The world in 1885
On 1 July 1885, IntMap’s historical map draws 273 names across the world. The borders for this date come from OpenHistoricalMap (day by day), then Cliopatria, Seshat Global History Databank (by year), then historical-basemaps — each drawn only where the records before it are silent. It also draws 10 outlines whose name the record does not give for this date.
Why this year has a page
Among the largest year-to-year changes in the records the map dates by year or by day: 27 names begin or stop being drawn between 1 July 1884 and 1 July 1885.
Names on the map
As the map labels them, largest first by the area of the outline drawn. Areas are of the drawn outline, rounded, and approximate. The record column says which record draws the outline; a Wikidata item is given where the record links one.
| Name | Record | Drawn area (km²) |
|---|---|---|
| Russian Empire | OpenHistoricalMap · Cliopatria Q34266 | 22,700,000 |
| Qing | OpenHistoricalMap | 11,400,000 |
| Dominion of Canada | OpenHistoricalMap | 10,400,000 |
| United States | OpenHistoricalMap | 9,820,000 |
| Empire of Brazil | OpenHistoricalMap | 8,230,000 |
| British Raj (British India) | OpenHistoricalMap · Cliopatria Q129286 | 5,010,000 |
| Ottoman Empire | OpenHistoricalMap · Cliopatria · historical-basemaps Q12560 Q1529261 | 3,500,000 |
| Argentina | OpenHistoricalMap · historical-basemaps | 3,410,000 |
| Colony of Western Australia | OpenHistoricalMap | 2,610,000 |
| Denmark | OpenHistoricalMap | 2,500,000 |
| Colony of South Australia | OpenHistoricalMap | 2,400,000 |
| Congo Free State | OpenHistoricalMap | 2,340,000 |
| Dutch East Indies | OpenHistoricalMap | 2,280,000 |
| Mahdist State | Cliopatria Q3125368 | 2,230,000 |
| Colony of Queensland | OpenHistoricalMap | 2,070,000 |
| Mexico | OpenHistoricalMap | 2,020,000 |
| British Empire | Cliopatria Q8680 | 1,890,000 |
| Persia | OpenHistoricalMap | 1,640,000 |
| Bolivia | OpenHistoricalMap | 1,530,000 |
| British Africa | Cliopatria | 1,320,000 |
| Colombia | OpenHistoricalMap | 1,310,000 |
| Upper River | OpenHistoricalMap | 1,260,000 |
| Arabia | historical-basemaps | 1,140,000 |
| Chile | OpenHistoricalMap · historical-basemaps | 1,130,000 |
| United States of Venezuela | OpenHistoricalMap | 1,100,000 |
| Sokoto Caliphate | OpenHistoricalMap · Cliopatria · historical-basemaps Q600524 | 1,070,000 |
| Kingdom of Portugal | OpenHistoricalMap · Cliopatria Q45670 | 1,040,000 |
| Peru | OpenHistoricalMap | 1,020,000 |
| French Republic | OpenHistoricalMap | 1,010,000 |
| German East Africa | OpenHistoricalMap | 956,000 |
| Sweden–Norway | OpenHistoricalMap · historical-basemaps | 949,000 |
| Portuguese Empire | Cliopatria Q200464 | 943,000 |
| German South-West Africa | OpenHistoricalMap | 816,000 |
| Colony of New South Wales | OpenHistoricalMap | 813,000 |
| Province of Mozambique | OpenHistoricalMap | 811,000 |
| Siam | OpenHistoricalMap | 775,000 |
| Ecuador | OpenHistoricalMap | 675,000 |
| Emirate of Afghanistan | OpenHistoricalMap | 642,000 |
| Protectorate of Afghanistan | OpenHistoricalMap | 642,000 |
| Austria-Hungary | OpenHistoricalMap | 639,000 |
| Kingdom of Imerina | OpenHistoricalMap | 626,000 |
| French Congo | OpenHistoricalMap | 615,000 |
| Cape Colony | OpenHistoricalMap · historical-basemaps | 612,000 |
| German Reich | OpenHistoricalMap | 561,000 |
| Spain | OpenHistoricalMap | 529,000 |
| German Cameroon | OpenHistoricalMap | 527,000 |
| French Third Republic | Cliopatria · historical-basemaps Q70802 | 522,000 |
| Empire of Japan (1879-1895) | OpenHistoricalMap | 510,000 |
| Paraguay | OpenHistoricalMap | 487,000 |
