From Ancient Empires To Newborn Nations

It doesn't have to go very far back to be considered history. While some countries boast rich cultures originating thousands of years ago, others are still teenagers writing their first chapters. Here are 10 countries with the longest histories and 10 with the shortest.

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1. Egypt

Egypt is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations. Once one of the most powerful empires, Ancient Egypt started around 5,100 years ago and ended with the death of Cleopatra, the last pharaoh, in 30 BC.

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2. China

Chinese history dates back at least 5,000 years, when civilization first emerged near the Yellow River. Written history begins with the Shang Dynasty, around 3,500 years ago.

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3. Vietnam

While Vietnam's history can be traced to prehistoric times, complex societies didn't emerge here until around 4,000 years ago. By 1,000 BC, a distinct culture was well-established near the Red River.

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4. Armenia

Armenian history dates back at least 6,000 years, with evidence of early settlements dating to 4,000 BC. The Kingdom of Urartu existed in the region as early as 860 BC, and the Kingdom of Armenia was established around 331 BC. 

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5. North Korea

North Korea, as we know it today, was founded only in 1948, but the region has a much longer history. There's evidence of human settlement in the area as far back as Paleolithic times, and distinct kingdoms were formed in the 1st century BC.

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6. Iran

Early civilizations in Iran started at least 5000 BC, but there's evidence of human settlement dating even further back to 7200 BC. The region is home to one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations, and the Persian Empire was once one of the most powerful.

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7. India

Indian history dates back to at least 8,000 BC, but human presence on the subcontinent is even older, with modern humans arriving up to 73,000 years ago. The Indus Valley Civilization, considered one of the world's oldest, emerged around 3300 BC in this area.

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8. Georgia

Human presence in Georgia is documented as far back as 1.8 million years ago, with the discovery of the oldest human remains ever found coming from Dmanisi, in modern-day Georgia. Early Georgian states emerged around 1,000 BC.

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9. Ethiopia

One of the world's oldest human fossil records was found in Ethiopia, dating back millions of years. Organized civilization in the region dates back to 8,000 BC. 

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10. Turkey

The earliest human settlements in Turkey were around 10,000 BC, when agriculture and permanent settlements began in Anatolia. Modern "Turkish" history, however, began in the region in the 6th century, and the Republic of Turkey was only founded after the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1923.

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Now that we've covered the countries with some very old history, let's talk about the astonishingly young ones.

1. Kosovo

Kosovo only became a country in 2008, meaning it's less than 20 years old! The territory that's now Kosovo was previously part of the Roman, Byzantine, Bulgarian, Serbian, and Ottoman Empires. It's autonomy is still not recognized by Serbia.

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2. South Sudan

South Sudan only declared its independence from the rest of Sudan in 2011 after years of civil unrest. It's the world's newest country; however, a new civil war began in 2013, and has since caused mass displacement, violence, and humanitarian crises.

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3. Montenegro

Monenegro, bordering Kosove and Serbia, declared its independence in 2006. It became its own kingdom in 1910, but was incorporated into Yugoslavia after WWI before breaking off from Serbia.

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4. East Timor

East Timor gained its independence from Indonesia in 2002. This came after a period of Portuguese rule, followed by a Japanese takeover, and later, Indonesian colonization. The 24-year occupation under Indonesia was marked by brutal oppression, prompting the UN to sponsor the country's referendum.

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5. Eritrea

Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a long war. This was after a period of Italian colonization followed by British administration.

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6. Palau

Palau is a small island nation in the Pacific. It gained its independence in 1994 after being administered by the US since 1947. The US still controls its defense and foreign affairs.

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7. Namibia

Namibia's independence story entailed a long struggle against colonial rule, first as a German-occupied territory, then as a South African colony. After decades of guerrilla warfare, Namibia officially gained independence in 1990.

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8. Micronesia

Micronesia is a Pacific island country that used to be a UN trust territory administered by the US. It gained its independence in 1986, but the US is still responsible for its defense.

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9. Marshall Islands

Marshall Islands, a cluster of islets and atolls in the Pacific, became a sovereign country in 1986. This was after a period of administration by the US following WWII, under a UN mandate.

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10. Serbia

Serbia officially became its own country after the breakup of Yugoslavia in 2006. This was after a previous period of independence from the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. 

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