General Charte vom Russischen Reiche in Europa, Asien, und America.

A 19th century map of the Russian Empire – one of the largest (by landmass) in the history of the world.

This map covers an expansive area encompassing nearly a third of the globe – between the Adriatic and Kamchatka Seas and as far south as the Caspian Sea and Gobi Desert. Such a sweeping image was necessary to include the broad territorial holdings of the Russian Empire.

At it’s largest extent in the early 19th century (similar to the borders seen here), it was the third largest empire in the history of the world. The various constituent components of the Russian Empire are outlined with original hand color according to the legend in the lower right, and includes land between Alaska and modern day Poland.

The map was published in 1832 by C.S. Weiland at the Geographsche Instituts in Weimar, Germany.