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Historical map · 1815

Map of South America in 1815

In 1815, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 10 states, empires and other polities in South America. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Portuguese Empire, the Spanish Empire and Río de la Plata. The Spanish Empire reached well beyond South America: its whole territory measured about 17.6 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on South America in 1815. 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 1815 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1815
Atlas map: The Fall (Jun 1815)
FROM THE ATLAS · THE AGE OF REVOLUTIONS, CHAPTER 9: THE FALL (JUN 1815)

States and empires in South America in 1815

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Portuguese Empire Wikipedia7.7 million km²15.8 million km²1502–1910
Spanish Empire Wikipedia5.5 million km²17.6 million km²1516–1931
Río de la Plata Wikipedia907,000 km²907,000 km²1811–1833
Federal League Wikipedia606,000 km²606,000 km²1814–1819
New Granada Wikipedia605,000 km²605,000 km²1811–1821
Paraguay Wikipedia323,000 km²323,000 km²1811–2024
British Empire Wikipedia246,000 km²6.2 million km²1706–1999
Company rule in India (British East India Company)246,000 km²3.4 million km²1811–1819
Kingdom of France (Bourbon Restoration) Wikipedia86,000 km²1.3 million km²990–1848
Netherlands Antilles Wikipedia1,850 km²2,180 km²1815–2024

"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 1800

New on the map: Río de la Plata, Federal League, New Granada, Paraguay, Company rule in India (British East India Company), Kingdom of France (Bourbon Restoration), Netherlands Antilles.

Gone from the map: French Louisiana.

What comes next: 1830

Appear by 1830: Empire of Brazil, Gran Colombia, Bolivia, Republic of Peru, Republic of Chile, Oriental Republic of Uruguay, Surinam (Dutch colony), United Provinces of Central America.

Gone by 1830: Portuguese Empire, Federal League, New Granada, Company rule in India (British East India Company), Netherlands Antilles.

Read the history of 1815

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

Questions about this map

Which countries were in South America in 1815?

The map data draws 10 states and other polities in South America in 1815. The largest by land were the Portuguese Empire, the Spanish Empire, Río de la Plata, the Federal League and New Granada.

What was the largest empire in South America in 1815?

Of the states on this map, the Spanish Empire held the most land in total: about 17.6 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore South America in 1815 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1815, 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.

South America in other years

Other regions in 1815