At its greatest extent, around 1920, how many square kilometres of land did the British Empire cover?
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Answer
About 35 million km2
That was close to a quarter of the planet's land surface, and about one person in four alive at the time lived under its rule.
How to estimate it
Add up the largest pieces in millions of square kilometres. Canada covers 10 and Australia 7.7. British India, including present Pakistan, Bangladesh and Burma, was about 5. The African territories, from Egypt and Sudan to Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, total about 9. New Zealand, Malaya, the Middle East mandates and the islands add 2. 10 + 7.7 + 5 + 9 + 2 = 33.7. The accepted figure is about 35 million km2.
Source: Taagepera 1997, International Studies Quarterly
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