Europe & colonial empiresEuropeAmericasAsiaAfricaMajor empire

Spanish Empire

1492 – 1976 CE · about 484 years

The Spanish Empire grew from the voyages of Columbus and the conquests of the Aztec and Inca empires into a vast domain across the Americas, the Philippines and parts of Europe and Africa. Most American colonies won independence in the early 19th century. Spain withdrew from Western Sahara in 1976.

Key facts

Dates	1492 – 1976 CE
Region	Europe & colonial empires
Continent	Europe, Americas, Asia, Africa
Capitals	Toledo, Valladolid, Madrid
Religion(s)	Catholic Christianity
Peak extent	≈ 13.7 million km² (c. 1810 CE) – source

Before & after

Preceded by

Emirate of Granada (Nasrid) Aztec Empire (Triple Alliance) Inca Empire Tarascan state Crown of Aragon Crown of Castile Muisca Confederations Mixtec civilisation Tlaxcala Republic of the Rif

Followed by

First Mexican Empire Gran Colombia Dutch Republic

Sources

Dates follow widely used reference works; many ancient dates are approximate or debated. Neutral summary for general reference.