Its like Singapore.  
Its awesome and small.

Probably bigger than anything I’ve ever made in the Age of Empires series.

It’s like the Vatican City: a very tiny nation with a non-indicative name (it’s not really a city)

And to clarify, I mean that as “Would it be a better example?”
 
But I think you understand the gist of what I meant anyhow. Without the Empire, folks don’t have particular sway one way or the other in regards to harmony.

What about the buffalo-pony conflict in Over A Barrel?

@A Sad Pony
 
What I meant was that Equestria is harmonious. All those thing you listed were outside threats. Though seeing as Equestria has numerous jerks, maybe the disappearance set the Harmony meter to neutral. Plenty of assholes, but no large scale rioting or crime.

And what SeraphimDawn and Mattatatta said.

Trickquestion: Equestria has been pretty harmonious for the entire series…
 
I’m not sure what makes you say that. There are lots of things in Equestria that the ponies have been at odds with that they can only repel with harmonious magic - classically, the Windigoes, and more recently we’ve seen Changelings repelled, and let’s not forget corrupted royalty or spirits of chaos. Even then, ponies live under threat from creatures like Ursa Minors, Parasprites and the uncommon(?) dragon.
 
It might be a Sugar Bowl compared to real life, but I’m not convinced it’s harmonious.
 
Trickquestion: …to the point that police are unknown and doors and windows are left unlocked (based on how easy it is to break into the Mane Six’s homes) but the empire was gone all that time. How does that work?
 
Well, most likely, if the Empire’s gone, it can’t have an effect on Equestria, for better or worse. That could be, speculatively, the reason why it’s such a high stake in the premiere, because of the influence it has over Equestria. King Sombra sealed it away after being banished in a form of “if I can’t have it, neither can you”. Celestia and Luna might have been pushed into action in the first place because the corrupted Empire held such sway over the rest of Equestria’s harmony.
 
But, like I say, I’m just wondering if it’s “an Empire” because of what Celestia said. I’m just speculating. In all likelihood it’s just a name, a new place in the show to make a toy for, and status quo won’t have changed significantly.

Or what SeraphimDawn and Mattattata said, let’s go with that.

They probably controlled all of that artic tundra. That’s technicly an empire, I guess.

Well the Byzantine Empire which spawned out of the Eastern Roman Empire was once vast, powerful, and wealthy lasted until 1453AD. During the last years of it’s existence before being overran by the Turks. They only had Constantinople and a tiny stretch of land around the city. And it was called a empire.

@SeraphimDawn
 
That was a royal train. It stops wherever the Princess damn well tells it to stop.

I find it odd that the Friendship Express terminates in the north at a station in the middle of nowhere. There could’ve at least been a hardy snow village that serves as a border outpost for Equestria.

@A Sad Pony
 
Wait, that dosen’t make any sense. Equestria has been pretty harmonious for the entire series, to the point that police are unknown and doors and windows are left unlocked (based on how easy it is to break into the Mane Six’s homes) but the empire was gone all that time. How does that work?

@EQUINE_excite
 
Canterlot has consistently been shown to be far larger than it looks from a distance. That didn’t happen with the Crystal Empire, which was shown to just be a castle and some cityscape. For better or worse, the show makers were actually consistent with scale for once.
 
If you want to justify the name, go with what TheAbridgenator said and call it a former empire.

It’s over a thousand years old, and it probably vanished at the peak of it’s existence.
 
After it disappeared, the surrounding land were lost to other nations and kingdoms, as well as the changing weather.
 
Nowadays, it’s more like a city-state, like ancient Athens.

I wonder if the “Empire” part has to do with the fact that whatever is predominant in the Crystal Empire – be it light or darkness – is predominant over Equestria, apparently. I think Celestia said something to that effect during the premiere.

It probably WAS an empire under Sombra’s rule, actually, and the name stuck due to what little infamy it had and how long ago it was that it existed.

@bp:
 
Well, Imperial Japan controlled…  
indochina  
parts of china  
phillipines  
let’s not forget KOREA  
and more… so  
wrong
 
Also, Applejack lied again this episode.

It’s made out of fucking crystals. Also, I’m not going to make a comparison chart, but looking at the size of Canterlot, I’d say it’s even bigger than the kingdom’s capital. Anything else you’d like to bitch about?

Bitches don’t know ’bout my overseas territories.

No, the smallest empire is easily the Empire of Kickassia.

With that much gemstone, they can probably call themselves whatever they want.

Japan.
 
They controlled all of about Japan.

IDK, I think the Empire of Rob is pretty small.