# Humanities & Anthropology > History & Civilisations >  List of World's largest empires

## Zauriel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_empires

Largest empires by landmass

*Ancient empires*
1. Achaemenid Persian Empire - 7.5 million km (under Darius the Great) 
2. Han Chinese Empire - 6 million km 
3. Roman Empire - 5.9 million km (under Emperor Trajan) 
4. Macedonian Empire - 5.4 million km (under Alexander the Great) 
5. Maurya Magadha Empire - 5 million km (under Ashoka the Great) 
6. Hunnic Empire - 4 million km (under Attila the Hun in 441) 
7. Seleucid Empire - 3.9 million km 
8. Gupta Magadha Empire - 3.5 million km (under Chandragupta II in 400) 
9. Sassanid Persian Empire - 3.5 million km[1] (under Khosrau II in 626) 
10. Parthian Empire - 2.84 million km (Under Mithridates II 123–88 BCE) 
11. Median Empire - 2.8 million km 
12. Neo-Assyrian Empire - 1.4 million km 
13. Aksumite Empire - 1.25 million km[1] 
14. Egyptian Empire - 1 million km 
15. Akkadian Empire - 650,000 km 
16. Hittite Empire - 510,000 km 
17. Neo-Babylonian Empire - 500,000 km 
18. Armenian Empire - 400,000 km 

* Medieval empires*
1. Mongol Empire - 33.2 million km (under Khublai Khan in 1268) 
2. Turkic Khaganate - 15 million km 
3. Xiongnu - 3.5 million km 
4. Nirun Khaganate - 3.1 million km 
5. Uyghur Khaganate - 3.2 million km 
6. Umayyad Arab Empire - 13.2 million km 
7. Rashidun Arab Empire - 9 million km (under Caliph Uthman in 654)[2] 
8. Ming Chinese Empire - 6.5 million km 
9. Tang Chinese Empire - 5.4 million km 
10. Byzantine Empire/Eastern Roman Empire - 4.5 million km (called themselves the Roman Empire) 
11. Mughal Empire - 4 million km (under Aurangzeb in 1690) 
12. Seljuq Empire - 3.9 million km 
13. Sassanid Persian Empire - 3.5 million km[1] (under Khosrau II in 626) 
14. Ghaznavid Empire - 3.4 million km 
15. Pala Empire - 3.2 million km (under Devapala) 
16. Delhi Sultanate - 3.2 million km 
17. Kalmar Union - 3 million km 
18. Khazar Empire - 3 million km 
19. Chola Empire - 2.6 million km (under Rajendra Chola I) 
20. Inca Empire (Tahuantinsuyu) - 2 million km (Under Atahualpa in 1532) 
21. Songhai Empire - 1.4 million km (in 1500)[3] 
22. Aksumite/Ethiopian Empire - 1.25 million km[1] 
23. Srivijaya Empire - 1.2 million km 
24. Frankish Empire - 1.2 million km 
25. Mali Empire - 1.1 million km
26. Harsha's empire - 1 million km (under Harsha Vardhana in 648) 
27. Almoravid Empire - 1 million km 
28. Khmer Empire - 1 million km 
29. Maratha Empire - 1 million km ( in 1760 ) 
30. Grand Duchy of Lithuania - 930,000 km (under Vytautas the Great in 1430) 
31. Bulgarian Empire - 700,000 km (under Tsar Simeon I) 
32. Vijayanagara Empire - 360,000 km 
33. Serbian Empire - 200,000 km 

