大英帝国(British empire)
在英国政府宗主权管辖下遍布世界的属地系统，大约持续了三个世纪，其中包括殖民地、保护国和其他区域。17世纪初由於人民移居北美洲、西印度群岛、东印度群岛和非洲贸易站而开始获取领土，这些领土有的是私人建立的，有的则是贸易公司建立的。18世纪时，英国夺得直布罗陀，建立沿大西洋海岸的殖民地，也开始在印度扩张领土。1763年在法国印第安人战争中取得胜利，获得加拿大和密西西比河河谷以东的领土，也取得印度的宗主权。18世纪末期开始在马来亚建立势力，并夺取好望角、锡兰（参阅Sri Lanka）和马尔他。1788年英国人殖民澳大利亚，然後是纽西兰。1839年取得亚丁，1842年取得香港。1875～1956年控制苏伊士运河。19世纪欧洲人割据非洲，英国获得奈及利亚和埃及（英属东非）以及後来成为南非联邦的一部分（後为南非共和国）。第一次世界大战後，英国获得德属东非、喀麦隆一部分、多哥一部分、德属西南非、美索不达米亚、巴勒斯坦和一部分德属太平洋岛屿的托管权。1783年之前英国声称对殖民地的立法拥有充分的权力，美国获得独立之後，英国才逐渐让某些殖民地实行自治，如1839年达拉谟勳爵所建议的。加拿大（1867）、澳大利亚（1901）、纽西兰（1907）、南非联邦（1910）和爱尔兰自由邦（1921）分别获得自治领地位。1914年英国代表整个帝国向德国宣战。第一次世界大战後这些自治领自己签定和约，并以独立国家身分加入国际联盟。1931年威斯敏斯特条例承认他们是「大英帝国」内的独立国家，并提到「大英国协」的概念，大英国协创立之时，由英国、澳大利亚、加拿大、爱尔兰自由邦（1949年退出，参阅Ireland）、纽芬兰（1949年成为加拿大一省）、纽西兰和南非联邦（1961年退出）等国家组成。第二次世界大战後，在正式名称上不再用「大英」字眼，陆续加入国协的国家包括：印度（1947）；巴基斯坦（1972年曾退出，1989年又加入）；锡兰（1948，现在是斯里兰卡）；迦纳（1957）；奈及利亚（1960）；塞普勒斯、狮子山（1961）；牙买加、千里达与托巴哥、乌干达、西萨摩亚（1962）；肯亚、马来西亚（1963）；马拉威、马尔他、坦尚尼亚、尚比亚（1964）；甘比亚、新加坡（1965）；巴贝多、波札那、盖亚那、赖索托（1966）；模里西斯、诺鲁（特殊地位）；史瓦济兰（1968）；东加（1970）；孟加拉（1972）；巴哈马（1973）；格瑞纳达（1974）；巴布亚纽几内亚（1975）；塞席尔（1976）；索罗门群岛、吐瓦鲁（特殊地位）；多明尼加（1978）；圣露西亚、吉里巴斯、圣文森和格瑞纳丁斯（1979）；辛巴威、万那杜（1980）；百里斯、安地瓜与巴布达（1981）；马尔地夫（1982）；圣基斯特及纳维斯（1983）；汶莱（1984）；南非（1994年再度加入）；喀麦隆、莫三比克（1995）。英国最後一块重要的殖民地香港於1997年归还中国。
English version：
British empire
Worldwide system of dependencies—colonies, protectorates, and other territories—that over a span of three centuries came under the British government. Territorial acquisition began in the early 17th century with a group of settlements in North America and West Indian, East Indian, and African trading posts founded by private individuals and trading companies. In the 18th century the British took Gibraltar, established colonies along the Atlantic seacoast, and began to add territory in India. With its victory in the French and Indian War (1763), it secured Canada and the eastern Mississippi Valley and gained supremacy in India. From the late 18th century it began to build power in Malaya and acquired the Cape of Good Hope, Ceylon (see Sri Lanka), and Malta. The English settled Australia in 1788, and subsequently New Zealand. Aden was secured in 1839, and Hong Kong in 1842. Britain went on to control the Suez Canal 1875-1956. In the 19th-century European partition of Africa, Britain acquired Nigeria, Egypt, the territories that would become British East Africa, and part of what would become the Union (later Republic) of South Africa. After World War I, Britain secured mandates to German East Africa, part of the Cameroons, part of Togo, German South-West Africa, Mesopotamia, Palestine, and part of the German Pacific islands. Prior to 1783, Britain claimed full authority over colonial legislatures; after the U.S. gained independence, Britain gradually evolved a system of self-government for some colonies, as set forth in Lord Durham's report of 1839. Dominion status was given to Canada (1867), Australia (1901), New Zealand (1907), the Union of South Africa (1910), and the Irish Free State (1921). Britain declared war on Germany in 1914 on behalf of the entire empire; after World War I the dominions signed the peace treaties themselves and joined the League of Nations as independent states. In 1931 the Statute of Westminster recognized them as independent countries “within the British empire,” referring to the “British Commonwealth of Nations.” At the time of its founding, the Commonwealth consisted of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the Irish Free State (withdrew in 1949; see Ireland), Newfoundland (became a Canadian province in 1949), New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa (withdrew in 1961). After World War II, with “British” no longer officially used, the Commonwealth was joined by the following countries: India, Pakistan (1947; Pakistan withdrew in 1972, but rejoined in 1989); Ceylon (1948; now Sri Lanka); Ghana (1957); Nigeria (1960); Cypress, Sierra Leone (1961); Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Western Samoa (1962); Kenya, Malaysia (1963); Malawi, Malta, Tanzania, Zambia (1964); Gambia, Singapore (1965); Barbados, Botswana, Guyana, Lesotho (1966); Mauritius, Nauru (special status); Swaziland (1968); Tonga (1970); Bangladesh (1972); Bahamas (1973); Grenada (1974); Papua New Guinea (1975); Seychelles (1976); Solomon Islands, Tuvalu (special status), Dominica (1978); St. Lucia, Kiribati, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (1979); Zimbabwe, Vanuatu (1980); Belize, Antigua and Barbuda (1981); Maldives (1982); St. Kitts-Nevis (1983); Brunei (1984); South Africa (rejoined 1994); Cameroon, Mozambique (1995). The last significant British colony, Hong Kong, was returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.