I just reviewed a fascinating ranking of the greatest empires in history, and there are some data points that truly surprise me. The British Empire leads with 35.5 million km², but what's interesting is to see how the largest empires in history were not always the longest-lasting.

What caught my attention the most is that the Mongol Empire, with 24 million km², was built in just a couple of centuries. Then there's the Russian Empire with 22.8 million km², which maintained its dominance for much longer. When talking about Asia, the Qing Dynasty reached 14.7 million km², while in Europe, the Spanish Empire reached 13.7 million km².

The curious thing is comparing empires from different eras. The Abbasid and Umayyad Caliphates hovered around 11 million km² in medieval Middle East, similar to the Chinese Yuan Dynasty. Next come the Portuguese Empire with 10.4 million km² and the United States post-1945 with 9.8 million km².

Among the largest empires in history, we also find some that many forget. The Empire of Brazil reached 8.5 million km², the same as the Japanese Empire during World War II. Then there are Chinese dynasties like Ming (6.5 million km²) and Tang (5 million km²).

What's fascinating is that the list includes empires from all eras and continents: from the Achaemenid Persian Empire with 5.5 million km² to the Roman Empire with 5 million km². The Ottoman Empire reached 5.2 million km², while the Maurya Empire of India also achieved 5 million km².

There are some adjusted figures such as the Almoravid Dynasty with 4 million km², the Mughal Empire with 4 million km², and the Han Dynasty with 4 million km². The smaller numbers include the Xiongnu Empire with 3.4 million km², the Maratha Empire with 2.5 million km², and the Inca Empire with 2 million km².

The list closes with the Byzantine Empire with 1.5 million km², the Swedish Empire with 1.3 million km², the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with 1 million km², and Ancient Egypt in its New Kingdom also with 1 million km². Definitely, studying how the largest empires in history expanded and collapsed is something that never ceases to amaze me.