▁learned , ▁but ▁upon ▁the ▁reg ulation ▁and ▁expansion ▁of ▁imperial ▁trade ▁and ▁the ▁read just ment ▁of ▁Britain ' s ▁constitution al ▁relationship ▁with ▁its ▁colon ies ." ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Second ▁British ▁Empire , ▁by ▁ 1 8 1 5 ▁histor ians ▁identify ▁four ▁distinct ▁elements ▁in ▁the ▁colon ies . ▁The ▁most ▁polit ically ▁developed ▁colon ies ▁were ▁the ▁self - g over ning ▁colon ies ▁in ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁and ▁those ▁that ▁later ▁formed ▁Canada ▁and ▁Australia . ▁India ▁was ▁in ▁a ▁category ▁by ▁itself , ▁and ▁its ▁immense ▁size ▁and ▁distance ▁required ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁routes ▁to ▁it , ▁and ▁in ▁turn ▁permitted ▁British ▁naval ▁domin ance ▁from ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf ▁to ▁the ▁South ▁China ▁Sea . ▁The ▁third ▁group ▁was ▁a ▁mixed ▁bag ▁of ▁smaller ▁territ ories , ▁including ▁isolated ▁ports ▁used ▁as ▁way ▁stations ▁to ▁India , ▁and ▁emer ging ▁trade ▁entre p ots ▁such ▁as ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁and ▁Singapore , ▁along ▁with ▁a ▁few ▁isolated ▁ports ▁in ▁Africa . ▁The ▁fourth ▁kind ▁of ▁emp ire ▁was ▁the ▁" in form al ▁emp ire ," ▁that ▁is ▁financial ▁domin ance ▁exerc ised ▁through ▁invest ments , ▁as ▁in ▁Latin ▁America , ▁and ▁including ▁the ▁complex ▁situation ▁in ▁Egypt ▁( it ▁was ▁owned ▁theoret ically ▁by ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire , ▁but ▁ruled ▁by ▁Britain ). ▁Dar win ▁arg ues ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁was ▁distinguished ▁by ▁the ▁adapt ability ▁of ▁its ▁build ers : ▁" The ▁hall mark ▁of ▁British ▁imperial ism ▁was ▁its