Imperial Colonies throughout the world

[Marcellus]

Didnt Britain control 1/3 of all the land of the world at one time. I heard that somewhere.

I think it's closer to a quarter, but yes, the British Empire was pretty large indeed. A quarter of the world's population lived in the empire as well.

[Strike For The South]

God Gold Glory

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

God Gold Glory

Add Spices and Territory, and we'll have the most accurate and concise list ever complied.

[Incongruous]

God Spices Gold Territory Glory!

Huzzah for the British Empire

[Samurai Waki]

Its another feet, that the British Empire managed to do it with a relatively small (but supremely elite) military.

[hoom]

Some would say it started with the Phoenicians who it is claimed by some had colonies in the Americas a thousand years or more before Columbus.
The Vikings seem to have had a colony on the North East bit of North America at some time.
There are maps that predate Columbus which show bits of the East coast of the Americas.
Then there are all the Greek colonies that Alexander founded...

[Avicenna]

They didn't really need the military, they just won over the natives I heard.

The Phoenicans did have some famous explorers such as Hanno, but I doubt that they could reach America with the ships of the dark ages. The Vikings did have a colony, but they got driven off by natives. (was it in Canada?)

The Chinese had also sailed to America long before Colombus, but they never bothered to have colonies. They just never had any wish to make an Empire.

[Duke Malcolm]

I think it's closer to a quarter, but yes, the British Empire was pretty large indeed. A quarter of the world's population lived in the empire as well.

Indeed, it is the largest Empire in History

[Samurai Waki]

I always had the impression that the Russian Empire was the largest in Size... just not in terms of population and economics. That honor goes to the British Empire.

[English assassin]

looks like those Mongols just pipped us for size, but we certainly have the honours in numbers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_largest_empires. The puny Russians are only just over 50% as big.

[Avicenna]

Siberia doesn't quite count though.. since it was empty. It's like claiming that the Antarctic is part of your Empire. Even if everyone agrees, it won't matter, because nobody lives there and it's not useful land in any way (at least not in any obvious way). It just serves to make the empire appear larger on a map.

Another funny thing about the Mongol Empire: because Kublai Khan lived in Beijing, the capital, many Chinese claim that the Mongolian Empire as their Empire. So, applying that logic elsewhere, does that mean that the Roman Empire suddenly became the Ravennan Empire when it changed its capital temporarily?

[Duke Malcolm]

looks like those Mongols just pipped us for size, but we certainly have the honours in numbers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_largest_empires. The puny Russians are only just over 50% as big.

Hmm... The British Empire entry says it is the largest with over 37 million, and the Mongol Empire entry says it is the largest with under 38 million, so they both had above 37 million but below 38 million

And the land mass seems to fluctuate as one goes down the different list. Britain goes from 37 million to 36 million, and Mongols go from 38 million to 35 million...

The matter is quite moot, it seems...

[King Ragnar]

looks like those Mongols just pipped us for size, but we certainly have the honours in numbers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_largest_empires. The puny Russians are only just over 50% as big.

Bah we still had the best empire, and will again

[Alexanderofmacedon]

I hate colonialism. Thanks a lot you European ********.

[Duke Malcolm]

I hate colonialism. Thanks a lot you European ********.

Really? Of course, without it you would not be where you are now... either you would be in the Mother Country or you would be in a Native American tribe or you would be in an African tribe (although since the slaves were bought off of other African tribes you might well be elsewhere in the world or dead)