The Historic Silk Route

An interactive map that shows the land and sea routes and important locations of the historic Silk Route that was the used as trade network.

The Silk Route for Trade

The historic Silk Route refers to the vast network of trade routes that connected East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Europe through a complex web of land and sea routes. The Silk Route was established more than 2,000 years ago and remained a crucial trade network for more than a millennium. It facilitates the trades between Asian and European countries until the 15th century AD. For almost 17 centuries the Silk Road was the biggest world trade network.

The name "Silk Route" comes from the fact that one of the most valuable commodities traded along these routes was silk from China, which was highly prized in the ancient world.

The Silk Route was not a single road or route, but rather a series of interconnected paths that spanned thousands of miles across Asia and Europe. Merchants would travel from one city to another, trading their goods along the way. Along the route, various cities emerged as key trading centers, including Samarkand, Bukhara, and Kashgar in Central Asia, and Constantinople (now Istanbul) in Europe.

The Silk Route facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas, and culture across Asia and beyond. In addition to silk, merchants traded spices, tea, porcelain, jade, ivory, and other luxury goods. The route also played a crucial role in the spread of Buddhism from India to East Asia, as well as the transmission of Islamic culture and knowledge from the Middle East to Central Asia.

The Silk Route was not without its challenges, however. Traveling merchants faced many dangers, including bandits, extreme weather conditions, and political instability. Despite these challenges, the Silk Route continued to thrive for centuries, and its legacy can still be seen today in the many historical sites, artifacts, and cultural traditions that have been passed down through the generations.

The Silk Route was a remarkable feat of human ingenuity, spanning thousands of miles across multiple continents and connecting peoples and cultures from across the ancient world. Its impact on history and culture is immeasurable, and its legacy continues to inspire us today.

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Wonders and Mysteries of the World

An interactive map that shows the new and ancient seven wonders of the world, along with other mysteries of the world. Click to expand the legend button on top-left corner of the map window and check the content details. Zoom-in or out and play around the map to check the locations.

Wonders of the World

Wonders of the World are the collection of outstanding creation of human from classical antiquity to Modern World. These buildings or structures witness the whole span of human history, from the earliest time that Man began to make his mark upon the Earth, and are places that are considered to be of great importance.

There have been many lists of Wonders of the World throughout history, but the most widely recognized and agreed upon are the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the New Seven Wonders of the World.

The New Seven Wonders of the World:
- Great Wall of China: A series of fortifications that stretches across northern China.
- Petra of Jordan: An ancient city carved into the rock in present-day Jordan.
- Christ the Redeemer: A statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Machu Picchu: An ancient Incan city located in the Andes mountains of Peru.
- Chichen Itza: A complex of Mayan ruins in Mexico.
- Roman Colosseum: A massive amphitheater in Rome, Italy, where gladiatorial contests and other public spectacles were held.
- Taj Mahal: A mausoleum located in Agra, India, built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World:
- Great Pyramid of Giza: Located in Egypt, it is the only surviving wonder of the ancient world.
- Hanging Gardens of Babylon: Believed to have been located in modern-day Iraq, the gardens were a spectacular feat of engineering and horticulture.
- Temple of Artemis at Ephesus: Located in Turkey, the temple was dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis and was one of the largest buildings of the ancient world.
- Statue of Zeus at Olympia: A massive statue of the Greek god Zeus, it was housed in a temple in Olympia, Greece.
- Mausoleum at Halicarnassus: A tomb for a wealthy Persian ruler, the mausoleum was located in present-day Turkey.
- Colossus of Rhodes: A huge bronze statue of the Greek god Helios, it stood at the entrance to the harbor of Rhodes in present-day Greece.
- Lighthouse of Alexandria: Located in Egypt, the lighthouse was one of the tallest man-made structures of the ancient world and served as a navigational aid for sailors.

