Border history · 1886–1949

German New Guinea borders over time

CShapes records 5 changes to the borders of German New Guinea (also recorded as Kaiser-Wilhelmsland) between 1886 and 1949. It ceased to exist as a separate entity on June 30, 1949. At the end it covered 237,756 km², more than the 228,300 km² it covered in 1886. The largest single change came on June 28, 1920, when it gained about 9,456 km².

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Border changes
5
Final area
237,756 km²
Largest change
+9,456 km² (1920)
Status
Ended in 1949
June 28, 1920 – June 30, 1949Choose a period to see its borders. The dashed line is the period before.

Timeline of German New Guinea's borders

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

  1. January 1, 1886 – December 31, 1890

    228,300 km²First recorded versionRuled by GermanyWorld map in 1886

  2. January 1, 1891 – December 31, 1899

    228,300 km²±0 km²Ruled by GermanyWorld map in 1891

  3. January 1, 1900 – December 31, 1909

    228,300 km²±0 km²Ruled by GermanyWorld map in 1900

  4. January 1, 1910 – November 10, 1914

    228,300 km²±0 km²Ruled by GermanyWorld map in 1910

  5. November 11, 1914 – June 27, 1920

    228,300 km²±0 km²Ruled by AustraliaWorld map in 1915

  6. June 28, 1920 – June 30, 1949

    237,756 km²+9,456 km²Ruled by AustraliaWorld map in 1920

What changed

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

  1. German New Guinea passes from Germany to Australia.
  2. German New Guinea gains about 9,456 km² of territory.
  3. German New Guinea ceases to exist as a separate entity; its capital passes to Australia.