Throughout different points in history, there have been great swathes of territory governed by great empires. Some of these empires managed to take control of territory that spanned two or more continents. An empire is generally defined as an extensive group of states or countries ruled by a single monarch, an oligarchy, or a sovereign state. Empires are usually created by conquest and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries.
Over time, however, empires gradually became a thing of the past, replaced by the modern nation-state. By the mid-to-late 20th century, the age of empires had all but ended, as most territories that were imperial possessions of certain powers gained their independence. Nevertheless, empires tend to leave a lasting legacy in the territory they conquer. In fact, they have helped shape the world that we know today.
Here are the top 20 largest empires in human history.
| Rank | Empire | Land area at its peak |
| 1. | British Empire | 35.5 million km2 |
| 2. | Mongol Empire | 24 million km2 |
| 3. | Russian Empire | 22.8 million km2 |
| 4. | Qing dynasty | 14.7 million km2 |
| 5. | Spanish Empire | 13.7 million km2 |
| 6. | Second French colonial empire | 11.5 million km2 |
| 7. | Abbasid Caliphate | 11.1 million km2 |
| 8. | Umayyad Caliphate | 11.1 million km2 |
| 9. | Yuan dynasty | 11 million km2 |
| 10. | Xiongnu Empire | 9 million km2 |
| 11. | Empire of Brazil | 8.337 million km2 |
| 12. | Empire of Japan | 7.4 million km2 |
| 13. | Iberian Union | 7.1 million km2 |
| 14. | Eastern Han dynasty | 6.5 million km2 |
| 15. | Ming dynasty | 6.5 million km2 |
| 16. | Rashidun Caliphate | 6.4 million km2 |
| 17. | First Turkic Khaganate | 6 million km2 |
| 18. | Golden Horde Khanate | 6 million km2 |
| 19. | Western Han dynasty | 6 million km2 |
| 20. | Achaemenid Empire | 5.5 million km2 |
| Second Portuguese Empire | 5.5 million km2 |