The Seven Wonders of the Nature:
Similar to the man-made lists of seven wonders, there is a list of seven natural wonders of the world, but there is no consensus among the experts and judges as there has been debate over how large such a list should be. In 1997 CNN compiled the following list of seven natural wonders of the World:
- Aurora: Natural light display in the polar regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic).
- Grand Canyon: Spectacular river valley in the Colorado Plateau in Arizona, United States.
- Great Barrier Reef: World's largest coral reef system off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
- Harbor of Rio de Janeiro: Oceanic bay located in southeastern coastline of Brazil.
- Mount Everest: Earth's highest mountain above sea level on the border of Nepal and China.
- Parícutin Volcano: Cinder cone volcano located in the state of Michoacán, Mexico.
- Victoria Falls: Gigantic waterfall on the Zambezi River in southern Africa on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe.

New Seven Wonders of the Nature:
A similar new list of seven natural wonders chosen through a global poll, was organized from 2007 to 2011 by the same group, is lested below:
- Iguazu Falls: Gorgeous waterfall on the border of the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Paraná.
- Hạ Long Bay: Means "The bay where dragons landed", is a maze of jewel-like islands in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam.
- Jeju Island: Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes in the Jeju Province of South Korea.
- Puerto Princesa Underground River: 8.2 km long underground river boasts jaw-dropping cave formations, stunning limestone cliffs in Palawan, Philippines.
- Table Mountain: Flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town, South Africa.
- Komodo Island: The land of dragons, unexplored marine life, and exotic beaches, one of the 17,508 islands that comprise the Republic of Indonesia.
- Amazon Rainforest: Tropical rainforest located in Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.

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The Great Wall of China

An illustrative and detailed map showing the greater geographical extents and ground points of the Great Wall of China, including the Great Wall Traces, Forts, Watchtower and Beacons, identified through various times of the Chinese Dynasties, started from the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), continued through Han, Liao, and Jin Dynasties, and finally entering the Ming Dynasty (1368-1664 CE).


Data Source: The KMZ files of the Great Wall of China is freely available to download at the site researchgate.net.

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is the most extraordinary feature of engineering in history and one of the most iconic man-made structures on the planet. It is the ultimate wonder of the world. It took more time, more people, and more material to build this mega structure than any other man-made features on this planet. The world’s longest wall is the biggest and an awe-inspiring feat of ancient Chinese defensive architecture. The Chinese great wall winds its way across west to east breadths of China, generally built along the historical northern borders of China, scaling all kind of terrains: deserts, rocky mountain peaks, valleys and deep gorges, till it reaches the sea in the far east. Some sources claim that a trace of the Great Wall of China is visible from the space as well.

But why did the Chinese go to that staggering length to build it. Well, as I read somewhere, the wall was the result of immense blood, sweet and fear the ancient Chinese people faced. The ancient northern borders of China were battle grounds of frequent invasions from the fearsome horse-riding archers - the Xiongnu. This forced the Chinese emperors to adopt a radical strategy; they decided to build a wall - a linear complex fortress. It was built to keep out the raiding parties of nomadic tribes of the Eurasian Steppe, including the Mongols, Turic and Xiongnu, of modern-day Mongolia and Manchuria and to protect the Chinese states, empires, and the Han people from these invaders. With the wall height raising up to 20 feet, the wall distinctively changed the landscape across the territories, blocking strategic week points and passing through various terrains, and evolved over 400 years and 6000 miles.

The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials. Millions of the people were involved in construction of the Great Wall over various times of the Chinese Dynasties, started in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), continued through Han, Liao, and Jin Dynasties, and finally took advanced shape during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1664 CE). The labour force used to build the Great Wall were not very skilled craftsmen or engineers, but were common workers, soldiers, forcibly recruited farmers, slaves, convicts and war prisoners. Even then the Great Wall of China carries a simple yet sophisticated and wonderful design; simple enough to be built quickly and with locally available materials and sophisticated enough that still stand upright after centuries.

