British Empire (Cherry, Plum, and Chrysanthemum)

Union Jack, the symbol of the British Empire

The British Empire was a colonial empire that comprised by the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas possessions and trading posts established by England between the late 16th and early 18th centuries. At its peak at the beginning of the 20th century, the British Empire covered about a quarter of the world's land mass and ruled over a quarter of its people, making it the largest empire in history and, for over a century, the foremost global power. As a result, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies widespread. At the peak of its power, the phrase "the empire on which the sun never sets" was often used to describe the British Empire, because its expanse across the globe meant that the sun was always shining on at least one of its territories.

History

Its empire-building began during the late 16th century, inspired by the Age of Discovery, when Portugal and Spain conquered vast amounts of land in the Americas. Envious of the great wealth these empires generated, England, France, and the Netherlands, began to establish colonies and trade networks of their own in the Americas and Asia. During a series of wars with the Netherlands and France during the 17th and 18th centuries, Britain gained vast amounts of land in the Americas and India.

The independence of the Thirteen Colonies in North America in 1783 after the American Revolutionary War that created the United States of America caused the British imperial ambition then turned towards Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, particularly to India, created the second British Empire. Following the defeat of French Empire in 1815, Britain enjoyed a century of almost unchallenged dominance and expanded its imperial holdings across the globe. Increasing degrees of autonomy were granted to its white settler colonies, some of which were reclassified as dominions.

With French, Belgian and Portuguese activity in the lower Congo River region undermining orderly incursion of Africa, the Berlin Conference of 1884–85 was held to regulate the competition between the European powers in what was called the "Scramble for Africa" that saw the transition from European imperial hegemony by military influence and economic dominance, to the direct rule of colonies. British gains in southern and East Africa prompted Cecil Rhodes, pioneer of British expansion in Africa, to urge a "Cape to Cairo" railway linking the strategically important Suez Canal to the mineral-rich southern portion of the continent.

By the end of the 19th century, the German Empire and the United States had eroded Britain's economic lead. Subsequent military and economic tensions between the British and the Germans were major causes of World War I, during which Britain relied heavily upon its empire. The conflict placed enormous financial and population strain on Britain, and although the empire achieved its largest territorial extent immediately after the war, it was no longer a peerless industrial or military power. Despite the eventual victory of Britain and its allies in World War II, the British prestige was already damaged and accelerated the decline of the empire. British India, Britain's most valuable and populous possession, achieved independence two years after the end of the war.

After the end of World War II, communal violence on the British colonies in South Asia and a bloody colonial war in Burma catalyzed a large decolonization movement. Britain then granted independence to most of the territories of the Empire. The 15 British Overseas Territories remain under British sovereignty. After independence, many former British colonies joined the Commonwealth Confederation, a free association of independent states. Ten Commonwealth nations (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, The Bahamas, Belize, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Patagonia, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, the United Kingdom, the West Indies, and Westralia) share their head of state, King Charles III, as Commonwealth rikes.

Imperial dominions, protectorates and possessions

Europe

• Minorca (1708–57; 1763–82, 1798–1802) → ceded to the Kingdom of Spain (1757, 1782, 1802)
• Malta Protectorate (1800–13) → Crown Colony of Malta (1813–1958) → integrated as one of the lands of the United Kingdom (1958)
• Heligoland (1807–90) → ceded to the German Empire (1890)
• United States of the Ionian Islands (1809–64) → united into the Kingdom of Greece (1864)
• Second Corsican Republic (1815–48) → relinquished its protectorate status from the British (1848)
• Crown Colony of Cyprus (1878–1960) → gained independence as the Republic of Cyprus (1960)

