This is a timeline of geopolitical changes around the world between 1500 and 1899. It includes dates of

declarations of independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independence, independent and constitutes a Sovereign state, state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or ...

, changes in country name, changes of

capital city A capital city, or just capital, is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state (polity), state, province, department (administrative division), department, or other administrative division, subnational division, usually as its ...

or name, and changes in territorial ownership such as the

annexation Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held t ...

, occupation,

cession The act of cession is the assignment of property to another entity. In international law it commonly refers to land transferred by treaty. Ballentine's Law Dictionary defines cession as "a surrender; a giving up; a relinquishment of jurisdicti ...

, concession, or

secession Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...

of land. Territorial conquests as a result of war are included on the timeline at the conclusion of major

military campaign A military campaign is large-scale long-duration significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of interrelated military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war. The term derives from th ...

s, but changes in the course of specific battles and day-to-day operations are generally not included.

16th century

17th century

1600s

1610s

1620s

1630s

1640s

1650s

1660s

1670s

1680s

1690s

18th century

1700s

1710s

1720s

1730s

1740s

1750s

1760s

1770s

1780s

1790s

19th century

1800s

1810s

1820s

1830s

1840s

1850s

1860s

1870s

1880s

1890s

Maps

File:1555-56 CE World Map.PNG, World in 1555–1556 File:1700 CE world map.PNG, World in 1700

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * {{Territorial evolution of the world Geography-related lists Geopolitics History-related lists