1. British Empire - 36.6 million km² (under George V of the United Kingdom in 1922)
2. Mongol Empire - 33.2 million km² (under Kublai Khan in 1268)
3. Russian Empire - 24.8 million km² (under Alexander II in 1866) - including Alaska
5. Spanish Empire - 18 million km² (under King Charles III r. 1759-1788)
6. Umayyad Arab Caliphate - 13.2 million km²(Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik r. 723-743)
7. Qing Empire - 13 million km²(under Emperor Qianlong)
8. French Empire - 12.5 million km² (under President Albert Lebrun in 1938)
9. Portuguese Empire - 12.4 million km²
10. United States of America - 10 million km² (1898-1934)
11. Rashidun Arab caliphate - 9 million km² (Caliph Uthman Ibn Affan r. 644-656)
12. Empire of Brazil - 8.1 million km²
13. Achaemenid Persian Empire - 7.5 million km²(under Darius the Great)
14. Japanese Empire - 7.4 million km²(during World War II, the Showa Emperor)
15. Ming Empire - 6.5 million km²(under the Jingtai Emperor in 1450)
16. Han Empire - 6 million km²
17. Roman Empire - 5.9 million km² (under Emperor Trojan)
18. Ottoman Empire - 5.5 million km² (under Mehmed IV in 1680)
19. Macedonian Empire - 5.4 million km²(under Alexander the Great)
20. Tang Empire - 5.4 million km² (under the Xuanzong Emperor in 715)
21. Maurya Empire - 5 million km²(under Ashoka the Great)
22. Mughal Empire - 5 million km²(under Aurangzeb in 1690)
23. Byzantine Empire (under Justinian I) - 4.5 million km²
24. Timurid Empire - 4.4 million km²
25. Hunnic Empire - 4 million km²(under Attila the Hun in 441)
26. Mexican Empire - 4 million km²
27. Seljuq Empire - 3.9 million km²
28. Seleucid Empire - 3.9 million km²
29. Italian Empire - 3.8 million km² (during World War II)
30. Dutch Empire - 3.7 million km²
31. Nazi German Empire - 3.6 million km² (during World War II)
32. German Empire - 3.5 million km² (under Wilhelm II before WWI)
33. Gupta Empire - 3.5 million km² (under Chandragupta II in 400)
34. Sassanid Persian Empire - 3.5 million km² (under Khosrau II in 626)
35. Ghaznavid Empire - 3.4 million km²
36. Afsharid Empire - 3.23 million km² (under Nadir Shah)
37. Pala Empire - 3.2 million km² (under Devapala)
38. Delhi Sultanate - 3.2 million km²
39. Khazar Empire - 3 million km²
40. Safavid Empire - 2.85 million km²
41. Parthian Empire - 2.84 million km² (Under Mithridates II 123–88 BCE)
42. Median Empire - 2.8 million km²
43. Chola Empire - 2.6 million km² (under Rajendra Chola I)
44. Denmark-Norway - 2.6 million km²
45. Belgian Empire - 2.5 million km²
46. Qajar Empire - 2.3 million km²
47. Incan Empire - 2 million km² (Under Atahualpa in 1532)
48. Songhai Empire - 1.4 million km² (in 1500)
49. Neo-Assyrian Empire - 1.4 million km²
50. Aksumite Empire - 1.25 million km²
51. Srivijaya Empire - 1.2 million km²
52. Frankish Empire - 1.2 million km²
53. Thai Empire - 1.12 million km² (under Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke in 1782)
54. Mali Empire - 1.1 million km²
55. Swedish Empire - 1.1 million km²
56. Maratha Empire- 1 million km²
57. Harsha Empire - 1 million km²(under Harsha Vardhana in 648)
58. Egyptian Empire - 1 million km²
59. Almoravid Empire - 1 million km²
60. Khmer Empire - 1 million km²
61. Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - 990,000 km² (under Sigismund III in 1619)
62. Grand Duchy of Lithuania - 930,000 km² (under Vytautas the Great in 1430)
63. Bulgarian Empire - 700,000 km² (under Tsar Simeon I)
64. Austro-Hungarian Empire - 676,615 km²
65. Akkadian Empire - 650,000 km²
66. Hittite Empire - 610,000 km²
67. Durrani Empire - 600,000 km²
68. Neo-Babylonian Empire - 500,000 km²
69. Armenian Empire - 400,000 km²
70. Vijayanagara Empire - 360,000 km²
71. Korean Empire - 220,186 km²
72. Serbian Empire - 200,000 km²
- Kingdom of Egypt - Hittite Empire - Kingdom of Israel - Assyrian Empire - Babylonian Empire - Persian Empire - Macedonian & Greek Empire - Roman Empire - Byzantine Empire - Sassanid Empire - The Caliphate - Seljuk Empire - The Crusader Kingdoms - Saladin's Empire - Mongol Empire - Ottoman Empire - European Colonialism
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Largest empire (Medieval empires)
