The world in 1861
1861 is the year the American Civil War began. This map shows the 140 states and peoples the data has for the world in that year.
Watch these borders move
Play the changes on an animated map, in your browser. Free, no account needed.
States and peoples in the world in 1861
Largest first, by area on this map.
- Russian Empire
- Qing Dynasty
- Empire of Brazil
- British Colonial Empire
- British Raj
- United States of America
- Ottoman Empire
- Federated Republic of Mexico
- Confederate States of America
- Muhammad Ali dynasty
- Qajar Dynasty
- Bolivia
- Argentine Confederation
- United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway
- Republic of Peru
- Granadine Confederation
- Emirate of Nejd
- Khanate of Khiva
- Ottoman Tripolitania
- Austrian Empire
- Venezuela
- Second French Empire
- Sokoto Caliphate
- Emirate of Afghanistan
- British Cape Colony
- Kingdom of Spain
- Dutch East Indies
- Rattanakosin Kingdom
- Khanate of Kokand
- Kingdom of Great Britain
- Spanish Empire
- Burma
- Tokugawa Shogunate
- Panthay Rebellion
- Morocco
- German Confederation
- Merina Kingdom
- Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
- Paraguay
- Emirate of Bukhara
- Denmark-Norway
- Kingdom of Sardinia
- French Africa
- South African Republic
- Republic of Chile
- Napoleonic Batavia Republic
- Sultanate of Darfur
- Wadai Empire
- Joseon
- Republic of Ecuador
- Ethiopian Empire
- Nguyễn dynasty
- Bornu Empire
- Kingdom of Portugal
- Greenland
- Oriental Republic of Uruguay
- Kashmir and Jammu
- United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia
- Nepal
- Kingdom of Luang Phrabang
- Ashanti Empire
- Free Orange State
- Netherlands Antilles
- Khmer Empire
- Honduras
- Kingdom of Bavaria
- Republic of Nicaragua
- Guatemala
- Beylik of Tunis
- Massina Empire
- Kingdom of Lunda
- Republic of Liberia
- Imamate of Yemen
- Majeerteen Sultanate
- French Indochina
- Sultanate of Oman
- Trucial States
- Chiangmai
- Sultanate of Sulu
- Kingdom of Hanover
- Talpur Dynasty
- Netherlands
- Swiss Confederation
- First Hellenic Republic
- Serbs
- Republic of Costa Rica
- Kingdom of Belgium
- Kingdom of Bhutan
- Natalia Republic
- Sultanate of Brunei
- Pahang Sultanate
- Kingdom of Champasak
- Sultanate of Aceh
- People's Republic of Zanzibar
- Empire of Haiti
- Zululand
- Duchy of Warsaw
- Sultanate of Jambi
- Sultanate of Malacca
- Kingdom of Württemberg
- Sultanate of Perak
- Electorate of Hesse
- Portuguese Colonies
- Republic of El Salvador
- Grand Duchy of Baden
- Papal States
- Sultanate of Johor
- Kingdom of Hawaï'i
- Duchy of Mecklenburg
- Grand Duchy of Hesse
- Sultanate of Terengganu
- Kingdom of Sarawak
- Qatar Dynasty
- Sultanate of Selangor
- Duchy of Nassau
- Sultanate of Kedah
- Sultanate of Bima
- Kelantan
- Montenegro
- Duchy of Brunswick
- Duchy of Oldenburg
- Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
- Negeri Sembilan
- Saxe-Meiningen
- Kuwait
- Free City of Lübeck
- Duchy of Anhalt
- Principality of Reuss-Gera
- Bali
- Saxe-Altenburg
- Free City of Hamburg
- Principality of Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen
- Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont
- Kedah-Perlis District
- Principality of Lippe
- Free City of Bremen
- House of Khalifa
- Principality of Andorra
- Free City of Frankfurt
- Kingdom of Monaco
New on the map since 1836
British Raj · Confederate States of America · Bolivia · Republic of Peru · Granadine Confederation · Ottoman Tripolitania · Second French Empire · Panthay Rebellion · Taiping Heavenly Kingdom · French Africa · South African Republic · Kashmir and Jammu · United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia · Free Orange State · Honduras · Republic of Nicaragua · Guatemala · Republic of Liberia · Majeerteen Sultanate · French Indochina · Kingdom of Hanover · Republic of Costa Rica · Natalia Republic · Pahang Sultanate · People's Republic of Zanzibar · Republic of El Salvador · Kingdom of Sarawak · Sultanate of Kedah · Montenegro · Kedah-Perlis District
Gone from the map by 1886
Federated Republic of Mexico · Confederate States of America · Muhammad Ali dynasty · Granadine Confederation · Khanate of Khiva · Austrian Empire · Second French Empire · British Cape Colony · Khanate of Kokand · Spanish Empire · Burma · Tokugawa Shogunate · Panthay Rebellion · German Confederation · Taiping Heavenly Kingdom · Emirate of Bukhara · Kingdom of Sardinia · Napoleonic Batavia Republic · Sultanate of Darfur · Nguyễn dynasty · Kashmir and Jammu · Khmer Empire · Kingdom of Bavaria · Beylik of Tunis · Massina Empire · Imamate of Yemen · Chiangmai · Sultanate of Sulu · Kingdom of Hanover · Duchy of Warsaw · Sultanate of Malacca · Kingdom of Württemberg · Sultanate of Perak · Electorate of Hesse · Grand Duchy of Baden · Papal States · Sultanate of Johor · Duchy of Mecklenburg · Grand Duchy of Hesse · Sultanate of Selangor · Duchy of Nassau · Duchy of Brunswick · Duchy of Oldenburg · Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach · Saxe-Meiningen · Kuwait · Free City of Lübeck · Duchy of Anhalt · Principality of Reuss-Gera · Saxe-Altenburg · Free City of Hamburg · Principality of Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen · Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont · Principality of Lippe · Free City of Bremen · Free City of Frankfurt
Animated maps of this time
- Brazil — From Colony to Republic (1500–1909)
- The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923)
- The Making of the United States, 1492–2025: Native Nations and Colonial Powers
- Swedish Empire – Dynasties & Territories
- Lights Against the Sea: North Sea Shipwrecks and Lighthouses (1593–2026)
- Friesland Through the Ages (12 BC – 2019)
The world in other years
Other regions in 1861
The outlines are coarse and follow the Cliopatria dataset: borders before modern surveys are estimates, and a blank area means the data has no state on record there, not that nobody lived there. A state that changed hands during the year can appear together with its successor.