Draw on a map
Mark places, draw routes and areas, measure distances, and sketch history over the borders of any year from 3000 BC to today.
- Free
- No account
- 3000 BC to today
- PNG, PDF, KML, GPX
Layers
Eraser
What it does
Erase from
Start with…
Mark places, draw routes and areas, measure distances, and sketch history over the borders of any year from 3000 BC to today. Free, no account.
Blank maps
Blank world map
Blank map of Europe
Blank map of Asia
Blank map of Africa
Blank map of North America
Blank map of South America
Blank map of Oceania
Blank map of the Middle East
Blank map of Central America
Blank map of the Caribbean
Blank map of the United States
Blank map of India with states
Blank map of the United Kingdom
Blank map of Canada
Blank map of Mexico
Blank map of Brazil
Blank map of France
Blank map of Germany
Blank map of Italy
Blank map of Spain
Blank map of China
Blank map of Japan
Blank map of Australia
Blank map of Russia
Blank map of Turkey
Blank map of Argentina
Blank map of Poland
Blank map of Indonesia
Blank map of Pakistan
Blank map of Nigeria
Blank map of South Africa
Blank map of Egypt
Blank map of Iran
Blank map of South Korea
Blank map of Ukraine
Blank map of Romania
Blank map of Sweden
Blank map of Portugal
Blank map of Greece
Blank map of Chile
Blank map of Austria
Groups of countries
Maps of the Earth
Maps of a year
Map tools
What you can make
A rail trip across EuropeEight cities by train, with numbered markers and a dashed route.
Europe in 1914The borders of 1914, with the first moves of the First World War drawn over them.
How far from Delhi?Circles of 250, 500 and 1,000 km measured on the globe, with the cities inside them.
The euro area in 2026Countries coloured in with two legend colours: 21 use the euro, 6 EU members keep their own currency.
What you can do
Every drawing tool
Markers, text, lines, arrows, curved arrows, areas, boxes, circles, a freehand pen and a measuring tool.
Any year, 3000 BC to today
Move the timeline and the borders change with it. Give a drawing a start and end year and it appears only then.
Colour in countries
Tap countries, states, provinces or empires to colour them, with a legend of colours and patterns you can rename.
Real data underneath
Cities, rivers, voyages, World Heritage Sites, tectonic plates and more, ready to copy into your drawing.
True distances and areas
Circles of an exact radius, distances and areas, measured along the curve of the Earth.
Share and export
A link to share, PNG for slides, PDF for print, and GeoJSON, KML or GPX for other mapping tools.
How it works
Pick a tool
Marker, text, line, arrow, curved arrow, area, box, circle, pen or measure. Tap the map to draw; the Done button finishes a line or an area.
Choose the year and the data
Move the timeline to any year and switch on the borders of that year, voyages, cities, rivers, World Heritage Sites or tectonic plates in the Layers tab.
Style it
Colour, width, dashes, fill and labels in the Style tab. Give a shape a start and end year and it appears only then as the timeline moves.
Share or export
Share copies a link to the map. Export saves a PNG picture, a print-ready PDF, or GeoJSON, KML and GPX files.
Data you can cite
- Natural EarthPublic domainCountries, coastlines and the simple base map
- Cliopatria (Seshat)CC BY 4.0Borders of 1,600+ states and empires, 3000 BC to today
- OpenStreetMapODbLStreets and places on the detailed base maps
- geoBoundariesOpen licences, per countryDistrict lines inside countries
Every exported picture prints the credits of the data on it. All sources: data sources.
Your maps stay yours
- Your map is saved in this browser as you draw. No account, no sign-in.
- Files you open (GeoJSON, KML, GPX, CSV) are read in your browser and never uploaded.
- A short link stores a copy of the map only when you make one, so the link works for anyone you send it to.
- What you draw is yours to use in lessons, articles, books and slides; keep the data credits on it.
Visit statistics and cookies are explained on the privacy page.
Questions
How do I draw on a map?
Pick a tool on the left (at the bottom on a phone), then tap the map. A marker or text goes where you tap; a line or area gets a point with each tap, and Done (or tapping the last point again) finishes it. Tap a drawing with the Select tool to move it, reshape it or change its style.
How do I measure a distance on the map?
Choose Measure and tap the points of the route. The distance shows as you go, along the curve of the Earth, in kilometres, miles or nautical miles (Map tab).
Is YearMaps Draw free?
Yes. Drawing, sharing links and exporting PNG, PDF, GeoJSON, KML and GPX files are all free, with no account. Exported pictures carry a small @yearmaps.com mark and the credits of the data on the map.
Do I need an account to save my map?
No. Your map is saved in your browser as you draw. To keep it elsewhere, share its link, or save a YearMaps file and open it again later from the File menu.
Can I use the maps I make?
Yes. The map belongs to you, in school work, articles, presentations and books. Keep the data credits printed on the picture: the borders come from Cliopatria (CC BY 4.0) and the base map from Natural Earth (public domain).
Can I import my own data?
Yes. Open or drop GeoJSON, KML, KMZ (Google Earth) and GPX (GPS) files onto the map. They are read in your browser and never uploaded.
More ways to use it
- Make a historical mapChoose a year, see the empires and states of that moment, and draw your own history over them: campaigns, trade routes, battles, borders and notes.
- Draw a radius on a mapType a radius and tap the centre, or drag a circle by eye.
- Map maker for teachersMake the map for today's lesson in minutes: a blank or historical base, your labels and arrows, then a PDF for the worksheet or a link for the class.
- Make your own mapA free map maker in the browser.
- Draw a route on a mapTap stop after stop to draw a route, read its length as you go, then style it as a dashed trail, an arrow or a curve and add the stops as numbered markers.
- Measure distance on a mapTap two places, or a whole path of them, and read the distance along the curve of the Earth in kilometres, miles or nautical miles.
Every map page on YearMaps has a Draw on this map button in its Share panel, which opens the same view here. See what's new in YearMaps Draw.