| French Africa | Cliopatria | 421,000 |
All 273 names
| Name | Record | Drawn area (km²) |
|---|---|---|
| Alawi Sultanate | OpenHistoricalMap | 392,000 |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | OpenHistoricalMap | 383,000 |
| Wadai Empire | Cliopatria · historical-basemaps Q1132786 | 379,000 |
| Captaincy General of the Philippines | OpenHistoricalMap | 348,000 |
| Spanish Philippines | OpenHistoricalMap | 343,000 |
| Ethiopian Empire | Cliopatria · historical-basemaps Q207521 | 342,000 |
| Bechuanaland Protectorate | OpenHistoricalMap | 324,000 |
| Colony of New Zealand | OpenHistoricalMap | 318,000 |
| Kingdom of Italy | OpenHistoricalMap | 314,000 |
| Sultanate of Utetera | historical-basemaps | 305,000 |
| South African Republic | OpenHistoricalMap · Cliopatria Q550374 | 292,000 |
| German New Guinea | OpenHistoricalMap | 290,000 |
| Sultinate of Zanzibar | historical-basemaps | 271,000 |
| Joseon | OpenHistoricalMap | 268,000 |
| Emirate of Nejd | Cliopatria Q146862 | 268,000 |
| French Gabon | OpenHistoricalMap | 267,000 |
| Aden Protectorate | OpenHistoricalMap | 251,000 |
| Colony of Victoria | OpenHistoricalMap | 238,000 |
| Crown Colony of Newfoundland | OpenHistoricalMap | 227,000 |
| Emirate of Jabal Shammar | Cliopatria Q5362837 | 222,000 |
| Mossi States | historical-basemaps | 207,000 |
| Kingdom of the Netherlands | OpenHistoricalMap | 195,000 |
| Emirate of Bukhara | OpenHistoricalMap | 189,000 |
| Lozi | historical-basemaps | 188,000 |
| Yeke | historical-basemaps | 187,000 |
| Uruguay | OpenHistoricalMap | 182,000 |
| Kong Empire | historical-basemaps | 180,000 |
| Bornu Empire | Cliopatria Q1139762 | 179,000 |
| New Spain (1865-1899) | OpenHistoricalMap | 170,000 |
| Mirambo Unyanyembe Ukimbu | historical-basemaps | 169,000 |
| French protectorate of Tunisia | OpenHistoricalMap | 165,000 |
| British Somaliland | OpenHistoricalMap | 162,000 |
| Captaincy General of Cuba | OpenHistoricalMap | 152,000 |
| Nepal | OpenHistoricalMap | 148,000 |
| Kanem-Bornu | historical-basemaps | 142,000 |
| Sultanate of Hobyo | OpenHistoricalMap | 134,000 |
| Egypt | historical-basemaps | 134,000 |
| Kingdom of Romania | OpenHistoricalMap | 132,000 |
| Orange Free State | OpenHistoricalMap | 131,000 |
| Colony of the Rio de Oro | OpenHistoricalMap | 122,000 |
| French Tonkin | OpenHistoricalMap | 122,000 |
| French Protectorate of Annam | OpenHistoricalMap | 121,000 |
| Dendi Kingdom | historical-basemaps | 120,000 |
| Honduras | OpenHistoricalMap | 120,000 |
| Sultanate of Muscat and Oman | OpenHistoricalMap | 117,000 |
| Majeerteen Sultanate | OpenHistoricalMap | 115,000 |
| Borgu States | historical-basemaps | 114,000 |
| Oil Rivers Protectorate | OpenHistoricalMap | 110,000 |
| Guatemala | OpenHistoricalMap | 109,000 |
| Nicaragua | OpenHistoricalMap | 106,000 |
| Ashanti Empire | Cliopatria Q722071 | 104,000 |
| Sultanate of Dar al Kuti | OpenHistoricalMap | 100,000 |
| Liberia | OpenHistoricalMap | 99,700 |
| Barotse | historical-basemaps | 97,600 |
| Kingdom of Greece | OpenHistoricalMap | 94,700 |
| Sultanate of Qishn and Socotra | OpenHistoricalMap | 90,500 |
| Colony of Tasmania | OpenHistoricalMap | 88,600 |
| North Borneo | OpenHistoricalMap | 88,300 |
| Togoland Protectorate | OpenHistoricalMap | 88,300 |
| Colony of French Guiana | OpenHistoricalMap | 86,600 |
| Sultanate of Oman | Cliopatria Q842 | 85,600 |
| Lagos Colony | OpenHistoricalMap | 81,300 |
| Trucial States | OpenHistoricalMap | 80,900 |
| British Guiana | OpenHistoricalMap | 80,000 |
| Kingdom of Lunda | Cliopatria Q1796223 | 79,700 |
| Shona | historical-basemaps | 79,300 |
