GREATEST Empires in History

An empire is a state that extends dominion over areas and populations that have a different culture and / or ethnicity than its own. Dictionary.com defines it as a group of nations or peoples ruled over by an emperor, empress, or other powerful sovereign or government. Examples in history of the greatest empires include the Roman, British, Egyptian, Babylonian, Assyrian and Parthian powers.

Empires are all individual in character, having been formed in widely different times under widely different political structures. The calculation of the land area of a particular empire is controversial. In particular, there is the question of whether a particular power can be considered to have laid claim to an area that is sparsely populated, or not populated at all. The below lists errs on the side of including any land area that was explored and explicitly claimed, even if the areas were very sparsely populated or unpopulated. No claims on mainland Antarctica are included in the total area controlled calculations.

Due to the historical trend of increasing population and GDP (Gross Domestic Product), the list of largest and greatest empires in these categories is highly dependent on which relatively recent political entities are defined as such. The measures of population and GDP as a percentage of the world total take into account this historical growth, although decent GDP data is only available for the last few centuries, accurate only for the last decades. Some well-known empires that are not in the top 10 for a particular category are also listed with their corresponding rank.

1. British - 36.6 million km² or 14.13 million mi² (under King George V in 1922)

2. Mongol - 33.2 million km² or 12.82 million mi² (under Khublai Khan in 1268)

3. Russian - 22.8 million km² or 8.8 million mi² (under Nicholas II in 1895)

4. Spanish - 19 million km² or 7.33 million mi² (under King Charles III r. 1759-1788)

5. Umayyad Arab - 13.2 million km² or 5.1 million mi² (Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik r. 723-743)

6. French - 12.5 million km² or 4.82 million mi² (under President Albert Lebrun in 1938)

7. Qing - 12 million km² or 4.63 million mi² (under Emperor Qianlong)

8. Portuguese - 10.4 million km² or 4.02 million mi²

9. American - 10 million km² or 3.86 million mi² (1898-1934)

10. Rashidun Arab - 9 million km² or 3.47 million mi² (Caliph Uthman Ibn Affan r. 644-656)

12. Achaemenid Persian - 7.5 million km² or 2.9 million mi² (under Darius the Great)

13. Japanese - 7.4 million km² or 2.86 million mi² (during World War II)

16. Roman - 5.7 million km² or 2.2 million mi² (under Emperor Trajan)

17. Ottoman - 5.5 million km² or 2.12 million mi² (under Mehmed IV in 1680)

18. Macedonian - 5.4 million km² or 2.08 million mi² (under Alexander the Great)

23. Eastern Roman (Byzantine) - 4.5 million km² or 1.74 million mi²

30. Nazi German - 3.6 million km² or 1.39 million mi² (during World War II)

40. Parthian - 2.84 million km² or 1.1 million mi² (under Mithridates II 123–88 B.C.)

47. Neo-Assyrian - 1.4 million km² or 540,543 mi²

56. Egyptian - 1 million km² or 386,102 mi²

65. Neo-Babylonian - 500,000 km² or 193,051 mi²

Rank of the Greatest Sea Powers in History 1. British - 36.6 million km² or 14.13 million mi² (under King George V in 1922) 2. Spanish - 19 million km² or 7.36 million mi² (under King Charles III) 3. French - 12.5 million km² or 4.83 million mi²

Various British Flags

5. American - 10 million km² or 3.86 million mi² (1898-1902 and 1906-1908)

6. Japanese - 7.4 million km² or 2.86 million mi² (during World War II)

7. Italian - 3.8 million km² or 1.47 million mi² (during World War II)

8. Dutch - 3.7 million km² or 1.43 million mi²

9. German - 3.5 million km² or 1.35 million mi² (under Wilhelm II before WWI)

1. Achaemenid Persian - 7.5 million km² or 2.9 million mi² (under Darius the Great)

2. Han - 6 million km² or 2.32 million mi²

3. Roman - 5.7 million km² or 2.2 million mi² (under Emperor Trajan)

4. Macedonian - 5.4 million km² or 2.08 million mi² (under Alexander the Great)

5. Maurya - 5 million km² or 1.93 million mi² (under Ashoka the Great)

6. Hunnic - 4 million km² or 1.54 million mi² (under Attila the Hun in 441)

7. Seleucid - 3.9 million km² or 1.51 million mi²

8. Gupta - 3.5 million km² or 1.35 million mi² (under Chandragupta II in 400)

9. Sassanid Persian - 3.5 million km² or 1.35 million mi² (under Khosrau II in 626)

10. Parthian - 2.84 million km² or 1.1 million mi² (under Mithridates II 123–88 B.C.)

1. British - 36.6 million km² or 14.13 million mi² (under King George V in 1922)

2. Russian - 22.8 million km² or 8.8 million mi² (under Alexander II in 1867)

3. Soviet Union - 22.4 million km² or 8.65 million mi² (in 1989)

4. Spanish - 19 million km² or 7.34 million mi² (under Charles III)

5. French - 12.5 million km² or 4.83 million mi²

6. Qing - 12 million km² or 4.63 million mi² (under Emperor Qianlong)

7. Portuguese - 10.4 million km² or 4.02 million mi²

8. American - 10 million km² or 3.86 million mi² (1898-1902 and 1906-1908)

9. Brazilian - 8.1 million km² or 3.13 million mi²

10. Japanese - 7.4 million km² or 2.86 million mi² (during World War II)

13. Italian - 3.8 million km² or 1.47 million mi² (during World War II)

15. Nazi German - 3.6 million km² or 1.39 million mi² (during World War II)

1. British - 531.3 million (in 1938)

2. Qing - 432 million (in 1912)

3. Soviet Union - 286,717,000 (in 1989)

4. Russian - 176.4 million (in 1913)

5. Mughal - 175 million (in 1700)

6. Ming - 160 million (in 1600)

7. American - 146.4 million (in 1942)

8. Japanese - 134.8 million (in 1938)

9. French - 112.9 million (in 1938)

10.Mongol - 110 million (in the 13th century)

11. Dutch - 80 million (1940)

12. Nazi German - 75.4 million (in 1938)

16. Roman - 60 million (in 1st century A.D.)

23. Ottoman - 39 million (in the 17th century)

25. Eastern Roman (Byzantine) - 34 million (5th-6th centuries)

1. American - $1,713.6 billion (in 1944)

2. British - $683.3 billion (in 1938)

3. Nazi German - $375.6 billion (in 1938)

4. Japanese - $260.7 billion (in 1938)

5. Russian - $257.7 billion (in 1913)

6. Qing - $241.3 billion (GDP decline to 1912, immediately before downfall)

7. French - $234.1 billion (in 1938)

8. Italian - $143.4 billion (in 1938)

10. Mughal - $90.8 billion (GDP decline in 1700)

1. American - 35% ($1,644.8 billion out of $4,699 billion in 1945)

2. Qing - 32.9% ($228.6 billion out of $694.4 billion in 1820)

3. Mughal - 24.5% ($90.8 billion out of $371 billion in 1700)

4. British - 23.8% ($265 billion out of $1,111 billion in 1870)

5. Russian - 9.4% ($257.7 billion out of $2,733 billion in 1913)

6. Nazi German - 8.3% ($375.6 billion out of $4,502 billion in 1938)

7. Japanese - 5.8% ($260.7 billion out of $4,502 billion in 1938)

8. French - 5.2% ($234.1 billion out of $4,502 billion in 1938)

9. Austro-Hungarian - 3.7% ($100.5 billion out of $2,733 billion in 1913)

10. Italian - 3.2% ($143.4 billion out of $4,502 billion in 1938)