The territory of the British Empire

By the mid-20th century, especially after the end of World War II, with the rise of global nationalist movements, British colonial rule experienced a serious crisis; in this case, Britain was forced to allow its vast colonies to become independent or Semi-independent, in order to continue to exert an important influence in the vast colonial areas, the British government initiated and supervised the establishment of a peace organization - the "Commonwealth"; most of the former British colonies became independent countries joined the organization, but with the British Empire The difference is that the UK can no longer directly influence other members of the Commonwealth in politics, diplomacy, economy and other aspects. At the peak of its territorial expansion in 1921, the British Empire's territory was as follows: Africa Basutoland: now Lesotho. The British annexed the area in 1868 and placed it under the jurisdiction of the Cape of Good Hope Colonial Government in 1871. In 1884, the British resumed direct jurisdiction over it. Independence in 1966.

Bechuanaland: Today's Botswana. The British Expeditionary Force arrived in the area in 1884 and declared it a British protectorate in 1885. In 1895, part of Bechuanaland was placed under the jurisdiction of the Cape Colonial Government, while the rest continued to be directly under British jurisdiction. Independence in 1966.

British Togo: Originally a German colony, it was divided into French Togo and British Togo after World War I. After the war, the British mandated the area, and it was annexed to the Gold Coast in 1919. After Ghana became independent, it became part of its territory.

British Cameroon: Originally a German colony, the British mandated some of its areas after World War I. In 1961, British and French Cameroon merged and declared independence.

The Gambia: The country has been a stronghold for British traders since 1661. It was annexed to Sierra Leone in 1821 and became an independent British colony in 1888. In 1894, some inland areas were also declared a British protectorate. , gained independence in 1965.

Gold Coast: present-day Ghana. British merchants began to settle here since 1631. From 1821 to 1874, it was an administrative district of British Sierra Leone, which was controlled by merchants from 1828 to 1843. Since 1830, its territory began to expand inland. In 1874, the British established the Gold Coast Colony. In 1904, its boundaries were finally determined. British Togo was annexed in 1919 and became independent in 1957.

Northern Rhodesia: present-day Zambia. It was placed under the rule of the British South Africa Company in 1891. In 1924, the British government began to directly rule the area. In 1953, Northern Rhodesia, Nyasaland and Southern Rhodesia established the Central African Federation, and became independent in 1964.

Nyasaland: present-day Malawi. Missionaries have established a base here since 1875. In 1891, the British established the Central African Protectorate here, which was named Nyasaland in 1907. In 1953, it merged with Northern and Southern Rhodesia to form the Central African Federation, and became independent in 1964.

Sierra Leone: Since 1787, Sierra Leone has been an important base for the British company in the slave trade. It became a British colony in 1807. Its interior areas were declared a British protectorate in 1896 and became independent in 1961.

Southern Rhodesia: present-day Zimbabwe. In 1893, the British captured Southern Rhodesia from African tribes and it was managed by the British South Africa Company. In 1923, a responsible government was established and managed by the British government. From 1953 to 1964, it formed a central government with Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Non-federal, the country's white minority government declared independence on its own in 1965, and was only recognized by a few countries such as South Africa. In 1980, the white regime and the black community reached a political agreement, changed its name to Zimbabwe, and became a widely recognized sovereign country.

British Somaliland: became the protectorate of Aden in 1884, delimited the borders in 1897, became an independent colony in 1905, was briefly occupied by Italy from 1940 to 1941, and was incorporated into Somalia in 1960 independent.

South Africa: The British captured part of the Cape of Good Hope from the Dutch twice in 1795 and 1806, fully annexed the Cape of Good Hope in 1814, and came under direct British jurisdiction from 1872. After the British occupied this former Dutch colony, many white Dutchmen began to immigrate to the Orange Free State and the Transvaal, but the British annexed these two areas after the Boer War in 1900. Natal was annexed by the British in 1843 and became a colony. In 1910, the above-mentioned colonies merged to form the Union of South Africa and became an autonomous territory.