| Kingdom of Sarawak | Cliopatria Q1658411 | 78,100 |
| Colony of Sierra Leone | OpenHistoricalMap | 76,500 |
| Lunda | historical-basemaps | 76,300 |
| British Ceylon | OpenHistoricalMap | 75,700 |
| Mbailundu | historical-basemaps | 72,700 |
| Colony of Cochinchina | OpenHistoricalMap | 72,600 |
| Malaya | historical-basemaps | 71,700 |
| Yaka | historical-basemaps | 67,500 |
| Gold Coast Colony | OpenHistoricalMap | 65,400 |
| Sultanate of Maguindanao | OpenHistoricalMap | 64,900 |
| Harer (Egypt) | historical-basemaps | 62,600 |
| Ovimbundu | historical-basemaps | 61,000 |
| Kuba | historical-basemaps | 60,900 |
| Costa Rica | OpenHistoricalMap | 60,100 |
| Ndebele | historical-basemaps | 59,700 |
| Bunyoro | historical-basemaps | 58,900 |
| Buganda | historical-basemaps | 58,500 |
| Rattanakosin Kingdom | Cliopatria Q1155700 | 58,100 |
| Dominican Republic | OpenHistoricalMap | 56,300 |
| British Colonial Empire | Cliopatria Q8680 | 53,800 |
| Teke | historical-basemaps | 53,300 |
| Angola (Portugal) | historical-basemaps | 52,900 |
| Portuguese Guinea | OpenHistoricalMap · historical-basemaps | 51,800 |
| British Western Pacific Territories | OpenHistoricalMap | 48,700 |
| Transvaal | historical-basemaps | 48,600 |
| Kingdom of Serbia | OpenHistoricalMap | 48,100 |
| Colony of the Bahamas | OpenHistoricalMap | 47,200 |
| Colony of Natal | OpenHistoricalMap | 46,900 |
| Colony of Fiji | OpenHistoricalMap | 43,400 |
| Pahang Sultanate | Cliopatria | 41,400 |
| Switzerland | OpenHistoricalMap | 41,200 |
| Kingdom of Rwanda | OpenHistoricalMap | 40,000 |
| Bhutan | OpenHistoricalMap | 39,200 |
| Khanate of Khiva (1873-1920) | OpenHistoricalMap | 37,200 |
| New Caledonia | OpenHistoricalMap | 36,500 |
| Republic of Haiti | OpenHistoricalMap | 35,700 |
| Nguni | historical-basemaps | 35,400 |
| J'rai | OpenHistoricalMap | 35,100 |
| Sultanate of Damagaram | historical-basemaps | 32,700 |
| British Honduras Colony | OpenHistoricalMap | 31,700 |
| Kingdom of Luang Phrabang | Cliopatria | 31,600 |
| Sultanate of the Maldive Islands | OpenHistoricalMap | 31,300 |
| Colony of Basutoland | OpenHistoricalMap | 30,600 |
| Futa Jalon | historical-basemaps | 30,400 |
| Mosquito Reserve | OpenHistoricalMap | 30,200 |
| Ngwato | historical-basemaps | 30,000 |
| Swaziland | Cliopatria · historical-basemaps | 30,000 |
| Belgium | OpenHistoricalMap | 29,900 |
| Hawaiian Kingdom | OpenHistoricalMap | 28,600 |
| Kingdom of Burundi | OpenHistoricalMap | 26,900 |
| Zululand | Cliopatria | 25,100 |
| Obock and Protectorates of the Somali Coast and Dankils Countries | OpenHistoricalMap | 23,900 |
| Kingdom of Spain | Cliopatria Q29 | 23,800 |
| Spanish Empire | Cliopatria Q80702 | 23,800 |
| El Salvador | OpenHistoricalMap | 22,900 |
| Johore Protectorate | OpenHistoricalMap | 22,800 |
| Manipur State | OpenHistoricalMap | 22,400 |
| Perak Protectorate | OpenHistoricalMap | 21,300 |
| Basutoland | historical-basemaps | 21,300 |
| Chan Santa Cruz | OpenHistoricalMap | 20,900 |
| Kingdom of Jolof | OpenHistoricalMap | 20,500 |
| Morocco | historical-basemaps | 20,500 |
| Kingdom of Dahomey | OpenHistoricalMap | 20,400 |
| Rabih az-Zubayr | historical-basemaps | 20,300 |
| Gabon | historical-basemaps | 19,700 |
| Portuguese Timor | OpenHistoricalMap | 19,400 |
| Luba | historical-basemaps | 19,400 |
| Dahomey | historical-basemaps | 19,200 |
| Congo | historical-basemaps | 19,000 |
| Colony of Jamaica | OpenHistoricalMap | 18,900 |
| Bundu | OpenHistoricalMap | 18,900 |
| Sultanate of Sulu | OpenHistoricalMap | 18,500 |
| British Mauritius | OpenHistoricalMap | 16,000 |
| Sultanate of Terengganu | Cliopatria Q5769444 | 14,900 |
