Although maps may lie motionless on the page, the boundaries they
show are always changing. Throughout the 1800's, map boundaries
have changed quite a bit. Colonialism, the rule of a group of people
by a foreign power, has been the driving force for much of this
change for centuries.
The countries of Europe, especially France, Spain, and the United
Kingdom, have spent the 1800's either setting up colonies or losing
control of ones held previously. Each time such a change occurs,
maps must be revised to reflect the new conditions.
To show you how colonialism has carved up the world in just the
past 100 years, I have created two special maps -- one showing the
world in the early 1800's and one showing the world in the late
1800's. Select the items on the left to see the dramatic changes
colonialism has wrought upon the face of the world map during this
century.