*Modern empires*
1. British Empire - 36.6 million km (under George V of the United Kingdom in 1922) 
2. Russian Empire - 24.8 million km (under Alexander II in 1866) - including Alaska[4] 
3. Spanish Empire - 19 million km (under Charles III)
4. Qing Chinese Empire - 13 million km (under Emperor Qianlong) 
5. French Empire - 12.5 million km 
6. Portuguese Empire - 12.4 million km
7. United States of America - 10 million km (1898-1902 and 1906-1908) 
8. Brazilian Empire - 8.1 million km[4] 
9. Japanese Empire - 7.4 million km (during World War II) 
10. Ottoman Empire - 5.5 million km (under Mehmed IV in 1680) 
11. Mughal Empire - 4 million km 
12. Italian Empire - 3.8 million km (during World War II) 
13. Dutch Empire - 3.7 million km 
14. Nazi German Empire - 3.6 million km (during World War II) 
15. German Empire - 3.5 million km (under Wilhelm II before WWI) 
16. Afsharid Empire - 3.32 million km (under Nadir Shah) 
17. Safavid Persian/Iranian Empire - 2.85 million km 
18. Belgian Empire - 2.5 million km 
19. Qajar Persian/Iranian Empire- 2.3 million km 
20. Thai Empire / Siamese Empire - 1.12 million km (under Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke in 1782) 
21. Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - 990,000 km (under Sigismund III in 1619) 
22. Austro-Hungarian Empire - 676,615 km 

*All empires*
1. British Empire - 36.6 million km (under George V of the United Kingdom in 1922) 
2. Mongol Empire - 33.2 million km[1] (under Kublai Khan in 1268) 
3. Russian Empire - 24.8 million km (under Alexander II in 1866) - including Alaska[4] 
4. Spanish Empire - 16 million km (under King Charles III r. 1759-1788)
5. Hispanic Monarchy - 14 million km (under Philip II of Spain r. 1556-1598, it not includes claimed regions as Amazonia, and also counts Colombia,Per&uacute;...as a half or a quarter) 
6. Umayyad Arab Caliphate - 13.2 million km (under Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik r. 723-743) 
7. Qing Empire - 13 million km (under Emperor Qianlong) 
8. French Empire - 12.5 million km (under President Albert Lebrun in 1938) 
9. Portuguese Empire - 12.4 million km
10. United States of America - 10 million km (1898-1934) 
11. Rashidun Arab caliphate - 9 million km (under Caliph Uthman Ibn Affan r. 644-656)[2] 
12. Empire of Brazil - 8.1 million km[4] 
13. Achaemenid Persian Empire - 7.5 million km[7] (under Darius the Great) 
14. Japanese Empire - 7.4 million km[4] (during World War II, under the Showa Emperor) 
15. Ming Empire - 6.5 million km (under the Jingtai Emperor in 1450) 
16. Han Empire - 6 million km
17. Roman Empire - 5.9 million km (under Emperor Trajan) 
18. Ottoman Empire - 5.5 million km (under Mehmed IV in 1680) 
19. Macedonian Empire - 5.4 million km (under Alexander the Great) 
20. Tang Empire - 5.4 million km (under the Xuanzong Emperor in 715) 
21. Maurya Empire - 5 million km (under Ashoka the Great) 
22. Mughal Empire - 5 million km (under Aurangzeb in 1690) 
23. Byzantine Empire (under Justinian I) - 4.5 million km
24. Timurid Empire - 4.4 million km
25. Hunnic Empire - 4 million km[1] (under Attila the Hun in 441) 
26. Mexican Empire - 4 million km
27. Seljuq Empire - 3.9 million km
28. Seleucid Empire - 3.9 million km 
29. Italian Empire - 3.8 million km (during World War II) 
30. Dutch Empire - 3.7 million km[4] 
31. Nazi German Empire - 3.6 million km (during World War II) 
32. German Empire - 3.5 million km (under Wilhelm II before WWI) 
33. Gupta Empire - 3.5 million km (under Chandragupta II in 400) 
34. Sassanid Persian Empire - 3.5 million km (under Khosrau II in 626) 
35. Ghaznavid Empire - 3.4 million km
36. Afsharid Empire - 3.23 million km (under Nadir Shah) 
37. Pala Empire - 3.2 million km (under Devapala) 
38. Delhi Sultanate - 3.2 million km[1] 
39. Khazar Empire - 3 million km[1] 
40. Safavid Empire - 2.85 million km 
41. Parthian Empire - 2.84 million km (Under Mithridates II 123–88 BCE) 
42. Median Empire - 2.8 million km[1] 
43. Chola Empire - 2.6 million km[8] (under Rajendra Chola I) 
44. Denmark-Norway - 2.6 million km 
45. Belgian Empire - 2.5 million km[1] 
46. Qajar Empire - 2.3 million km 
47. Incan Empire - 2 million km (Under Atahualpa in 1532) 
48. Songhai Empire - 1.4 million km (in 1500)[9] 
49. Neo-Assyrian Empire - 1.4 million km[1] 
50. Aksumite Empire - 1.25 million km[1] 
51. Srivijaya Empire - 1.2 million km[1] 
52. Frankish Empire - 1.2 million km[1] 
53. Thai Empire - 1.12 million km (under Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke in 1782) 
54. Mali Empire - 1.1 million km[1] 
55. Swedish Empire - 1.1 million km 
56. Maratha Empire- 1 million km 
57. Harsha Empire - 1 million km[1] (under Harsha Vardhana in 648) 
58. Egyptian Empire - 1 million km
59. Almoravid Empire - 1 million km 
60. Khmer Empire - 1 million km
61. Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - 990,000 km (under Sigismund III in 1619) 
62. Grand Duchy of Lithuania - 930,000 km (under Vytautas the Great in 1430) 
63. Bulgarian Empire - 700,000 km (under Tsar Simeon I) 
64. Austro-Hungarian Empire - 676,615 km 
65. Akkadian Empire - 650,000 km
66. Hittite Empire - 610,000 km 
67. Durrani Empire - 600,000 km 
68. Neo-Babylonian Empire - 500,000 km[
69. Armenian Empire - 400,000 km 
70. Vijayanagara Empire - 360,000 km
71. Serbian Empire - 200,000 km 