Zanzibar: The British established a consulate on the island in 1841, declared it a British protectorate in 1890, became independent in 1963, and merged with Tanganyika to form Tanzania the following year.

Uganda: In 1890, the British East Africa Company signed a treaty with the Kingdom of Buganda. In 1894, Buganda officially became a British protectorate. In 1896, several other regions gradually joined the protectorate. In 1905, the colony of Uganda was established. , became independent in 1962. North America and the Atlantic Ascension Island: After Napoleon was imprisoned on St. Helena in 1815, the British stationed troops here to prevent the French from controlling the island. St. Helena has been under administrative jurisdiction since 1922. .

British Guiana: present-day Guyana.

The British captured three colonies that were originally Dutch in 1796 and 1803: Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo. In 1831, three colonies were merged to form the colony of British Guiana, which became independent in 1966.

British Honduras, present-day Belize: British hematoxylin loggers settled along the coast of the country starting in 1636. After that, Spain and Britain began to compete for control of the land until 1786. Britain took complete control. It was administered by Jamaica from 1862 to 1884, became a separate colony in 1884, and became independent in 1981.

Canada: French Canada. It was occupied by the British in 1760 and the British colony of Quebec was established in 1763. In 1791, Quebec was divided into two independent colonies of Upper and Lower Canada. Later, Lower Canada was renamed Eastern Canada, Upper Canada was called Western Canada, and Eastern Canada They were the core parts of the later provinces of Quebec and Ontario respectively. They merged with New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to form the Dominion of Canada in 1867, and were later joined by British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Newfoundland. Dominion of Canada.

Falkland Islands: Britain first occupied the Falkland Islands in 1765. It withdrew in 1774 due to Spanish protests, reoccupied it in 1833, and began colonial rule in 1841. In 1982, Argentina declared the Falkland Islands as its own, triggering the Falkland Islands War. Britain regained sovereignty over the islands after winning the war.

Newfoundland: British ships have been fishing in the waters of this area since the late 15th century. In 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert landed in Newfoundland and declared it to be British territory. In 1713, the British government began Under direct colonial rule, Newfoundland established a responsible government in 1855. However, Britain resumed its colonial rule in 1934 and joined the Dominion of Canada in 1949.

Anguilla: Some St. Christopher immigrated here in 1650. The island was declared a British territory in 1663. From 1882 to 1967, it and St. Christopher were jointly managed by a joint government. Withdrew in 1967, Britain resumed rule over the island in 1969.

St. Christopher, Antigua: Colonized in 1632, placed under British jurisdiction in 1663, and became independent as Antigua and Barbuda in 1981.

The Bahamas: Ruled by Britain since 1717 and independent in 1973.

Barbados: People began to live on the island in 1625. It came under the rule of the British government in 1663 and became independent in 1966.

Bermuda Islands: A London company began to manage Bermuda in 1612, and it has been under the direct jurisdiction of the British government since 1684.

British Virgin Islands: People have lived here since 1666 and became a British colony since 1713.

Cayman Islands: The islands were ceded by Spain in 1670 and were administratively administered by the colonial government of Jamaica until they became an independent colony in 1959.

Dominica: Britain acquired the island from France in 1761, France reoccupied Dominica in 1778, and Britain occupied it again in 1783; it became independent in 1978.

Grenada: Britain acquired the island from France in 1762. France reoccupied Grenada in 1779, and Britain occupied it again in 1783; it became independent in 1974.

Jamaica: Britain captured the island from Spain in 1655 and became independent in 1962.

Montserrat: The island began to be inhabited in 1632 and became a British colony in 1663. France ruled the island twice from 1664 to 1768 and from 1782 to 1784.

