The map shows areas held by the british empire in the 1800s. an empire this size allowed the british to

The correct answer is:  

Spread their influence around the globe.

Between 1815 and 1914, the British Empire expanded its territory and the victory over Napoleon left no serious international rival, apart from Russia in Central Asia. This allowed Britain to apply the Pax Britannica, and a foreign policy of splendid isolation. In addition to the formal control over its own colonies, Britain managed to effectively control the economies of many countries, even those out of the formal empire .