Lista de imperios más grandes

Varios imperios en la historia de la humanidad han competido por ser el más grande de todos los tiempos, dependiendo de la definición y el modo de medición. Las posibles formas de medir el tamaño incluyen área, población, economía y poder. De estos, el área es el más utilizado porque tiene una definición bastante precisa y puede medirse con cierto grado de precisión. El politólogo estonio Rein Taagepera, que publicó una serie de artículos académicos sobre las extensiones territoriales de los imperios históricos entre 1978 y 1997, definió un imperio como "cualquier entidad política soberana relativamente grande cuyos componentes no son soberanos"; y su tamaño como área sobre la cual el imperio tiene algunas prerrogativas militares y fiscales indiscutibles. La lista no es exhaustiva debido a la falta de datos disponibles para varios imperios; por este motivo y debido a la incertidumbre inherente a las estimaciones, no se dan clasificaciones.
Imperios más grandes por superficie terrestre
Para ponerlo en contexto, la superficie terrestre de la Tierra, excluyendo el continente de la Antártida, es de 134.740.000 km2 (52.023.000 millas cuadradas).
Imperios en su máxima extensión

El tamaño del imperio en esta lista se define como el área de tierra firme que controlaba en ese momento, que puede diferir considerablemente del área que reclamaba. Por ejemplo: en el año 1800, las potencias europeas reclamaron colectivamente aproximadamente el 20% de la superficie terrestre de la Tierra que no controlaban efectivamente. Cuando las estimaciones varían, las entradas se ordenan según la estimación más baja. Cuando más de una entrada tiene la misma área, se enumeran alfabéticamente.
| Empire | Maximum land area | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Million km2 | Million sq mi | % of world | Year | |
| British Empire | 35.5 | 13.71 | 26.35% | 1920 |
| Mongol Empire | 24.0 | 9.27 | 17.81% | 1270 or 1309 |
| Russian Empire | 22.8 | 8.80 | 16.92% | 1895 |
| Qing dynasty | 14.7 | 5.68 | 10.91% | 1790 |
| Spanish Empire | 13.7 | 5.29 | 10.17% | 1810 |
| Second French colonial empire | 11.5 | 4.44 | 8.53% | 1920 |
| Abbasid Caliphate | 11.1 | 4.29 | 8.24% | 750 |
| Umayyad Caliphate | 11.1 | 4.29 | 8.24% | 720 |
| Yuan dynasty | 11.0 | 4.25 | 8.16% | 1310 |
| Xiongnu Empire | 9.0 | 3.47 | 6.68% | 176 BC |
| Empire of Brazil | 8.337 | 3.22 | 6.19% | 1889 |
| Empire of Japan | 7.4–8.51 | 2.86–3.285 | 5.49%–6.32% | 1942 |
| Eastern Han dynasty | 6.5 | 2.51 | 4.82% | 100 |
| Ming dynasty | 6.5 | 2.51 | 4.82% | 1450 |
| Rashidun Caliphate | 6.4 | 2.47 | 4.75% | 655 |
| First Turkic Khaganate | 6.0 | 2.32 | 4.45% | 557 |
| Golden Horde Khanate | 6.0 | 2.32 | 4.45% | 1310 |
| Western Han dynasty | 6.0 | 2.32 | 4.45% | 50 BC |
