Portal:British Empire
The British Empire PortalTheBritish Empirecomprised thedominions,colonies,protectorates,mandates,and otherterritoriesruled or administered by theUnited Kingdomand its predecessor states. It began with theoverseas possessionsandtrading postsestablished byEnglandin the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height in the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was thelargest empire in historyand, for a century, was the foremost global power. By 1913, the British Empire held sway over 412 million people,23 percent 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. As a result,its constitutional,legal,linguistic,andculturallegacy is widespread. At the peak of its power, 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.
During theAge of Discoveryin the 15th and 16th centuries,PortugalandSpainpioneered European exploration of the globe, and in the process established large overseas empires. Envious of the great wealth these empires generated, England,France,and theNetherlandsbegan to establish colonies and trade networks of their own in theAmericasandAsia.A series of wars in the 17th and 18th centuries with the Netherlands and France left England (Britain,following the1707 Act of Unionwith Scotland) the dominantcolonial powerinNorth America.Britain became a major power in theIndian subcontinentafter theEast India Company'sconquestofMughal Bengalat theBattle of Plasseyin 1757. TheAmerican War of Independenceresulted in Britain losing some of its oldest and most populous colonies in North America by 1783. While retaining control ofBritish North America(nowCanada) and territories in and near theCaribbeanin theBritish West Indies,British colonial expansion turned towards Asia,Africa,and thePacific.After the defeat of France in theNapoleonic Wars(1803–1815), Britain emerged as the principalnavaland imperial power of the 19th century and expanded its imperial holdings. It pursued trade concessions in China and Japan, and territory inSoutheast Asia.The "Great Game"and"Scramble for Africa"also ensued. The period of relative peace (1815–1914) during which the British Empire became the globalhegemonwas later described asPax Britannica(Latin for "British Peace" ). Alongside the formal control that Britain exerted over its colonies, its dominance of much of world trade, and of its oceans, meant that it effectivelycontrolled the economies of, and readily enforced its interests in, many regions,such as Asia andLatin America.It also came to dominate theMiddle East.Increasing degrees of autonomy were granted to its whitesettler colonies,some of which were formally reclassified asDominionsby the 1920s. By the start of the 20th century,Germanyand theUnited Stateshad begun to challenge Britain's economic lead. Military, economic and colonial tensions between Britain and Germany were major causes of theFirst World War,during which Britain relied heavily on its empire. The conflict placed enormous strain on its military, financial, and manpower resources. Although the empire achieved its largest territorial extent immediately after the First World War, Britain was no longer the world's preeminent industrial or military power. In theSecond World War,Britain's colonies inEast AsiaandSoutheast Asiawere occupied by theEmpire of Japan.Despite the final victory of Britain andits allies,the damage to British prestige and the British economy helped accelerate the decline of the empire.India,Britain's most valuable and populous possession, achievedindependencein 1947 as part of a largerdecolonisationmovement, in which Britain granted independence to most territories of the empire. TheSuez Crisisof 1956 confirmed Britain's decline as a global power, and thehandover of Hong Kong to Chinaon 1 July 1997 symbolised for many the end of the British Empire, though fourteenoverseas territoriesthat are remnants of the empire remain underBritish sovereignty.After independence, many former British colonies, along with most of the dominions, joined theCommonwealth of Nations,a free association of independent states. Fifteen of these, including the United Kingdom,retain the same person as monarch,currently KingCharles III.(Full article...)Selected article-Theprovinces of India,earlierpresidencies of British Indiaand still earlier,presidency towns,were the administrative divisions of British governance on theIndian subcontinent.Collectively, they have been calledBritish India.In one form or another, they existed between 1612 and 1947, conventionally divided into three historical periods:
Selected imageThe Rhodes Colossus,an iconiceditorial cartoonof theScramble for Africaperiod, depictingBritish colonialistCecil John Rhodesas a giant standing over the continent. Did you know
Related portalsCommonwealth Realm Other former British territories Selected biography-Major GeneralRoger Elliott(c.1665 – 16 May 1714 ) was one of the earliest BritishGovernors of Gibraltar.A member of theEliot family,his sonGranville Elliottbecame the firstCount Elliottand his nephewGeorge Augustus Eliottalso became a noted Governor anddefender of Gibraltar.(Full article...)Evolution of the British EmpireThis Map of the world animates the Empire's rise and fall.
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