| Ivory Coast | historical-basemaps | 14,900 |
| Ato trading confederacy | historical-basemaps | 14,400 |
| Kingdom of Cayor | OpenHistoricalMap | 14,100 |
| Spanish Guinea | historical-basemaps | 13,600 |
| Captaincy General of Puerto Rico | OpenHistoricalMap | 12,800 |
| Cyprus Protectorate | OpenHistoricalMap | 12,400 |
| Calabar | historical-basemaps | 12,200 |
| Benin | historical-basemaps | 12,000 |
| Sultanate of Brunei | Cliopatria Q887803 | 11,900 |
| Gambia Colony and Protectorate | OpenHistoricalMap | 11,700 |
| Kingdom of Niani | OpenHistoricalMap | 11,700 |
| Griqualand West | historical-basemaps | 10,900 |
| Nieuwe Republiek | Cliopatria Q552157 | 10,200 |
| Selangor Protectorate | OpenHistoricalMap | 9,550 |
| Sultanate of Kedah | Cliopatria Q1317579 | 9,370 |
| Algeria (FR) | historical-basemaps | 9,200 |
| British Gold Coast | Cliopatria Q503623 | 9,010 |
| Principality of Montenegro | OpenHistoricalMap | 9,010 |
| Spanish Posessions on the Gulf of Guinea | OpenHistoricalMap | 8,920 |
| Kelantan | Cliopatria Q185944 | 8,610 |
| Kingdom of Tonga | OpenHistoricalMap | 8,310 |
| Sultanate of Lahej | OpenHistoricalMap | 8,120 |
| Protectorate of Wituland | OpenHistoricalMap | 8,030 |
| Mozambique | historical-basemaps | 7,850 |
| Colony of Trinidad | OpenHistoricalMap | 7,680 |
| Protectorate of Cabinda | OpenHistoricalMap | 7,600 |
| Sultanate of Zanzibar | OpenHistoricalMap | 7,260 |
| Trucial Oman | historical-basemaps | 7,050 |
| Opobo | historical-basemaps | 7,000 |
| Negri Sembilan Protectorate | OpenHistoricalMap | 6,960 |
| Colony of the Straits Settlement | OpenHistoricalMap | 6,500 |
| Rwanda | historical-basemaps | 6,070 |
| Kingdom of Kakongo | OpenHistoricalMap | 6,050 |
| British Windward Islands | OpenHistoricalMap | 5,890 |
| Mayotte and Dependencies | OpenHistoricalMap | 5,870 |
| Kingdom of Wuli | OpenHistoricalMap | 5,410 |
| Natal | historical-basemaps | 5,180 |
| Colony of Guadelupe | OpenHistoricalMap | 4,740 |
| People's Republic of Zanzibar | Cliopatria | 4,320 |
| La Réunion | OpenHistoricalMap | 3,930 |
| Kingdom of Ngoyo | OpenHistoricalMap | 3,920 |
| Senegal (FR) | historical-basemaps | 3,610 |
| Cotonou | historical-basemaps | 3,260 |
| Tahiti Colony | OpenHistoricalMap | 3,100 |
| Tukular Caliphate | historical-basemaps | 3,050 |
| Samoa | historical-basemaps | 2,960 |
| Luxembourg | OpenHistoricalMap | 2,590 |
| Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe | OpenHistoricalMap | 2,560 |
| Kingdom of Sine | OpenHistoricalMap | 2,320 |
| Protectorate of Bahrain | OpenHistoricalMap | 2,180 |
| Confederate States of Lanao | OpenHistoricalMap | 2,060 |
| Territory of Ifni | OpenHistoricalMap | 1,920 |
| Danish West Indies | OpenHistoricalMap | 1,890 |
| Haushabi Sultanate | OpenHistoricalMap | 1,860 |
| Cayman Islands | OpenHistoricalMap | 1,520 |
| Isle of Man | OpenHistoricalMap | 1,350 |
| Sultanate of Ndzuwani | OpenHistoricalMap | 1,260 |
| French Nosy Be | OpenHistoricalMap | 1,110 |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | OpenHistoricalMap | 1,100 |
| Colony of Barbados | OpenHistoricalMap | 1,020 |
| Jersey | OpenHistoricalMap | 984 |
| Crown Colony of Malta | OpenHistoricalMap | 925 |
| Sultanate of Mwali | OpenHistoricalMap | 923 |
| Guernsey | OpenHistoricalMap | 909 |
| Nosy Boraha | OpenHistoricalMap | 888 |
| French India | OpenHistoricalMap | 792 |
| Pitcairn Islands | OpenHistoricalMap | 691 |
| Portuguese India | OpenHistoricalMap | 654 |
| Colony of Labuan | OpenHistoricalMap | 638 |
| Brunei | historical-basemaps | 612 |
| Colony of Bermuda | OpenHistoricalMap | 555 |
