Historical map · 1550

Map of South America in 1550

In 1550, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 4 states, empires and other polities in South America. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Personal union of Spanish Empire with Habsburg Monarchy, the Spanish Empire and the Portuguese Empire. The Spanish Empire reached well beyond South America: its whole territory measured about 9.2 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on South America in 1550. 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 1550 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1550

States and empires in South America in 1550

State	In this region	Whole state	In the data
Personal union of Spanish Empire with Habsburg Monarchy Wikipedia	2.8 million km²	5.2 million km²	1519–1563
Spanish Empire Wikipedia	2.8 million km²	9.2 million km²	1516–1931
Portuguese Empire Wikipedia	139,000 km²	602,000 km²	1502–1910
Inca Empire Wikipedia	4,880 km²	4,880 km²	1440–1571

"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 comes next: 1648

Appear by 1648: Jesuit Reducciones, New Netherland, Kingdom of England, English Colonial Empire, Kingdom of France, New France, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Gone by 1648: Personal union of Spanish Empire with Habsburg Monarchy, Inca Empire.

Questions about this map

Which countries were in South America in 1550?

The map data draws 4 states and other polities in South America in 1550. The largest by land were the Personal union of Spanish Empire with Habsburg Monarchy, the Spanish Empire, the Portuguese Empire and the Inca Empire.

What was the largest empire in South America in 1550?

Of the states on this map, the Spanish Empire held the most land in total: about 9.2 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore South America in 1550 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1550, 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.

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