When it began to break apart, countries formed, some of which we now happily visit during our next vacation. And into some of them you would not even want to poke your nose.
Iran
Exists since 3200 BC
Founder: Cyrus II
Capital: Tehran
Until the middle of the 20th century, Iran was called Persia. First unified by the ancient Medes in 625 BC, Iran was once part of the largest and first world empire of Cyrus the Great, known as the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BC).
Later, in 1501, during the reign of the Safavid dynasty, the country was named the «Liberated State.» Iran became a Shiite monarchy, ruled almost without interruption by an emperor from 1501 to 1979. For these reasons Iran was recognized as the most ancient country in the world.
Egypt
Exists since 3150 BC
Founder: King Narmer Menes
Capital: Memphis (abandoned in the 7th century AD), Cairo
Egypt has existed for almost 30 centuries. In recent years, during excavations in the city of Sohag, a lost city more than 7,000 years old was discovered. Archaeologists suspect that these recently found dwellings and graves are part of Egypt's long-vanished capital, called Memphis. Other suspicions converge on the idea that this is the ancient city of Abydos.
Syria
Exists since 3000 BC
Founder: Unknown
Capital: Damascus
During archaeological excavations in Syria, skeletons and bones of archaic humans living here approximately 700,000 years ago were discovered. Subsequent archaeological expeditions also discovered the long-lost national city of Ebla. This city is one of the first excavated colonies and is believed to have existed around 3000 BC. Thanks to these finds, Syria is on the list of the most ancient countries in the world.
Vietnam
Exists since 2879 BC
Founder: Hùng Vú&dgrave;&dgrave;ng
Capital: Hanoi
Excavations in Vietnam in 1965 discovered the remains of two hominids (a family of primates including humans and the great apes). These finds date to the Middle Pleistocene epoch and indicate that prehistoric Vietnam existed half a million years ago. This country was home to the world's very first farming communities. Thus, the Vietnamese can be considered among the contenders for the title of inhabitants of the most ancient country in the world.
Armenia
Exists since 2492 BC
Founder: The Median dynasty
Capital: Yerevan
The history of Armenia goes back more than 3,500 years, and the first mentions of the country date to the 6th century BC. Despite this, the nation was created only in 782 BC. At the peak of its power, Armenia stretched from the Black Sea across the Caspian and Mediterranean seas to Lake Urmia in Iran. Incidentally, the inhabitants of this country were among the first to adopt Christianity as a state religion in 301 AD.
Korea
Exists since 2333 BC
Founder: King Jumong
Capital: Jolbon (37 BC - 3 AD), Gungnae (3–427 AD), Pyongyang (427–668 AD)
The Korean Peninsula, currently consisting of North and South Korea, has a 5,000-year history. Originally known as «Gojoseon,» Korea was considered one of the strongest countries in East Asia. In addition, it is a country that played a significant role in the development of world culture.
China
Exists since 2070 BC
Founder: Yu the Great
Capital: Xi'an (221 BC), Beijing
The earliest Chinese civilization saw the unification of North-Central China during the Shang dynasty in 1700–1046 BC. This period saw the first practices of dynastic succession.
To this day historians argue about the existence of an earlier civilization, known as the Xia dynasty. Relying on the results of 20th-century excavations, some scholars claim that it represents the first government in ancient China, while others do not believe that the dynasty is real.
India
Exists since 2000 BC
Founder: the Indus Valley civilization/King Chandragupta Maurya
Capital: Pataliputra
Communities in India have existed for at least 250,000 years. Having left behind traces of hominid activity, the Bronze Age witnessed the earliest known civilization of India, which is called the «Indus Valley civilization» or the «Harappan civilization.»
Archaeologists believe that this civilization were also the inhabitants of the remote land of «Meluhha,» which is mentioned in ancient Mesopotamian texts. Thanks to these beliefs, there is a supposition that a rich culture and urban civilizations flourished in the country at least 5,500 years ago.
Israel
Exists since 1300 BC
Founder: King Saul
Capital: Shechem (930 BC), Penuel (930–909), Tirzah (909–880), Samaria (880–720 approx.), Jerusalem
Located between the Mediterranean and Red seas, Israel lived through the Middle Bronze Age and the Iron Age. This region shows evidence of the earliest hominid migration out of Africa.
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Georgia
Exists since 1300 BC
Founder: King Bagrat III
Capital: Savannah (1777), Tbilisi
Modern Georgia is considered the birthplace of winemaking. Here you can find the oldest wine jars in the world. Some of them are at least 8,000 years old, and they are considered ancient evidence of prehistoric winemaking. Archaeological finds, based on ancient sources, also confirm the existence of early political and social structures. These finds date to the 7th century BC.
The list of the most ancient countries in the world is continued by: Sudan (exists since 1070 BC), Ethiopia (10th century BC), Greece (8th century BC), Afghanistan (678 BC), Japan (660 BC), Ireland (600 BC), France (600 BC), Mongolia (209 BC), Somalia (200 BC), San Marino (301 AD).
