A colonial empire is a collective of territories (often called colonies), either contiguous with the imperial center or located overseas, settled by the population of a certain state and governed by that state.
Before the expansion of early modern European powers, other empires had conquered and colonized territories, such as the Roman Empire in Iberia, or the Chinese in what is now southern China. Modern colonial empires first emerged with a race of exploration between the then most advanced European maritime powers, Portugal and Spain, during the 15th century. The initial impulse behind these dispersed maritime empires and those that followed was trade, driven by the new ideas and the capitalism that grew out of the European Renaissance. Agreements were also made to divide the world up between them in 1479, 1493, and 1494. European imperialism was born out of competition between European Christians and Ottoman Muslims, the latter of which rose up quickly in the 14th century and forced the Spanish and Portuguese to seek new trade routes to India, and to a lesser extent, China.
Although colonies existed in classical antiquity, especially amongst the Phoenicians and the Ancient Greeks who settled many islands and coasts of the Mediterranean Sea, these colonies were politically independent from the city-states they originated from, and thus did not constitute a colonial empire. This paradigm shifted by the time of the Ptolemaic Empire, the Seleucid Empire, and the Roman Empire.
History
European colonial empires
Portugal began establishing the first global trade network and one of the first colonial empires under the leadership of Henry the Navigator. The empire spread throughout a vast number of territories distributed across the globe (especially at one time in the 16th century) that are now parts of 60 different sovereign states. Portugal would eventually control Brazil, territories such as what is now Uruguay and some fishing ports in north, in the Americas; Angola, Mozambique, Portuguese Guinea, and São Tomé and Príncipe (among other territories and bases) in the North and the Subsaharan Africa; cities, forts or territories in all the Asian Subcontinents, as Muscat, Ormus and Bahrain (amongst other bases) in the Persian Gulf; Goa, Bombay and Daman and Diu (amongst other coastal cities) in India; Portuguese Ceylon; Malacca, bases in Southeast Asia and Oceania, as Makassar, Solor, Banda, Ambon and others in the Moluccas, Portuguese Timor; and the granted entrepôt-base of Macau and the entrepôt-enclave of Dejima (Nagasaki) in East Asia, amongst other smaller or short-lived possessions.
During its Siglo de Oro, the Spanish Empire had possession of Mexico, South America, the Philippines, all of southern Italy, a stretch of territories from the Duchy of Milan to the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium, parts of Burgundy, and many colonial settlements in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Possessions in Europe, Africa, the Atlantic Ocean, the Americas, the Pacific Ocean, and East Asia qualified the Spanish Empire as attaining a global presence. From 1580 to 1640 the Portuguese Empire and the Spanish Empire were conjoined in a personal union of its Habsburg monarchs during the period of the Iberian Union, but beneath the highest level of government, their separate administrations were maintained.
Subsequent colonial empires included the French, English, Dutch and Japanese empires. By the mid-17th century, the Tsardom of Russia, continued later as the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and modern Russian, became the largest contiguous state in the world and remains so to this day.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th century, by virtue of its technological and maritime supremacy, the British Empire steadily expanded to become by far the largest empire in history; at its height ruling over a quarter of the Earth’s land area and 24% of the population. Britain’s role as a global hegemon during this time ushered in a century of “British Peace”, lasting from the end of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars to the start of World War I. During the New Imperialism, Italy and Germany also built their colonial empires in Africa.
