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The world in 1961

1961 is the year the Berlin Wall was built. This map shows the 120 states and peoples the data has for the world in that year.

Map of the world in 1961 with 120 states and peoples
Borders: Cliopatria, Seshat Global History Databank (CC BY 4.0). Coarse outlines: check and adjust them for your story.

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States and peoples in the world in 1961

Largest first, by area on this map.

  • Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
  • Canada
  • United States of America
  • People's Republic of China
  • Brazilian Republic
  • Commonwealth of Australia
  • Denmark
  • French Fifth Republic
  • Argentine Republic
  • Republic of India
  • British East Africa
  • Republic of Sudan
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • South Africa
  • Mongolian People's Republic
  • Estado Novo
  • Mexico
  • Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • Pahlavi Dynasty
  • Republic of Indonesia
  • Kingdom of Libya
  • United Arab Republic
  • Republic of Chad
  • Mali Federation
  • Republic of Peru
  • Ethiopia
  • Republic of the Niger
  • Kingdom of Great Britain
  • Islamic Republic of Pakistan
  • Republic of Colombia
  • Bolivia
  • Mauritania
  • Kingdom of Norway
  • Republic of Turkey
  • Francoist Spain
  • Kingdom of Sweden
  • Venezuela
  • Federal Republic of Nigeria
  • Tanzania
  • Republic of Chile
  • Kingdom of Afghanistan
  • Republic of Finland
  • Burma
  • Federal Republic of Somalia
  • Madagascar
  • Central African Republic
  • British Colonial Empire
  • Kingdom of Thailand
  • Iraqi Republic
  • Republic of Poland
  • Morocco
  • Republic of Cameroon
  • Japan
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Paraguay
  • Republic of Italy
  • Federal Republic of Germany
  • New Zealand
  • Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
  • Republic of the Congo
  • Socialist Republic of Romania
  • Republic of Côte d'Ivoire
  • Republic of the Philippines
  • Burkina Faso
  • Gabon
  • Guinea
  • Republic of Ecuador
  • Kingdom of Laos
  • Ghana
  • Republic of Iceland
  • Republic of Syria
  • Oriental Republic of Uruguay
  • Republic of Senegal
  • Czechoslovakia
  • Kingdom of Cambodia
  • Republic of Tunisia
  • German Democratic Republic
  • Republic of Vietnam
  • Nepal
  • Democratic Republic of Vietnam
  • Kingdom of Greece
  • Democratic People's Republic of Korea
  • North Yemen
  • People's Republic of Bulgaria
  • Netherlands Antilles
  • Hungarian People's Republic
  • Federation of Malaya
  • Republic of Nicaragua
  • Second Republic of Austria
  • Kingdom of Jordan
  • Republic of Korea
  • Republic of Benin
  • Communist Cuba
  • Honduras
  • Éire
  • Guatemala
  • Republic of Liberia
  • Republic of China
  • Republic of Panama
  • Sierra Leone
  • Sri Lanka
  • Swiss Confederation
  • Togo
  • Netherlands
  • Republic of Costa Rica
  • Belgian Congo
  • Dominican Republic
  • Kingdom of Belgium
  • Kingdom of Bhutan
  • People's Socialist Republic of Albania
  • Republic of Haiti
  • State of Israel
  • Republic of El Salvador
  • State of Kuwait
  • Lebanon
  • Republic of Cyprus
  • New Hebrides
  • Luxembourg
  • Principality of Andorra
  • Principality of Monaco

New on the map since 1936

People's Republic of China · Brazilian Republic · Denmark · French Fifth Republic · Republic of India · British East Africa · Republic of Sudan · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of Indonesia · Kingdom of Libya · United Arab Republic · Republic of Chad · Mali Federation · Ethiopia · Republic of the Niger · Islamic Republic of Pakistan · Mauritania · Francoist Spain · Federal Republic of Nigeria · Tanzania · Burma · Federal Republic of Somalia · Madagascar · Central African Republic · Iraqi Republic · Republic of Poland · Morocco · Republic of Cameroon · Japan · Papua New Guinea · Republic of Italy · Federal Republic of Germany · New Zealand · Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia · Republic of the Congo · Socialist Republic of Romania · Republic of Côte d'Ivoire · Republic of the Philippines · Burkina Faso · Gabon · Guinea · Kingdom of Laos · Ghana · Republic of Iceland · Republic of Syria · Republic of Senegal · Kingdom of Cambodia · Republic of Tunisia · German Democratic Republic · Republic of Vietnam · Democratic Republic of Vietnam · Kingdom of Greece · Democratic People's Republic of Korea · People's Republic of Bulgaria · Hungarian People's Republic · Federation of Malaya · Second Republic of Austria · Kingdom of Jordan · Republic of Korea · Republic of Benin · Communist Cuba · Éire · Sierra Leone · Sri Lanka · Togo · People's Socialist Republic of Albania · State of Israel · State of Kuwait · Lebanon · Republic of Cyprus · Principality of Monaco

Gone from the map by 1986

Brazilian Republic · British East Africa · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Pahlavi Dynasty · Kingdom of Libya · United Arab Republic · Francoist Spain · Kingdom of Afghanistan · Kingdom of Laos · Republic of Syria · Czechoslovakia · Kingdom of Cambodia · Republic of Vietnam · Democratic Republic of Vietnam · Kingdom of Greece · Federation of Malaya · Belgian Congo · Republic of El Salvador · New Hebrides

Animated maps of this time

The world in other years

Other regions in 1961

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.