Overseas Empires - British Empire, Portuguese Colonization of the Americas, Spanish Empire, Portuguese Empire, Dutch Empire (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 81. Chapters: British Empire, Portuguese colonization of the Americas, Spanish Empire, Portuguese Empire, Dutch Empire, German colonial empire, French colonial empire, United States territorial acquisitions, Angola, Italian Colonial Empire, Factory, Scottish colonization of the Americas, Realm of New Zealand, Swedish overseas colonies, Danish Colonial Empire, Informal Empire, April Revolt, List of possessions of Norway, List of former Austrian colonies. Excerpt: The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power. By 1922 the British Empire held sway over about 458 million people, one-quarter of the world's population at the time, and covered more than 33,700,000 km (13,012,000 sq mi), almost a quarter of the Earth's total land area. As a result, its political, linguistic and cultural legacy is widespread. 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 territories. During the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal and Spain pioneered European exploration of the globe, and in the process established large overseas empires. Envious of the great wealth these empires bestowed, England, France and the Netherlands began to establish colonies and trade networks of their own in the Americas and Asia. A series of wars in the 17th and 18th centuries with the Netherlands and France left England (Britain, following the 1707 Act of Union with Scotland) the ...