| Achaemenid Empire | 5.5 | 2.12 | 4.08% | 500 BC |
| Second Portuguese Empire | 5.5 | 2.12 | 4.08% | 1820 |
| Tang dynasty | 5.4 | 2.08 | 4.01% | 715 |
| Macedonian Empire | 5.2 | 2.01 | 3.86% | 323 BC |
| Ottoman Empire | 5.2 | 2.01 | 3.86% | 1683 |
| Northern Yuan dynasty | 5.0 | 1.93 | 3.71% | 1368 |
| Roman Empire | 5.0 | 1.93 | 3.71% | 117 |
| Xin dynasty | 4.7 | 1.81 | 3.49% | 10 |
| Tibetan Empire | 4.6 | 1.78 | 3.41% | 800 |
| Xianbei state | 4.5 | 1.74 | 3.34% | 200 |
| First Mexican Empire | 4.429 | 1.71 | 3.29% | 1821 |
| Timurid Empire | 4.4 | 1.70 | 3.27% | 1405 |
| Fatimid Caliphate | 4.1 | 1.58 | 3.04% | 969 |
| Eastern Turkic Khaganate | 4.0 | 1.54 | 2.97% | 624 |
| Hunnic Empire | 4.0 | 1.54 | 2.97% | 441 |
| Mughal Empire | 4.0 | 1.54 | 2.97% | 1690 |
| Great Seljuq Empire | 3.9 | 1.51 | 2.89% | 1080 |
| Seleucid Empire | 3.9 | 1.51 | 2.89% | 301 BC |
| Italian Empire | 3.825 | 1.48 | 2.84% | 1941 |
| Ilkhanate | 3.75 | 1.45 | 2.78% | 1310 |
| Dzungar Khanate | 3.6 | 1.39 | 2.67% | 1650 |
| Chagatai Khanate | 3.5 | 1.35 | 2.60% | 1310 or 1350 |
| Sasanian Empire | 3.5 | 1.35 | 2.60% | 550 |
| Western Turkic Khaganate | 3.5 | 1.35 | 2.60% | 630 |
| Western Xiongnu | 3.5 | 1.35 | 2.60% | 20 |
| First French colonial empire | 3.4 | 1.31 | 2.52% | 1670 |
| Ghaznavid Empire | 3.4 | 1.31 | 2.52% | 1029 |
| Maurya Empire | 3.4–5.0 | 1.31–1.93 | 2.52%–3.71% | 261 BC or 250 BC |
| Delhi Sultanate | 3.2 | 1.24 | 2.37% | 1312 |
| German colonial empire | 3.147 | 1.215 | 2.34% | 1911 |
| Northern Song dynasty | 3.1 | 1.20 | 2.30% | 980 |
| Uyghur Khaganate | 3.1 | 1.20 | 2.30% | 800 |
| Western Jin dynasty | 3.1 | 1.20 | 2.30% | 280 |
| Danish Empire | 3.0 | 1.16 | 2.23% | 1700 |
| Sui dynasty | 3.0 | 1.16 | 2.23% | 589 |
| Safavid empire | 2.9 | 1.12 | 2.15% | 1630 |
| Samanid Empire | 2.85 | 1.10 | 2.12% | 928 |
| Eastern Jin dynasty | 2.8 | 1.08 | 2.08% | 347 |
| Median Empire | 2.8 | 1.08 | 2.08% | 585 BC |
| Parthian Empire | 2.8 | 1.08 | 2.08% | 1 |
| Rouran Khaganate | 2.8 | 1.08 | 2.08% | 405 |
| Byzantine Empire | 2.7–2.8 | 1.04–1.08 | 2.00%–2.08% | 555 or 450 |
| Indo-Scythian Kingdom | 2.6 | 1.00 | 1.93% | 20 |
| Liao dynasty | 2.6 | 1.00 | 1.93% | 947 |
| Greco-Bactrian Kingdom | 2.5 | 0.97 | 1.86% | 184 BC |
| Later Zhao | 2.5 | 0.97 | 1.86% | 329 |
| Maratha Confederacy | 2.5 | 0.97 | 1.86% | 1760 |
| Belgian colonial empire | 2.366–2.47 | 0.91–0.95 | 1.76%–1.83% | 1941 or 1939 |
| Jin dynasty (1115–1234) | 2.3 | 0.89 | 1.71% | 1126 |
| Khwarazmian Empire | 2.3–3.6 | 0.89–1.39 | 1.71%–2.67% | 1210 or 1218 |
| Qin dynasty | 2.3 | 0.89 | 1.71% | 220 BC |
| Dutch Empire | 2.1 | 0.81 | 1.56% | 1938 |
| First French Empire | 2.1 | 0.81 | 1.56% | 1813 |
| Kievan Rus' | 2.1 | 0.81 | 1.56% | 1000 |
| Mamluk Sultanate | 2.1 | 0.81 | 1.56% | 1300 or 1400 |
