Norway Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Norway appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 12 different states, among them Norway, Denmark-Norway, Sweden–Norway, Kalmar Union, Kingdom of Norway.
NorwayExplore the history of Norway in the interactive map
Compare 1000 with today · Norway as a state on the map
Who ruled the land of Norway, 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 |
|---|---|
| 200 BC | Norsemen 40% |
| AD 700 | Swedes 33% · West Getaes 6% |
| AD 800 | Northmen 42% · Danes 6% |
| AD 900 | Kingdom of Norway 52% |
| 1000 | Denmark-Norway 54% |
| 1100 | Norway 54% |
| 1200 | Norway 54% |
| 1300 | Norway 85% |
| 1400 | Kalmar Union 54% |
| 1492 | Denmark-Norway 85% |
| 1500 | Kalmar Union 54% · Denmark-Norway 31% |
| 1600 | Denmark-Norway 96% · Finnmark 4% |
| 1650 | Denmark-Norway 83% · Sweden 13% · Finnmark 4% |
| 1700 | Denmark-Norway 83% · Sweden 13% · Finnmark 4% |
| 1783 | Denmark-Norway 100% |
| 1800 | Denmark-Norway 96% · Finnmark 4% |
| 1815 | Sweden–Norway 100% |
| 1880 | Sweden–Norway 100% |
| 1900 | Sweden–Norway 100% |
| 1914 | Norway 100% |
| 1920 | Norway 100% |
| 1930 | Norway 100% |
| 1938 | Norway 100% |
| 1945 | Norway 100% |
| 1960 | Norway 100% |
| 1994 | Norway 100% |
| 2010 | Norway 100% |
Historic cities in Norway
Battles and historic sites
| Year | Battle or site |
|---|---|
| 1030 | Battle of Stiklestad |
Landmarks
Nidaros CathedralStanding · 1070
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Norway?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Norway belonged to Norway, Denmark-Norway, Sweden–Norway, Kalmar Union, Kingdom of Norway, Northmen, along with 6 other states.
What was Norway part of in 1000?
On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's Norway lay within Denmark-Norway.
What was Norway part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Norway lay within Kalmar Union.
What was Norway part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Norway lay within Sweden–Norway.
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.