// Early modern period
Spanish Empire
- Period
- AD 1516 – AD 1931
- Duration
- approx. 415 years
- Greatest extent
- around AD 1806
- Area (max.)
- approx. 11.8 million km²
Period and duration
Spanish Empire — according to the map data from AD 1516 to AD 1931, roughly 415 years. The dates refer to the time the empire is drawn as its own territory on the world map; historians sometimes date its founding and end differently.
Greatest extent
Spanish Empire — greatest extent around AD 1806: the mapped borders then cover about 11.8 million km², roughly 7.9% of Earth's land area. The area is calculated from the border lines of the map and is therefore an approximation.
Predecessors and successors
States that ruled the same territory directly before and after:
Before (AD 1515)
After
- United States of America
- Mexico
- Unitary State of Brazil
- Argentine Republic
Neighbours around AD 1806
The largest states in the region at the same time:
Learn more
- Open the world map in AD 1806 — tap the empire for a detailed description
- Spanish Empire on Wikipedia
- All 300 empires at a glance
Borders and dates: Cliopatria / Seshat Global History Databank (CC BY 4.0). Coastlines: Natural Earth. Text: Centaurian.