In 1939 the British Empire and the Commonwealth together comprised a global power, with direct or de facto political and economic control of 25% of the world's population, and of 30% of its land mass.
The size of the British Empire – the amount of land and number of people under British rule – changed in size over the years. At its height in 1922, it was the largest empire the world had ever seen, covering around a quarter of Earth's land surface and ruling over 458 million people.
From London, the British ruled about 20 percent of world's population and governed nearly 25 percent of the world's land mass, according to calculations by British researcher Stephen Luscombe.
In 1901 Britain ruled about a quarter of the world, an empire inhabited by some 400 million people. It encompassed the Indian subcontinent and large parts of Asia, Africa, the Americas and Australasia.
At the beginning of the 20th century the British Empire covered more than 11,400,000 square miles of territory. This made it the largest empire the world had ever known.
It was also claimed that at its height the British Empire covered a quarter of the Earth's surface. However, this figure is only correct if countries that were under formal protection agreements, rather than being a part of empire, are included.
Although Europe represents only about 8 percent of the planet's landmass, from 1492 to 1914, Europeans conquered or colonized more than 80 percent of the entire world.
The British Empire remained a superpower—certainly by the original definition of 1944—at least until 1957 when the reelected Eisenhower administration asserted what it called “a declaration of independence” from British authority.
By the end of the century—which has been termed 'Britain's Imperial century'—the Empire covered approximately one-quarter of the world's land surface and governed around one-fifth of its population.
The Suez Crisis of 1956 is considered by some commentators to be the beginning of the end of Britain's period as a superpower, but other commentators have pointed much earlier such as in World War I, the Depression of 1920-21, the Partition of Ireland, the return of the pound sterling to the gold standard at its prewar ...
United Kingdom (Britain) The British Empire was the largest of its kind in history, and once covered about one quarter of all the land on Earth. One of the last major colonies to be given up by Britain was Hong Kong which was given back to China on July 1st 1997.
A total of 65 countries have claimed their independence from the British Empire or the United Kingdom.
According to the book "All the Countries We've Ever Invaded: And the Few We Never Got Round To", there are only 22 countries Britain never invaded throughout history. There aren't many gaps on the map, but some of the more notable include Sweden, Belarus and Vatican City.
At the height of the British Empire, just after the First World War, an island smaller than Kansas controlled roughly a quarter of the world's population and landmass. To the architects of this colossus, the largest empire in history, each conquest was a moral achievement.
In the 18th century England, and after 1707 Great Britain, rose to become the world's dominant colonial power, with France as its main rival on the imperial stage.
At its height the British Empire was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power. In 1815–1914 the Pax Britannica was the most powerful unitary authority in history due to the Royal Navy's unprecedented naval predominance.
By 1913, the British Empire held sway over 412 million people, 23 per cent of the world population at the time, and by 1920, it covered 35.5 million km2 (13.7 million sq mi), 24 per cent of the Earth's total land area. As a result, its constitutional, legal, linguistic, and cultural legacy is widespread.
Many of the former territories of the British Empire are members of the Commonwealth of Nations. Fourteen of these (known, with the United Kingdom, as the 15 Commonwealth realms) retain the British monarch (currently Charles III) as head of state.
Australia is a constitutional monarchy with The Queen as Sovereign. As a constitutional monarch, The Queen, by convention, is not involved in the day-to-day business of the Australian Government, but she continues to play important ceremonial and symbolic roles. The Queen's relationship to Australia is unique.
Britain's ability to project power through a formidable navy and merchant fleet rested on the fact that it was also the world's first industrial nation. The country's initial manufacturing boom had been driven by the cotton trade.
By the 1880s the U.S. economy surpassed Britain. In the 1920s New York surpassed London as a wold financial center. Since 1940 the countries have been close military allies enjoying the Special Relationship built as wartime allies and NATO partners.
Money and geography. The UK is an island and reliant on trade. It also made any invasion attempts very difficult, and the UK also spent most of their defence money on their navy. The trade, combined with the navy, allowed Britain to build an empire.
But the largest of these domains was the British Empire, which, at its peak, covered a quarter of the world. The sun was said to never set on the British Empire, as at least one of its colonies was always in daylight.
Europe achieved world hegemony in the years after 1500 A.D., primarily due to technological advancements, scientific research, political development of nations with stable succession and continuity, and a culture dominated by Christianity.
Between 1492 and 1914, Europeans conquered 84 percent of the globe.