1. Spain: The Spanish Empire was one of the largest and longest-lasting European empires, spanning from the 15th to the 19th centuries. It included territories in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, such as Mexico, Peru, Colombia, the Caribbean islands, the Philippines, and parts of North Africa.
2. Portugal: Portugal was also an early European colonial power, establishing colonies in Africa, South America, and Asia from the 15th to the 20th centuries. Notable Portuguese colonies included Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Goa (India), and Macau (China).
3. United Kingdom: The British Empire was one of the largest empires in history, covering over a quarter of the Earth's surface at its peak in the late 19th century. British territories included Canada, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and many other colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.
4. France: The French colonial empire was one of the most extensive during the 19th and 20th centuries, spanning Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean. Major French colonies included Algeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Martinique.
5. Netherlands: The Dutch Empire had significant colonial possessions in Southeast Asia, known as the Dutch East Indies, which included modern-day Indonesia and Suriname in South America.
6. Belgium: Belgium had colonies in Africa, most notably the Congo Free State (present-day Democratic Republic of Congo), which was known for its brutal exploitation of natural resources and human rights abuses.
7. Italy: Italy established colonies in Africa, including Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
8. Germany: The German Empire had colonial possessions in Africa (Namibia, Togo, Cameroon) and the Pacific (German New Guinea, German Samoa).
Collectively, these European colonial powers controlled significant portions of the world's landmass and exercised political, economic, and cultural influence in their respective colonies. However, the process of decolonization and anti-colonial movements eventually led to the independence of most former colonies in the 20th century.