Colonial Era
The world in 1886 AD
12 powers on the map · historical borders (CShapes 2.0)
Industrial Revolution and imperialism. Railways, telegraphs, ironclads, Suez Canal (1869). Berlin Conference (1884): the Scramble for Africa. Meiji Restoration (1868): Japan industrializes in 30 years. The United Kingdom controls a quarter of the planet.
Empires and states
Active trade routes
- Tea Clipper Route — Chinese tea to London under full sail
- Suez Route — Europe–Asia shortcut after 1869