Top 10 Oldest Countries In The World

The world dates back to billions of years. The existence of the Harappa culture is proof that the oldest countries in the world came into existence a long time ago and are in fact, ancient. 

Although many of these early countries are no longer around, there are a few that still exist and have developed into modern countries. At one point, these ancient countries were the capital of major civilizations and a few of them still are today. All of these countries have rich histories and many ruins and monuments continue to stand and are visited annually by thousands of tourists. 

1. Ethiopia 

Ethiopia, in the Horn of Africa, is a rugged, landlocked country split by the Great Rift Valley. Many historians agree that Ethiopia is one of the oldest countries in the world. With archaeological finds dating back more than 3 million years, it’s a place of ancient culture, While we know that human life has existed in Ethiopia for millions of years thanks to skeletal fragments uncovered, it’s generally agreed that Ethiopia developed as a country in 980 BCE.

2. Greece 

Greece is a country in southeastern Europe with thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas. Athens, its capital, retains landmarks including the 5th-century B.C. Dating back to the Ancient Greek era, the country of Greece has remained firmly in the grasp of Grecians for at least 5,000-6,000 years. The Greeks were known to have taught the world revolutionary concepts and created the foundations of modern Western civilization.

 

3. Portugal 

Portugal is a southern European country on the Iberian Peninsula, bordering Spain. While not as old as Greece or Ethiopia, Portugal has maintained its firm borders for almost a thousand years, making it one of the most identifiable, oldest countries in the world. And this country is officially the oldest nation in Europe. Its capital city Lisbon is known to be much older than Rome. 

In the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal established the first global empire, becoming one of the world's major economic, political and military powers.

4. Japan 

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies off the eastern coast of the Asian continent and stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea in the south. Japan is also one of the oldest countries in the world. The first Japanese Emperor, who is said to be the descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu, ascended the throne in 660 BCE. While legend doesn’t give way to fact, the country of Japan started appearing in Chinese literature in 300 CE.

 

5. Egypt

Egypt, a country linking northeast Africa with the Middle East, dates to the time of the pharaohs. As with Greece and the Ancient Greeks, modern-day Egypt is a different territory to that during the Ancient Egyptian era. The area has passed under the Egyptian hand for millennia and Egyptian culture can date back as far as the 6th millennium BCE. Its hieroglyphics (Hieroglyphics alphabet) were the world’s second-oldest writing system and the first Egyptian kingdom was formed in the 4th millennium BCE. Millennia-old monuments sit along the fertile Nile River Valley, including Giza's colossal Pyramids and Great Sphinx as well as Luxor's hieroglyph-lined Karnak Temple and Valley of the King's tombs.

 

6. China 

China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia and the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.404 billion. Covering approximately 9,600,000 square kilometers, it is the third or fourth-largest country by total area. China is one of the world’s oldest and most refined civilizations, and its first dynasty, which was the Xia dynasty, is said to have lasted from the years 2070 BCE–1600 BCE. According, recent archaeological discoveries suggest the dates are correct, making the first Chinese dynasty emerged is one of the oldest in the world by a long shot!

 

7. San Marino

San Marino is a mountainous microstate surrounded by north-central Italy. San Marino is known to be one of the smallest countries in Europe and also one of the oldest countries in the world. The country was officially created in 301 CE. Among the Republic state, which is believed to be the world’s oldest, in 1600 CE. On the slopes of Monte Titano sits the capital is known for its medieval walled old town and The Three Towers, castlelike citadels dating to the 11th century, sit atop Titano’s neighboring peaks.

8. Iran 

Iran also called Persia, and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. The ancient country of Iran has certainly been around for a while, with historians dating it back to when it was founded circa 550 BCE under the Achaemenid Empire. The Persian Empire was created following 550 BCE and the country has passed through the hands of different rulers and empires over the years. Modern-day Iran was known as Persia until the 1930s when the name was officially changed.

 

9. India 

India is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country. The Indian subcontinent has been populated for around 5,000-6,000 years and its peoples joined together to form a civilization in roughly 1500 BCE when they created the Vedic Civilization, which laid out the foundations of Hinduism.

 

10. France

France, in Western Europe, encompasses medieval cities, alpine villages and Mediterranean beaches. While France isn’t as old as some in this list, it still dates back a long way. Historians loosely date the founding of France to the 5th century CE, when King Clovis’s ascended to the throne. Lascaux’s ancient cave drawings, Lyon’s Roman theater and the vast Palace of Versailles attest to its rich history.