| Southern Song dynasty | 2.1 | 0.81 | 1.56% | 1127 |
| Third Portuguese Empire | 2.1 | 0.81 | 1.56% | 1900 |
| Almohad Caliphate | 2.0–2.3 | 0.77–0.89 | 1.48%–1.71% | 1200 or 1150 |
| Cao Wei | 2.0 | 0.77 | 1.48% | 263 |
| Former Qin | 2.0 | 0.77 | 1.48% | 376 |
| Former Zhao | 2.0 | 0.77 | 1.48% | 316 |
| Ghurid dynasty | 2.0 | 0.77 | 1.48% | 1200 |
| Inca Empire | 2.0 | 0.77 | 1.48% | 1527 |
| Kushan Empire | 2.0–2.5 | 0.77–0.97 | 1.48%–1.86% | 200 |
| Liu Song dynasty | 2.0 | 0.77 | 1.48% | 450 |
| Northern Wei | 2.0 | 0.77 | 1.48% | 450 |
| Western Roman Empire | 2.0 | 0.77 | 1.48% | 395 |
| Ayyubid dynasty | 1.7–2.0 | 0.66–0.77 | 1.26%–1.48% | 1200 or 1190 |
| Gupta Empire | 1.7–3.5 | 0.66–1.35 | 1.26%–2.60% | 440 or 400 |
| Hephthalite Empire | 1.7–4.0 | 0.66–1.54 | 1.26%–2.97% | 500 or 470 |
| Buyid dynasty | 1.6 | 0.62 | 1.19% | 980 |
| Eastern Wu | 1.5 | 0.58 | 1.11% | 221 |
| Northern Qi | 1.5 | 0.58 | 1.11% | 557 |
| Northern Xiongnu | 1.5 | 0.58 | 1.11% | 60 |
| Northern Zhou | 1.5 | 0.58 | 1.11% | 577 |
| Neo-Assyrian Empire | 1.4 | 0.54 | 1.04% | 670 BC |
| Eastern Maurya Kingdom | 1.3 | 0.50 | 0.96% | 210 BC |
| Liang dynasty | 1.3 | 0.50 | 0.96% | 502, 549, or 579 |
| Qajar Empire | 1.29 | 0.50 | 0.96% | 1873 |
| Kingdom of Aksum | 1.25 | 0.48 | 0.93% | 350 |
| Shang dynasty | 1.25 | 0.48 | 0.93% | 1122 BC |
| Francia | 1.2 | 0.46 | 0.89% | 814 |
| Srivijaya | 1.2 | 0.46 | 0.89% | 1200 |
| Indo-Greek Kingdom | 1.1 | 0.42 | 0.82% | 150 BC |
| Mali Empire | 1.1 | 0.42 | 0.82% | 1380 |
| Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth | 1.1 | 0.42 | 0.82% | 1480 or 1650 |
| Almoravid dynasty | 1.0 | 0.39 | 0.74% | 1120 |
| Pushyabhuti dynasty | 1.0 | 0.39 | 0.74% | 625 or 648 |
| Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty | 1.0 | 0.39 | 0.74% | 860 |
| Holy Roman Empire | 1.0 | 0.39 | 0.74% | 1050 |
| Khazar Khanate | 1.0–3.0 | 0.39–1.16 | 0.74%–2.23% | 900 or 850 |
| Khmer Empire | 1.0 | 0.39 | 0.74% | 1290 |
| New Kingdom of Egypt | 1.0 | 0.39 | 0.74% | 1450 BC or 1300 BC |
| Ptolemaic Kingdom | 1.0 | 0.39 | 0.74% | 301 BC |
| Qara Khitai | 1.0–1.5 | 0.39–0.58 | 0.74%–1.11% | 1130 or 1210 |
| Scythia | 1.0 | 0.39 | 0.74% | 400 BC |
| Shu Han | 1.0 | 0.39 | 0.74% | 221 |
| Tahirid dynasty | 1.0 | 0.39 | 0.74% | 800 |
| Western Xia | 1.0 | 0.39 | 0.74% | 1100 |
| Swedish Empire | 0.99 | 0.38 | 0.73% | 1700 |
| Kingdom of Armenia | 0.9 | 0.35 | 0.67% | 70 BC |
| Nazi Germany | 0.824 | 0.32 | 0.61% | 1941 |
| Akkadian Empire | 0.8 | 0.31 | 0.59% | 2250 BC |
| Avar Khaganate | 0.8 | 0.31 | 0.59% | 600 |
| Chu | 0.8 | 0.31 | 0.59% | 300 BC |
| Huns | 0.8 | 0.31 | 0.59% | 287 |
| Songhai Empire | 0.8 | 0.31 | 0.59% | 1550 |
| Hyksos | 0.65 | 0.25 | 0.48% | 1650 BC |
| Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt | 0.65 | 0.25 | 0.48% | 550 BC |