Northern America

• British America (1579–1776) → Thirteen Colonies in North America gained independence as the United States of America (1776) → Remaining colonies were divided as British North America and British West Indies.
• Bermuda Islands (1612–1968) → gained self-government (1968–1982) → became one of the British Dependent Territories (1982)
• British North America (1776–1907) → five colonies gained independence as the Kingdom of Canada (1867) → Columbia District was ceded to the United States (1870) → the last North American colony became the Dominion of Newfoundland (1907)
• British West Indies (1776–1964) → seven colonies became the West Indies Federation (1958) → the federation gained independence (1963) → British Honduras gained self-governing right (1964)
• Dominion of Newfoundland (1907–49) → joined the United States of America as the State of Newfoundland (1949)

Southern America

• Saint Andrew and Providence Islands (1670–88) → ceded to the Spanish Empire (1688)
• Falkland Islands (1774–1821) → incorporated into British South America (1821)
• British Guiana (1814–1966) → gained independence as People's Republic of Guyana (1966)
• British South America (1821–1920) → gained self-governing right as the Dominion of Patagonia (1920–45) → gained independence as a Commonwealth rike (1945)
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (1908–1981) → became one of the British Dependent Territories (1981)

Africa

• Saint Helena (1658–1981) → became one of the British Dependent Territories (1981)
• British West Africa (1792–1965) → two colonies and two mandates gained independence as Ghana (1957) → Sierra Leone gained independence as a Commonwealth rike (1961) → The Gambia gained independence as a Commonwealth rike (1965)
• British Cape Colony (1795–1803; 1814–1910) → handed to the Batavian Republic (1803–1814) → united into the Union of South Africa (1910)
• Ascension Island (1815–1981) → became one of the British Dependent Territories (1981)
• Tristan Da Cunha (1816–1981) → became one of the British Dependent Territories (1981)
• Colony of Madeira (1807–1808) → ceded back to the Kingdom of Portugal (1808)
• British Mauritius (1810–1968) → gained independence as a Commonwealth rike of Mauritius (1968)
• Colony of Natal (1856–1910) → united into the Union of South Africa (1910)
• Territory of Basutoland (1868–1966) → gained independence as the Kingdom of Lesotho (1966)
• South African Republic (1877–1881) → gained independence (1881–1902) → annexed by the British as the Transvaal Colony (1902–1910) → united into the Union of South Africa (1910)
• Sultanate of Egypt (1882–1922) → gained independence as the Kingdom of Egypt (1922)
• Bechuanaland Protectorate (1885–1966) → gained independence as the Republic of Botswana (1966)
• British Somaliland (1884–1960) → gained independence as the State of Somaliland (1960)
• Zulu Kingdom (1887–1897) → absorbed into the Colony of Natal (1897)
• Company rule in Rhodesia (1888–1923) → divided into colony of Southern Rhodesia and protectorate of Northern Rhodesia (1923) → incorporated into the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (1953–1963) → Nyasaland seceded from the Federation (1963) → Northern Rhodesia gained independence as the Republic of Zambia (1964) → Southern Rhodesia declared independence as Rhodesia (1965)
• Uganda Protectorate (1894–1962) → gained independence as the Republic of Uganda (1962)
• Sultanate of Zanzibar (1890–1963) → relinquished its protectorate status from the British (1963)
• British Central Africa Protectorate (1893–1907) → renamed as the Nyasaland Protectorate (1907–1953) → incorporated into the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (1953–1963) → Nyasaland seceded from the Federation (1963) → gained independence as the Republic of Malawi (1964)
• Swaziland Protectorate (1893–1968) → gained independence as the Kingdom of Swaziland (1968)
• Anglo Egyptian Sudan (1899–1956) → gained independence as the Republic of Sudan (1956)
• Orange River Colony (1902–1910) → united into the Union of South Africa (1910)
• Union of South Africa (1910–1931) → South Africa gained independence as a Commonwealth rike (1931)
• Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria (1914–1954) → gained self-government as the Federation of Nigeria (1954–1960) → gained independence as a Commonwealth rike (1960)
• South-West Africa (1915–1931) → the authority was transferred to South Africa (1931)