Saint Kitts and Nevis: St. Christopher became the first British colony in the Caribbean in 1623. It was directly ruled by the British government from 1663, and was briefly occupied by France from 1782 to 1783. . In 1882, St. Christopher formed a joint government with the island of Nevis, and in 1983, it became independent and was called St. Kitts and Nevis.

Saint Lucia: The British captured the island from France in 1778 and returned it to France in 1783. The British reoccupied it twice in 1796 and 1803. In 1814, the British permanently annexed Saint Lucia. Independence in 1979.

Saint Vincent: Britain occupied the island in 1762. France occupied the island from 1779 to 1783. St. Vincent and the Grenadines became independent in 1979.

Trinidad: Britain acquired the island from Spain in 1797, formed a coalition government with Tobago in 1888, and Trinidad and Tobago became independent in 1962.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Inhabited since 1678, the Islands were annexed by the British in 1766. They were subsequently administered by the colonial governments of Jamaica and the Bahamas, and became an independent colony in 1973. .

Saint Helena: The British annexed the island in 1651. The East India Company began to manage it in 1661. In 1834, the British government began to exercise direct jurisdiction over it.

Tristan and da Cunha: The island was occupied by the British Royal Navy in 1816 to prevent Napoleon, who was imprisoned on St. Helena in 1815, and became a subordinate island in 1938. A British colony under the administrative jurisdiction of St. Helena. Antarctica British Antarctic Territory: The United Kingdom declared sovereignty over the area in 1819, making the United Kingdom the first country in the world to declare sovereignty over the territory of Antarctica. The United Kingdom acquired part of Antarctica's territory twice in 1908 and 1917. The Antarctic Treaty was formulated in 1959, stipulating that the land within 60° south latitude does not belong to any country, and countries with territories in other parts of Antarctica are also prohibited from immigrating here. or engage in other activities unrelated to scientific research. Asia Aden: The British East India Company captured the port from the Arabs in 1839. In 1858, the East India Company handed over its control to the British government and it became the jurisdiction of the British colonial government in India. In 1936 Aden and its hinterland became a separate colonial Aden Protectorate. In 1963, Aden joined the South Arab Federation, which became independent as South Yemen in 1967. After the unification of North and South Yemen in 1990, Aden remained a port city in Yemen.

Bahrain: In 1820, the British government signed an agreement with the Emir of Bahrain to turn it into a protectorate. In 1971, Bahrain declared independence.

Bhutan: In 1864, the British occupied the border areas of Bhutan through war. In 1911, Bhutan signed a treaty with the British. Bhutan's foreign policy was handed over to the British, while its internal affairs remained autonomous; in 1947 After India became independent, Britain also ended its control over Bhutan.

British New Guinea: The British established a protectorate here in 1884. In 1906, it was transferred to Australian management and renamed Papua. In 1949, Papua merged with the rest of New Guinea and became independent Papua New Guinea.

Brunei: In 1888, the United Kingdom declared Brunei its protectorate. It was occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1983, Brunei became completely independent from British protection.

Myanmar: The British occupied the entire territory of Myanmar after three wars in 1824, 1852 and 1885, and placed it under the administrative jurisdiction of the Indian colonial government until 1937. Japan occupied Myanmar from 1942 to 1945, and Myanmar became independent in 1948.

Ceylon is now Sri Lanka: In 1796, the East India Company captured the coastal areas of the island from the Netherlands and handed it over to the British government in 1802. In 1815, the British deposed the king of Ceylon and took over all of Ceylon. The island came under British rule, became independent in 1948, and changed its name to Sri Lanka in 1972.

Hong Kong, China: After the victory of the Opium War in 1842, Britain obtained Hong Kong Island; in 1860, Britain obtained the Kowloon Peninsula; in 1898, Britain signed a lease with the Qing Dynasty, placing the New Territories under the management of Hong Kong for a period of 99 Year. In 1984, the United Kingdom agreed to return all of Hong Kong to China after the New Territories lease expired. In 1997, the power was transferred smoothly, and Hong Kong became a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China.

