| # | NAME OF EMPIRE | MILLION SQUARE MILES | PERCENTAGE % OF THE EARTH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | XIONGNU EMPIRE | 3.47 | 6.68 |
| 9 | YUAN DYNASTY | 4.25 | 8.16 |
| 8 | UMAYYAD CALIPHATE | 4.29 | 8.24 |
| 7 | ABBASID CALIPHATE | 4.29 | 8.24 |
| 6 | SECOND FRENCH COLONIAL EMPIRE | 4.44 | 8.53 |
| 5 | SPANISH E,MPIRE | 5.29 | 10.17 |
| 4 | QING DYNASTY | 5.68 | 10.91 |
| 3 | RUSSIAN EMPIRE | 8.80 | 16.92 |
| 2 | MONGOL EMPIRE | 9.27 | 17.81 |
| 1 | BRITISH EMPIRE | 13.71 | 26.35 |
#10. XIONGNU EMPIRE(3.47 MILLION SQUARE MILES 6.68% OF THE WORLD).
For the 10th spot on our list, we have the Xiongnu Empire, which had a land mass of 3.47 million square miles or 6.6% of the earth. The peak of their power was around 176 BC. The Xiongnu were a nomadic people located across the eastern part of Asia. Their first known leader was a man named Touman, and they came to dominate their area after the Afanasevan, Yamanya and Yuezhi people had to give way to Xiongnu expansion.
#9. YUAN DYNASTY (4.25 MILLION SQUARE MILES).
For the ninth spot on our list, we have the Yuan Empire, which had a land mass of 4.25 million square miles or 8.16% of the earth. It lasted from 1271 to 1368 and was also known as the Empire of the Great Khan. The Yuan Dynasty was one of the remainder fragmented states of the former Mongol Empire founded by Genghis Khan. The Dynasty was founded by Kublai Khan, one of the descendants of Genghis Khan and was located in present day China as well as Mongolia.
#8. UMAYYAD CALIPHATE (4.29 MILLION SQUARE MILES).
For the eighth spot on our list, we have the Umayyad Caliphate, which had a land mass of 4.29 million square miles or 8.24% of the earth. The caliphate was founded by Mu’awiya in Syria and lasted from the year 661-750. The caliphate held control of the modern day Arabian Peninsula, Iran as well as parts of North Africa. The Umayyad dynasty was a largely muslim one as they carried out conquests on their neighbours nearby although some christian families still held important roles within the caliphate.
#7. ABBASID CALIPAHTE (4.29 MILLION SQUARE MILES).
For the 7th spot on our list, we have the Abbasid Caliphate, which had a land mass of 4.29 million square miles or 8.24% of the earth. They were the 3rd ruling caliphate after the death of Muhammad and took over the territories of the former Umayyad Caliphate in the year 750. It was during the reign of the Abbasid Caliphate that the Golden Age of Islam reigned as the caliphate became the centre of culture and invention, with the capital city being Baghdad.
#6. SECOND FRENCH COLONIAL EMPIRE(4.44 MILLION SQUARE MILES).
For the 6th spot on our list, we have the Second French Colonial Empire, which had a land mass of 4.44 million square miles or 8.53% of the earth. The second French colonial empire began in the year 1830, as France began to expand its colonial holdings all over the world and across different continents. The empire consisted of colonies in the Americas, Caribbean and parts of Africa being its largest holding.
#5. SPANISH EMPIRE(5.29 MILLION SQUARE MILES).
For the 5th spot on our list, we have the Spanish Empire, which had a land mass of 5.29 million square miles or 10.17% of the earth. The Spanish empire was one of the largest European empires, it was so large that it was sometimes called “the empire on which the sun never sets”. Early expansion of the empire began in the year 1492 and continued for over 400 years. At its height in the 19th century, the Spanish Empire held lands in the Caribbean, North, South and Central America, Africa and also Asia.
#4. QING DYNASTY(5.68 MILLION SQUARE MILES).
For the 4th spot on our list, we have the Qing Dynasty, which had a land mass of 5.68 million square miles or 10.91% of the earth. The Qing Dynasty was one of the largest empires in Asia after it has usurped the former Ming Dynasty. the empire lasted from the year 1636 up to 1912 and was the last empire to rule China.
#3. RUSSIAN EMPIRE(8.80 MILLION SQUARE MILES).
For the 3rd spot on our list, we have the Russian Empire, which had a land mass of 8.80 million square miles or 16.92% of the earth. The Russian Empire was also one of the largest European empires ever. It lasted from the year 1721 to 1917. The empire was made up of vast swathes of land in Europe, North America, and Asia. It held lands all the way from Alaska to Germany. The empire produced great rulers such as Ivan the Great and Elizabeth of Russia. The Empire met a bloody end with the execution of the Romanov family.
#2. MONGOL EMPIRE(9.27 MILLION SQUARE MILES).
For the 2nd spot on our list, we have the Mongol Empire, which had a land mass of 9.27 million square miles or 17.81% of the earth. The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous empire known to man. It occupied most of eastern Europe all the way to China and the Sea of Japan. The famous Genghis Khan found the empire in 1206 after he united the several nomadic tribes in Mongol to be under his rule. Thus began a rapid and deadly expansion due to their advanced military administration and warfare that led to conquer most of who they faced. The empire was noted for its religious tolerance and its establishment of safe trade routes between the west and east. The empire later broke up in the late 14th century into different dynasties due to a succession issue that led to civil war.
#1. BRITISH EMPIRE (13.71 MILLION SQUARE MILES).
For the 1st spot on our list we have the British Empire, which had a land mass of 13.71 million square miles or 26.35% of the earth. The British were the largest empire in history and the world. It was often said “The Sun never sets upon the British Empire”. It was so large that it had a colony on every single continent surpassing even the Spanish empire. Expansion of the empire began in the late 16th century with the establishment of trading posts across the different places and continents they came across. The empire reached its peak in the 1920s but was dealt a heavy blow by the aftereffects of World War 2 on the British economy. Saddled with many financial burdens due to the war, the British empire had to grant independence to its former colonies due to the costliness of running them. Its last colony, Hong Kong, was ceded in 1997 to China, thus bringing a total end to British Imperialism.
This brings us to the end of the largest empires in history. If you have any favourite country to might have visited across the various empires or wished to have been in, please feel free to let us know in the comment section below.