* Contiguous empires*
1. Mongol Empire - 33.2 million km (under Khublai Khan in 1268) 
2. Russian Empire - 24.8 million km (under Alexander II in 1866) - including Alaska[4] 
3. Umayyad Arab caliphate - 13.2 million km 
4. Qing Empire - 13 million km (under Emperor Qianlong) 
5. Rashidun Arab caliphate - 9 million km (under Caliph Uthman in 654)[2] 
6. Brazilian Empire - 8.1 million km[4] 
7. Achaemenid Persian Empire - 7.5 million km (under Darius the Great) 
8. Ming Empire - 6.5 million km 
9. Han Empire - 6 million km 
10. Roman Empire - 6 million km (under Emperor Trajan) 
11. Ottoman Empire - 5.5 million km (under Mehmed IV in 1680) 
12. Macedonian Empire - 5.4 million km (under Alexander the Great) 
13. Tang Empire - 5.4 million km 
14. Maurya Empire - 5 million km (under Ashoka the Great) 
15. Byzantine Empire/Eastern Roman Empire - 4.5 million km 
16. Mughal Empire - 4 million km (under Aurangzeb in 1690) 
17. Hunnic Empire - 4 million km (under Attila the Hun in 441) 
18. Mexican Empire - 4 million km
19. Seljuq Empire - 3.9 million km 
20. Seleucid Empire - 3.9 million km 
21. Nazi German Empire - 3.6 million km (during World War II) 
22. Gupta Empire - 3.5 million km (under Chandragupta II in 400) 
23. Sassanid Persian Empire - 3.5 million km[1] (under Khosrau II in 626) 
24. Ghaznavid Empire - 3.4 million km 
25. Afsharid Empire - 3.23 million km (under Nadir Shah) 
26. Pala Empire - 3.2 million km (under Devapala) 
27. Delhi Sultanate - 3.2 million km 
28. Khazar Empire - 3 million km 
29. Safavid Empire - 2.85 million km 
30. Parthian Empire - 2.84 million km (Under Mithridates II 123–88 BCE) 
31. Median Empire - 2.8 million km 
32. Qajar Empire - 2.3 million km 
33. Tahuantinsuyu - 2 million km (Under Atahualpa in 1532) 
34. Neo-Assyrian Empire - 1.4 million km 
35. Aksumite Empire - 1.25 million km[1] 
36. Frankish Empire - 1.2 million km 
37. Thai Empire - 1.12 million km (under Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke in 1782) 
38. Mali Empire - 1.1 million km[1] 
39. Harsha Empire - 1 million km (under Harsha Vardhana in 648) 
40. Egyptian Empire - 1 million km 
41. Almoravid Empire - 1 million km 
42. Khmer Empire - 1 million km 
43. Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - 990,000 km (under Sigismund III in 1619) 
44. Bulgarian Empire - 700,000 km (under Tsar Simeon I) 
45. Akkadian Empire - 650,000 km 
46. Austro-Hungarian Empire - 600,000 km 
47. Neo-Babylonian Empire - 500,000 km 
48. Vijayanagara Empire - 360,000 km 
49. Serbian Empire - 200,000 km 

