Brazil Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Brazil appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 14 different states, among them Brazil, Viceroyalty of Brazil, Kingdom of Brazil, Tekohá (Guarani), Viceroyalty of New Granada.
BrazilExplore the history of Brazil in the interactive map
Compare 1000 with today · Brazil as a state on the map
Who ruled the land of Brazil, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
| Map | Main states on this land |
|---|---|
| AD 800 | Tupis 8% |
| AD 900 | Tupis 8% |
| 1492 | Tekohá (Guarani) 19% · Matsés (Mayoruna) 2% · Jupaú (Kawahib) 2% |
| 1650 | Viceroyalty of Peru 8% · Dutch Brazil 4% · Portuguese Brazil 2% |
| 1700 | Viceroyalty of Peru 8% · Dutch Brazil 4% · Portuguese Brazil 2% |
| 1783 | Viceroyalty of Brazil 94% · Viceroyalty of New Granada 6% |
| 1800 | Viceroyalty of Brazil 94% · Viceroyalty of New Granada 6% |
| 1815 | Viceroyalty of Brazil 94% · Viceroyalty of New Granada 6% |
| 1880 | Kingdom of Brazil 94% · Venezuela 4% · Colombia 2% |
| 1900 | Kingdom of Brazil 94% · Venezuela 4% · Colombia 2% |
| 1914 | Brazil 100% |
| 1920 | Brazil 100% |
| 1930 | Brazil 100% |
| 1938 | Brazil 100% |
| 1945 | Brazil 100% |
| 1960 | Brazil 100% |
| 1994 | Brazil 100% |
| 2010 | Brazil 100% |
Historic cities in Brazil
Famous people of Brazil
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| 1746 – 1792 | Tiradentes | Forerunner of Brazilian independence |
| 1825 – 1891 | Pedro II of Brazil | Emperor of Brazil |
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Brazil?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Brazil belonged to Brazil, Viceroyalty of Brazil, Kingdom of Brazil, Tekohá (Guarani), Viceroyalty of New Granada, Tupis, along with 8 other states.
What was Brazil part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Brazil lay within Kingdom of Brazil.
Further reading
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.