| Rozvi Empire | 0.624 | 0.24 | 0.46% | 1700 |
| Austro-Hungarian Empire | 0.62 | 0.24 | 0.46% | 1905 |
| Caliphate of Córdoba | 0.6 | 0.23 | 0.45% | 1000 |
| First Portuguese Empire | 0.6 | 0.23 | 0.45% | 1580 |
| Visigothic Kingdom | 0.6 | 0.23 | 0.45% | 580 |
| Zhou dynasty | 0.55 | 0.21 | 0.41% | 1100 BC |
| Sikh Empire | 0.52 | 0.20 | 0.39% | 1839 |
| Emirate of Córdoba | 0.5 | 0.19 | 0.37% | 756 |
| Kosala | 0.5 | 0.19 | 0.37% | 543 BC |
| Lydia | 0.5 | 0.19 | 0.37% | 585 BC |
| Magadha | 0.5 | 0.19 | 0.37% | 510 BC |
| Middle Kingdom of Egypt | 0.5 | 0.19 | 0.37% | 1850 BC |
| Neo-Babylonian Empire | 0.5 | 0.19 | 0.37% | 562 BC |
| Satavahana dynasty | 0.5 | 0.19 | 0.37% | 150 |
| Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt | 0.5 | 0.19 | 0.37% | 715 BC |
| Western Satraps | 0.5 | 0.19 | 0.37% | 100 |
| New Hittite Kingdom | 0.45 | 0.17 | 0.33% | 1250 BC – 1220 BC |
| Xia dynasty | 0.45 | 0.17 | 0.33% | 1800 BC |
| Bulgarian Empire | 0.4 | 0.15 | 0.30% | 850 |
| Kingdom of France (Middle Ages) | 0.4 | 0.15 | 0.30% | 1250 |
| Middle Assyrian Empire | 0.4 | 0.15 | 0.30% | 1080 BC |
| Old Kingdom of Egypt | 0.4 | 0.15 | 0.30% | 2400 BC |
| Sokoto Caliphate | 0.4 | 0.15 | 0.30% | 1804 |
| Latin Empire | 0.35 | 0.14 | 0.26% | 1204 |
| Ancient Carthage | 0.3 | 0.12 | 0.22% | 220 BC |
| Indus Valley civilisation | 0.3 | 0.12 | 0.22% | 1800 BC |
| Mitanni | 0.3 | 0.12 | 0.22% | 1450 BC – 1375 BC |
| Ashanti Empire | 0.25 | 0.10 | 0.19% | 1820 |
| First Babylonian Empire | 0.25 | 0.10 | 0.19% | 1690 BC |
| Aztec Empire | 0.22 | 0.08 | 0.16% | 1520 |
| Zulu Empire | 0.21 | 0.08 | 0.16% | 1822 |
| Elamite Empire | 0.2 | 0.08 | 0.15% | 1160 BC |
| Phrygia | 0.2 | 0.08 | 0.15% | 750 BC |
| Second Dynasty of Isin | 0.2 | 0.08 | 0.15% | 1130 BC |
| Urartu | 0.2 | 0.08 | 0.15% | 800 BC |
| Eastern Zhou | 0.15 | 0.06 | 0.11% | 770 BC |
| Middle Hittite Kingdom | 0.15 | 0.06 | 0.11% | 1450 BC |
| Old Assyrian Empire | 0.15 | 0.06 | 0.11% | 1730 BC |
| Old Hittite Empire | 0.15 | 0.06 | 0.11% | 1530 BC |
| Oyo Empire | 0.15 | 0.06 | 0.11% | 1680 |
| Bornu Empire | 0.13 | 0.05 | 0.10% | 1892 |
| Larsa | 0.1 | 0.04 | 0.07% | 1750 BC – 1700 BC |
| Neo-Sumerian Empire | 0.1 | 0.04 | 0.07% | 2000 BC |
| Tarascan empire | 0.075 | 0.03 | 0.06% | 1450 |
| Lagash | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.04% | 2400 BC |
| Sumer | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.04% | 2400 BC |
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Cronología de los imperios más grandes hasta la fecha
El imperio más antiguo que se puede afirmar con certeza que fue más grande que todos los imperios anteriores fue el del Alto y el Bajo Egipto, que cubría diez veces el área de la civilización más grande anterior alrededor del año 3000 a.C.
