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History by Date · World · 1900 CE

Map of the World in 1900

In 1900 CE the atlas maps 86 states and empires across the world. The largest by mapped territory was The British Empire, at about 27.34M km², followed by The Russian Empire. The map below is set to 1900 CE; the table lists every state shown, with the modern countries its borders covered.

States Mapped
86
Largest
27.34M km²
The British Empire
Modern Countries Covered
196
At least partly
Longest Established
587–1900 CE
Kingdom of Italy

Map of the World in 1900 CE

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3000 BCEDrag timeline:1900 CE2026 CE
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Borders are drawn for 1900 CE. Drag the timeline to move to another year.

The Major Powers of 1900 CE

The British Empire

1706–1999 CE

The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, and colonisation attempts by Scotland during the 17th century.

Mapped extent in 1900 CE: 27.34M km²

The Russian Empire

1721–1916 CE

The Russian Empire was an empire that extended across northern Eurasia from 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in 1917, forming the final era of Tsarist Russia and the wider Russian monarchy. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about 22,800,000 km2 (8,800,000 sq mi), roughly one-sixth of the world's landmass, making it the third-largest empire in history, behind only the British and Mongol empires.

Mapped extent in 1900 CE: 23.08M km²

The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, and colonisation attempts by Scotland during the 17th century.

Mapped extent in 1900 CE: 13.69M km²

The Qing Dynasty

1645–1911 CE

The Qing dynasty, officially the Great Qing, also known as the Qing Empire or Qing China, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia which existed from 1636/1644 to 1912. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the Ming dynasty and succeeded by the Republic of China.

Mapped extent in 1900 CE: 10.37M km²

) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. C.

Mapped extent in 1900 CE: 9.91M km²

Brazilian Republic

1890–1966 CE

Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is also the world's fifth-largest country by area and the seventh-largest by population, with over 214 million people.

Mapped extent in 1900 CE: 8.36M km²

Descriptions are the opening of each state's Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).

States and Empires in 1900 CE

86 mapped, largest territory first. Dates are the span of each state's mapped borders.

States and empires in 1900 CE
#StateMapped area
1The British Empire27.34M km²
2The Russian Empire23.08M km²
3British Colonial Empire13.69M km²
4The Qing Dynasty10.37M km²
5United States of America9.91M km²
6Brazilian Republic8.36M km²
7British Africa7.62M km²
8French Third Republic5.82M km²
9British Raj4.87M km²
10French Africa4.49M km²
11Argentine Confederation2.79M km²
12Belgian Congo2.31M km²
13The Ottoman Empire2.17M km²
14German Africa2.15M km²
15Mexico2.00M km²
16The Portuguese Empire1.97M km²
17Kingdom of Portugal1.94M km²
18Netherlands1.81M km²
19Dutch East Indies1.77M km²
20Qajar Dynasty1.62M km²
21Bolivia1.58M km²
22Republic of Peru1.30M km²
23Republic of Colombia1.22M km²
24Ethiopian Empire961,771 km²
25Venezuela937,211 km²
26Ottoman Tripolitania881,472 km²
27Kingdom of Spain840,687 km²
28The Spanish Empire840,687 km²
29German Empire815,825 km²
30United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway804,282 km²
31Sokoto Caliphate792,270 km²
32Kingdom of Great Britain740,216 km²
33Republic of Chile731,845 km²
34French Indochina699,338 km²
35Austria-Hungary677,584 km²
36Emirate of Jabal Shammar674,803 km²
37Emirate of Afghanistan644,005 km²
38Rattanakosin Kingdom613,025 km²
39Italian Africa587,499 km²
40Empire of Japan469,273 km²
41British Gold Coast414,666 km²
42Morocco358,422 km²
43Wadai Empire278,947 km²
44Kingdom of Italy277,741 km²
45Republic of Ecuador262,830 km²
46Korean Empire231,658 km²
47Oriental Republic of Uruguay180,733 km²
48Denmark-Norway160,323 km²
49Paraguay158,605 km²
50Netherlands Antilles149,155 km²
51Nepal148,575 km²
52Republic of Nicaragua132,580 km²
53United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia130,284 km²
54Sultanate of Muscat and Oman126,868 km²
55Honduras114,698 km²
56Guatemala109,084 km²
57Greenland105,748 km²
58Principality of Bulgaria99,674 km²
59Republic of Liberia99,563 km²
60First Hellenic Republic64,329 km²
61Natalia Republic62,052 km²
62Republic of Costa Rica55,944 km²
63Dominican Republic52,641 km²
64Serbs49,696 km²
65Sultanate of Aceh42,209 km²
66Swiss Confederation41,200 km²
67Kingdom of Bhutan40,398 km²
68Empire of Haiti31,292 km²
69Kingdom of Belgium30,915 km²
70Sultanate of Jambi27,149 km²
71Portuguese Colonies24,277 km²
72Republic of El Salvador21,708 km²
73Swaziland17,048 km²
74New Hebrides16,885 km²
75Sultanate of Terengganu14,424 km²
76Sultanate of Kedah9,557 km²
77Montenegro8,794 km²
78Kelantan8,326 km²
79Cretan State5,499 km²
80Qatar Dynasty5,472 km²
81Bali3,773 km²
82Luxembourg2,405 km²
83Kedah-Perlis District2,094 km²
84Principality of Andorra380 km²
85Kingdom of Monaco94 km²
86Emirate of Nejd53 km²

1900 CE by Region

1900 CE: Quick Answers

What empires and states existed in 1900 CE?
The atlas maps 86 states in 1900 CE. The largest by mapped territory were The British Empire, The Russian Empire, British Colonial Empire, The Qing Dynasty, United States of America, Brazilian Republic.
What was the largest empire in 1900 CE?
The British Empire had the largest mapped territory in 1900 CE, about 27.34M km², followed by The Russian Empire (23.08M km²). Areas are measured from the mapped borders and are approximate.
What did the world map look like in 1900?
In 1900 CE the map of the World was divided between 86 mapped states and empires. The British Empire held the largest territory, followed by The Russian Empire. Their borders covered parts of 196 present-day countries.
How many states are shown on the map for 1900 CE?
86. The map shows the states recorded in the atlas's dated border dataset for that year; states and peoples absent from that dataset are not shown.