Empire

An empire is a realm controlled by a monarch or other official and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries. The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) has political control over the peripheries. Within an empire, different populations may have different sets of rights and may be governed differently. The word "empire" derives from the Roman concept of Imperium. Narrowly defined, an empire is a sovereign state that exercises control over multiple distinct territories; however, not all states with aggregate territory under the rule of supreme authorities are called "empires". Not all self-described empires have been accepted as such by contemporaries and historians (the Central African Empire of 1976 to 1979, and some Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in early England being examples). Empires have taken many forms throughout history. An important distinction has been between empires relying on land forces and consisting mostly of contiguous territory (Tellurocracy), such as the Roman Empire or the Mongol Empire; and those based on sea power (Thalassocracy) and which include territories that are remote from the core of the empire, such as the Dutch Colonial Empire or the British Empire. Aside from the more formal usage, the concept of empire in popular thought is associated with such concepts as imperialism, colonialism, and globalization, with "imperialism" referring to the creation and maintenance of unequal relationships between nations and not necessarily the policy of a state headed by an emperor or empress. The word "empire" can also refer colloquially to a large-scale business enterprise (e.g. a transnational corporation), or to a political organization controlled by a single individual (a political boss) or by a group (political bosses). "Empire" is often used as a term to describe overpowering situations causing displeasure.

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