List of colonial empires
European:
- British Empire (1707–1997/present)
- Evolution of the British Empire; English colonial empire (1585–1707)
- Possessions in Europe
- British Cyprus
- British Malta
- British Ireland
- United States of the Ionian Islands
- Possessions in Africa
- British Somaliland (1884–1960)
- British Egypt (1914–1936)
- Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (1899–1956)
- East Africa Protectorate (1895–1920)
- Kenya Colony (1920–1963)
- Uganda Protectorate (1894–1962)
- Tanganyika (territory) (1922–1961)
- Protectorate of Nyasaland (1893–1964)
- Colony of Southern Rhodesia (1923–1965), (1979–1980)
- Protectorate of Northern Rhodesia (1924–1964)
- Bechuanaland Protectorate (1885-1966)
- British Nigeria (1914–1954)
- British Gold Coast (1867–1957)
- British Sierra Leone (1808–1961)
- British Gambia (1821–1965)
- Possessions in the Americas
- Thirteen Colonies
- British West Indies
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- Leeward Islands (1671–1816),(1833–1958)
- Windward Islands (1833–1960)
- Cayman Islands
- Colony of Jamaica (1655–1962)
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- British Honduras (1862–1981)
- British Guiana (1814–1966)
- Mosquito Coast (1638-1787), (1844-1860)
- Possessions in South Asia
- Possessions in East Asia
- British Hong Kong (1841–1997)
- Port Hamilton incident
- Possessions in the Middle East
- Trucial States (1820–1971)
- British Bahrain
- British Qatar (1916–1971)
- British Iraq (1920–1932)
- Emirate of Transjordan (1921–1946)
- Mandatory Palestine (1920–1948)
- Sheikhdom of Kuwait (1899–1961)
- Aden Protectorate (1872–1963)
- Muscat and Oman (1892-1970)
- Possessions in Southeast Asia
- British Bencoolen
- British Malaya
- British Borneo
- Dominions of the United Kingdom
- Canada
- Dominion of Newfoundland
- States and territories of Australia (1901–present)
- The Australia, itself a colony that gradually increased its independence in 1901, 1942 and 1986, was tasked with the government of multiple other British colonies and territories and the mandates of New Guinea and Nauru
- Realm of New Zealand (1907–present)
- The New Zealand, itself a colony that gradually increased its independence in 1907, 1947 and 1986, was tasked with the government of multiple other British colonies and territories and the mandate of Samoa. It was also nominal co-trustee of the mandate of Nauru. The remaining non-self-governing New Zealand territory is Tokelau.
- Mandates under South African administration (1915–1990)
- The South-West Africa mandate was governed by the Union of South Africa, that itself a colony that gradually increased its independence in 1910, 1931 and 1961.
- Danish Empire (1620–1979/present)
- Dutch Empire (1602–1975/Present)
- Dutch colonization of the Americas by Dutch West India Company:
- New Netherland
- Dutch Guyana/Surinam
- Dutch Brazil
- Dutch Caribbean
- Dutch East India Company
- Dutch India
- Dutch East Indies
- Netherlands New Guinea
- Dutch Cape Colony (1652–1806)
- Dutch Formosa (1624–1662)
- Dutch colonization of the Americas by Dutch West India Company:
- French colonial Empire (1534–1980/present)
- French colonization of the Americas:
- New France (1534–1763) and Quebec
- French Louisiana
- French West Indies (1635–today)
- Îles des Saintes (1648–present)
- Marie-Galante (1635–present)
- la Désirade (1635–present)
- Guadeloupe (1635–present)
- Martinique (1635–present)
- French Guiana
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- Asia:
- French India (1664–1962)
- French Indochina and French Indochinese Union (1887–1954)
- Laos (protectorate) (1893–1953)
- Cambodia (protectorate) (1863–1953)
- Vietnam
- Cochinchina (Southern Vietnam) (1858–1949)
- Annam (protectorate) (Central Vietnam) (1883–1949)
- Tonkin (protectorate) (Northern Vietnam) (1884–1949
- China
