British Colonial Empire: Map & History
The largest empire in human history by total land area, governing over 450 million subjects across all six inhabited continents as "the empire on which the sun never sets."
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, and colonisation attempts by Scotland during the 17th century. At its height in the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was the largest empire in history and, for a century, was the foremost global power. 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. The British Parliament was the supreme law-making authority for all the British possessions which made up the Empire. As a result, its constitutional, legal, linguistic, and cultural legacy is widespread. It was described as "the empire on which the sun never sets", as the sun was always shining on at least one of its territories.
Modern Countries Once Part of British Colonial Empire
At its mapped extent, British Colonial Empire covered territory in 43 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Iraq1915–1946 CE · nearly all
- Guyana1781–1968 CE · nearly all
- Jordan1946 CE · nearly all
- Belize1709–1995 CE · nearly all
- Fiji1877–1995 CE · nearly all
- Kuwait1946 CE · nearly all
- Solomon Islands1895–1995 CE · nearly all
- Guadeloupe1762–1813 CE · nearly all
- Mauritius1811–1968 CE · nearly all
- Bermuda1709–1999 CE · nearly all
- Brunei1890–1995 CE · nearly all
- Curacao1799–1814 CE · nearly all
- Dominica1762–1995 CE · nearly all
- Grenada1762–1995 CE · nearly all
- South Georgia and the Islands1775–1999 CE · nearly all
- Hong Kong S.A.R.1842–1999 CE · nearly all
- Saint Lucia1762–1995 CE · nearly all
- Martinique1762–1814 CE · nearly all
- United States Virgin Islands1713–1968 CE · nearly all
- Malaysia1800–1962 CE · nearly all
- Canada1713–1957 CE · most
- Australia1796–1904 CE · most
- New Zealand1840–1957 CE · most
- Suriname1799–1819 CE · most
- Jamaica1709–1962 CE · most
- Palestine1946 CE · most
- Israel1946 CE · most
- Papua New Guinea1885–1945 CE · a large part
- Bahamas1709–1995 CE · a large part
- Falkland Islands1834–1999 CE · a large part
- Trinidad and Tobago1797–1962 CE · a large part
- Yemen1870–1889 CE · a large part
- Iran1915–1945 CE · a large part
- Indonesia1811–1813 CE · a large part
- United States1709–1931 CE · a small part
- Myanmar1825–1852 CE · a small part
- Honduras1744–1787 CE · a small part
- Nicaragua1744–1852 CE · a small part
- Syria1946 CE · a small part
- Tanzania1890–1913 CE · a small part
- Afghanistan1840–1841 CE · a small part
- India1846–1852 CE · a small part
- China1900–1931 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
- New South Wales, Australia
- Western Australia, Australia
- Ontario, Canada
- Queensland, Australia
- Québec, Canada
- Florida, United States
- British Columbia, Canada
- Victoria, Australia
- South Australia, Australia
- Alberta, Canada
- Manitoba, Canada
- Nunavut, Canada
- Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Saskatchewan, Canada
- North Carolina, United States
- Virginia, United States
- Northwest Territories, Canada
- Pennsylvania, United States
- South Carolina, United States
- New York, United States
- Northern Territory, Australia
- Georgia, United States
- Nova Scotia, Canada
- Jawa Timur, Indonesia
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside British Colonial Empire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
British Colonial Empire in Depth
Origins (1497–1583)
The foundations of the overseas British Empire were laid when England and Scotland were separate kingdoms, and, at the time ruled by different monarchs. In 1496 King Henry VII of England, following the successes of Spain and Portugal in overseas exploration, commissioned John Cabot to lead an expedition to discover a Northwest Passage to Asia via the North Atlantic. Cabot sailed in 1497, five years after the first voyage of Christopher Columbus, and made landfall on the coast of Newfoundland. He believed he had reached Asia, and there was no attempt to found a colony. Cabot led another voyage to the Americas the following year but did not return; it is unknown what happened to his ships.
Decolonisation and decline (1945–1997)
Though Britain and the empire emerged victorious from the Second World War, the effects of the conflict were profound, both at home and abroad. Much of Europe, a continent that had dominated the world for several centuries, was in ruins, and host to the armies of the United States and the Soviet Union, who now held the balance of global power. Britain was left essentially bankrupt, with insolvency only averted in 1946 after the negotiation of a US$3.75 billion loan from the United States, the last installment of which was repaid in 2006. At the same time, anti-colonial movements were on the rise in the colonies of European nations. The situation was complicated further by the increasing Cold War rivalry of the United States and the Soviet Union.
Legacy
Britain retains sovereignty over 14 territories outside the British Isles. In 1983, the British Nationality Act 1981 renamed the existing Crown Colonies as "British Dependent Territories", and in 2002 they were renamed "British Overseas Territories". Most former British colonies and protectorates have joined the Commonwealth of Nations, a voluntary association of equal members, comprising a total population of around 2.2 billion people. The United Kingdom and 14 other countries, collectively known as the Commonwealth realms, voluntarily continue to share the same person—King Charles III—as their respective head of state.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: British Empire (CC BY-SA 4.0).
British Colonial Empire: Key Facts
| Capital | London |
|---|---|
| Official language | English |
| Form of government | constitutional monarchy |
| Currency | pound sterling |
| Founded | 1583 |
| Dissolved | 1997 |
Preceded by
Facts from Wikidata Q8680 (CC0).
Interactive map
British Colonial Empire on the World War I map →
See British Colonial Empire’s territory change day by day from 4 August 1914, with every battle it fought.
Interactive map
British Empire on the World War II map →
See British Empire’s territory change day by day from 3 September 1939, with every battle it fought.
British Colonial Empire Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which British Colonial Empire appears, with the other states of the time.
Imperial History & Territorial Expansion
Built through naval supremacy via the Royal Navy, joint-stock trading monopolies (East India Company), and industrial manufacturing, the British Empire transformed global commerce, law, and language. At its zenith following World War I, it spanned 35.5 million square kilometers—encompassing India, Canada, Australia, extensive swaths of Africa, and key global choke points like Gibraltar, Suez, and Singapore.
British Colonial Empire Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Establishment of the first permanent English settlement in North America.
Robert Clive defeats Siraj-ud-Daulah, initiating territorial rule in India.
Pax Britannica commences with unchallenged Royal Navy dominance of the oceans.
Queen Victoria assumes the imperial title over the British Raj.
Post-WWI League of Nations mandates push the empire to 35.5 million km².
Key Monarchs, Architects & Strategists
Enduring Planetary Legacy
- ✓Global dissemination of the English language as the premier lingua franca
- ✓Diffusion of common law jurisprudence and parliamentary constitutional systems
- ✓Construction of trans-continental railways, undersea telegraph cables, and maritime charts
- ✓Establishment of global financial, insurance, and maritime standards (Greenwich Mean Time)
British Colonial Empire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the British Colonial Empire exist?
The British Colonial Empire is dated to 1607 CE – 1997 CE (Peak: 1921 CE), in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of the British Colonial Empire?
The capital of the British Colonial Empire was London.
How large was the British Colonial Empire at its peak?
At its peak in 1921 the British Colonial Empire covered about 13,690,182 km².
How did the map of the British Colonial Empire change over time?
The British Colonial Empire appears on 5 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1800 CE to 1945 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
Geographic Lifelines
Other Sovereign Realms
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Söğüt, Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople
Industrial Era • Capital: London
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Raigad