| Alawi Sheikhdom | OpenHistoricalMap | 538 |
| Saint Helena Crown Colony | OpenHistoricalMap | 508 |
| Andorra | OpenHistoricalMap | 467 |
| Niue | historical-basemaps | 252 |
| American Samoa | historical-basemaps | 234 |
| Polynesians | historical-basemaps | 192 |
| Wallis and Futuna Islands | historical-basemaps | 166 |
| British Hong Kong | OpenHistoricalMap | 160 |
| Heligoland | OpenHistoricalMap | 156 |
| Liechtenstein | OpenHistoricalMap | 156 |
| San Marino | OpenHistoricalMap | 60.1 |
| Monaco | OpenHistoricalMap | 17.9 |
What changed since 1880
Names counted are those the records date to the year or the day (CShapes, OpenHistoricalMap, Cliopatria). Outlines filled from the nearest historical-basemaps sheet are counted only when both years are years that sheet was drawn for — otherwise the change would be the switch between two sheets, not a change in the world. Names are compared as written, so a polity a record names differently in the two years (Carthaginian Empire, then Carthage) is in both lists.
Now drawn (33)
Congo Free State, Mahdist State, British Africa, German East Africa, German South-West Africa, French Congo, German Cameroon, Bechuanaland Protectorate, South African Republic, German New Guinea, French Gabon, French protectorate of Tunisia, British Somaliland, Kingdom of Romania, Colony of the Rio de Oro, French Tonkin, French Protectorate of Annam, Oil Rivers Protectorate, North Borneo, Togoland Protectorate, Kingdom of Serbia, Colony of Basutoland, Swaziland, Obock and Protectorates of the Somali Coast and Dankils Countries, Kingdom of Spain, Spanish Empire, Johore Protectorate, Nieuwe Republiek, British Gold Coast, Protectorate of Wituland, Protectorate of Cabinda, Mayotte and Dependencies, Colony of Barbados
No longer drawn (16)
Khedivate of Egypt, British Arctic Territories, Burma, Đại Nam, Transvaal Colony, United Romanian Principalities, Principality of Serbia, Morocco, Sultanate of Johor, Obock Colony, British Cape Colony, Chiangmai, German Africa, Mayotte, Walvis Bay Colony, French Tourane
Events dated to 1885
The index of dated events holds no event for 1885.
Sources and method
Borders and names: OpenHistoricalMap (openhistoricalmap.org) · CC0 1.0 + Cliopatria v0.2.1 (Seshat Global History Databank, github.com/Seshat-Global-History-Databank/cliopatria) · CC BY 4.0 · adapted by IntMap: simplified, BC years made astronomical, and the ground OpenHistoricalMap (1689–1885, and from 1886 where CShapes is silent) and CShapes (1886–2019) state removed on their own dates + aourednik/historical-basemaps (github.com/aourednik/historical-basemaps) · GPL-3.0 · adapted by IntMap: each sheet before 1886 less the ground OpenHistoricalMap and Cliopatria state at that sheet's year.
Which years have a page is worked out when the site is built, from three rules applied to the records themselves: every year the historical-basemaps atlas drew a world sheet for; every year whose change from the year before (names the dated records begin or stop drawing) is in the top 5% of all such year-to-year changes since the dated records begin, leaving out the years where one record hands over to another; and every year of a geopolitical, war or revolution event in the dated events index, up to the last year the border records cover (2019).
On each year the map is read on 1 July, the instant the app’s own year links open on. Names are the source’s own, translated where the source or IntMap’s name table has a translation. A name is what a record draws there, not a verdict of history.
World map in 1885 — the map, with the years it stays the same Historical maps by region Countries On this day