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Historical map · 1500 BC

Map of the World in 1500 BC

In 1500 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 New Kingdom of Egypt, Mitanni and the Shang Dynasty.

See this map live. The interactive map opens on the World in 1500 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 1500 BC ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1500 BC

States and empires in the World in 1500 BC

StateTerritoryWhole stateIn the data
New Kingdom of Egypt Wikipedia637,000 km²637,000 km²1500 BC–801 BC
Mitanni Wikipedia189,000 km²189,000 km²1500 BC–1241 BC
Shang Dynasty Wikipedia154,000 km²154,000 km²1600 BC–1001 BC
Babylonia Wikipedia120,000 km²120,000 km²1800 BC–601 BC
Elam Wikipedia79,000 km²79,000 km²3200 BC–601 BC
Hyksos Wikipedia67,000 km²67,000 km²1800 BC–1401 BC
Hittites Wikipedia58,000 km²58,000 km²1600 BC–1151 BC
Mycenaean Greece Wikipedia46,000 km²46,000 km²1500 BC–1101 BC
Assyria Wikipedia36,000 km²36,000 km²1800 BC–901 BC
First Sealand Dynasty Wikipedia15,000 km²15,000 km²1700 BC–1401 BC
Minoan civilization Wikipedia5,500 km²5,500 km²1600 BC–1401 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 2000 BC

New on the map: New Kingdom of Egypt, Mitanni, Shang Dynasty, Babylonia, Hyksos, Hittites, Mycenaean Greece, Assyria, First Sealand Dynasty, Minoan civilization.

Gone from the map: Indus Valley Civilization, Middle Kingdom of Egypt, Sumerian City-States.

What comes next: 1000 BC

Appear by 1000 BC: Zhou Dynasty, Kingdom of Kush, Greek Dark Ages, Phoenicia, Neo-Hittite states, Kingdom of Israel, Philistia.

Gone by 1000 BC: Mitanni, Shang Dynasty, Hyksos, Hittites, Mycenaean Greece, First Sealand Dynasty, Minoan civilization.

Questions about this map

Which countries were in the World in 1500 BC?

The map data draws 11 states and other polities in the World in 1500 BC. The largest by land were the New Kingdom of Egypt, Mitanni, the Shang Dynasty, Babylonia and Elam.

What was the largest empire in the world in 1500 BC?

Of the states on this map, the New Kingdom of Egypt held the most land in total: about 637,000 km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore the World in 1500 BC interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1500 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 1500 BC