French Empire
Dutch Empire
British Empire
Subsequent global empires included the French, Dutch, and Britishempires.The latter consolidated during the period of British maritime hegemony in the 19th century, became the largest of all empires by virtue of the improved transportation technologies of the time.At its height, the British empire covered a quarter of the earth's land area and comprised a quarter of ts population. Germany and Italy were unified later than the other major European countries and so they joined other Europesn powers in establishing colonies overseas only during the "Scramble for Africa" in the 19th century. By the 1860s , the Russian Empire -- continued as the Soviet Union- became the largest contiguous state in the world.Russia continues this distinction , despite having "lost" in Soviet periphery IRussia today includes slightly ove half the world's longitude.
