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The '''British Empire''' was a global empire acquired and ruled by [[Great Britain]] (or, from 1801 onwards, the [[United Kingdom]]). Its origins can perhaps be dated to the English invasion of [[Ireland]] in 1171, and its demise may be variously dated to 1947 (when [[India]] was granted independence), to 1956 (when the [[Suez Crisis]] revealed that Britain was no longer a world power), to the 1960s (when the UK withdrew from most of its remaining colonies), or to as recently as 1997 (when [[Hong Kong]], the last major colony, was returned to [[China|Chinese]] rule).

The '''British Empire''' was a global empire acquired and ruled by [[Great Britain]] (or, from 1801 onwards, the [[United Kingdom]]). Its origins can perhaps be dated to the English invasion of [[Ireland]] in 1171, and its demise may be variously dated to 1947 (when [[India]] was granted independence), to 1956 (when the [[Suez Crisis]] revealed that Britain was no longer a world power), to the 1960s (when the UK withdrew from most of its remaining colonies), or to as recently as 1997 (when [[Hong Kong]], the last major colony, was returned to [[China|Chinese]] rule).