While World War II could be viewed as a triumph for Britain and its Empire, the World order that emerged from the Allies' victory also fed a desire of emancipation throughout the Empire's colonies.
In 1945, the British Empire remained a land on which the sun never set. This map shows the shear number of colonies, protectorates and dominions, present on all continents and all oceans.
By the end of the 1960s, most of the former colonies had achieved independence, but the majority of them chose to join the Commonwealth of Nations, an informal group of countries with ties to the historic British Empire, which is still an influential institution in the 21st Century.
The British Empire in 1945
