British Empire
Article
August 8, 2022
The British Empire (British Empire) included dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates on other territories that were under the authority of the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It arose as a result of the establishment of overseas territories and trading posts by the Kingdom of England in the period from the end of the 16th century. to the beginning of the XVIII century. At the height of its heyday, it was the largest empire in history, and for more than a hundred years it was the world's leading global power. As of 1913, the population of the British Empire was more than 412 million people (23% of the world's population at that time), and as of 1920, the area of the empire was more than 35.5 million km² (24% of the world's surface). As a result, its political, legal, linguistic, and cultural heritage has been widely spread. At the height of its development, the British Empire was often described by the phrase "the empire on which the sun never sets" (English: the empire on which the sun never sets), because due to its enormous size, the sun always shone on at least some part of it. After World War II, most of Britain's colonies became independent. The British Commonwealth is considered the heir of the British Empire.