confederation of nations united under the British crown from the end of the Industrial Revolution to the middle of the 20th century
For a comprehensive list of the territories that formed the British Empire see
Evolution of the British Empire. The British Empire was the
largest empire in history and for a substantial time was the foremost
global power. It was a product of the European
age of discovery, which began with the maritime explorations of the
15th century, that sparked the era of the European
colonial empires. By 1921, the British Empire held sway over a population of about 458 million people, approximately one-quarter of the world's population. It covered about 36.6 million km² (14.2 million square miles), about a quarter of Earth's total land area. As a result, its legacy is widespread, in
legal and
governmental systems, economic practice,
militarily,
educational systems, sports (such as
cricket,
rugby and
football), and in the global spread of the
English language. 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
colonies or subject nations.
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