1.Mongol Empire - 33.2 million km² (under Khublai Khan in 1268)
2.Turkic Khaganate - 15 million km²
3.Umayyad Arab Empire - 13.2 million km²
4.Rashidun Arab Empire - 9 million km² (under Caliph Uthman in 654)[2]
5.Ming Chinese Empire - 6.5 million km²
6.Tang Chinese Empire - 5.4 million km²
7.Byzantine Empire/Eastern Roman Empire - 4.5 million km² (called themselves the 8Roman Empire)
8.Mughal Empire - 4 million km² (under Aurangzeb in 1690)
9.Seljuq Empire - 3.9 million km²
10.Sassanid Persian Empire - 3.5 million km²[1] (under Khosrau II in 626)
11.Xiongnu - 3.5 million km²
12.Ghaznavid Empire - 3.4 million km²
13.Pala Empire - 3.2 million km² (under Devapala)
14.Delhi Sultanate - 3.2 million km²
15.Uyghur Khaganate - 3.2 million km²
16.Nirun Khaganate - 3.1 million km²
17.Kalmar Union - 3 million km²
18.Khazar Empire - 3 million km²
19.Chola Empire - 2.6 million km² (under Rajendra Chola I)
20.Inca Empire (Tahuantinsuyu) - 2 million km² (Under Atahualpa in 1532)
21.Songhai Empire - 1.4 million km² (in 1500)[3]
22.Aksumite/Ethiopian Empire - 1.25 million km²[1]
23.Srivijaya Empire - 1.2 million km²
24.Frankish Empire - 1.2 million km²
25.Mali Empire - 1.1 million km²[1]
26.Harsha's empire - 1 million km² (under Harsha Vardhana in 648)
27.Almoravid Empire - 1 million km²
28.Khmer Empire - 1 million km²
29.Maratha Empire - 1 million km² ( in 1760 )
30.Grand Duchy of Lithuania - 930,000 km² (under Vytautas the Great in 1430)
31.Bulgarian Empire - 700,000 km² (under Tsar Simeon I)
32.Vijayanagara Empire - 360,000 km²
33.Serbian Empire - 200,000 km²
2.Turkic Khaganate - 15 million km²
3.Umayyad Arab Empire - 13.2 million km²
4.Rashidun Arab Empire - 9 million km² (under Caliph Uthman in 654)[2]
5.Ming Chinese Empire - 6.5 million km²
6.Tang Chinese Empire - 5.4 million km²
7.Byzantine Empire/Eastern Roman Empire - 4.5 million km² (called themselves the 8Roman Empire)
8.Mughal Empire - 4 million km² (under Aurangzeb in 1690)
9.Seljuq Empire - 3.9 million km²
10.Sassanid Persian Empire - 3.5 million km²[1] (under Khosrau II in 626)
11.Xiongnu - 3.5 million km²
12.Ghaznavid Empire - 3.4 million km²
13.Pala Empire - 3.2 million km² (under Devapala)
14.Delhi Sultanate - 3.2 million km²
15.Uyghur Khaganate - 3.2 million km²
16.Nirun Khaganate - 3.1 million km²
17.Kalmar Union - 3 million km²
18.Khazar Empire - 3 million km²
19.Chola Empire - 2.6 million km² (under Rajendra Chola I)
20.Inca Empire (Tahuantinsuyu) - 2 million km² (Under Atahualpa in 1532)
21.Songhai Empire - 1.4 million km² (in 1500)[3]
22.Aksumite/Ethiopian Empire - 1.25 million km²[1]
23.Srivijaya Empire - 1.2 million km²
24.Frankish Empire - 1.2 million km²
25.Mali Empire - 1.1 million km²[1]
26.Harsha's empire - 1 million km² (under Harsha Vardhana in 648)
27.Almoravid Empire - 1 million km²
28.Khmer Empire - 1 million km²
29.Maratha Empire - 1 million km² ( in 1760 )
30.Grand Duchy of Lithuania - 930,000 km² (under Vytautas the Great in 1430)
31.Bulgarian Empire - 700,000 km² (under Tsar Simeon I)
32.Vijayanagara Empire - 360,000 km²
33.Serbian Empire - 200,000 km²
Largest empires by landmass (Ancient empires)
Ancient empires
1. Achaemenid Persian Empire - 7.5 million km² (under Darius the Great)
2.Han Chinese Empire - 6 million km²
3.Roman Empire - 5.9 million km² (under Emperor Trajan)
4.Macedonian Empire - 5.4 million km² (under Alexander the Great)
5.Maurya Magadha Empire - 5 million km² (under Ashoka the Great)
6.Hunnic Empire - 4 million km² (under Attila the Hun in 441)
7.Seleucid Empire - 3.9 million km²
8.Gupta Magadha Empire - 3.5 million km² (under Chandragupta II in 400)
9.Sassanid Persian Empire - 3.5 million km²[1] (under Khosrau II in 626)
10.Parthian Empire - 2.84 million km² (Under Mithridates II 123–88 BCE)
11.Median Empire - 2.8 million km²
12.Neo-Assyrian Empire - 1.4 million km²
13.Aksumite Empire - 1.25 million km²[1]
14.Egyptian Empire - 1 million km²
15.Akkadian Empire - 650,000 km²
16.Hittite Empire - 510,000 km²
17.Neo-Babylonian Empire - 500,000 km²
18.Armenian Empire - 400,000 km²
1. Achaemenid Persian Empire - 7.5 million km² (under Darius the Great)
2.Han Chinese Empire - 6 million km²