Asia

• British Bencoolen (1685–1824) → handed to the Netherlands East Indies (1824)
• Côn Đảo (1702–1705)
• British India (1757–1947) → the authority of Singapore was transferred to British Malaya (1867) → British Somaliland was made a separate colony (1898) → Aden Settlement and British Burma were made as separate colonies (1937) → gained independence as the Republic of India and the Dominion of Pakistan (1947)
• Manila and Cavite (1762–1764) → returned to the Spanish Empire (1764)
• British Malaya (1786–1950) → gained self-governing right as the Federation of Malaya (1955–1960) → gained independence (1960)
• British Ceylon (1795–1948) → gained independence as South Ceylon and North Ceylon (1948)
• Maldive Islands Protectorate (1796–1965) → gained independence as the Kingdom of the Maldives (1965)
• Banka and Biliton Islands (1812–1824) → handed to the Netherlands (1824)
• British occupation of Afghanistan (1839–1842) → successfully ousted by the Afghans (1842) → British imposed a protectorate status over Afghanistan (1879–1919) → relinquished its protectorate status from the British (1919)
• British Hong Kong (1841–1997) → became one of the British Dependent Territories (1997)
• Kingdom of Sarawak (1841–1964) → relinquished its protectorate status from the British as North Borneo (1964)
• Aden Protectorate (1872–1970) → six states gained self-governing status as the Federation of Arab Emirates of the South (1959–1963) → Aden and nine states joined the Federation to become the South Arabian Federation (1962) → sixteen states united as the Protectorate of South Arabia (1963–1967) → the Protectorate merged with the Federation (1967) → gained independence (1970)
• British North Borneo (1885–1950) → gained self-governing status (1950–1964) → annexed into Sarawak as North Borneo (1964)
• Sultanate of Brunei (1888–1984) → relinquished its protectorate status from the British (1984)
• Muscat and Oman (1891–1971) → relinquished its protectorate status from the British and became the Sultanate of Oman (1984)
• Trucial States (1892–1971) → gained independence as the United Arab Emirates (1971)
• British Weihaiwei (1898–1930) → handed back to the Republic of China (1930)
• Kuwait (1899–1920) → absorbed into the British Mandate of Mesopotamia (1920)
• British Mandate of Palestine (1920–1948) → Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan gained independence (1946) → The Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine and the State of Israel emerged at the abolition of mandate (1948)
• British Mandate of Mesopotamia (1920–1946) → gained independence as the Kingdom of Iraq and the State of Assyria (1946)
• Aden Settlement (1937–1963) → merged into the South Arabian Federation (1963)
• British Burma (1937–1943; 1945–1946) → declared independence as the Democratic Republic of Burma (1946) → independence recognized (1949)
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1947–1959) → gained self-governing status (1959–1980) → gained independence as a Commonwealth rike (1980)

Oceania

• New South Wales (1788–1901) → joined the Federation of Australia (1901)
• Sandwich Islands (1794–1843) → regained independence as the Kingdom of Hawaii (1843)
• New Hebrides (1824–1878) → became neutral territory (1878–1906) → administered as a joint British-French condominium (1906–1980) → gained independence as the Republic of Vanuatu (1980)
• Van Diemen's Land (1825–1856) → renamed as Tasmania (1856–1901) → joined the Federation of Australia (1901)
• Swan River Colony (1829–1832) → renamed as Western Australia (1832–1901) → joined the Federation of Australia (1901)
• South Australia (1836–1901) → joined the Federation of Australia (1901)
• New Zealand (1840–1901) → joined the Federation of Australia (1901–1944) → gained self-government as a Commonwealth rike of New Zealand (1944–1950) → gained independence as the Republic of Aotearoa (1950)
• Victoria (1851–1901) → joined the Federation of Australia (1901)
• Queensland (1859–1901) → joined the Federation of Australia (1901)
• Federation of Australia (1901–1942) → gained independence as a Commonwealth rike (1942)

Antarctica and South Atlantic

• British Antarctic Territory (1962–1982) → became one of the British Dependent Territories (1982)