oldest country

**Mikman** · 11-13-2009, 09:55 AM

What is the oldest independent country in the world?

Some say it is China, as it is the oldest existing civilization, but I don't believe it is the oldest country because it did not acquire independence until after the Mongols fled. I would have to say it is Japan. What do you say?

**Dojah** · 11-13-2009, 01:32 PM

I dont know why some people would say China. This would matter on many differ criteria. My guess would be something like Persia/Iran

**OldTimer** · 11-13-2009, 01:54 PM

Some Christians believe Iraq(Mesopotamia) was the birth place of Adam and Eve.

The oldest country in its current form is arguably San Marino, established by early Christians in the 5th century. It has also maintained its continued independence since that time.

To answer this properly the question needs to be clarfied

**Kong** · 11-13-2009, 08:58 PM

Lots of variables. If you want to get technical China no longer exists. For the past hundred years it has been the People's Republic of China.

San Marino has the oldest surviving constitution. I think it's culture, laws, religion, language, borders have undergone very little change since it's creation. Italy is older but it used to be Rome. PRC is older but it used to be China. San Marino has always been San Marino.

If you wanted to use a loose definition of "country", I think, Egypt would be the oldest and India second, Yemen third, China fourth and Ethiopia fifth.

If you wanted to use an even loser definition then Iraq would be the oldest.

I think a better question would be what is the oldest civilization? I think that would be Xhosa, then Iraq, then Egypt, then India, then China, then Ethiopia.

I think [ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xhosa]Xhosa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] or [ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushmen]Bushmen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] are the most aboriginal humans.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV6A8oGtPc4"]YouTube- Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey (Part 1 of 13)[/ame]

**DrunkN** · 11-13-2009, 09:09 PM

Wasn't China divided into six continents for quite some time before they unified? Anyways, countries were probably not recorded well until there were quite a few large civilizations under a leader/leaders, besides, why would it matter how old a country is?

**Kugyince** · 11-13-2009, 09:44 PM

Journey of Man on PBS was interesting but the book was better.

**Mikman** · 11-14-2009, 12:03 PM

The San people of the Kalahari are older that any other ethnic group.

I think that the oldest existing civiilization would not be Egypt because Egyptian civilization doesn't really exist as it did millenia ago. It has been quite Arabicized.

Let me clarify my question: what existing nation has been independent of other nations for the longest?