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Historical map · 1880

Map of the World in 1880

In 1880, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 105 states, empires and other polities in the world. By the land they held , the largest were the British Empire, the Russian Empire and the Qing Dynasty.

See this map live. The interactive map opens on the World in 1880. 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 1880 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1880
Atlas map: The Great Reforms (Jul 1878)
FROM THE ATLAS · THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION, CHAPTER 1: THE GREAT REFORMS (JUL 1878)

States and empires in the World in 1880

StateTerritoryWhole stateIn the data
British Empire Wikipedia25.2 million km²25.2 million km²1706–1999
Russian Empire Wikipedia22.2 million km²22.2 million km²1721–1916
Qing Dynasty Wikipedia11.1 million km²11.1 million km²1645–1911
United States of America Wikipedia8.9 million km²8.9 million km²1776–2024
Empire of Brazil Wikipedia8.4 million km²8.4 million km²1822–1889
British Raj Wikipedia4.2 million km²4.2 million km²1859–1947
Khedivate of Egypt Wikipedia3.0 million km²3.0 million km²1866–1884
French Third Republic Wikipedia2.3 million km²2.3 million km²1871–1939
Ottoman Empire Wikipedia2.2 million km²2.2 million km²1305–1923
Mexico2.0 million km²2.0 million km²1868–2024
Argentina Wikipedia2.0 million km²2.0 million km²1834–1929
Qajar Iran Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²1788–1923
Bolivia Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²1825–2024
Netherlands Wikipedia1.3 million km²1.3 million km²1811–2024
Dutch East Indies Wikipedia1.3 million km²1.3 million km²1800–1949
Republic of Peru Wikipedia1.3 million km²1.3 million km²1822–2024
Republic of Colombia Wikipedia1.2 million km²1.2 million km²1866–2024
Kingdom of Spain Wikipedia990,000 km²990,000 km²1516–2024
Spanish Empire Wikipedia990,000 km²990,000 km²1516–1931
British Cape Colony Wikipedia975,000 km²975,000 km²1796–1884
Venezuela Wikipedia938,000 km²938,000 km²1811–2024
Ottoman Tripolitania Wikipedia896,000 km²896,000 km²1840–1911
French Africa Wikipedia807,000 km²807,000 km²1846–1957
United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway Wikipedia799,000 km²799,000 km²1815–1904
Sokoto Caliphate Wikipedia796,000 km²796,000 km²1805–1904
Austria-Hungary Wikipedia676,000 km²676,000 km²1868–1918
Emirate of Afghanistan Wikipedia644,000 km²644,000 km²1828–1925
Siam Wikipedia609,000 km²609,000 km²1783–1931
German Empire Wikipedia555,000 km²555,000 km²1871–1918
Burma Wikipedia438,000 km²438,000 km²1820–2024
Republic of Chile Wikipedia429,000 km²429,000 km²1812–2024
Merina Kingdom Wikipedia428,000 km²428,000 km²1792–1897
Empire of Japan Wikipedia427,000 km²427,000 km²1868–1946
Morocco Wikipedia386,000 km²386,000 km²1670–2024
United Kingdom Wikipedia355,000 km²355,000 km²1709–2024
Emirate of Nejd Wikipedia325,000 km²325,000 km²1824–1925
Wadai Empire Wikipedia281,000 km²281,000 km²1636–1910
Kingdom of Italy Wikipedia274,000 km²274,000 km²587–1946
Republic of Ecuador Wikipedia264,000 km²264,000 km²1834–2024
Portuguese Empire Wikipedia242,000 km²242,000 km²1502–1910

Also on the map: Ethiopian Empire, Nguyễn dynasty, Joseon, Bornu Empire, French Indochina, Kingdom of Portugal, Sultanate of Oman, Oriental Republic of Uruguay, Kashmir and Jammu, Denmark, Paraguay, Ashanti Empire, Surinam (Dutch colony), Nepal, Kingdom of Luang Phrabang, Emirate of Jabal Shammar, Sultanate of Hobyo, Orange Free State, Romania, Honduras, Republic of Nicaragua, Kingdom of Lunda, Guatemala, Greenland, Republic of Liberia, Majeerteen Sultanate, Beylik of Tunis, Kingdom of Sarawak, Trucial States, Chiangmai, Principality of Bulgaria, Republic of Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Talpur Dynasty, Kingdom of Serbia, Greece, Sultanate of Aceh, Swiss Confederation, Pahang, Bhutan, Kingdom of Champasak, Colony of Natal (British), Haiti, Kingdom of Belgium, Sultanate of Zanzibar, Sultanate of Jambi, Zululand, Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, Republic of El Salvador, Sultanate of Brunei, Sultanate of Johor, British Gold Coast, Sultanate of Terengganu, Qatar, Sultanate of Kedah, Kelantan, Sultanate of Bima, Montenegro, Bali, Negeri Sembilan, Luxembourg, Kedah-Perlis District, German Africa, House of Khalifa, Principality of Andorra.

"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 1871

New on the map: Paraguay, Sultanate of Hobyo, Principality of Bulgaria, Kingdom of Serbia, British Gold Coast.

Gone from the map: Khanate of Khiva, Panthay Rebellion, Sultanate of Darfur, South African Republic, Imamate of Yemen, Khanate of Kokand, Sultanate of Sulu, Serbia, Sultanate of Perak, Kingdom of Fiji, Dutch Gold Coast, Sultanate of Selangor, Kuwait.

What comes next: 1900

Appear by 1900: Brazilian Republic, British Africa, Belgian Congo, Italian Africa, Korean Empire, Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, Serbia, Swaziland, New Hebrides, Cretan State.

Gone by 1900: Empire of Brazil, Khedivate of Egypt, British Cape Colony, Burma, Merina Kingdom, Emirate of Nejd, Nguyễn dynasty, Joseon, Bornu Empire, Sultanate of Oman, Kashmir and Jammu, Ashanti Empire, Kingdom of Luang Phrabang, Sultanate of Hobyo, Orange Free State, Kingdom of Lunda, Majeerteen Sultanate, Beylik of Tunis, Kingdom of Sarawak, Trucial States, Chiangmai, Talpur Dynasty, Kingdom of Serbia, Pahang, Kingdom of Champasak, Sultanate of Zanzibar, Zululand, Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, Sultanate of Brunei, Sultanate of Johor and others.

Read the history of 1880

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

Questions about this map

Which countries were in the World in 1880?

The map data draws 105 states and other polities in the World in 1880. The largest by land were the British Empire, the Russian Empire, the Qing Dynasty, the United States of America and the Empire of Brazil.

What was the largest empire in the world in 1880?

Of the states on this map, the British Empire held the most land in total: about 25.2 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore the World in 1880 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1880, 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 1880