The Spanish Empire was powerful during the 16th and first half of the 17th centuries .
It was the world 's most powerful empire during the 16th and first half of the 17th centuries , reaching its maximum extension in the 18th century ,   : //courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldhistory/chapter/the-spanish-habsburgs/  and became known as `` the empire on which the sun never sets '' .
Spanish Empire