The top 10 largest empires in history include one that covered nearly a quarter of the globe
The British Empire is the largest empire in recorded history—and it isn't close. The British Empire reached its greatest territorial extent after World War I, covering about 35.5 million square kilometres—roughly 26.35% of the Earth's total dry land area—by 1920. No rival came anywhere close: the British realm was almost half again as large as the next-largest empire, the Mongol Empire, which covered about 24.0 million km² at its peak.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- How this ranking was determined
- Summary table
- 10. Portuguese Empire (~10.4 million km²)
- 9. Yuan Dynasty (11.0 million km²)
- 8. Umayyad Caliphate (11.1 million km²)
- 7. Abbasid Caliphate (11.1 million km²)
- 6. Second French Colonial Empire (11.5 million km²)
- 5. Spanish Empire (13.7 million km²)
- 4. Qing Dynasty (14.7 million km²)
- 3. Russian Empire (22.8 million km²)
- 2. Mongol Empire (24.0 million km²)
- 1. British Empire (35.5 million km²)
- FAQs
Key takeaways
- The British Empire peaked at 35.5 million km² in 1920 — nearly a quarter of all land on Earth.
- Runner-up: the Mongol Empire at 24 million km², the largest contiguous land empire ever built.
- The ten largest empires range from 35.5 million km² (British) down to roughly 10.4 million km² (Portuguese).
- The Qing Dynasty is the only entry that also governed the most populous state on Earth at its peak, with over 426 million subjects.
- Three empires on this list — the Abbasid Caliphate, the Umayyad Caliphate, and the Yuan Dynasty — each controlled more than 11 million km², yet are largely overshadowed in popular history.
How this ranking was determined
Our rankings are based on peak land area data from Wikipedia's List of Largest Empires, cross-referenced with figures from Britannica, History.com, and World Atlas. We rank each empire by its maximum controlled dry land area (in km²) at any point in its history. Empire size is defined as the dry land area controlled at the time, which may differ from the area claimed. Where estimates vary across sources, figures reflect the most widely cited historical consensus.
Summary table
Rank | Empire | Peak Area (km²) | % of World Land | Peak Year |
10 | Portuguese Empire | ~10.4M | ~7.7% | c. 1815 |
9 | Yuan Dynasty | 11.0M | 8.16% | 1310 |
8 | Umayyad Caliphate | 11.1M | 8.24% | 720 |
7 | Abbasid Caliphate | 11.1M | 8.24% | 750 |
6 | Second French Colonial Empire | 11.5M | 8.53% | 1920 |
5 | Spanish Empire | 13.7M | 10.17% | 1810 |
4 | Qing Dynasty | 14.7M | 10.91% | 1790 |
3 | Russian Empire | 22.8M | 16.92% | 1895 |
2 | Mongol Empire | 24.0M | 17.81% | 1270–1309 |
1 | British Empire | 35.5M | 26.35% | 1920 |
10. Portuguese Empire (~10.4 million km²)
Source: Getty Images
- Founded: c. 1415 (capture of Ceuta)
- Peak year: c. 1815
- Peak area: ~10.4 million km²
- Key regions: Brazil, coastal Africa, India, Southeast Asia, Macau
- Duration: 1415–1999
The Portuguese Empire reached about 10.4 million km² at its peak and is the longest-lasting colonial empire—from the capture of Ceuta in 1415 to the handover of Macau in 1999. Portugal pioneered global navigation and trade, with explorers like Vasco da Gama extending its reach across continents.
9. Yuan Dynasty (11.0 million km²)
- Founded: 1271
- Peak year: 1310
- Peak area: 11.0 million km² (8.16% of world land)
- Founder: Kublai Khan
- Capital: Khanbaliq (modern Beijing)
Kublai Khan is most famous for conquering Song China, creating the Yuan Dynasty, and assuming the title of Emperor of China in 1271; the Yuan Dynasty ruled present-day China, Mongolia, and Korea. At the end of the 13th century, Kublai attempted invasions of Japan, Vietnam, and Java, but these failed; his successors could not hold the empire against the Ming dynasty, which overthrew it in 1368.
8. Umayyad Caliphate (11.1 million km²)
Source: Getty Images
- Founded: 661 CE
- Peak year: 720 CE
- Peak area: 11.1 million km² (8.24% of world land)
- Capital: Damascus
- Duration: 661–750 CE
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of four Islamic caliphates, ruling for roughly a century; historians estimate that at its peak, up to 62 million people lived under Umayyad rule. In the west, the empire controlled all of Africa's northern coast as well as Spain and Portugal; it reached as far east as the eastern banks of the Indus River in India.
7. Abbasid Caliphate (11.1 million km²)
- Founded: 750 CE
- Peak year: 750 CE
- Peak area: 11.1 million km² (8.24% of world land)
- Capital: Baghdad
- Duration: 750–1258 CE
During the Abbasid Caliphate, Islam's Golden Age began. Founded in 750 CE, the caliphate reached its maximum territorial extent in the early 9th century under Harun al-Rashid, stretching from the western border of India in the east to the coast of North Africa in the west, totalling 4.29 million square miles (11.1 million km²). The Abbasids shifted the capital from Damascus to Baghdad, which became a renowned centre for science, culture, philosophy, and trade.
6. Second French Colonial Empire (11.5 million km²)
- Established: 1830
- Peak year: c. 1920
- Peak area: 11.5 million km² (8.53% of world land)
- Key regions: North and West Africa, Indochina, Madagascar
At its territorial peak during the 1920s, the French colonial empire covered 4.44 million square miles (11.5 million km²), accounting for 8.53% of the world's total dry land area. The second French colonial empire peaked around 1920 following post-WWI territorial mandates, with holdings concentrated mainly in Africa and Indochina.
