United Kingdom Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's United Kingdom appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 23 different states, among them United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Scotland, England, England and Ireland.
United KingdomExplore the history of United Kingdom in the interactive map
Compare 1000 with today · United Kingdom as a state on the map
Who ruled the land of United Kingdom, 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.
Historic cities in United Kingdom
Famous people of United Kingdom
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| AD 272 – AD 337 | Constantine the Great | Roman emperor |
| AD 849 – AD 899 | Alfred the Great | King of Wessex |
| 1028 – 1087 | William the Conqueror | King of England |
| 1533 – 1603 | Elizabeth I | Queen of England |
| 1564 – 1616 | William Shakespeare | Playwright and poet |
| 1643 – 1727 | Isaac Newton | Scientist |
| 1728 – 1779 | James Cook | Navigator |
| 1809 – 1882 | Charles Darwin | Naturalist |
| 1818 – 1883 | Karl Marx | Philosopher and economist |
| 1819 – 1901 | Queen Victoria | Queen of the United Kingdom |
| 1856 – 1939 | Sigmund Freud | Founder of psychoanalysis |
| 1874 – 1965 | Winston Churchill | British prime minister |
| 1890 – 1970 | Charles de Gaulle | President of France |
Battles and historic sites
| Year | Battle or site |
|---|---|
| AD 122 | Hadrian's Wall |
| 1066 | Battle of Hastings |
| 1215 | Runnymede |
Landmarks
StonehengeRuins · 500 BC
Tower of LondonStanding · 1078
St Paul's CathedralRebuilt · 1711
Old London BridgeLost · 1209
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of United Kingdom?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern United Kingdom belonged to United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Scotland, England, England and Ireland, English territory, along with 17 other states.
What was United Kingdom part of in 1000?
On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's United Kingdom lay within Scotland.
What was United Kingdom part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's United Kingdom lay within England.
What was United Kingdom part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's United Kingdom lay within United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
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.