Spanish Empire

ere's a tightened and concise HistoryAtlas tag entry for the Spanish Empire:

Spanish Empire

The Spanish Empire (1492–1976), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy or Catholic Monarchy, was a vast colonial empire that, along with Portugal, launched the European Age of Discovery. At its height (late 18th–early 19th centuries), it spanned approximately 13.7 million km² (5.3 million mi²) across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, becoming known as "the empire on which the sun never sets". Beginning with Columbus’s voyage in 1492, it expanded rapidly through the Caribbean, the Americas, and Asia, driven by wealth from American silver mines, notably Zacatecas and Potosí, and Genoese financial support. Bourbon reforms in the 18th century centralized governance but intensified social tensions, fueling independence movements in the early 19th century. By the mid-1820s, Spain had lost most American territories, and its empire gradually declined, losing its final colonies (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippines, and Guam) following the 1898 Spanish-American War.