British Empire vs Spanish Empire
At its height the British Empire (about 36 million km² in 1920) was about three times the size of the Spanish Empire (about 14 million km² in 1810). The Spanish Empire lasted about 484 years (1492 to 1976), the British Empire about 397 (c. 1600 to 1997). They existed side by side from 1600 to 1976.
| British Empire | Spanish Empire | |
|---|---|---|
| Began | c. 1600 | 1492 |
| Ended | 1997 | 1976 |
| Lasted | about 397 years | about 484 years |
| Largest extent | about 36 million km² (1920) | about 14 million km² (1810) |
| Share of the world’s land | 23.8% | 9.2% |
| Capital | London | Madrid |
British Empire
Grown from trading posts and colonies from around 1600, it covered about a quarter of the world’s land by 1920, the largest empire in history. Most of it became independent between 1947 and the 1960s.
Began c. 1600: the first lasting overseas trading companies and colonies. Ended 1997: Hong Kong is handed to China.
On the history map: World map in 1600 CE, World map in 1880 CE, World map in 1994 CE
Spanish Empire
It began with Columbus’s voyage of 1492 and grew to cover most of the Americas, the Philippines and parts of Africa. Most of its American colonies became independent in the 1810s and 1820s.
Began 1492: Columbus reaches the Americas. Ended 1976: Spain leaves Western Sahara.
On the history map: World map in 1492 CE, World map in 1815 CE, World map in 1960 CE
More comparisons
- Roman Empire vs Mongol Empire — about 5.0 million km² vs about 24 million km²
- Roman Empire vs Han dynasty — about 5.0 million km² vs about 6.0 million km²
- Roman Empire vs Byzantine Empire — about 5.0 million km² vs about 2.7 million km²
- Roman Empire vs Ottoman Empire — about 5.0 million km² vs about 5.2 million km²
- Roman Empire vs Achaemenid Empire — about 5.0 million km² vs about 5.5 million km²
- Roman Empire vs British Empire — about 5.0 million km² vs about 36 million km²
- Mongol Empire vs British Empire — about 24 million km² vs about 36 million km²
- Mongol Empire vs Russian Empire — about 24 million km² vs about 23 million km²
- Ottoman Empire vs Byzantine Empire — about 5.2 million km² vs about 2.7 million km²
- Ottoman Empire vs Mughal Empire — about 5.2 million km² vs about 4.0 million km²
- Ottoman Empire vs Russian Empire — about 5.2 million km² vs about 23 million km²
- Achaemenid Empire vs Macedonian Empire — about 5.5 million km² vs about 5.2 million km²
- Han dynasty vs Tang dynasty — about 6.0 million km² vs about 5.4 million km²
- Tang dynasty vs Abbasid Caliphate — about 5.4 million km² vs about 11 million km²
- Umayyad Caliphate vs Abbasid Caliphate — about 11 million km² vs about 11 million km²
- Spanish Empire vs Inca Empire — about 14 million km² vs about 2.0 million km²
Compare empires · The interactive history atlas
Largest extents are the widely cited estimates by Rein Taagepera and others, as listed in Wikipedia’s List of largest empires. Dates are the conventional ones; several are debated. Shares are of the world’s land area, about 148.9 million km².