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Historical map · 1920

Map of North America in 1920

In 1920, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 15 states, empires and other polities in North America. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the British Empire, the United States of America and Mexico. The British Empire reached well beyond North America: its whole territory measured about 41.0 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on North America in 1920. 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 1920 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1920
Atlas map: The White Highlands (1922)
FROM THE ATLAS · TWO ROADS TO INDEPENDENCE, CHAPTER 7: THE WHITE HIGHLANDS (1922)

States and empires in North America in 1920

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
British Empire Wikipedia9.7 million km²41.0 million km²1706–1999
United States of America Wikipedia9.5 million km²9.9 million km²1776–2024
Mexico2.0 million km²2.0 million km²1868–2024
Venezuela Wikipedia553,000 km²941,000 km²1811–2024
Republic of Colombia Wikipedia209,000 km²1.1 million km²1866–2024
Republic of Nicaragua Wikipedia133,000 km²133,000 km²1840–2024
Republic of Cuba Wikipedia121,000 km²121,000 km²1902–2024
Honduras Wikipedia115,000 km²115,000 km²1840–2024
Guatemala Wikipedia109,000 km²109,000 km²1840–2024
Greenland Wikipedia86,000 km²158,000 km²1734–1940
Republic of Panama Wikipedia83,000 km²83,000 km²1905–2024
Republic of Costa Rica Wikipedia56,000 km²56,000 km²1840–2024
Republic of El Salvador Wikipedia22,000 km²22,000 km²1840–2024
French Third Republic Wikipedia4,040 km²13.5 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 1918

Between 1918 and 1920 the data shows the same states in North America; their borders may still have moved.

What comes next: 1930

Appear by 1930: Dominican Republic.

Read the history of 1920

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 1920?

The map data draws 15 states and other polities in North America in 1920. The largest by land were the British Empire, the United States of America, Mexico, Venezuela and the Republic of Colombia.

What was the largest empire in North America in 1920?

Of the states on this map, the British Empire held the most land in total: about 41.0 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore North America in 1920 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1920, 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 1920