Historical maps showing territorial changes of countries and historical events of the past.
It’s hard to believe, but until 1967, marrying someone of a different race was still illegal in parts of the U.S. This map shows where those bans were still in place just one year before the Supreme Court struck them down for good.
Read more: Where Interracial Marriage Was Still Illegal in 1966—Just One Year Before It Was Struck Down
This map shows how China’s territory expanded and contracted over 3,000 years. From the Yellow River basin to the far edges of Central Asia, the post explores key historical events that defined China’s evolving borders.
Read more: How China’s Territory Changed Over 3,000 Years Mapped
Want to see how France’s borders evolved, why it borders Brazil, or where people say “chocolatine”? These 16 carefully selected maps show how geography, history, and identity intersect across the country and beyond.
Read more: 16 Maps That Explain France
A century after the empires that once ruled Poland vanished, their shadows still linger. This post explores how old imperial borders — now invisible — continue to shape Polish elections.
Read more: Phantom Borders: How Poland’s Past Still Shapes Its Politics
Howard Burke’s unusual propaganda map from 1940 depicted a split China ruled by the Soviet Union and Japan. History changed course decades later, completely reversing the balance of power.
Read more: “Japan and Russia Will Divide China” (1940 Propaganda Map)
Before the partition of India, Choudhry Rahmat Ali envisioned a divided subcontinent with separate Muslim homelands—including Pakistan, Bangistan, and Osmanistan. While his vision never fully materialized, it influenced the creation of Pakistan and later, Bangladesh. But was partition inevitable? And how do Indian Muslims live today?
Read more: The Forgotten Map: Choudhry Rahmat Ali’s Vision for Pakistan and the Partition of India
Luxembourg today is just a quarter of its original size. Three territorial splits between 1659 and 1839 gave away most of its land to neighboring countries.
Read more: How Luxembourg Lost Three-Quarters of Its Territory
This map reveals the European territories that have been under French rule for different periods, from the heart of modern France to former French possessions. How has this shaped culture, language, and identity across the continent?
Read more: How Long Was Your Region Part of France? A Look at European Territories Under French Rule
Mussolini wanted to bring back the Roman Empire. This map shows how far he got—and just how much the two empires really had in common.
Read more: Rome and Re-Rome: A Map That Puts Two Empires Side by Side
When Britain acquired Gibraltar in 1713, it was just a rocky military outpost. Today, it’s much more than that – and bigger too. Through centuries of careful expansion and land reclamation, Gibraltar has literally grown beyond its original borders, creating space for a thriving community of 33,000 people.
Read more: Gibraltar’s Hidden Growth: How a Tiny British Territory Has Been Secretly Expanding Since 1854
Discover how Nazi educational materials used pseudoscientific maps to promote the myth of Germanic origins for all major civilizations.
Read more: Nazi School Map: How Nazis Claimed Germany as the Source of Civilization
Slavery was a global system that reshaped societies across centuries, from the transatlantic slave trade to the Arab and Indian Ocean trades. But did slavery truly end? This post explores its historical reach, enduring cultural impact, and the modern fight against human trafficking.
Read more: The Global Slave Trade
A fascinating 1603 map of Japan shows the emblems of major clans at the dawn of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Discover how Japan transitioned from a fractured collection of warring states to a unified nation under Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Read more: Japan in 1603: A Map of Clans and the Birth of the Tokugawa Shogunate