What does expression the sun never sets on the British Empire mean?

Answer 1

Under the pseudonym Christopher North, writer John Wilson composed a serious of articles for a long-running column called "Noctes Ambrosianae." Wilson as North wrote, "His Majesty's dominions, on which the sun never sets," which was changed to the more user-friendly, "the sun never sets on the British Empire."

Answer 2

It meant that the British Empire was so huge and covered so many parts of the globe that it was always daylight somewhere in the empire.

The British Empire used to be so big that countries all over the world were occupied by the British. So during every minute of every day the sun was above the horizon and shining on a country somewhere in the world that was owned by Britain.

At its peak, the British Empire had territories all over the globe, so it was always daytime somewhere in the empire.

This was a saying refering to the fact that Britain had colonies all around the world. So as the earth rotated the Sun continually shone on British territory. In the 19th century, especially during the Victorian era, the phrase resurged, when it became popular to apply it to the British Empire a time when British world maps showed the empire in red or pink to vividly highlight British imperial power spanning the globe. The 19th-century politician Lord Salisbury complained that the £1.5 million spent on colonial defence by Britain in 1861 merely enabled the nation "to furnish an agreeable variety of stations to our soldiers, and to indulge in the sentiment that the sun never sets on our Empire". A Sri Lankan news source credits Colvin R. de Silva with coining the response: "That's because God does not trust the British in the dark".

It was originally used in Spain, before Britain, especially when the Portuguese and the Spanish empire were united under the same crown. Latterly its been used to refer to American property. Such as the countries where it has a military presence as it actually has no empire. The British Empire is the largest ever Empire in the history of mankind, it spanned 13,000,000 square miles. India, was during this epoch referred to as " THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN"

Also for those who do not know, which is a surprising and shamefull lot, Britain is made up of Scotland, England and Wales. England has the highest population, followed by Scotland then Wales. In most cases, people think of England as the whole island of Britain, this is wrong. As a proud British and English person, i would duly like the world to know exactly what countries make the best nation on Earth. [in my opinion :-)

From Pepe - South Africa

It's common knowledge that the British had illegally occupied many countries around the world in the past and still doing so at present and whenever Britain would be in dire need of certain commodities which Britain lacked or didn't have as such, Britain would extract those commodities by hook or by crook from those illegally occupied countries and forward them to Britain where it's people would enjoy the benefit thereof at the expense of those whose countries the British had illegally occupied.

No matter when the need arises Britain will get it from somewhere somehow!

History has proven it time and over again.

Britain has gone to the extent of partnering the US,another oppressive country, and together they form a coalition whereby they keep on looting the world whenever in need of.

Recently they occupied Afghanistan and Iraq not to ward off the Taliban nor to fight terrorism or even so not to get rid of Saddam Hussain but to get petrol out of those countries which Britain and the US are so much in desperate need of.

Pepe

Under the pseudonym Christopher North, writer John Wilson composed a serious of articles for a long-running column called "Noctes Ambrosianae."Wilson as North wrote, "His Majesty's dominions, on which the sun never sets," which was changed to the more user-friendly, "the sun never sets on the British Empire."

Not quite right. It is that the Sun never sets on the British Empire. The Empire was so far reaching around the world that at one time or another it always shone in New Zealand, Australia or India or Africa or in the Caribbean or the Americas. I think it is important to say that the British Empire is now a historical fact, replaced by the Commonwealth. I accept that it had its faults, but also it had merit. Of all the nations that have had an effect on this, modern, world the British have played their part. I hope you will not be too ready to condemn us for our role, there have been worse Imperial masters.

the sun never sets on the British empire means there are so many countries and so many countries and cities British empire that if the sun ever sets on one country it rises on another that is why people say the sun never sets on the British empire

Answer 3

The British had an empire which expanded across the globe, so there would always be sunlight in some part of it at any given time.