The British Empire

The British Empire was the largest empire in human history. At its peak in the early 20th century, it governed roughly a quarter of the world's land surface and population — from India to Canada, from Australia to Nigeria, from the Caribbean to Hong Kong. The phrase 'the sun never sets on the British Empire' was literally true: at any given moment, sunlight was falling on British territory somewhere on Earth.

Britain's rise to imperial dominance was driven by naval superiority, industrial capacity, and commercial ambition. The Royal Navy, the world's most powerful fleet from the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 to the mid-20th century, protected trade routes and projected power across every ocean. The Industrial Revolution, which began in Britain, gave it a decisive technological and economic advantage over potential rivals. Colonial possessions provided raw materials for British factories and captive markets for manufactured goods.

The empire's legacy is deeply contested. Supporters point to the spread of parliamentary government, the English language, common law, and the eventual abolition of the slave trade. Critics emphasize the exploitation of colonized peoples, the destruction of indigenous cultures, the artificial borders that created lasting conflicts, and the systematic extraction of wealth from colonies to enrich the metropole. Both perspectives are necessary to understand an empire that profoundly shaped the modern world.