mouse wheel : Zoom in/out

mouse wheel : Move Map



Step 1: Coloring/Editing the Map

Single Selection

Select the color you want and click on a country on the map. You can right-click on a country to remove its color.

More Options

Step 2: Choosing the Legend


Color Label Remove
Step 3: Getting the Map

When ready, select Preview Map. To download the generated Chart: Right Click -> Save Image or select Download Image. In case you want to change something, select Edit. To start over, select Clear All.

Download Map Undo


This map attempts to show all border changes during the Cold War period and beyond.

The changing boundaries of the international system are represented with a "lifetime" for each country, i.e. a start and end year.

To make sure that each country's changing borders are shown only once, the state of the borders at the end of each year (31/12/XXXX) is used. For example, Germany was reunified on 3 October 1990 and consequently was already Germany at the end of 1990, so the previous states have an end date of 1989 and the new unified one has a start date of 1990.

It depicts core territories of the given states, and excludes colonies and other dependent territories. Thus, for many states the only change is its naming, mostly after declarations of independence. For example, Algeria achieved independence from France on 3 July 1962, so it is named as a French Colony until 1961, and as Algeria from 1962 onwards.