British Empire reached its heyday a truly gigantic proportions.She became the greatest of all, that the history of mankind for the whole period of its existence.
British power
Empire expanded its territorial possessions for over two hundred years, until the planet, not a single continent, which would not have been English-speaking countries.It is believed that the peak of its power came at the beginning of the XX century - in fact, the period when the territory of the Third World were finally divided into colonies.And the English crown was able to profit very tasty morsel of the cake.
English-speaking country arose in the lands of relatively free of continents like America and Australia.Lagging technically states of Asia and Africa is also actively involved in the orbit of British influence.Moreover, even before the First World War was the British have shown an example of forcible redistribution of colonial territories, engaging in the struggle for the "Spanish Succession" in North America, for the territory of India - with the Dutch and the rich diamond fields of South Africa - to settle here the Boers,descendants of the Germans and the Dutch.
During its expansion, the British Empire in the colonies actively disseminate their own language, legal and administrative systems and culture.If at the end of the XVIII century in our country, even in the higher strata of society it was in vogue in French, then during the XIX vekasituatsiya changing - English is becoming the dominant language in the world.
English-speaking countries as a legacy of Empire
last stage of the decolonization process on the planet occurred after the Second World War.At this time, it lost most of its colonies of France.Significant changes have occurred in the British world.Modern English-speaking countries in the majority or were once inhabited by natives of the island, such as Canada, Australia or New Zealand, or are former colonies.For example, English is one of the official and widely used in Nigeria, India, Jamaica and many other countries.However, the British Empire, as well as French, sunk into oblivion.Former her subordinate actors one by one out of the power of the British, acquiring independence.
However, English-speaking countries, a list of which today is very wide, most of them wanted to keep warm relationship and a certain connection with the former metropolis.Thus, the British Commonwealth of Nations appeared in the second half of the XIX century.However, its final formalize it received only in the middle of the XX century.Today, it includes 14 areas, excluding the island.Many of these countries to this day a symbol of the nation is considered the Queen of England.It is the symbolic head of Canada, Trinidad, New Zealand, Australia, Barbados and many other countries.No less significant is the imperial legacy and the rest of the world.English-speaking countries (essay, article or any article on the subject you will confirm it) today are the dominant, and at their head the list (after the UK) - United States.The Anglo-Saxon system of law is prevalent in many parts of the world.Equally they owe their common English (and in general - European) domination of the world's institutional systems such as parliamentary, civil society and so on.Not to mention the language as the main tool of international communication today.