* Maritime empires*
1. British Empire - 36.6 million km (under King George V in 1922) 
2. Spanish Empire - 19 million km (under King Charles III)[4] 
3. French Empire - 12.5 million km 
4. Portuguese Empire - 12.4 million km[4] 
5. United States of America - 10 million km (1898-1902 and 1906-1908) 
6. Japanese Empire - 7.4 million km (during World War II) 
7. Italian Empire - 3.8 million km (during World War II) 
8. Dutch Empire - 3.7 million km 
9. German Empire - 3.5 million km (under Wilhelm II before WWI) 
10. Tongan Empire - 3 million km (15th century) 
11. Chola Empire - 2.6 million km (under Rajendra Chola I) 
12. Belgian Empire - 2.5 million km 
13. Srivijaya Empire - 1.2 million km 

Largest empires by population
Population estimates are unknown for many other ancient empires not listed here.


*Population size*
British Empire - 531.3 million (in 1938)[13] 
Qing Empire - 432 million (in 1912)[14] 
Russian Empire - 176.4 million (in 1913)[10] 
Mughal Empire - 175 million (in 1700)[15] 
Ming Empire - 160 million (in 1600)[14] 
United States of America - 146.4 million (in 1942)[13] 
Japanese Empire - 134.8 million (in 1938)[13] 
French Empire - 112.9 million (in 1938)[13] 
Mongol Empire - 110 million (in the 13th century)[16] 
Dutch Empire had 80 million people living within its boundaries in 1940. 
Nazi German Empire - 75.4 million (in 1938)[13] 
Spanish Empire - 64.2 million[17] 
Umayyad Arab Empire - 62 million (in the 7th century)[18] 
Han Empire - 60 million (in 2 AD)[19] 
Roman Empire - 60 million (in 1st century AD)[20] 
Song Empire - 59 million (in 1000)[14] 
Italian Empire - 51.9 million (in 1938)[13] 
Austro-Hungarian Empire - 50.6 million (in 1913)[10] 
Maurya Empire - 50 million (in the 2nd century BC)[21] 
Achaemenid Persian Empire - 42 million (in the 4th century BC)[15] 
Rashidun Arab Empire - 40.3 million (in the 7th century)[22][23][15] 
Ottoman Empire - 39 million (in the 17th century)[24] 
Belgian Empire - 35.3 million (before Congolese independence, 1960) 
Byzantine Empire/Eastern Roman Empire - 34 million (5th-6th centuries)[25] 
Vijayanagara Empire - 25 million (in the 16th century)[12] 
Portuguese Empire - 24.3 million (in 1973)[26] 
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - 10.5 million (in 1619) 

