17 countries
Map of Latin America in 1810
Latin America before independence
Spanish America and Brazil in the spring of 1810, just before the juntas of Caracas (April) and Buenos Aires (May) set off the wars of independence. Spain ruled from Mexico to Cape Horn, divided into viceroyalties and captaincies general.
- There were four viceroyalties, New Spain, New Granada, Peru and the Río de la Plata; Venezuela, Chile, Guatemala, Cuba and Puerto Rico were captaincies general.
- The Río de la Plata took in Upper Peru (today's Bolivia, with its Pacific coast), Paraguay and the Banda Oriental (Uruguay).
- The Portuguese court had moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1808, fleeing Napoleon: Brazil was the centre of the Portuguese empire.
- Haiti, independent since 1804, was the first Latin American country to break free; Santo Domingo had gone back to Spain in 1809.
- Inland borders (the Amazon, the Chaco, Patagonia) only existed on paper: here they are approximate. The population figures are estimates of the time, and the quiz only uses them to compare.
How it is made: the coasts are today's, and the borders follow today's divisions where they match those of the time and, where they do not, lines drawn by hand, good to about 10 km. Shapes: Natural Earth (public domain). Compare with today's Central & South America →
Facts: the map of Latin America in 1810
- On the map
- 17 countries · 4 are so small they show as a dot (complete level)
- Largest country
- Brazil (Portuguese colony) (≈ 8,300,000 km²)
- Smallest country
- British Trinidad and Tobago (≈ 5,100 km²)
- Most populous country
- Viceroyalty of New Spain (≈ 6,100,000 people)
- Least populous country
- British Honduras (settlement) (≈ 4,000 people)
- Northernmost capital
- Mexico City (Viceroyalty of New Spain)
- Southernmost capital
- Buenos Aires (Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata)
- Most neighbours
- Brazil (Portuguese colony): 7
- No land border with another country on the map
- British Jamaica, British Trinidad and Tobago, and Captaincy General of Puerto Rico
Fun facts: Map of Latin America in 1810
- In 1810 Spain ruled almost the whole continent, from California to Cape Horn.
- On 25 May 1810, the May Revolution set up Buenos Aires' first governing junta.
- Bolivia, then Upper Peru, belonged to the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, with its capital in Buenos Aires.
- On 20 July 1810 the Junta of Santa Fe de Bogotá was formed: today it is Colombia's national day.
- Chiapas was part of the Captaincy General of Guatemala; it joined Mexico in 1824.
- On 16 September 1810, Miguel Hidalgo launched the 'Cry of Dolores' in Mexico.
- French Guiana had been occupied by Portugal since 1809, at war with Napoleon.
- Chile formed its First Government Junta on 18 September 1810: today it is its national day.
Test yourself
Which was the largest country of Latin America in 1810?
Brazil (Portuguese colony).
Which was the most populous country of Latin America in 1810?
Viceroyalty of New Spain.
Which was the smallest country of Latin America in 1810?
British Trinidad and Tobago.
Which was the least populous country of Latin America in 1810?
British Honduras (settlement).
More maps
Latin America in 182517 countriesCentral & South America19 countriesEurope in 188027 countriesEurope in 191426 countriesEurope in 193836 countriesEurope in 194536 countriesEurope in 198935 countriesAfrica in 191444 countriesAfrica in 196052 countriesAsia in 191436 countriesAsia in 192443 countriesAsia in 194543 countries
The countries on the map of Latin America in 1810, and what they are today
Today's countries that cover a good part of its land, largest share first.
Show the map with the names (to revise)
Show the table (17)
| Country | Capital | Today part of |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (Portuguese colony) | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil |
| British Honduras (settlement) | Belize | Belize |
| British Jamaica | Spanish Town | Jamaica |
| British Trinidad and Tobago | Port of Spain | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Captaincy General of Chile | Santiago | Chile |
| Captaincy General of Guatemala | New Guatemala | Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador |
| Captaincy General of Puerto Rico | San Juan | |
| Captaincy General of Venezuela | Caracas | Venezuela |
| Cayenne (Portuguese occupation) | Cayenne | France |
| Demerara-Essequibo (British occupation) | Stabroek (Georgetown) | Guyana |
| Haiti | Port-au-Prince | Haiti |
| Spanish Santo Domingo | Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic |
| Suriname (British occupation) | Paramaribo | Suriname |
| Viceroyalty of New Granada | Santa Fe de Bogotá | Colombia, Ecuador, Panama |
| Viceroyalty of New Spain | Mexico City | Mexico |
| Viceroyalty of Peru | Lima | Peru, Chile |
| Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata | Buenos Aires | Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile |