Map Description

World War II:

History Map of The Far East and the Pacific at the Outbreak of the War.


Illustrating:

Imperial Powers - Territories, Mandates, Colonies - September 1, 1939

Manchuria (Manchukuo) - Japanese puppet state, 1931

Sakhalin (South) - Japanese, 1905 (acquired from Russia after Russo-Japanese War)

Kuril Islands - Japanese, 1875 (acquired from Russia in exchange for southern Sakhalin)

Korea (Chosen) - Japanese colony, 1910 (formally annexed after being a protectorate since 1905)

Bonin Islands - Japanese, 1875 (formally recognized by international agreement)

Volcano Islands - Japanese, 1891 (not 1887)

Marcus Island - Japanese, 1899

Mariana Islands (except Guam) - Japanese Mandate, 1919 (not 1920, mandated by League of Nations after WWI)

Guam - U.S. territory, 1898 (acquired from Spain after Spanish-American War)

Caroline Islands - Japanese Mandate, 1919

Palau Islands - Japanese Mandate, 1919 (not "Palu")

Marshall Islands - Japanese Mandate, 1919

Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony - British Colony, 1916 (not 1915)

Wake Island - U.S. territory, 1899

Midway - U.S. territory, 1867

Hawaiian Islands - U.S. territory, 1898

Palmyra Islands - U.S. territory, 1898 (acquired with Hawaii)

American Samoa - U.S. territory, 1899

Western Samoa - New Zealand mandate, 1919

Tahiti/French Polynesia - French colony, 1880

Fiji Islands - British colony, 1874

New Hebrides - Anglo-French Condominium, 1906 (not solely French, and not 1887)

New Caledonia - French colony, 1853 (not 1854)

Bismarck Archipelago - Australian Mandate, 1919 (not 1920)

Solomon Islands - British Protectorate, 1893 (northern part to Australia as mandate in 1919)

New Guinea (West) - Dutch colony, 1828 (not 1895)

New Guinea (East/Papua) - Australian territory, 1906 (northern part Australian mandate since 1919)

Borneo - British protectorate (North Borneo) since 1888 and Dutch colony (remainder) since 17th century

Java - Dutch colony (part of Dutch East Indies), since 1619

Sumatra - Dutch colony, since 17th century

Singapore - British trading post, 1819 India - British colony, gradually acquired 18th-19th centuries

Burma - British colony, 1886 (not 1885)

French Indochina - French colony, completed by 1887-1893 (not 1907)

Hainan - Japanese occupation, 1939 (not 1935)

Hong Kong - British colony, 1842 (with New Territories leased in 1898)

Formosa (Taiwan) - Japanese colony, 1895

Philippines - American commonwealth (1935-1946), previously an American territory since 1898

Malaya - British colony/protectorate (various states acquired between 1786-1914)

Singapore - British colony (established 1819, separate crown colony from 1946)

Timor - Divided between Portuguese Timor (East) since 16th century and Dutch Timor (West) as part of Dutch East Indies

Nauru - Australian mandate, 1919 (administered jointly by Australia, New Zealand and UK)

Cook Islands - New Zealand territory (1901)

Tonga - British protectorate (1900)

Macao - Portuguese colony (established 1557)

Christmas Island - British colony (transferred from Singapore to Australia in 1958)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands - British territory (under Singapore administration, later Australian)

Andaman and Nicobar Islands - British Indian territory

Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa) - Japanese prefecture (formally annexed 1879)

Phoenix Islands - British territory (part of Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony)

Line Islands - Divided between British and American control

Japanese control of Chinese areas was tenuous. See map of China 1940.

Credits

Courtesy of the United States Military Academy Department of History.

Related Maps

Map of the growth of European and Japanese dominions in Asia since 1801
Map of Imperialism in Asia 1840 - 1914
Map of China 1910

Related Links

About the Second Sino-Japanese War
About World War 2
WWII Timelines