Borders fixed by international law
The war has just ended. Germany and Korea are divided into occupation zones, and decolonization is about to begin.
Explore 1945 on the mapAreas calculated from the map outlines (≈). Share of Earth's land area including Antarctica.
| # | State or people | Area | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USSR | 21,752,992 km² (8,398,878 sq mi) | 14.6% |
| 2 | Antarctica | 12,196,819 km² (4,709,218 sq mi) | 8.2% |
| 3 | Canada | 9,508,823 km² (3,671,377 sq mi) | 6.4% |
| 4 | United States | 9,254,118 km² (3,573,035 sq mi) | 6.2% |
| 5 | Brazil | 8,420,242 km² (3,251,074 sq mi) | 5.7% |
| 6 | Australia | 7,661,590 km² (2,958,157 sq mi) | 5.1% |
| 7 | China | 5,452,574 km² (2,105,251 sq mi) | 3.7% |
| 8 | British Raj | 4,022,737 km² (1,553,188 sq mi) | 2.7% |
| 9 | Argentina | 2,768,905 km² (1,069,080 sq mi) | 1.9% |
| 10 | Sudan | 2,508,088 km² (968,378 sq mi) | 1.7% |
| 11 | Belgian Congo | 2,346,328 km² (905,922 sq mi) | 1.6% |
| 12 | Algeria | 2,309,541 km² (891,719 sq mi) | 1.6% |
Comparing the two snapshots. Some differences reflect improved mapping rather than real events, especially before 1500.
Never formalized
The Baltic states are occupied in June 1940 and annexed in August. Many Western countries never recognized the annexation. Independence is restored in 1991.
See it on the 1945 map45 years from control to formal recognition · German–Polish Border Treaty
At Potsdam the Allies place Poland's western border on the Oder–Neisse line, provisionally. A reunified Germany only confirms it by treaty 45 years later.
See it on the 1945 mapNever formally settled
Occupied in August–September 1945. Japan still claims the four southernmost islands, and the two countries have never signed a peace treaty.
See it on the 1945 map