Border history · 1886–2023

China borders over time

CShapes records 9 changes to the borders of China between 1886 and 2023. It was independent for the whole period. Its territory covers 9,369,266 km², less than the 11,146,801 km² it covered in 1886. The largest single change came on January 1, 1913, when it lost about 1,886,255 km².

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Border changes
9
Area today
9,369,266 km²
Largest change
−1,886,255 km² (1913)
Status
Independent
October 2, 1950 – presentChoose a period to see its borders. The dashed line is the period before.

Timeline of China's borders

Each period is one border version in CShapes, with its area and the change from the period before.

  1. January 1, 1886 – April 16, 1895

    11,146,801 km²First recorded versionIndependentWorld map in 1886

  2. April 17, 1895 – December 31, 1898

    11,110,811 km²−35,990 km²IndependentWorld map in 1895

  3. January 1, 1899 – December 31, 1912

    11,110,811 km²±0 km²IndependentWorld map in 1899

  4. January 1, 1913 – April 16, 1914

    9,224,556 km²−1,886,255 km²IndependentWorld map in 1913

  5. April 17, 1914 – March 12, 1921

    9,059,503 km²−165,053 km²IndependentWorld map in 1914

  6. March 13, 1921 – August 14, 1945

    7,496,584 km²−1,562,919 km²IndependentWorld map in 1921

  7. August 15, 1945 – August 14, 1947

    7,532,574 km²+35,990 km²IndependentWorld map in 1946

  8. August 15, 1947 – December 7, 1949

    7,593,661 km²+61,087 km²IndependentWorld map in 1948

  9. December 8, 1949 – October 1, 1950

    7,557,671 km²−35,990 km²IndependentWorld map in 1950

  10. October 2, 1950 – present

    9,369,266 km²+1,811,595 km²IndependentWorld map in 1951

What changed

Independence, transfers between rulers, and border changes recorded for this country.

  1. China loses about 35,990 km² of territory.
  2. China loses about 1,886,255 km² of territory.
  3. China loses about 165,053 km² of territory.
  4. China loses about 1,562,919 km² of territory.
  5. China gains about 35,990 km² of territory.
  6. China gains about 61,087 km² of territory.
  7. China loses about 35,990 km² of territory.
  8. China gains about 1,811,594 km² of territory.