| Imperio | Zona terrestre | Año | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millones de km2 | Millones de metros cuadrados | ||
| Egipto superior e inferior | 0.1 | 0,04 | 3000 AC |
| Antiguo Reino de Egipto | 0,25 | 0.10 | 2850 BC |
| 0,4 | 0.15 | 2400 AC | |
| Akkadian Empire | 0.65 | 0,25 | 2300 BC |
| 0,8 | 0.31 | 2250 BC | |
| Nuevo Reino de Egipto | 1.0 | 0.39 | 1450 BC |
| Dinastía Shang | 1.25 | 0.48 | 1122 BC |
| Imperio neoasiático | 1.4 | 0,544 | 670 BC |
| Imperio Mediano | 2.8 | 1.08 | 585 BC |
| Achaemenid Empire | 3.6 | 1.39 | 539 BC |
| 5,5 | 2.12 | 500 BC | |
| Imperio Xiongnu | 9.0 | 3.47 | 176 BC |
| Omeyad Caliphate | 11.1 | 4.29 | 720 |
| Imperio Mongol | 13.5 | 5.21 | 1227 |
| 24.0 | 9.27 | 1309 | |
| British Empire | 24,5 | 9.46 | 1880 |
| 35,5 | 13.71 | 1920 | |
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Cronología de los imperios más grandes de la época
| Imperio | Zona terrestre durante el tiempo el imperio más grande | Período aproximado | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millones de km2 | Millones de metros cuadrados | ||
| Alto Egipto | 0.1 | 0,04 | 3000 AC |
| Antiguo Reino de Egipto | 0,25–0,4 | 0,10–0,15 | 2800 BC – 2400 AC |
| Akkadian Empire | 0,2 a 0,6 | 0,08–0,23 | 2300 BC – 2200 BC |
| Civilización del Valle de Indus | 0.15 | 0,06 | 2100 BC |
| Middle Kingdom of Egypt | 0,2 a 0,5 | 0,08–0.19 | 2000 BC – 1800 BC |
| Xia dinastía | 0,4 | 0.15 | 1700 BC |
| Hyksos | 0.65 | 0,25 | 1600 BC |
| Nuevo Reino de Egipto | 0,65–0 | 0,25–0,39 | 1500 BC – 1300 BC |
| Dinastía Shang | 0.9–1.1 | 0,35–0,42 | 1250 BC – 1150 BC |
| Nuevo Reino de Egipto | 0,5 a 0,6 | 0.19–0.23 | 1100 BC – 1050 BC |
| Dinastía Zhou | 0,35–0,45 | 0.14–0.17 | 1000 BC – 900 BC |
| Imperio neoasiático | 0.4–1.4 | 0,15–0,54 | 850 BC – 650 BC |
| Imperio Mediano | 3.0 | 1.16 | 600 BC |
| Achaemenid Empire | 2.5-5.5 | 0.97–2.12 | 550 BC – 350 BC |
| Macedonia Empire | 5.2 | 2.01 | 323 BC |
| Imperio Seleucid | 4.0 | 1.54 | 300 aC |
| Maurya Empire | 3.5 | 1.35 | 250 BC |
| Han dinastía | 2.5 | 0.97 | 200 BC |
| Imperio Xiongnu | 5.7 | 2.20 | 150 BC |
| Han dinastía | 4.2 a 6,5 | 1.62–2.51 | 100 BC – 200 AD |
| Imperio Romano | 4.4 | 1.70 | 250–350 |
| Sasanian Empire | 3.5 | 1.35 | 400 |
| Hunnic Empire | 4.0 | 1.54 | 450 |
| Sasanian Empire | 3.5 | 1.35 | 500 |
| Göktürk Khaganate | 3.0–5.2 | 1.16–2.01 | 550–600 |
