Russian Empire

The Russian Empire was the third-largest empire in history, spanning 22.8 million square kilometres across 11 time zones, from Poland to the Pacific. Its expansion into Siberia—one of the most transformative geographic feats of the modern era—occurred primarily between the 16th and 19th centuries, increasing its territory by over 40% compared to the previous Muscovy state. This growth outpaces #8 Ottoman Empire's territorial expansion by nearly double the landmass, demonstrating a more aggressive and sustained land-based conquest strategy. The empire's dissolution in 1917 gave rise to the Soviet Union, which as its direct political heir, controlled 22% of the world's land area by 1945, shaping global politics more profoundly than #10 American Empire's informal influence.