Timeline of world map changes
Wikimedia list article
The world map has changed a lot throughout history. This page lists some of the changes.
21st Century change
2020s change
- September 30, 2022 - Russia annexes four regions from southeast Ukraine. This action is only partly recognized, and Russia did not control all the land.[1] This action is largely seen as a war crime and the land is still recognized as Ukrainian by most countries.
- September 17, 2022 - The Republic of Kazakhstan officially changed the name of its capital from Nur-Sultan back to Astana.
- May 31, 2022 - The Republic of Turkey officially changes its name to the Republic of Türkiye.[2]
- August 15, 2021 - The Taliban overthrow the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and replace it with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.[3]
2010s change
- February 2019 - The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia officially changes its name to the Republic of North Macedonia.[4]
- April 19, 2018 - The Kingdom of Swaziland changed its name to the Kingdom of Eswatini.
- February 20, 2014 - Russia annexes Crimea from Ukraine Which causes the Crimea Crisis, and The Russo-Ukrainian War begins. This action is only partly recognized.
- July 9, 2011 - The Republic of South Sudan becomes independent from Sudan.
2000s change
- February 17, 2008 - The Republic of Kosovo declares independence from Serbia. Its independence is only partly recognized.
- June 8, 2006 - Serbia and Montenegro splits into the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Montenegro.
- February 4, 2003 - The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia votes to enact the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro, renaming it to Serbia and Montenegro.
- May 20, 2002 - East Timor becomes independent from Indonesia.
20th Century change
1990s change
- December 31, 1999 - The United States gives the Panama Canal Zone to Panama.
- December 20, 1999 - Macau is given from Portugal to the People's Republic of China.
- July 1, 1997 - Hong Kong is given from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China.
- May 21, 1997 - Zaire officially reverts its name back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- May 24, 1993 - Eritrea becomes independent.
- January 1, 1993 - Czechoslovakia breaks up into The Czech Republic and Slovakia.
- 1991 - The Soviet Union breaks up. The countries of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan are formed.
- October 3, 1990 - The Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic merge. They take the name the Federal Republic of Germany.
1980s change
- September 21, 1981 - Belize becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
1970s change
- December 1971 - Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) becomes independent from Pakistan after nine months of Bangladesh Liberation War.
- December 1971 - The United Arab Emirates forms.
1960s change
- July 5, 1962 - The Algerian State becomes independent of France.
- October 1, 1960 - The Federation of Nigeria becomes its own country.
- August 15, 1960 - The Republic of the Congo becomes its own country.
- August 3, 1960 - The Republic of Niger becomes its own country.
1950s change
- January 1, 1956 - The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan becomes the Republic of the Sudan.
- April 20, 1952 - Treaty of San Francisco
1940s change
- October 7, 1949 - East Germany is founded.
- September 21, 1949 - West Germany is founded.
- September 9, 1948 - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is formed in northern Korea.
- August 15, 1948 - The Republic of Korea is formed in southern Korea.
- May 14, 1948 - Israel becomes independent.
- August 15, 1947 - The Union of India becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
- August 14, 1947 - The Dominion of Pakistan becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
- August 17, 1945 - The Republic of Indonesia becomes independent from the Netherlands.
- September 8, 1943 - The Italian Civil War has started
- April 17, 1941 - Yugoslavia Ceases to exist and is divided between Axis members.
- April 10, 1941 - Independent State of Croatia, is Formed as a German Puppet State.
- August 30, 1940 - Second Vienna Award, Hungary annexes Northern Transylvania from Romania.
- August 6, 1940 - Estonia, is annexed by the Soviet Union.
- August 5, 1940 - Latvia, is annexed by the Soviet Union
- August 3, 1940 - Lithuania, is annexed by the Soviet Union
- March 13, 1940 - Winter War Comes to a close , the Soviet Union annexes parts of eastern Finland
1930s change
- September 29, 1939 - Poland is divided along the Bug River between the German Reich and Union Of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
- September 27, 1939 - Poland Surrenders to the German Reich
- September 1, 1939 - World War 2 Begins with the German Reich Invading Poland
- March 22, 1939 - German Reich annexes Memel from Lithuania.
- March 16, 1939 - Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia Becomes a Partially annexed territory of the German Reich.
