Was the British Empire Bigger Than the Roman Empire?

A Quick Size Comparison: Landmass and Reach

At first glance, this is a no-brainer. The British Empire was, without a doubt, bigger than the Roman Empire in terms of landmass. At its peak around 1920, the British Empire covered approximately 35.5 million square kilometers — that's almost a quarter of the Earth's land surface. Insane, right?

The Roman Empire, by comparison, maxed out around 5 million square kilometers during the second century under Emperor Trajan. Not small, of course — but when you put it next to Britain's colossal reach, it seems more like a regional power than a global one.

But then again, landmass isn't everything.

Where Did They Spread?

• British Empire: It stretched across every continent — Canada, India, Australia, chunks of Africa, the Caribbean... you name it. “The sun never sets on the British Empire,” they used to say (and they weren’t kidding).

• Roman Empire: Centered around the Mediterranean, it included modern-day Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Egypt, parts of the Middle East, and a bit of Britain — basically Europe and its near neighbors.

So, yeah. If we're talking size, Britain wins hands down. But history’s a bit more complex than just measuring square kilometers.

Political Control vs. Cultural Impact

Size aside, there's the question of influence. Because — and this is where things get a little tricky — the Roman Empire might have packed more of a cultural punch.

How They Ruled

The Romans were about integration. They didn’t just conquer — they built cities, spread Latin, created laws that still influence Western legal systems. Roman citizenship was a big deal. Even conquered people could become Roman citizens over time.

On the flip side, the British were more about administration and extraction. Many territories were ruled from afar, with local elites co-opted into a British-run system. Less integration, more management (and sometimes, let’s be honest, exploitation).

So while Britain ruled more land, Rome arguably left a deeper mark on the places it held.

Military Might: Who Was Tougher?

Oof, now this is harder to call.

The Roman Army

Super disciplined. You’ve got your legions, your standardized training, your legendary roads built for troop movement. The Roman military machine dominated for centuries — it was the gold standard of ancient warfare.

The British Military

By the time Britain hit its stride, it wasn’t about infantry charges anymore — it was gunboats, industrial-scale armies, and global naval dominance. The Royal Navy, in particular, was unmatched for over a century. No other empire had that kind of global military reach (not even close).

Still, there’s something about the raw, gritty cohesion of the Roman legions that just feels more... heroic? Maybe that’s just the old-school charm talking.

Economy, Trade, and Wealth

Let’s not forget the money.

British Economic Power

The British Empire kickstarted modern capitalism. It ran on sugar, cotton, tea, and later, oil — with major industrial output back home. It also created complex global trade networks, along with controversial legacies like the transatlantic slave trade. Harsh truths there.

London became the financial center of the world. Even today, the City holds onto bits of that power.

Roman Commerce

The Romans had extensive trade too, from silk routes to grain from Egypt. But it was all within or near the empire’s borders. More localized. Still, their infrastructure — roads, aqueducts, ports — was astonishing for its time.

In terms of economic weight relative to their eras, the British probably edge out. But man, Rome really laid the groundwork.

Legacy and Myth

This is where things get fuzzy — and kind of poetic.

Rome’s legacy shaped the entire Western world. From language (Latin roots are everywhere) to architecture, law, even religion (Christianity spread under the Romans), the empire left fingerprints all over our modern lives.

Britain? Well, its influence is global too — English is now the world language, and parliamentary democracy was spread (however imperfectly). But its legacy is also entangled with colonialism, resistance, independence movements. It's more contested.

And you know what? Maybe that’s the key difference.

So was the British Empire bigger than the Roman Empire?
Physically? Oh yeah — no contest.
But in terms of cultural, historical, and philosophical impact? Eh... it’s more of a toss-up than you’d think. Depends what you value more: reach, power, or depth.

Funny how history doesn’t always give you clean answers.

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The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.

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How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

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Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.

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Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).

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Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.

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Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.