| Rashidun Caliphate | 5.2 | 2.01 | 650 |
| Omeyad Caliphate | 9.0–11.0 | 3.47–4.25 | 700–750 |
| Abbasid Caliphate | 8.3-1,0 | 3.20 a 4,25 | 750–800 |
| Tíbet | 2.5 a 4.7 | 0,97–1,81 | 850–950 |
| Dinastía Song | 3.0 | 1.16 | 1000 |
| Imperio Seljuk | 3.0-4.0 | 1.16–1,54 | 1050–1100 |
| Tíbet | 2.5 | 0.97 | 1150 |
| Dinastía Jin (1115–1234) | 2.3 | 0.89 | 1200 |
| Imperio Mongol | 18.0–24.0 | 6.95–9.27 | 1250–1300 |
| Yuan dynasty | 11.0 | 4.25 | 1350 |
| Imperio Timurid | 4.0 | 1.54 | 1400 |
| Dinastía Ming | 4.7 a 6.5 | 1.81–2.51 | 1450–1500 |
| Imperio Otomano | 4.3 | 1.66 | 1550 |
| Tsardom de Rusia | 6.0 a 12,0 | 2.32 a 4,63 | 1600–1700 |
| Imperio ruso | 14.0-17.0 | 5.41 a 6,56 | 1750–1800 |
| British Empire | 23.0-34.0 | 8.88–13.13 | 1850–1925 |
| Unión Soviética | 22.5 | 8.69 | 1950–1975 |
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Imperios más grandes por proporción de población mundial

Debido a la tendencia al aumento de la población mundial a lo largo del tiempo, las cifras absolutas de población son, para algunos propósitos, menos relevantes para la comparación entre diferentes imperios que sus respectivas proporciones de la población mundial en ese momento. Durante la mayor parte del tiempo, desde aproximadamente el año 400 a. C., los dos imperios más poblados & # 39; La proporción combinada de la población mundial ha sido del 30% al 40%. La mayor parte del tiempo, el imperio más poblado ha estado ubicado en China.
| Imperio | Población del imperio como porcentaje población mundial | Año |
|---|---|---|
| Dinastía Qing | 37 | 1800 |
| Dinastía de Canción del Norte | 33 | 1100 |
| Western Han dinastía | 32 | 1 |
| Imperio Mongol | 31 | 1290 |
| Imperio Romano | 30 | 150 |
| Dinastía Jin (266-420) | 28 | 280 |
| Dinastía Ming | 28 | 1600 |
| Dinastía Qin | 24 | 220 BC |
| Mughal Empire | 24 | 1700 |
| Tang dinastía | 23 | 900 |
| Delhi Sultanate | 23 | 1350 |
| British Empire | 23 | 1938 |
| Imperio de Japón | 20 | 1943 |
| Maurya Empire | 19 | 250 BC |
| Ex Qin | 19 | 376 |
| Northern Zhou | 16 | 580 |
| Macedonia Empire | 15 | 323 BC |
| Imperio de Harsha | 15 | 647 |
| Gupta Empire | 13 | 450 |
| Northern Wei | 13 | 500 |
| Omeyad Caliphate | 13 | 750 |
| Achaemenid Empire | 12 | 450 BC |
| Ex Yan | 12 | 366 |
| Dinastía Jin (1115–1234) | 12 | 1200 |
| Nazi Germany | 12 | 1943 |