"I'm the Map, I'm the Map, I'm the Map..I'M THE MAP!"

Questions:
How does Great Britain have so many colonies?
When did they lose most of their stuff?
How did they rule? Force? Good laws?
Were there really that many independent nations?
How come the US doesn't have many colonies?
How come Japan only expanded to Korea and Taiwan?
How does Denmark have so much land?
Did the small countries really feel so small and unresourceful that they had to go bother other people?
Were there other European countries that tried to colonize and expand?
Who was nicer? Who was meaner?  How did these countries rule?  Did they keep the people they conquered happy?
Why does Britain decide to go everywhere?
What did all these places have that the European countries didn't have?

Africa Map: Trade and Kingdoms

Trip to the Cape of Good Hope..

So..I'm not an artist..but at least I know that maritime trade can't happen in a desert..

The person who made that made and I need a trip to the Cape of Good Hope considering we're hopeless beings.  

Sui, Tang and Song Dynasty Map

Maps!

Expansion and Cntraction of Byzantine

Expansion of Dar al-Islam