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Historical map · 1000 BC

Map of the World in 1000 BC

In 1000 BC, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 11 states, empires and other polities in the world. By the land they held , the largest were the Zhou Dynasty, the New Kingdom of Egypt and the Kingdom of Kush.

See this map live. The interactive map opens on the World in 1000 BC. 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 1000 BC ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1000 BC

States and empires in the World in 1000 BC

StateTerritoryWhole stateIn the data
Zhou Dynasty Wikipedia700,000 km²700,000 km²1000 BC–751 BC
New Kingdom of Egypt Wikipedia341,000 km²341,000 km²1500 BC–801 BC
Kingdom of Kush Wikipedia337,000 km²337,000 km²1000 BC–AD 346
Greek Dark Ages Wikipedia61,000 km²61,000 km²1100 BC–801 BC
Phoenicia Wikipedia26,000 km²26,000 km²1150 BC–501 BC
Assyria Wikipedia25,000 km²25,000 km²1800 BC–901 BC
Babylonia Wikipedia25,000 km²25,000 km²1800 BC–601 BC
Neo-Hittite states Wikipedia25,000 km²25,000 km²1150 BC–801 BC
Kingdom of Israel Wikipedia20,000 km²20,000 km²1000 BC–701 BC
Elam Wikipedia19,000 km²19,000 km²3200 BC–601 BC
Philistia Wikipedia7,640 km²7,640 km²1150 BC–701 BC

"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 1500 BC

New on the map: Zhou Dynasty, Kingdom of Kush, Greek Dark Ages, Phoenicia, Neo-Hittite states, Kingdom of Israel, Philistia.

Gone from the map: Mitanni, Shang Dynasty, Hyksos, Hittites, Mycenaean Greece, First Sealand Dynasty, Minoan civilization.

What comes next: 750 BC

Appear by 750 BC: Spring and Autumn States, Neo-Assyrian Empire, Chu, Wu, Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt, Kingdom of Urartu, Jin, Qi, Phrygia, Greek City-States, Twenty-third Dynasty of Egypt, Qin, Yan, Lu, Etruscans, Tabal Kingdom, Song, Sabaeans, Later Zhou, Wey, Zhu, Zheng, Chen, Xu, Teng, Kingdom of Judah, Cao, Cai, Roman Kingdom.

Gone by 750 BC: Zhou Dynasty, New Kingdom of Egypt, Greek Dark Ages, Assyria, Babylonia, Neo-Hittite states.

Questions about this map

Which countries were in the World in 1000 BC?

The map data draws 11 states and other polities in the World in 1000 BC. The largest by land were the Zhou Dynasty, the New Kingdom of Egypt, the Kingdom of Kush, Greek Dark Ages and Phoenicia.

What was the largest empire in the world in 1000 BC?

Of the states on this map, the Zhou Dynasty held the most land in total: about 700,000 km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore the World in 1000 BC interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1000 BC, 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.

World in other years

Other regions in 1000 BC