3.Roman Empire - 5.9 million km² (under Emperor Trajan)
4.Macedonian Empire - 5.4 million km² (under Alexander the Great)
5.Maurya Magadha Empire - 5 million km² (under Ashoka the Great)
6.Hunnic Empire - 4 million km² (under Attila the Hun in 441)
7.Seleucid Empire - 3.9 million km²
8.Gupta Magadha Empire - 3.5 million km² (under Chandragupta II in 400)
9.Sassanid Persian Empire - 3.5 million km²[1] (under Khosrau II in 626)
10.Parthian Empire - 2.84 million km² (Under Mithridates II 123–88 BCE)
11.Median Empire - 2.8 million km²
12.Neo-Assyrian Empire - 1.4 million km²
13.Aksumite Empire - 1.25 million km²[1]
14.Egyptian Empire - 1 million km²
15.Akkadian Empire - 650,000 km²
16.Hittite Empire - 510,000 km²
17.Neo-Babylonian Empire - 500,000 km²
18.Armenian Empire - 400,000 km²
Difficulties in measuring and comparing empires
Empires are all individual in character, having been formed in widely different times under widely different political structures. In fact, the term Empire as stated above does not imply any particular form of government. Whether a nation is or was called an empire is also not relevant to whether it is considered an empire for the purposes of this article.
The calculation of the land area of a particular empire is controversial. In particular, there is the question of whether a particular empire can be considered to have laid claim to an area that is sparsely populated, or not populated at all. In general, this list 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. For example, a large portion of Northern Siberia is not included in the size of the Mongol Empire. The Mongol Empire's northern border was somewhat ill-defined, but in most places it was simply the natural border between the steppe and the taiga. Occupied areas north of this are included in the area of the empire, but at the time the majority of the taiga and tundra were unexplored and uninhabited. This area was only very sparsely populated by the Russian Empire, but it had been explicitly claimed by the Russian Empire by the 1600s, and its extent had been entirely explored by the late 1800s. Similarly, the northernmost Canadian islands such as Ellesmere Island were explored and claimed by the British Empire by the mid 1800s (virtually the entire mainland was at least sparsely populated well before that). No claims on mainland Antarctica are included in the area of any of the empires.
Due to the historical trend of increasing population and GDP, the list of largest empires in these categories is highly dependent on which relatively recent political entities are defined as empires. 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.
The calculation of the land area of a particular empire is controversial. In particular, there is the question of whether a particular empire can be considered to have laid claim to an area that is sparsely populated, or not populated at all. In general, this list 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. For example, a large portion of Northern Siberia is not included in the size of the Mongol Empire. The Mongol Empire's northern border was somewhat ill-defined, but in most places it was simply the natural border between the steppe and the taiga. Occupied areas north of this are included in the area of the empire, but at the time the majority of the taiga and tundra were unexplored and uninhabited. This area was only very sparsely populated by the Russian Empire, but it had been explicitly claimed by the Russian Empire by the 1600s, and its extent had been entirely explored by the late 1800s. Similarly, the northernmost Canadian islands such as Ellesmere Island were explored and claimed by the British Empire by the mid 1800s (virtually the entire mainland was at least sparsely populated well before that). No claims on mainland Antarctica are included in the area of any of the empires.
Due to the historical trend of increasing population and GDP, the list of largest empires in these categories is highly dependent on which relatively recent political entities are defined as empires. 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.
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