How I created this map

The KML file that I downloaded from the above-mentioned source was suitable for opening in Google Earth Pro desktop application, but was not suitable for opening on top of online Google Map. So, I studied the content and structure of the KML, made some changes using normal code editors, like Notepad++, SciTE Text Editor, and made changes so that all layers open in Google Map. I have edited the KML files to remove the folder view and converted the data for normal layered view. And then I have added generalised lines to show the extents of the great walls. The KML file was containing various point locations of the of the great walls, like pillar or post locations, fort positions, location of beacons or watchtowers. I interpreted these point locations on top of satellite image in Google Map and tried to draw the traces of the great walls in various dynasties as shown in the map.

Seeing the vastness of the Great Walls of China, it is difficult to draw the exact extents of the walls with precise orientations and alignments. But I have tried to use my best judgment, with whatever time available, to compare the KML data with the impressions seen in the background Satellite image and decide on the positioning of the wall. Somewhere it could be correct, somewhere it might not be accurate. I leave it on the viewer to interpret accordingly. After all, this map created just to explain the extents of the Great Walls of China and to show why it is considered as a wonder of the world.

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Europe Map during Nazi Domination

A illustrative map showing the face of Europe during the height of Nazi domination under Hitler’s rule between 1939 and 1945. This page and the map are intended not to praise the Nazi rule but only to show the geographic extents of the deadly regime in Europe for educational purpose only.




One of the darkest and deadliest phases in the World History is the domination of Hitler’s regime from 1920s to 1945, when it went on capturing most of the European countries, and wiping out less than half of the world Jewish population alone. The Nazi Germany power rose to its peak during World War II, which finally ended after Soviet Union regained its power, a retaliating fight against Nazis of 3-years, suicide of Hitler, and final surrendering of Nazis in front of the Red Army in Berlin. The total number of non-combatants (civilians who are not taking a direct part in war) deliberately killed by the Germans were about 11 million, a figure that rises to more than 12 million if foreseeable deaths from deportation, hunger, and sentences in concentration camps are included.

The Rise and Fall of the Nazi Germany

At the height of its domination, Hitler ruled Nazi Germany occupied most of the European countries at various times between 1939 and 1945. Hitler’s victory-journey started in March 1938 when the Nazis occupied Austria. Later the same year they marched into the Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia, and in March 1939 the German army invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia. This brought over half a million Jews under German control

The German invasion of Western Poland in September 1939 led to the start of the World War-II. The German army continued invading and occupied many other European countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Denmark, Yugoslavia, Greece, Norway and Western Poland. By this time many millions of Jews were living in territories under German control.

Control of Nazi occupied territories was very critical. The Nazis often left local governments in place, provided they were either sympathetic or could be easily manipulated (called puppet regimes). Each occupied nation was appointed a Gauleiter – a senior Nazi official who ruled in the manner of a governor. The level of control and force wielded in each occupied country was often based on Hitler’s personal perception of it. Economies in occupied countries were forced to assist the Nazi war effort, with cheap supplies and labour. There were also social restrictions, such as control of the press, obligatory identity cards, checkpoints and curfews.

The most brutal Nazi occupation was in Poland. In September 1939 the Polish state was divided in two, with the invading Germans occupying the western half and the Soviet Union’s Red Army occupying the east. By early 1941 most Polish Jews population had been forced out of their homes and herded into ghettos and slave labour.

By the summer of 1940, the Nazis controlled much of Western Europe, including eastern France, the Baltic States. This occupation would not change significantly until the D-Day landings and the Soviet Union’s counter attack of 1944. Riding on the victory-journey, the Nazis continued moving towards east and invaded Soviet Union. By early December, 1941, the German stood less than 30 km from the Kremlin, (Moscow center) and they were able to see some of Moscow’s buildings with binoculars. But after being mired in a war of attrition deep into the Soviet Union for nearly 3 years, the Nazi offensive was no longer sustainable. Under the leadership of the Soviet leader Stalin, the Red Army planned winter offensive to teach lessons to the Nazi Germans. When the invasion began in the summer of 1941, Hitler took it for granted that victory would be swift, not preparing a contingency plan for a prolonged battle in harsh, Russian winter conditions. By early 1944, the Germans could not sustain their siege on the USSR any longer, and were forced into an all-out retreat. Suffering from a high loss of life and lack of supplies (due to continued attacks on supply lines), the Nazi army was also severely weakened, making it ripe for pursuing Soviet forces

