UK, british empire, how could tiny UK colonize a quarter of the earth. land-mass.

Question

google: british empire

1910, earth was a quarter, 1/4 British Red.

How could a tiny nation, the UK, colonize a quarter of the earth's land-mass.

Answer 1

Incredible achievement, wasn't it?

But, most of this consisted of three places:  Canada, Australia, and India, and Pakistan.  The latter two were easily colonized because they were sparsely populated at the time; and basically, because the Brits got there first.

India's another story:  Long process of conquest, but India was very divided, and Britain conquered by playing states against each other.

(Same way Cortez conquered Mexico.)  Till the end, Britain's conquest of India actually was a patchwork, as many parts - between a third and a half of modern India - remained independent 'princely states' that were never colonized.  (Why they weren't coloured pink like the rest of the brit empire, who knows?)  The largest of these was Hyderabad, a country about the size and population of France, who negotiated to join an independent India in 1947; the smallest probably the island of Goa, which was conquered by force.

NB A lot of Britain's seapower emerged as a result of her ownership of Newfoundland, as fishermen provided an important source of trained sailors.

Answer 2

Do you know how powerful Great Britain is?

Answer 3

This isn't exactly an answer, but somewhat over 2000 years ago, a little town on the Tiber River was well on the way to ruling most of Europe and all the Mediterranean world, and even today, a large fraction of the world's population speaks one of the descendants of its language.  One factor in its success was that the people of newly acquired Roman territory became Romans and took part in the acquisition of other territory.

Answer 4

Their superior Navy, better Guns; and the will to use them to defend its 'trade rights' where it deemed they needed defending.

And its not like there were a lot of English in India or South Africa; and Australia was criminals initially, and helped by the deaths of so many aborigines due to diseases.

Answer 5

Naval power indeed - and it was nearly all gained through trade - a massive free trade zone was a real incentive for local rulers to sign over sovereignty to the British.

Answer 6

Cutting edge naval power