British Empire

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Hong Kong: celebrating the return to Chinese sovereignty in July 1997

British territorial acquisitions in Burma

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Decline of the British Empire

British Empire

Q: What was the British Empire?

British Empire was a worldwide system of dependencies that was brought under the sovereignty of the crown of Great Britain and the administration of the British government over some three centuries.

Q: When did the British Empire begin?

The first tentative steps toward the establishment of the British Empire began with overseas settlements in the 16th century. Great Britain's maritime expansion accelerated in the 17th century and resulted in the establishment of settlements in North America and the West Indies. The East India Company began establishing trading posts in India in 1600, and the first permanent British settlement in Africa was made at James Island in the Gambia River in 1661.

Q: Which sub-Saharan African country was the first to gain independence from the British Empire?

In 1957 the Gold Coast became the first sub-Saharan African colony of the British Empire to reach independence (as Ghana ).

Q: What was the last significant colony of the British Empire?

The last significant colony of the British Empire was Hong Kong . It was returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.

Q: Does the British Empire still exist today?

The British Empire does not exist today. However, the Commonwealth is a free association of sovereign states comprising the United Kingdom and many of its former dependencies that acknowledge the British monarch as the association's symbolic head.

historical state, United Kingdom

Also known as: British Empire and Commonwealth

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Dec 23, 2024 • Article History

Quick Facts

Date:: 1601 - 1997

Major Events:: British raj; North Africa campaigns; American Revolution; New Imperialism; French and Indian War

Key People:: William Pitt, the Younger; William Pitt the Elder; Robert Clive; Warren Hastings; Frederick Lugard

Related Topics:: Western colonialism; slavery; Commonwealth; imperialism; East India Company

Related Places:: India; Canada; Australia; Singapore; New Zealand

See all related content

What was the British Empire?

When did the British Empire begin?

Which sub-Saharan African country was the first to gain independence from the British Empire?

What was the last significant colony of the British Empire?

Does the British Empire still exist today?

News •

Home Office ‘indoctrinating civil servants with distorted history of British Empire’ • Dec. 21, 2024, 1:18 AM ET (The Telegraph)

Horrible Histories author ‘loathes the British Empire with a passion’ • Nov. 29, 2024, 7:24 AM ET (The Telegraph)

British Empire, a worldwide system of dependencies—colonies, protectorates, and other territories—that over a span of some three centuries was brought under the sovereignty of the crown of Great Britain and the administration of the British government. The policy of granting or recognizing significant degrees of self-government by dependencies, which was favoured by the far-flung nature of the empire, led to the development by the 20th century of the notion of a “British Commonwealth,” comprising largely self-governing dependencies that acknowledged an increasingly symbolic British sovereignty. The term was embodied in statute in 1931. Today the Commonwealth includes former elements of the ...(100 of 2003 words)

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