DIRECTIONS: The United Nations began in 1945 with 51 members. It now has 193. Where did the other 142 come from?
They were already places with people; what changed was who governed them.
51 to 193 is about 3.8 times as many countries in one lifetime. Almost none of that is new land. It is three things, and they are not evenly spread through the century — they come in bursts.
Where they came from
Roughly when
Roughly how many
1. Colonies becoming independent countries
1945–1975
2. The Soviet Union ending
1991
3. Yugoslavia breaking apart
1991–2008
Row 2 is exact (sheet 10). Rows 1 and 3 are about eighty and about seven: estimate.
Look at 1960 on its own. Seventeen African countries became independent in that single year. Somebody who left school in 1959 with a world map in their head had a map that was wrong within twelve months — and it kept going wrong for another fifteen years.
An atlas printed in 1950 is not a bad atlas. Say what it is, and what you could still use it for.
51 to 193 — What That Does to a Map
The map is younger than you think · Page 2 of 2
Fifteen countries appeared in 1991 and none of them was new land. Say what actually changed that year, in one sentence.
Somebody your grandparents’ age has watched the map change several times. Say what that means about how permanent the map on your wall is.
Ask somebody older than fifty whether they remember a country changing its name or its shape. Write down what they say.