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US. UK. Sweden. It is really hard to come up with countries where the government has been stable "for a couple of centuries".
by abrahamsen 14y ago
US. UK. Sweden. It is really hard to come up with countries where the government has been stable "for a couple of centuries".
- jerf 14y agoEven the US had a close call with a fairly nasty civil war in that time frame, and in three days the 198th anniversary of the Burning of Washington happens: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_Washington http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_Washington "On August 24, 1814, after defeating the Americans at the Battle of Bladensburg, a British force led by Major General Robert Ross occupied Washington, D.C. and set fire to many public buildings. The facilities of the U.S. government, including the White House and U.S. Capitol, were largely destroyed."
- justincormack 14y agoThailand.
- jonknee 14y agoThey have had a military coup within the last decade, not exactly a bastion of stability.
- dredmorbius 14y agoThe Thai king is the longest-reigning current head of state, ascending the throne on 9 June 1946. Elizabeth II of England is 2nd, 6 February 1952. The oldest country (not government) is likely Vietnam (2897 BCE). Other contenders: Japan (660 BCE), China (221 BCE), Ethiopia (~800 BCE), or Iran (678 BCE). Few of today's modern states pre-date the 19th Century, many antedate World War II or the great de-colonialisation of the 1960s including much of Africa and Oceana (some of the longest inhabited regions of Earth). Among the more long-lived institutions are the Catholic Church (traditionally founded by Jesus ~30 AD, emerging as an institutional power in 2nd Century Rome). The oldest company I can find is Kongo Gumi, founded in 578, a Japanese construction firm. The record however is likely held by the Shishi Middle School founded in China between 143 and 141 BCE. My own suggestion would be the Krell, though some might disqualify this based on a requirement for human organization.
- philwelch 14y agoIsn't Egypt another contender for the oldest country?
- dredmorbius 14y agoThat was my thought as well. However it spent a great deal of time under foreign rule: under the Greeks and Romans, the Turkish / Ottoman empire, and later under British occupation. And, I just discovered what boxer Muhammad Ali's referent was. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt_history http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt_history
- philwelch 14y agoSo have Vietnam, China, and Iran.
- dredmorbius 14y agoJapan's older than China. But yes. As I mentioned in my post above.