British India: Since 1609, the East India Company has established immigration strongholds on the coast of India. In 1757, it began to expand its territory inland. Most Indian states maintain autonomy in internal affairs, but they must obey the East India Company. absolute authority. In 1858, the British government officially took over the rule of India, and India gradually became one of the most important British colonies in the world, known as the "jewel in the crown." Since 1876, the British monarch has also been awarded the title of "Emperor of India" or "Queen of India". India became independent in 1947 after splitting into two countries, India and Pakistan; Bangladesh split from Pakistan in 1972.

Iraq: Britain occupied Iraq, which was originally owned by Turkey, during World War I. In 1920, it began to administer Iraq under the mandate of the League of Nations. In 1922, Iraq implemented autonomy and became independent in 1932. Britain reoccupied Iraq from 1941 to 1945.

Kuwait: Since 1899, the Emir of Kuwait has signed a series of protection treaties with the United Kingdom and lost part of its sovereignty. Kuwait became fully independent in 1961.

Malaya: present-day West Malaysia. From 1874 to 1930, Britain signed a series of protection treaties with various Sudans on the Malayan Peninsula; in 1896, some states formed the Malayan Federation. From 1942 to 1945, all of Malaya was occupied by Japan. In 1948 Malaya, excluding Singapore, formed a new federation, including states that had not joined the federation in 1896, and became fully independent in 1957. In 1963, Malaya, Singapore (later forced to withdraw), North Borneo and Sarawak formed Malaysia.

Maldives Islands: Adopted as a British protectorate in 1887, became independent in 1965.

Palestine: During World War I in 1918, Britain occupied the Palestinian territory that was originally owned by Turkey. In 1920, Britain began to mandate it. In 1948, Britain gave up its mandate. After that, decades of Jewish Armed conflict with the Arabs.

In Nepal, Britain fought a war with the Kingdom of Nepal in 1814. After the victory of the British army, special representatives were stationed in the Nepalese court from 1816 to carry out indirect colonial rule over Nepal. Nepal also gained independence immediately after India became independent in 1947.

North Borneo: Sabah in present-day East Malaysia. In 1881, the Sultan of Brunei ceded the area to the British North Borneo Company. Since 1906, the British government has directly managed it. It was occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1963, it was renamed Sabah and joined Malaysia.

Oman: Britain has controlled Oman's prosperous trade since the early 19th century. In 1891, Oman officially became a British protectorate and became independent in 1971.

Qatar: Since 1916, the United Kingdom has signed a series of agreements with the rulers of Qatar, placing Qatar under British protection and becoming independent in 1971.

Sarawak: In 1841, the Sultan of Brunei agreed to appoint an Englishman, James Brooke, as the governor of the region. Sarawak's territory continued to expand from 1861 to 1905; from 1942 to 1945 Japan once occupied the area. In 1946, the British government officially replaced the Brooke family in ruling Sarawak, and joined Malaysia in 1963.

The Straits Settlements: today's Malacca, Penang and Singapore. In 1826, these three important port cities were united to form the Straits Settlements, which were administered by the British East India Company. They were administered by the Indian government from 1858 to 1867 and became an independent colony under the direct management of the British government. All three cities were occupied by Japan during World War II. Malacca and Penang joined Malaya in 1948 and became independent in 1957. Singapore continued to remain within the territory of the British Empire alone, and was only allowed to be autonomous in 1959. In 1963, Singapore chose to join Malaysia. In 1965, it was forced to withdraw from the federation and declare independence.

Transjordan: present-day Jordan. In 1918, the British occupied Transjordan, which was once part of the Turkish Province of Jordan, and mandated it from 1920. In 1921, Transjordan was separated from Palestine. In 1923, the British allowed the establishment of the Kingdom of Jordan, but did not allow it to become fully independent until 1946. in the UK.

