This political world map shows the world in 1871 CE, when Britain was the greatest power in the world. Its empire stretched across rich South Asia, the vast expanses of Australia and large parts of North America, and many smaller colonies and possessions. On land, Qing Dynasty China, the Ottoman Empire, and Russia might have been the largest states, but Britain was the wealthiest and largest empire in world history. Still, most of Africa remained independent at this time, with a profusion of small and medium sized states. How would this fragmentation help, or hinder, Africa in the next few years, and would other empires rise to challenge Britain's supremacy?
1871 CE political map, by OER Project, CC BY 4.0.