[edit] Percentage of world population
Qing Empire - 36.6&#37; (381 million out of 1.041 billion in 1820)[14] 
Maurya Empire - 33.3% (50 million out of 150 million[27] in the 2nd century BC) 
Umayyad Arab Empire - 29.5% (62 million out of 210 million[27] in the 7th century) 
Mughal Empire - 29.2% (175 million out of 600 million[28] in 1700) 
Ming Empire - 28.8% (160 million out of 556.2 million in 1600)[14] 
Achaemenid Persian Empire - 27.6% (42 million out of 152 million in the 4th century BC)[15] 
Han Empire - 26.5% (59.6 million out of 226 million[14] in 2 AD) 
Roman Empire - 26.5% (60 million out of 226 million[14] in the 1st century AD) 
Mongol Empire - 25.6% (110 million out of 429 million[15] in the 13th century) 
British Empire - 23.15% (531.3 million out of 2.295 billion in 1938)[13] 
Song Empire - 22% (59 million out of 268 million in 1000)[14] 
Rashidun Arab Empire - 19.19% (40.3 million out of 210 million in 7th century) 
Spanish Empire - 12.3% (68.2 million out of 556 million[14] in the 17th century) 
Russian Empire - 9.8% (176.4 million out of 1.791 billion[14] in 1913) 
Ottoman Empire - 7.1% (39 million out of 556 million[14] in the 17th century) 
United States of America - 6.4% (146.4 million out of 2.295 billion in 1938) 
Japanese Empire - 5.9% (134.8 million out of 2.295 billion[14] in 1938) 
Vijayanagara Empire - 5.7% (25 million out of 438 million[14] in the 16th century) 
Soviet Union - 5.5% (286,717,000 out of 5.175 billion in 1989) [29][not in citation given] 
French Empire - 4.9% (112.9 million out of 2.295 billion in 1938) 
Nazi German Empire - 3.3% (75.4 million out of 2.295 billion in 1938) 
Austro-Hungarian Empire - 2.8% (50.6 million out of 1.791 billion in 1913) 
Italian Empire - 2.3% (51.9 million out of 2.295 billion in 1938) 
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - 1.9% (10.5 million out of 556 million[14] in the 17th century) 
Portuguese Empire - 0.8% (14.7 million out of 1.791 billion in 1913) 




[edit] Largest empires by economy
GDP estimates in the following list are only given for empires in modern times, from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries. All dollar amounts are in 1990 USD.


GDP size
British Empire - $683.3 billion (in 1938)[13] 
Nazi German Empire - $375.6 billion (in 1938)[13] 
Japanese Empire - $260.7 billion (in 1938)[13] 
Russian Empire - $257.7 billion (in 1913)[14] 
Qing Empire - $241.3 billion (GDP decline to 1912, immediately before its downfall)[14] 
French Empire - $234.1 billion (in 1938)[13] 
Italian Empire - $143.4 billion (in 1938)[13] 
Austro-Hungarian Empire - $100.5 billion (in 1913)[10] 
Mughal Empire - $90.8 billion (GDP decline in 1700)[14] 
Ottoman Empire - $26.4 billion (in 1913)[30] 
Portuguese Empire - $12.6 billion (in 1913)[10] 

Percentage of world GDP
Qing Empire - 32.9% ($228.6 billion out of $694.4 billion in 1820)[14] 
Mughal Empire - 24.5% ($90.8 billion out of $371 billion in 1700)[14] 
British Empire - 23.8% ($265 billion[31] out of $1,111 billion[14] in 1870) 
Russian Empire - 9.4% ($257.7 billion out of $2,733 billion[14] in 1913) 
Nazi German Empire - 8.3% ($375.6 billion out of $4,502 billion[14] in 1938) 
Japanese Empire - 5.8% ($260.7 billion out of $4,502 billion in 1938) 
French Empire - 5.2% ($234.1 billion out of $4,502 billion in 1938) 
Austro-Hungarian Empire - 3.7% ($100.5 billion out of $2,733 billion in 1913) 
Italian Empire - 3.2% ($143.4 billion out of $4,502 billion in 1938) 
Ottoman Empire - 1% ($26.4 billion out of $2,733 billion in 1913) 
Portuguese Empire - 0.5% ($12.6 billion out of $2,733 billion in 1913)

