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The British Empire was one of the largest empires in history. Most of the Asian nations gained independence after WWII.

In the 17th century, France started conquest of West Africa. After the Ottoman Empire had waned, France began to colonize North Africa in 1830. At the peak of their power, they colonized as many as 20 nations in Africa.

The Portuguese Empire was the earliest and longest lived of the modern European colonial empires starting in 1415 and ending in 1999.

Funded by the Spanish monarchy under King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I, the era of Spanish expansion started with the first expedition made by Christopher Columbus in 1492. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Spanish empire expanded rapidly.

In the 17th century, Spain was still expanding their empire in the Americas. However, their power began to decline in the 18th century in Europe.