Map of the Ming Dynasty

This is a map of the Ming Dynasty. The area shaded in red is the land ruled by the Ming between 1368 and 1644. The present day borders of China and Mongolia are shown with the dotted black line. The blue line representing the Great Wall extends across the width of the Ming land in the north. It was reinforced during this time, with a second wall protecting the western side of the northern border. The area controlled by the Ming dynasty is smaller than the previous dynasty because it needed to be won back from the Mongols but over time it will nearly double in size. Lastly, notice how the Ming territory also extends past the current boundaries on the northeastern coastline.