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## Maciamo

Very interesting stats.  :Cool: 

I don't undertand how the Achaemenid Persian Empire was 2 million square km larger than Alexander the Great's Empire, as the latter comprised all the former + Greece. Maybe that's because the consider Cathagenian territory as part of the Achaemenid Empire. By that logic they should also include all the Greek colonies under Macedonian Empire, as it was part of the Greek sphere of influence too.

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## Starship

Which would have been the longest Empire to have existed? 

Would you count the Roman Empire from its beginning to the end of the Byzantium Empire?

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## Mycernius

Nice list of stats there.



> Which would have been the longest Empire to have existed? 
> 
> Would you count the Roman Empire from its beginning to the end of the Byzantium Empire?


I would think so. The Byzantine Empire is the remnents of the Roman Empire. Would you start the Roman Empire from the reign of Augustus or from the foundation of Rome?
How would you measure the time of an Empire. The British Empire has all but vanished yet the UK still holds oversea territoires, as does France, Spain and The US. Does an Empire end when the country itself vanishes? If not then does the Ottomans empire still exist because Turkey is still with us?

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## Maciamo

> Which would have been the longest Empire to have existed? 
> Would you count the Roman Empire from its beginning to the end of the Byzantium Empire?


I consider the Byzantine Empire a separate empire from the Roman Empire. It can't be "Roman" without Rome. That's why Charlemagne's empire become the Holy Roman Empire once Rome was annexed. Lasting from 800 to 1806, it is the longest empire to have existed.

The Byzantine Empire had Greek a its official language, and its administration was centered around Greece and western Turkey. So it could be seen more as a continuation of the Macedonian Empire, which remnants were after all annexed by Rome fairly peacefully (more like an absorption than a conquest).

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## Starship

Now I know I'm very guilty when thinking of world history especially ancient world history I tend to fixate on this part of the world "Europe", but were there not some extremely long running empires in China and i hold my hand up here for my total ignorance on the subject.

Which of the empires with either a long or short history has had the most recognisable impact on the modern world? 

I would go with Greek, Roman, Ottoman and British but you can see my rather limited reference here.

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## euromuslim

Interesting topic, but I don't understand are all these facts from the time when the empires were on there peak. The Ottoman Empire had its peak during Sulayman al-Qanuny(better known as The Magnificent) and that was around 120 years before.

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## Cambrius (The Red)

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_empires
> Largest empires by landmass
> *Ancient empires*
> 1. Achaemenid Persian Empire - 7.5 million km� (under Darius the Great) 
> 2. Han Chinese Empire - 6 million km� 
> 3. Roman Empire - 5.9 million km� (under Emperor Trajan) 
> 4. Macedonian Empire - 5.4 million km� (under Alexander the Great) 
> 5. Maurya Magadha Empire - 5 million km� (under Ashoka the Great) 
> 6. Hunnic Empire - 4 million km� (under Attila the Hun in 441) 
> ...


Did Italy REALLY have an empire? The Romans certainly did (but they were not "Italian" per se).

Greatest modern European empires:

1) Great Britain

2) Spain

3) Portugal

4) Holland

5) France

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## martin parra

some of the greatest empire is the toltec and mayan. there are many ancinet artifact and building.

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## Deus

What about Atlantis?

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## sparkey

> What about Atlantis?


Forgot about that one. Huge empire. Covered most of the world. Population 50 billion.

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## Bodin

Nice list , thanks for sharing . But there is not Scythian and Sarmathian empires , and I didnt notice Japan - is it there?

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