Emirate of Trusil: present-day United Arab Emirates. Since 1887, Britain has signed a series of protection treaties with local Arab rulers, and became independent in 1971.

Weihaiwei: Today's Weihai City, Shandong Province, China. The British leased the port to the Chinese government in 1898 and returned it in 1930. Europe Cyprus: In 1878, Britain signed a treaty with Turkey and obtained the right to rule Cyprus. It officially became a British colony in 1914 and became fully independent in 1960.

Gibraltar: Britain captured this military fortress from Spain in 1704. In 1713, Britain and Spain signed a treaty, officially confirming that its sovereignty belongs to Britain. Malta In 1800, the British drove away the French who had occupied Malta 2 years earlier, and officially annexed Malta in 1814. Independence in 1964.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British mainland, is the center of the British Empire. Colonial and administrative affairs involving the empire are handled here, and the British monarch, the head of state of the empire, also lives here. Oceania Australia: New South Wales is the earliest British colony in Australia. In 1770, James Cook proposed to develop the eastern coast of Australia. In 1788, the first batch of British prisoners were immigrated to open up the land. In 1855, New South Wales was established. government. In 1824, Queensland became the first colony established by the British in Moreton Bay. It was initially subordinate to the colonial government of New South Wales, and separated in 1859 to establish an independent responsible government. In 1834, the British Parliament decided to establish a new colony in Australia. In 1836, the first batch of British colonists arrived in South Australia. In 1855, a responsible government was established in South Australia. Tasmania was colonized by Europeans as early as 1803. It was first known as Van Diemen's Land and was an administrative region under the colonial government of New South Wales. In 1825, it separated from New South Wales and became an independent British colony. In 1856, a responsible government was established. In 1834, the British from Tasmania settled in Port Phillip. In 1851, the Victoria Colony was established, and a responsible government was established four years later. Western Australia had been colonized since 1826, but responsible government was not established until 1890. In 1901, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia merged to form the Australian Federation, and later obtained the status of a dominion.

Ellis Islands: present-day Tuvalu. The islands were declared a protectorate by the United Kingdom in 1892. The Ellis Islands and the Gilbert Islands formed a colony in 1916 and became independent in 1978.

Gilbert Islands: present-day Kiribati. It became a British protectorate together with the Ellis Islands in 1892, formed a colony with the Ellis Islands in 1916, and became independent in 1979.

Fiji: Missionaries and colonists have settled in Fiji since 1835. In 1874, at the request of the Fijian chief, Britain placed Fiji under its protection and became independent in 1970.

Nauru: Originally part of German New Guinea, after the end of World War I, Australia began to mandate it, which lasted until Nauru became independent in 1968.

New Zealand: James Cook claimed sovereignty over the North Island and South Island of New Zealand in 1769 and 1770 respectively. In 1840, Britain signed a treaty with the local Maori people, and Britain began to rule New Zealand. New Zealand was established in 1856 Responsible government and later achieved Dominion status.

Pitcairn Islands: In 1790, a mutiny occurred on the British warship HMS Bounty. Nine sailors fled to the island and settled here. In 1838, Britain incorporated it into the empire.

Solomon Islands: It became a British protectorate in 1893. It was occupied by Japan during World War II and became independent in 1978.

Tonga: The rulers of Tonga signed a treaty of friendship with the United Kingdom in 1879. They were protected by the United Kingdom since 1900 and became independent in 1970.

New Hebrides: Originally a dependent colony of Britain and France, it became independent in 1980.

The Crown Dependency of Guernsey

Jersey

The Falkland Islands, a dependency of the Isle of Man (commonly known as the Malvinas Islands or the Falkland Islands, disputed with Argentina)

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Overseas Territory Anguilla

Bermuda

British Indian Ocean Territory

British Virgin Islands

Cayman Islands

Gibraltar (dispute with Spain)

Montserrat

Saint Helena

The Special Territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands, the British Base Area of ??Cyprus