# Biggest empire/nation in history

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-empire-nation-in-history/601117>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 28, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-empire-nation-in-history/601117 "2011-10-28T20:28:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-empire-nation-in-history/601117/21 "2011-11-09T14:44:07Z")

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> [@Annie-Xmas](#):
>
> At one time the sun never set on the British empire. Also the Lloyd Webber empire, but that’s another thread.

That’s not really so impressive. I believe the sun never sets on the [remaining British protectorates](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_overseas_territories) now.

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**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-empire-nation-in-history/601117/22 "2011-11-09T15:03:42Z")

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> [@StusBlues](#):
>
> That’s not really so impressive. I believe the sun never sets on the [remaining British protectorates](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_overseas_territories) now.

Never mind us Brits cheating with protectorates and such. I’m pretty sure it never sets on the [republic of France](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:France-Constituent-Lands.png) itself. (French Guiana, say, is legally as much part of France as Provence.)

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**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-empire-nation-in-history/601117/23 "2011-11-09T17:11:11Z")

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> [@mac\_bolan00](#):
>
> three generations and each territory was basically autonomous. am i right so far?

Arguably more like two - from 1206 ( Genghis unites Mongolia ) to 1262 ( his grandson Mongke dies in 1259, civil war commences in 1262 over disputed succession ). It saw three more or less orderly successions and as noted that is considerably more than Alexander accomplished :).

At any rate empires aren’t necessarily defined by stability. My namesake built an empire, but it was as ephemeral as Alexander’s, partially ( but not completely ) collapsing on his death. Alex had the lasting effect of the Age of Hellenism, the Timurids would go on to found the Mughal state with all its glories in India. But neither ruler really laid ground to secure the fortunes of their dynastic lines.

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