- The foreign concessions : French Concession of Shanghai (1849–1946), Tianjin (1860–1946) and Hankou (1898–1946)
- The Spheres of French influence officially recognized by China on the provinces of Yunnan, Guangxi, Hainan, Guangdong
- Shamian Island (1859–1949) (a fifth of the island)
- French Guangzhouwan(1898–1945)
- Possessions in the Middle East
- Mandate for Syria and Lebanon (1920–1946)
- French Africa:
- French North Africa (1830–1934) and French Algeria
- French Morocco (1912–1956)
- French Tunisia (1886–1956)
- French Somaliland (1883–1967)
- French West Africa (1895–1958)
- French Madagascar (1897–1958)
- French Comoros (1866–1968)
- French Equatorial Africa (1910–1958)
- Isle de France (1715–1810)
- Seychelles (1756–1810)
- The Scattered Islands
- Reunion island (1710–present)
- Mayotte (1841–present)
- Oceania:
- New Hebrides (1906–1980)
- French Polynesia
- New Caledonia
- Wallis and Futuna
- Clipperton island
- French colonization of the Americas:
- German Empire (1884–1920)
- Kamerun (1884–1918)
- Togoland (1884–1916)
- German South West Africa (1884–1919)
- German New Guinea (1884–1919)
- German East Africa (1885–1919)
- German Samoa (1900–1920)
- German Concession in Tientsin
- German concession of Hankou
- German Tsingtao
- German Kiautschou Bay Leased Territory
- Italian Empire (1882–1960)
- Eritrea (1882–1947)
- Somaliland (1889–1947, 1950-1960 as Italian Trust Territory of Somaliland)
- Ethiopia (1936-1941)
- Cyrenaica (1912–1947)
- Tripolitania (1912–1947)
- Italian Islands of the Aegean (1912–1947)
- Italian Albania (1939-1943)
- Italian France (1940-1943)
- Italian Montenegro (1941-1943)
- Italian concession of Tientsin (1901-1947)
- Ottoman Empire (1354-1908)
Administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire and Vassal and tributary states of the Ottoman Empire
- Asia:
- Protectorate of Aceh (1496–1903)
- Ottoman Arabia (1517-1919)
- Ottoman Cyprus (1571-1878)
- Ottoman Iraq (1538-1918)
- Ottoman Syria (1517-1918)
- Africa:
- Khedivate of Egypt (1867–1914)
- Ottoman Egypt (1517-1914)
- Ottoman Absinia (1554-1872)
- Ottoman Algeria (1516–1830)
- Ottoman Tripolitania (1551-1912)
- Ottoman Tunisia (1574-1881)
- Europe:
- Cretan State (1898–1913)
- Crimean Khanate (1475 – 1774)
- Ottoman Bosnia and Herzegovina (1463-1908)
- Ottoman Bulgaria (1396–1878)
- Ottoman Crete (1667–1898)
- Ottoman Greece (1453-1830)
- Ottoman Hungary (1541-1699)
- Ottoman Serbia (1371-1817)
- Rumelia Eyalet (1365–1867)
- Sanjak of Rhodes (1522–1912)
- United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (1859–1862)
Asian:
Other countries with colonial possessions:
- United States of America (1817–present)
- United States territorial acquisitions
- American Colonization Society
- Colony of Liberia (1821-1847)
- Philippines (1898-1946)
- United States Military Government in Cuba (1898-1902)
- United States Army Military Government in Korea (1945-1948)
- Ryukyu Islands (1950-1972)
- Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (1947-1994)
- American imperialism
- American Concession in Shanghai (1848–1863)
- American concession in Tianjin (1869-1902)
- Iraq (Coalition Provisional Authority) (2003-2004)
- Habsburg monarchy Colonies and the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1719–1750, 1778–1783, 1901–1917)
- Austrian colonial policy
- Ostend Company
- Bankipur (Bengal)
- Covelong
- Austrian East India Company
- Austrian colonisation of Nicobar Islands (1778-1785)
- Austrian Delagoa Bay(1773-1781)
- Móric Benyovszky’s Madagascar (1774-1779)
- Austrian North Borneo
- Ostend Company
- Franz Josef Land
- Austro-Hungarian concession of Tianjin (1901-1917)
- Hungarian colonial attempts
- Austrian colonial policy
- Bulgarian Empire (1908-1946)
- Pirin Macedonia (1908-1918)
- Western Thrace (1923-1944)
- Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1637-1795) and Poland iniciatives