By April 1945 the Soviet forces fought their way into the center of Berlin. Unable to bear the humiliating defeat from the Soviet Red Army, followed by the news of execution of Mussolini, Hitler presumably decided to finish himself to avoid his capture. On 29 April 1945, in a small civil ceremony in the Führerbunker, Hitler married Eva Braun and then on the very next day, he committed suicide by taking cyanide and shooting himself. The Nazi German forces then surrendered in front of the Soviet forces in Berlin on 2 May 1945.

How the map was created

I analysed various historical maps in image formats showing Nazi domination in the internet and downloaded a few with reliable information. I used these as raster images for input in ArcGIS. I then tried to geo-reference these image maps on top of world countries layer in ArcGIS. Although the geo-referencing was not very precise as the countries dataset has a scale of 1:3 million, not matching with that of the image maps, but an approximate geo-referencing was achieved. Once the raster images are geo-referenced on top of the countries shapefile, I tried to draw the historical boundaries showing in the image maps in a trial and error basis. Once the boundaries are drawn, I ran a series of Geoprocessing tasks in ArcGIS to clean and carve out the final maps from downloaded countries dataset. Sometimes the last two steps needed repetition in sequence back and forth to get the desired outcome. The final carved-out maps were in the form of shapefiles, with names and attributions as per the image maps. I then converted these shapefiles into Google’s KML format to overlay on top of Google map as shown in the above map.

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India Map during the British Rule

A historical map that shows the face of India during the British Rule. Click and check the two types of territories - red and yellow areas. The red areas in the map represents the regions that were directly under the British rule, called the British India territories. The yellow areas represents the Princely States which were ruled by local Indian rulers.

This is the place where history meets technology. The above map shows the face of pre-independent India. The map in pale red and yellow, superimposed on Google Map, shows the geographic extent of the then British Raj in India in the year 1909, showing British India in pale red and the princely states in yellow. The original source (paper format) of this map is Imperial Gazetteer Atlas of India, Plate 20. I some time back digitised these boundaries, converted into the KML format, and then overlaid it on the Google Map frame, to give the original paper format a interactive look and feel.

The British Rule

The British Rule was the period from 1858 to 1947 when rulers from the Great Britain ruled the Indian subcontinent. The region under British control - commonly called India - included areas directly administered by Britain as well as the princely states ruled by individual rulers under the paramountcy of the British Crown. The region is now less commonly also called British Raj or the Indian Empire. The British Raj extended over almost all present-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, with exceptions such as Goa and Pondicherry. In addition, at various times, it also included Lower and Upper Burma, and briefly British Somaliland, and Singapore. Burma was separated from India and directly administered by the British Crown from 1937 until its independence in 1948. The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf were theoretically princely states as well as Presidencies and provinces of British India until 1946.

Among other countries in the region, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) was ceded to Britain in 1802. Ceylon was part of Madras Presidency between 1793 and 1798. The kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan, having fought wars with the British, subsequently signed treaties with them and were recognised by the British as independent states. The Kingdom of Sikkim was established as a princely state after the Anglo-Sikkimese Treaty of 1861; however, the issue of sovereignty was left undefined. The Maldive Islands were a British protectorate from 1887 to 1965 but not part of British India.

India during the British Raj was made up of two types of territory: British India and the Native States (or Princely States). A Princely State, also called a Native State or an Indian State, was a nominally sovereign entity with an indigenous Indian ruler, subject to a subsidiary alliance. There were 565 princely states when India and Pakistan became independent from Britain in August 1947. The princely states did not form a part of British India (i.e. the presidencies and provinces), as they were not directly under the British rule. Areas which were directly under the British rule are known as British India.

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