Great Britain’s foreign policy

At the end of the 19th century Britain’s colonies covered 33 million sq km and, according to the textbook, about 370 million people; a powerful navy was the base of the empire. In 1875 Britain bought a large share of the Suez Canal shares from the Egyptian government, which helped it control the sea route to India; under a law of 1876 Queen Victoria took the title Empress of India. In 1882 Britain occupied Egypt, and Nigeria, Somaliland, Kenya and Uganda later came under its influence. In the war of 1899–1902 the Boer republics (Transvaal and the Orange Free State) surrendered, and in 1910 the Union of South Africa was formed. In Central Asia British and Russian interests clashed; Afghanistan became a buffer between the two empires. After the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 the Treaty of San Stefano was revised at the Congress of Berlin (1878), and Britain took over the administration of Cyprus. As Germany grew stronger Britain left its isolation: a treaty with Japan in 1902, an agreement with France in 1904 and one with Russia in 1907. Canada (1867), Australia, New Zealand and the Union of South Africa received dominion status.