World History Timeline
Background Information
Major World Regions
The inhabited world can be divided into twelve major regions.
The regions of North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia are known collectively as the Middle East. The Eurasian Steppe (aka "the Steppe"), a vast strip of grassland from Ukraine to Mongolia, straddles several major regions.
Main Article
Colour Key
| Middle East |
| South Asia |
| East Asia |
| Europe (and colonial offshoots) |
| Sub-Saharan Africa |
| pre-colonial Americas |
| the Steppe |
For discussion of Essential Humanities' approach to achieving a well-rounded survey of world history, see Global Civilizations.
The Ancient World
ca. 3500 BC-500 AD| 3500-3000 BC | 3000-2000 BC | 2000-1000 BC | 1000 BC-0 | 0-500 | |||||||||
| Mesopotamian civilization ca. 3500-550 BC |
Per1 | inter-Persian | Per2 | ||||||||||
| Egyptian civilization ca. 3000-550 BC |
Ptolemaic | Roman/Byz | |||||||||||
| Indus civilization ca. 2500-1500 BC |
Vedic age ca. 1500-500 BC |
Indian kingdom age ca. 500 BC-1200 AD |
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| ancient China (Xia > Shang > Western Zhou > Han) ca. 2000 BC-500 AD |
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| Aegean civilization ca. 2000-1200 BC |
Greek age ca. 1200 BC-0 |
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| Roman Republic ca. 500 BC-0 |
Roman Empire ca. 0-500 |
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| early Nubian civilization ca. 2000-1000 BC |
Kush ca. 1000 BC-300 AD |
Ak | |||||||||||
| formative age of Mesoamerica ca. 1500 BC-100 AD |
classic age ca. 100-900 |
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| ancient Andean region (Chavin > Moche/Nazca) ca. 1000 BC-500 AD |
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| ancient Steppe empires ca. 1000 BC-500 AD |
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| Per1 | First Persian Empire | ca. 550-330 BC |
| inter-Persian | inter-Persian period | ca. 330 BC-200 AD |
| Per2 | Second Persian Empire | ca. 200-650 |
| Ptolemaic | Ptolemaic Egypt | ca. 330 BC-0 |
| Roman/Byz | Roman > Byzantine Egypt | ca. 0-650 |
| Ak | peak of Aksum | ca. 300-650 |
The Medieval World
ca. 500-1500| 500-1000 | 1000-1500 | |||||
| Per2 | age of united Caliphate ca. 650-900 |
fractured Islamic world ca. 900-present |
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| Roman/Byz | ||||||
| Indian kingdom age ca. 500 BC-1200 AD |
early Islamic period ca. 1200-1500 |
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| medieval China (Tang > Song > Yuan) ca. 500-1500 |
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| formative Japan (age of Yamato rule) ca. 500-800 |
Heian age ca. 800-1200 |
shogunate ca. 1200-1870 |
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| medieval Europe ca. 500-1500 |
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| peak of Aksum ca. 300-650 |
age of pre-colonial civilization (Christian, Islamic, and traditional kingdoms) ca. 650-1880 |
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| classic age of Mesoamerica ca. 100-900 |
postclassic age of Mesoamerica ca. 900-1520 |
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| medieval Andean region (Chimu > Tiwanaku/Wari > Inca) ca. 500-1530 |
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| age of Turkic empires ca. 500-1200 |
Mongol | |||||
| Per2 | Second Persian Empire | ca. 200-650 |
| Roman/Byz | Roman > Byzantine Egypt | ca. 0-650 |
| Mongol | Mongol Empire | ca. 1200-1300 |
| the primary power of medieval Eastern Europe was the Byzantine Empire |
| the primary powers of medieval Western Europe were France, England, and the Holy Roman Empire |
The Modern World
ca. 1500-present| 1500-present | ||||||
| fractured Islamic world ca. 900-present |
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| Mughal Empire ca. 1500-1800 |
British India ca. 1800-WWII |
modern India ca. WWII- |
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| early modern China (Ming > Qing) ca. 1500-WWI |
RC | PRC | ||||
| shogunate ca. 1200-1870 |
imperial Japan ca. 1870-WWII |
modern Japan ca. WWII- |
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| early modern Europe ca. 1500-1800 |
modern Europe ca. 1800-present |
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| age of pre-colonial civilization ca. 650-1880 |
colonial Africa ca. 1880-1980 |
MA | ||||
| colonial United States ca. 1500-1776 |
formative US ca. 1776-1865 |
great power US ca. 1865-WWII |
superpower US ca. WWII- |
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| RC | Republic of China | ca. interwar period |
| PRC | People's Republic of China | ca. WWII-present |
| MA | modern Africa | ca. 1980-present |
| the primary powers of Reformation Europe (ca. 1500-1650) were Spain, France, and Austria |
| the primary powers of Europe from the Enlightenment to WWI (ca. 1650-WWI) were France, Britain, Austria, Prussia (later Germany), and Russia |
| the primary powers of Europe since WWI (ca. WWI-present) have been France, Britain, Germany, and Russia |
| the two superpowers of the Cold War (ca. 1945-91) were the United States and USSR |
| since the Cold War, the United States has reigned as the world's only superpower; the "second tier" of world powers consists of China, Japan, and the primary European powers |