wikipedia4,040 km²2.3 million km²1871–1939
Surinam (Dutch colony) Wikipedia2,180 km²150,000 km²1820–2024

"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 1871

New on the map: Kingdom of Spain.

What comes next: 1900

Gone by 1900: Kingdom of Spain, Spanish Empire, Kingdom of Hawaiʻi.

Read the history of 1880

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 1880?

The map data draws 18 states and other polities in North America in 1880. The largest by land were the United States of America, the British Empire, Mexico, Venezuela and the Republic of Colombia.

What was the largest empire in North America in 1880?

Of the states on this map, the British Empire held the most land in total: about 25.2 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore North America in 1880 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1880, 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 1880