You may have heard of country names like Athens, Tyre, Jerusalem, Thebes or Byblos, possibly in movies or documentaries. Some of them are well-known, others less or not at all. But as far as you know, they are all countries that date back several thousand years.
You may also wonder if they still exist. Well, they do. And just like these oldest states in the world, the oldest countries also continue to exist. And we know them well because they are well known on the international scene.
The oldest countries in the world:
India: India is home to the oldest civilizations in the world. According to history, they appeared 10,000 years before Christ, including those who populated the Indus Valley.
Greece: The transition from the Greek Empire to the present Greece went through several periods, including the Roman and Byzantine periods. The date of its constitution was however estimated towards the 7.000 years B.C. It would be 9000 years old today.
China: the first Chinese dynasty dates back to the 16th century BC. In other words China is about 3500 years old in 2022. The Republic of China was not proclaimed until 1911.
Israel: An ancient Hebrew state, formed in the time of King David, Israel is a very ancient country born in the 11th century BC. However, the State of Israel was only proclaimed in 1948. Its age is therefore 3000 years.
Iran: The country was born from the Persian Empire dating from the 7,000 BC. It is precisely around the year 500 BC that Iran was established. It is therefore about 2500 years old.
Japan: Although there is no evidence as to when Japan was founded as a country, the history of Japan goes back at least 2,000 years. It is not the oldest country under the same regime, but as a state in the world, it remains one of the oldest. According to a legendary history book in Japan, the country of Japan came to existence over 2,600 years ago.
San Marino: Covering only 61 square kilometers, San Marino is a little-known microstate. However, it is the oldest republic ever founded. Its foundation dates back to the 3rd century.
Vatican City: Highly regarded as the seat of the Catholic Church, it is one of the smallest states in the world, but also the oldest. It was founded in the 8th century.
France: The country oroginated from the division of the Carolingian Empire after the Treaty of Verdun in 843. Western Francia represents today’s France. The other part, East Francia, would later become Germany
This is the classification of the oldest countries in the world. Today, they still exist and stand out among many others.
