At the height of its greatness in the late 19th and early 20th century, it included 25% of the world's population and area. What was it?

At its zenith, the British Empire was the most extensive in history, famously described as "the empire on which the sun never sets" because its vast global reach ensured that daylight was always present in at least one of its territories. Around the turn of the 20th century, it governed a significant portion of the globe. By 1913, its population was approximately 412 million people, which accounted for about 23% of the world's population at the time. Following World War I, by 1920, the empire's land mass had swelled to its greatest extent, covering about 35.5 million square kilometers (13.7 million square miles), or roughly 24% of the Earth's total land area.

This colossal empire was a product of centuries of exploration, trade, and conquest that began in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Its dominance was secured by the powerful Royal Navy, which controlled the world's oceans, and a robust global trade network. London became the financial center of the world, and at one point, the empire controlled about a quarter of all global trade. The empire's territories were incredibly diverse, ranging from vast dominions like Canada, Australia, and South Africa to crown colonies across Africa and Asia. The most populous and economically vital of these possessions was British India, often called the "jewel in the crown," which included the modern-day countries of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The legacy of this empire is widespread, influencing legal, linguistic, and cultural aspects of many nations today.