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Short History of Colonialism Since 1492 In One GIF

March 3, 2023 13 Comments

Short History of Colonialism Since 1492 In One GIF

World map showing Colonialism from 1492-2008

The map above presents a very short history of colonialism around the world from 1492-2008 in one simple GIF. Interestingly, it doesn’t limit itself to European colonialism but also includes the colonial empires of the United States, Russia/Soviet Union and Japan.

It includes the borders of the following colonial empires:

  • British Empire
  • French colonial empire
  • Portuguese Empire
  • Spanish Empire
  • Russian Empire & the Soviet Union
  • Ottoman Empire
  • Danish colonial empire
  • Dutch Empire
  • American Empire
  • Belgian colonial empire
  • Italian Empire
  • German colonial empire
  • Empire of Japan

In total 11 snapshot years are looked at. They are:

  • 1492: The year Columbus “discovered” the Americas.
  • 1550: The start of the Valladolid debate
  • 1660: Start of the English restoration.
  • 1754: The eve of the Seven Years’ War, known as the French and Indian War in America. One of the first wars fought around the world.
  • 1822: Brazil declares independence from Portugal.
  • 1885: Berlin Conference formalizing the Scramble for Africa.
  • 1914: The eve of World War 1.
  • 1938: The year before World War 2 breaks out in Europe, although World War 2 in Asia had already begun.
  • 1959: The year before France grants independence to its remaining French colonies in Africa.
  • 1974: The year before Portugal recognizes the independence of Mozambique and Angola.
  • 2008: The year the map was originally made.

If you’d like to learn more about colonialism the following books may be of interest:

  • Empires in World History: Power and the Politics of Difference
  • Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
  • Why the West Rules–for Now: The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future
  • The Birth of the Modern World, 1780-1914
  • Discourse on Colonialism

Enjoy this map? Then please share with a friend:

Filed Under: History, World Maps Tagged With: colonialism

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Comments

  1. strad77 says

    January 11, 2016 at 1:37 pm

    Finally a GIF map that doesn’t zoom by so quickly!

    Reply
  2. Boby moor says

    June 5, 2016 at 10:27 pm

    Russia in 1492??? Russia didn’t exist before 1721.

    Reply
    • Bill Planey says

      September 27, 2018 at 6:45 pm

      You have got to be kidding? Peter I (who was not even the first Tsar) ruled from the 1690s-1725.

      Reply
  3. Omar says

    January 11, 2017 at 12:38 am

    Ethiopia was an independent state for over 3000 years

    Reply
  4. S C says

    March 1, 2017 at 11:19 pm

    The final maps, post 1950s should show Australia, NZ as deep red (English settler colonialists), and USA, Canada in different colors of the Europeans who colonized and settled on native lands. Could someone please correct this important gif map, thank you!

    Reply
    • Neil says

      January 5, 2021 at 12:34 pm

      Agree, but perhaps in a different color: ‘legacy of colonianism’. It needs to be extended to South & Central America too.

      Reply
  5. Ilyas Tarar says

    October 15, 2018 at 6:19 am

    What has the white man doen to the humanity!!!

    Reply
  6. Hjwiakl says

    November 8, 2018 at 5:10 pm

    “1754: The eve of the Seven Years’ War, known as the French and Indian War in America.”

    Calling US as America kind of reveals the nationality of who’s writing. Congrats, dear American, for caring about the history of other places!! How sweet (:
    I know: it is a lot of stuff to know! The world is biiiig. Maybe now it would be great to start referring to your country by its name and not by the whole continent, huh?

    Reply
    • Oahu Sumo says

      February 23, 2021 at 6:19 pm

      OK buddy 🙂 Thanks for the patronizing—I mean thoughtful—words.

      Reply
  7. Goat says

    January 1, 2019 at 3:04 pm

    interesting illustration. One inaccuracy I see is that Nepal was never colonized by the British (or anybody else).

    Reply
  8. Miranda says

    October 22, 2019 at 12:22 am

    The map displays some British colonies as being independent at the 1974 snapshot, which is inaccurate as some former British colonies gained independence as late as 1980 (e.g. Zimbabwe)

    Reply
  9. The Majoo says

    November 6, 2020 at 4:40 am

    ivan the great was ruler of russia during that time 😒

    Reply
  10. jeffo says

    July 22, 2022 at 12:35 am

    history kinda boring ya’ll

    Reply

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