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( British Empire)
The British Empire was the set of dominions, colonies, protectorates and mandates ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the 17th century. It was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power. By 1921, the British Empire held sway over a population of about 458 million people, approximately one-quarter of the world's population.[1] It covered about 36.7 million km² (14.2 million square miles),[2] about a quarter of Earth's total land area. As a result, its political, linguistic and cultural legacy is widespread. At the peak of its power, it was often said that "the sun never sets on the British Empire" because its span across the globe ensured that the sun was always shining on at least one of its numerous territories.[3] During the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, Spain and Portugal pioneered European exploration of the globe and in the process established overseas empires that stretched from the Americas to the Philippines. Envious of the great wealth these empires bestowed on Spain and Portugal, the Northern European nations of England, France and the Netherlands began in the late 16th century to challenge Spanish and Portuguese hegemony. The English, French and Dutch established colonies and trade networks of their own in the Americas and Asia, in conflict with one another and with Spain and Portugal, which had begun a slow decline as imperial powers during the 17th century. A series of wars with the Netherlands and France ended Dutch and French colonial ambitions in North America and India, leaving England (following the 1707 Act of Union, Britain) the dominant colonial power. The loss of the Thirteen Colonies after the American War of Independence was a temporary blow to Britain, depriving it of its most powerful and populous colony. However, British attention soon turned towards Africa and Asia, where a new empire was established. Following the Napoleonic Wars, Britain enjoyed a century of effectively unchallenged strength, thanks to its rapidly expanding economy, the strength of the Royal Navy, and the lack of serious colonial rivals. During this time, Britain consolidated and expanded its imperial holdings in Africa, Asia, India and the Pacific, and granted increasing degrees of autonomy to its white settler colonies, which were reclassified as dominions. The growth of Germany and the United States had eroded Britain's economic lead by the end of the 19th century. Subsequent military and economic tensions between Britain and Germany were major causes of World War I which ended the period of relative peace in 1914. The conflict, for which Britain leaned heavily upon its empire, placed enormous financial strain on Britain, and although the empire achieved its largest territorial extent immediately after the war, it was no longer a peerless industrial or military power. Despite Britain and its empire emerging as victors, World War II saw much of the British Empire in Asia occupied by Japan which damaged British prestige and accelerated the decline of the empire. Within two years of the end of the war, Britain granted independence to its most populous and valuable colony, India. During the remainder of the 20th century, most of the territories of the empire became independent as part of a larger global decolonization movement by the European powers, ending with the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997. Many former British colonies went on to join the Commonwealth of Nations, a free association of independent states. Some have retained the British monarch, currently Elizabeth II, as their head of state to become independent Commonwealth realms. Fourteen territories remain under British sovereignty, the British Overseas Territories.
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