The Portuguese Empire reached 4 million square miles at its height in 1815.
Data compiled at Wikipedia.
The Abbasid Caliphate covered 4.29 million square miles at its height in 850.
Data compiled at Wikipedia.
The French Colonial Empire covered 5 million square miles at its peak in 1938.
Data compiled at Wikipedia.
Yuan Dynasty, the first dynasty to rule all of China, extended 5.4 million square miles at its peak in 1310.
Data compiled at Wikipedia.
Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China, controlled 5.68 million square miles at its greatest point in 1790.
Data compiled at Wikipedia.
The Umayyad Caliphate grew to 5.79 million square miles at its height in the 7th century.
Data compiled at Wikipedia.
The Spanish Empire governed 13% of the world's land–7.5 million square miles–at its height in the mid-18th century.
Data compiled at Wikipedia.
The Russian Empire spanned 8.8 million square miles during its peak in 1866.
Data compiled at Wikipedia.
The Mongol Empire reached from Eastern Europe to the Sea of Japan, spanning 9.3 million square miles at its height in 1279.
Data compiled at Wikipedia.
The British Empire stretched over 13 million square miles across several continents—23 percent of the world's land—at its height in 1922, whence comes the phrase: "The sun never sets on the British Empire."
Data compiled at Wikipedia.