From ancient Sumerian city-states and Egypt to Rome, the Pax Mongolica, dynastic China, and global colonial realms, explore the territorial boundaries, administrative centers, and civilizational achievements of humanity’s historical sovereign polities.
The dominant Mediterranean superpower of antiquity, encompassing over 5 million square kilometers across Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Levant.
The largest contiguous land empire in world history, uniting the entire Eurasian landmass from the Sea of Japan to the Danube River under the Pax Mongolica.
The golden age of classical Chinese civilization, founding the imperial civil service, inventing paper, and establishing the trans-Eurasian Silk Road.
The direct continuation of the Roman Empire in the East, guarding the frontier of Europe and the Bosporus for over a millennium until the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
The first global superpower, governing over 40% of the planetary human population from the Indus Valley to the Aegean Sea via satraps and the Royal Road.
Six centuries of cross-continental rule over Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa, controlling the historic gateways between East and West.
The largest empire in human history by total land area, governing over 450 million subjects across all six inhabited continents as "the empire on which the sun never sets."
Three millennia of monumental civilization anchored along the fertile banks of the Nile, famed for pyramids, astronomical calendars, and divine kingship.
The first pan-Indian empire, uniting nearly the entire subcontinent from modern Afghanistan to southern Karnataka under Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka the Great.
The Golden Age of Indian classical civilization, celebrated for breakthroughs in zero, decimal mathematics, astronomy, Sanskrit drama, and stone temple architecture.
The foremost maritime naval superpower of medieval Asia, dominating South India and dispatching trans-oceanic naval armadas to Srivijaya (Indonesia/Malaysia).
The colossal early-modern gunpowder superpower of South Asia, producing over 25% of global GDP and leaving monumental wonders like the Taj Mahal.
The formidable Hindu warrior confederacy founded by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that rolled back Mughal hegemony and ruled over two-thirds of the Indian subcontinent.
The largest pre-Columbian empire in the Americas, constructing monumental stone cities and 30,000 kilometers of paved roads across the Andes mountains without the wheel or iron.
The fabled West African gold empire founded by Sundiata Keita, whose ruler Mansa Musa became the wealthiest human in world history and turned Timbuktu into an intellectual capital.
The pioneering global maritime empire where the sun never set, connecting Europe, the Americas, and the Philippines across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
The colossal northern Eurasian land superpower spanning across Eastern Europe, Siberia, Central Asia, and Alaska across three continents.
The final imperial dynasty of China, founded by the Manchus, consolidating Tibet, Xinjiang, Mongolia, and Taiwan into a 14.7-million-km² territorial apex.
The cosmopolitan Golden Age of medieval Chinese civilization, celebrated for poetic genius, woodblock printing, Buddhist pilgrimages, and the Pax Sinica.
The world’s first industrial and economic revolution, inventing paper banknotes, gunpowder weaponry, and the magnetic navigation compass.
Restorer of indigenous Han sovereignty following the Mongols, constructing the Forbidden City, the brick Great Wall, and launching the Zheng He treasure voyages.
The vast first dynastic caliphate in world history, uniting 11 million km² from the Atlantic shores of Spain and Morocco to the Indus River and Central Asia.
The Golden Age of Islamic civilization, centering in Baghdad’s House of Wisdom, pioneering algebra, optics, medicine, and global trade across the Silk Road.
The second largest colonial empire of the 19th and 20th centuries, spanning 11.5 million km² across West and Equatorial Africa, Indochina, and the Maghreb.
A thousand-year multi-ethnic confederation across Central Europe, bridging the legacy of Rome and Charlemagne with the Golden Bull electoral monarchy.
Alexander the Great’s lightning twelve-year conquest from the Balkans to the Indus River, inaugurating the Hellenistic world across three continents.
The Neo-Persian superpower and great rival of Rome and Byzantium, elevating Persian art, cataphract heavy cavalry, and Zoroastrian statecraft.
The pioneer of the European Age of Discovery, establishing a 5.5M-km² maritime chain of fortresses and trading posts from Brazil to Africa, India, Malacca, and Macau.
The dominant Mesoamerican superpower of central Mexico, celebrated for the island metropolis of Tenochtitlan, chinampa agriculture, and astronomical calendrics.
The mighty Nubian Nile civilization that conquered and ruled Egypt as the 25th Dynasty Black Pharaohs and built over 250 pyramids in Meroë.
The major Red Sea maritime trading empire described by Mani as one of the four great powers of the world alongside Rome, Persia, and China.
The grand hydraulic civilization of mainland Southeast Asia that constructed Angkor Wat, the largest religious temple monument on Earth.
The glorious medieval South Indian empire founded on the Tungabhadra river, famed for the granite metropolis of Hampi, diamond markets, and Krishnadevaraya.
The five-dynasty Islamic sultanate based in Delhi that successfully repelled Mongol invasions and united northern and central India under Indo-Islamic architecture.
The greatest maritime thalassocracy of the Indonesian archipelago, uniting over 98 tributary states across Nusantara through Prime Minister Gajah Mada’s Palapa Oath.
Germany after its surrender in May 1945, divided by the United States, the United Kingdom, France and the Soviet Union into four occupation zones, with Berlin split into four sectors. The zones became West and East Germany in 1949.
East Germany, the socialist state founded in the Soviet occupation zone on 7 October 1949. It built the Berlin Wall in 1961, opened it on 9 November 1989 and joined the Federal Republic on 3 October 1990.
West Germany, the Federal Republic of Germany as it was from its founding in the three western occupation zones on 23 May 1949 until East Germany joined it on 3 October 1990.
The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from its formation in 1922 until its dissolution in 1991.
Russian Republic is mapped in the atlas for 1917 CE – 1919 CE, with a peak mapped extent of about 22,278,223 km².
Republics of the Soviet Union is mapped in the atlas for 1920 CE – 1921 CE, with a peak mapped extent of about 21,477,746 km².
The Golden Horde, or Ulus of Jochi, self-designated as Ulug Ulus, was originally a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century, originating from the northwestern part of the Mongol Empire.
The Ilkhanate or Il-khanate was a Mongol khanate founded in the southwestern territories of the Mongol Empire.
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country in Eastern Europe and North Asia.
The Chagatai Khanate, also known as the Chagatai Ulus, was a Mongol khanate that comprised the lands ruled by Chagatai Khan, second son of Genghis Khan, and his descendants and successors.
The colossal northern Eurasian land superpower spanning across Eastern Europe, Siberia, Central Asia, and Alaska across three continents.
The Yuan dynasty, officially the Great Yuan, was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division.
The largest empire in human history by total land area, governing over 450 million subjects across all six inhabited continents as "the empire on which the sun never sets."
The French Fourth Republic was the republican government of France from 27 October 1946 to 4 October 1958, governed by the fourth republican constitution of 13 October 1946.
The second largest colonial empire of the 19th and 20th centuries, spanning 11.5 million km² across West and Equatorial Africa, Indochina, and the Maghreb.
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America.
Vichy France, also known as the Pétainist regime and Pétainist France, officially the French State, was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of German victory in the Battle of France.
The second largest colonial empire of the 19th and 20th centuries, spanning 11.5 million km² across West and Equatorial Africa, Indochina, and the Maghreb.
The French Fifth Republic is France's current republican system of government.
The Scramble for Africa was the invasion, conquest, and colonisation of most of Africa by seven Western European powers, which were driven by the Second Industrial Revolution during the late 19th and early 20th centuries through the era of "New Imperialism".
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the second-largest country by total area, with the longest coastline of any country.
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia.
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America.
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America.
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America.
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