- March 14, 1939 - Slovak State Becomes a German Puppet State.
- March 1, 1939 - Poland annexes Zaolzie from Czechoslovakia.
- November 2, 1938 - Hungary annexes parts of southern Slovakia.
- September 30, 1938 - Munich Agreement, German Reich annexes the German speaking parts of Czechoslovakia.
- March 12, 1938 - Anschluss, German Reich annexes Austria through a referendum.
- May 9, 1936 - Italy annexes Ethiopia and Establishes Italian East Africa.
- February 16, 1934 - The Dominion of Newfoundland joins Canada.
1920s change
- The end of the Ottoman Empire:
- Occupation of Constantinople after WWI (13 November 1918 – 23 September 1923).
- Sultanate abolished (ended) on 1 November 1922, and the last Sultan, Mehmed VI (reigned 1918–22), left the country on 17 November 1922.
- Republic of Turkey founded on 29 October 1923. The Caliphate was abolished on 3 March 1924.[5]
- December 6, 1921 - The Irish Free State becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
1910s change
- December 1, 1918 - Kingdom of Romania merges with all the principalities (Țara Românească , Moldova and Transilvania) after the Treaty of Trianon and the collapse of the Russian Empire.
- November 11, 1918 - The German Empire is dissolved and the Treaty of Versailles is signed which gives land to France, Belgium, Denmark and Poland. German colonies are split between France, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
- October 14, 1918 - Austria-Hungary is dissolved into Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia.
- January 2, 1918 - Finland becomes independent from the Soviet Russia.
- June 28, 1914 - The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie.
- May 30, 1913 - Treaty of London is signed and the last of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans is conquered by the combined forces of the Balkan League
- September 29 1911 - The start of Italo-Turkish War
- August 22, 1910 - Japan takes over Korea.
1900s change
- August 5, 1908 - Bulgaria splits off from the Ottoman Empire.
- October 6, 1908 - Bosnia is annexed by Austria-Hungary.
19th Century change
1880's change
- 15 November 1884 - Berlin Conference
1870s change
- January 18, 1871 - The German Empire is formed as one nation from a multitude of smaller German States.
1860s change
- October 18, 1867 - The United States of America buys Alaska from Russia.
- March 15, 1867 - Austro-Hungarian Compromise. Austrian empire becomes Austro-Hungary.
- March 17, 1861 - The Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont becomes the Kingdom of Italy.
1850s change
- 1854 - United States of America buys territory from Mexico, extending the New Mexico territory southward: Gadsden Purchase
1840s change
- February 2, 1848 - After the Second Mexican–American War (April 25, 1846 – February 2, 1848) much of north-western Mexico becomes part of the United States.
1830s change
- March 2, 1836 - The Republic of Texas declares independence from Mexico.
1820s change
- September 7, 1822 - The Empire of Brazil declares independence from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves.
- September 7, 1821 - The First Mexican Empire is formed.
1810s change
1800s change
- August 6, 1806 - The Holy Roman Empire is dissolved.
- January 1, 1804 - Haiti becomes independent from France.
- 1803 - The United States buys the Louisiana Territory from France.
18th Century change
- July 4, 1776 - The United States of America declares independence from the United Kingdom.
17th Century change
1600s change
- 1603 - Tokugawa Iesayu establishes the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan.
- 1607 - The Virginia Colony is founded.
16th Century change
1500s. change
- 1502 - The Golden Horde is disestablished.
- 1501 - The Uzbek Khanate is disestablished.
15th Century change
1450s change
- May 29th, 1453 - The Byzantine Empire falls to the Ottomans.
References change
- ↑ Kirby, Paul (30 September 2022). "What Russian annexation means for Ukraine's regions". BBC News.
- ↑ Wertheimer, Tiffany (2 June 2022). "Turkey changes its name in rebranding bid". BBC News. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- ↑ Sieff, Kevin (15 August 2021). "Taliban declares Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Here's what that looked like last time". The Washington Post.
- ↑ "North Macedonia - Countries - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
- ↑ Hakan Ozoglu 2011. From Caliphate to secular state: power struggle in the early Turkish Republic. ABC-CLIO, p8. [1] ISBN 978-0-313-37957-4