1960 World Map by National Geographic captures the world at a turning point, printed in September 1960 in the middle of what came to be called the Year of Africa. Seventeen African nations declared independence in 1960 alone, and the map documents the political boundaries exactly as they stood at the moment of printing, with bright color lines marking international borders across the new and old states.
The Cold War divisions of the era are visible across the rest of the sheet. The Soviet Union appears at full territorial extent. East and West Germany sit as separate countries. China, Korea, and Vietnam show their post-war partitions. The map carries the cartographic style National Geographic was producing in the early 1960s, with extensive land detail and ocean floor topography across the world’s seas.
This is a high-resolution reproduction printed from a scan of the original, not a vintage print. The map suits African studies departments, Cold War history collectors, geography classrooms covering decolonization, and collectors of mid-century National Geographic cartography. Map Shop offers it in paper, laminated, mounted, railed, and framed finishes in black or walnut molding.

