Little Giants

We all know that -– throughout recorded history — there have been nations/countries that have reigned supreme in Their World and in Their Time.

Egypt, Greece, Rome (Italy), France, Great Britain, Spain, Portugal and even the Netherlands –- all had “empires” they ruled sometimes for hundreds of years. Those empires often included poor, unlucky regions with vastly inferior weaponry that fell victim to more advanced invaders.

Those “empires" have largely vanished, with the Ancient World (you know, that time before rock and roll) passing into the Modern World we now occupy.

While most of these nations have long been out of the empire business, there have been others –- notably Great Britain –- that only fairly recently shed once-the-largest-jewel-in-their-empire, India, which finally achieved its independence from Britain in 1947.

But what really amazes me is how these nations –- some of them quite tiny -– were able to conquer vast swaths of the Earth in their historical moment. That definitely includes Netherlands, Portugal and Greece.

Netherlands had its moment in the sun in the 1600s and 1700s, establishing colonies in Asia, South America and Africa. But consider: The Netherlands itself is only 16,485 square miles in physical size.

Would you like to know which U.S. state is bigger than that?

How about all but 9?

Yes, 41 states are bigger – some MUCH bigger – than little The Netherlands.

Now consider Portugal, at 35,560 square miles, which enjoyed First-World status in the 1500s and 1600s, with colonies established mostly in South America, Africa and Asia.

But Portugal is actually smaller than Indiana -– at 36,420 square miles –- America’s 38th-largest state in size.

And then there’s Greece. You know, where Alexander the Great marched forth around 300 B.C. and conquered most of the “known world” at the time. But at 50,949 square miles, Greece is even smaller than my home state –- Iowa -– which is a mere 56,273 square miles (mostly corn fields and small towns with Casey’s convenience stores) and 26th in state size.

Just try imagining Iowa conquering the known world –- or ANY world -- for that matter.

OK, I admit it: TIMING has a LOT to do with subjugating less advanced peoples and turning them into slaves and resource colonies. So Iowa…well, probably will never have a chance to repeat Greece's and Alexander's success.

Then there’s Egypt and Rome (Italy), two superpowers in their day. But Egypt –- the first true, long-lasting empire –- is only 387,050 square miles in size, and much of that is desert. That compares to only about half the size of Alaska -– America’s largest state at 665,384 square miles.

Italy, at 116,350 square miles, is just slightly larger than Arizona, which clocks in at 113,990 square miles and is No. 6 on America’s list of states-by-size. Keep in mind this is THE Roman Empire we’re talking about –- the one that conquered most everything in Europe at one time or another.

All while only roughly the size of Arizona.

Wow.

And then there’s the more modern empires of Spain, France and Britain.

Here's how they stack up against American states:

• Spain, 195,124 square miles (slightly larger than California at 163,695 square miles but definitely smaller than Texas at 268,596 square miles)

• France, 247,368 square miles (slightly smaller than Texas)

• Britain, 80,823 square miles, not including Ireland (slightly smaller than Kansas, 82,278 square miles)

So what does all of this mean?

Well, nothing really…

Except that I think it’s interesting to discover these one-time, world-dominating powers were smaller than many American states. But through a combination of better weapons, ships that ruled the seas, and just Great Timing –- they were able to create seemingly invincible empires.

At least for awhile.

Truly, Little Giants.