- German colonial initiatives (1683–1721)
- Italy and the colonization of the Americas
- Norway
- List of possessions of Norway (1920–present)
- Erik the Red’s Land
- Norway Antarctic and sub-Antarctic possessions (1927–1957)
- Sweden-Norway (1814-1905)
- Cooper Island (1844-1905)
- Kingdom of Scotland (1621–1707)
- Scottish colonization of the Americas
- Kingdom of Morocco (1086-1228; 1975–present)
- Al-Andalus
- Southern Provinces
- Omani Empire (1652–1892)
- Yaruba dynasty (1624-1742)
- Sultanate of Muscat (1652-1820)
- Sultanate of Zanzibar (taken by Oman in 1698, became capital of the Omani Sultanate or Empire from 1632 or 1640; until 1890)
- Mombasa (1698-1728, 1729–1744, 1837–1890)
- Gwadar (1783-1958)
- Tsardom of Russia, Russian Empire, Soviet Union, and Russian Federation (1547–1721) (1721-1917) (1917–1991) (1991–present)
- Russian Colonialism
- Soviet Empire
- Russian conquest of Siberia
- Soviet Central Asia
- Chinese Empire (from Qin dynasty to Qing dynasty), (221 BC- 1911)
- Chinese imperialism
- Imperial Chinese Tributary System
- Guangxi
- Korea
- Canghai Commandery(A commandery that self subjugated to Han dynasty from Dongye)
- Four Commanderies of Han (Established after the fall of Gojoseon)
- Daifang Commandery (Offshoot of the former four commanderies of Han that existed in the 3rd to 4th century)
- Colonization attempts of the Tang dynasty after Unification of the three kingdoms of Korea (Gyerim Territory Area Command, Protectorate General to Pacify the East and Ungjin Commandery)
- Dongnyeong Prefectures, Ssangseong Prefectures and Tamna prefectures (Yuan dynasty)
- Hainan (since the Han dynasty)
- Nansha Islands
- Xisha Islands
- Manchuria (during the Tang, Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties)
- Inner Manchuria
- Outer Manchuria
- Kuye Island
- Inner Mongolia
- Outer Mongolia (during the Tang, Liao, Yuan, Northern Yuan, and Qing dynasties)
- Tannu Uriankhai
- Taiwan (during the Qing dynasty)
- Tibet (during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties)
- Yunnan
- Vietnam (during the Han, Xin, Eastern Wu, Jin, Liu Song, Southern Qi, Liang, Sui, Tang, Wu Zhou, Southern Han, and Ming dynasties)
- Xinjiang
- Central Asia (during the Tang, Western Liao, and Qing dynasties)
- Protectorate General to Pacify the West
- Chinese imperialism
- Ethiopian colonies as the Aksum Empire
- Viceroyalty of Yemen (520 – 578)
- Persian Empires
- Oman (5th century BC-628; 1743-1747)
- Bahrain (5th century BC-629; 1077-1253, 1330-1507)
- Sasanian Yemen (570–628)
- Aghlabids colonies as Arab vassals of Abbasid Caliphate in Ifriqiya
- Southern Italy
- Emirate of Sicily
- Emirate of Bari
- Malta
- Southern Italy
- Chola empire
- Srivijaya
- Sri Lanka
- Kingdom of Siam
- Kingdom of Vientiane (1778–1828)
- Kingdom of Luang Prabang (1778–1893)
- Kingdom of Champasak (1778–1893)
- Kingdom of Cambodia (1771–1867)
- Kedah (1821–1826)
- Sikh Empire (1799-1849)
- Jammu and Kashmir (princely state) (1819-1846)
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (1834- 1849)
- Romania
- Romanian concession in Sarandë
- Wales
- Y Wladfa
- Argentina
- Liga Federal (1815–1820)
- Peru (1820–1822)
- Riograndense Republic (1836-1845)
- Juliana Republic (1839-1845)
- Gobierno del Cerrito (1843–1851)
- Tierra del Fuego
- Patagonia
- Falkland Islands (1829–1831, 1832–1833, 1982)
- Argentine Antarctica
- Misiones
- Formosa
- Puna de Atacama
- California (1818)
- Philippines (1818)
- Equatorial Guinea (1810-1816)
- Gonaïves, Haiti
- Mexico
- Clipperton Island
- Revillagigedo Islands
- Texas
- California
- Chiapas
- Chile
- Easter Island
- Chilean Antarctic Territory
- Chiloé
- Patagonia
- Arica and Antofagasta
- Empire of Brazil, Brazil
- Cisplatina
- Acre
Michael Ruark 
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