SAU: Global Administrative Unit Polygons from 1945 to 2018

8397 geo-coded polygons represent first-order and autonomous administrative units across 180 countries. Andreas Juon compiled this time-variant dataset covering units that existed between 1945 and 2018, with specific polygons for the period 1988 to 2018. The dataset is hosted on Harvard Dataverse and was last updated in May 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical boundary changes based on the time-variant nature of the units.
• Map constitutionally recognized autonomous regions based on the described polygon types.
• Study the evolution of first-order administrative divisions across 180 countries.
• Integrate time-specific administrative polygons into historical GIS models.

Strengths

• Contains 8397 distinct geo-coded polygons.
• Covers 180 countries and a 73-year time span from 1945 to 2018.
• Includes polygons for constitutionally recognized autonomous and 'special' regions.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic or temporal bias inherent to the source compilation.

Provenance

Source

Harvard Dataverse, author Andreas Juon.

Collection Method

Likely compiled from historical administrative records and constitutions.

Time Range

1945 to 2018, with specific polygons for 1988-2018.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-10 01:38:14; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global, covering 180 countries.