5. Spanish Empire (13.7 million km²)
Source: Getty Images
- Founded: c. late 15th century
- Peak year: 1810
- Peak area: 13.7 million km² (10.17% of world land)
- Key regions: Latin America, the Philippines, parts of Europe and Africa
Rising in the 15th century, the Spanish Empire became one of the first global empires, covering 13.7 million km²; it ruled vast territories in Latin America, the Philippines, and parts of Europe, spreading Spanish culture and Catholicism worldwide before declining in the 19th century. The late 18th century marked the Spanish Empire's territorial peak, but it soon followed a steep decline as independence movements swept through the Americas.
4. Qing Dynasty (14.7 million km²)
- Founded: 1636 (entered China proper 1644)
- Peak year: 1790
- Peak area: 14.7 million km² (10.91% of world land)
- Founder: Nurhaci (Manchu)
- Capital: Beijing
- Duration: 1644–1912
The Qing controlled the most territory of any dynasty in Chinese history and reached its territorial height in 1790, making it the fourth-largest empire in world history. Although its land mass peaked in 1790, its population continued to expand significantly into the late 19th and early 20th centuries, reaching over 426 million citizens by 1907. The Qing Dynasty annexed Mongolia, Northeast China, Xinjiang, Tibet, and Taiwan, creating a territory larger than today's China—the largest China has ever been.
Unlike many dynasties of Imperial China, the Qing Dynasty was not an ethnically Han kingdom—the final rulers of Imperial China were Manchus from the north. Under the Qing, the empire's territory tripled from the preceding Ming dynasty, and its population grew from roughly 150 million to 450 million over its rule.
3. Russian Empire (22.8 million km²)
- Founded: 1721
- Peak year: 1895
- Peak area: 22.8 million km² (16.92% of world land)
- Key regions: Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Siberia, Alaska (until 1867)
- Duration: 1721–1917
The Russian Empire reached its peak with a total land area of 22.8 million square kilometres, or roughly a sixth of the world's total landmass. Unlike colonial empires, Russia's land empire was contiguous — meaning you could walk from one end of its territory to the other without crossing an ocean or border. The Russian Empire covered about 22.8 million km² around 1895, stretching from Poland to the Pacific—and even including Alaska, sold to the United States in 1867.
2. Mongol Empire (24.0 million km²)
Source: Getty Images
- Founded: 1206
- Peak year: 1270–1309
- Peak area: 24.0 million km² (17.81% of world land)
- Founder: Genghis Khan (born Temujin, c. 1162)
- Capital: Karakorum
- Duration: 1206–c. 1368
The Mongol Empire began in 1206 with Genghis Khan's election as leader of a federation of nomadic tribes along the Onon River; by the late 13th century, it stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Danube River and the Persian Gulf. At its peak, it covered about 24.0 million km² (9.26 million square miles), making it the largest contiguous land empire in world history.
Many people lost their lives during Genghis Khan's invasions, but he also granted religious freedom to his subjects, abolished torture, encouraged trade, and created the first international postal system. Despite its reputation for brutal warfare, the Mongol Empire briefly enabled peace, stability, trade, and safe travel during a period of "Pax Mongolica," beginning around 1279 and lasting until the empire's division and decline.
1. British Empire (35.5 million km²)
Source: Getty Images
- Founded: c. 16th century
- Peak year: 1920
- Peak area: 35.5 million km² (26.35% of world land)
- Key regions: India, Canada, Australia, Africa, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia
- Duration: 16th century–mid-20th century
By the 1920s, maps of the British Empire showed 13.7 million square miles (35.5 million km²) of controlled territory—over a quarter of the Earth's land area. The British Empire was also the only one in history to claim political control over an entire standalone continent—Australia.
Starting in the 16th century, the British followed Spain and Portugal into the Age of Exploration, establishing colonies across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. After World War I and the League of Nations mandates in 1920, the British Empire reached its territorial peak, surpassing all previous empires in human history.
The long-term significance of this era is still visible in the widespread use of the English language, common legal and government frameworks in former colonies, and global trade networks that Britain helped establish.
FAQs
What is the largest empire in history?
The British Empire was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, the world's foremost global power — controlling territories on every inhabited continent and wielding unmatched influence over global trade. At its 1920 peak, it covered 35.5 million km², or roughly 24% of Earth's land area.
Which empire had the most contiguous land?
The Mongol Empire, which existed during the 13th and 14th centuries, is recognised as the largest contiguous land empire in history. The British Empire was larger overall, but its territory was scattered across continents and oceans rather than forming one unbroken landmass.
Was the Qing Dynasty larger than the Mongol Empire?
No. In 1790, the Qing Dynasty was the fourth-largest empire in world history. Only the Yuan Empire — the Mongol Empire — was larger, at 24 million km². The Qing peaked at 14.7 million km², roughly 60% of the Mongol Empire's maximum extent.
How did the Ottoman Empire compare to others on this list?
At its zenith in 1683, the Ottoman Empire controlled 5.2 million km², dominating Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa; its capital, Constantinople, was a hub of culture and trade, and under leaders like Suleiman the Magnificent, the empire was renowned for its architectural wonders. At 5.2 million km², it ranked outside the top 10 by land area.
What ended the British Empire's dominance?
Post World War II, British imperialism began to wane, and the United Kingdom was forced to give up most of its colonial possessions. The remnants of this vast empire are now scattered throughout islands in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Southern Oceans, as well as a mainland territory in South America, totalling about 47,548 square miles combined.
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Source: Legit.ng
