The three oldest countries in Europe, based on continuous statehood or foundation, are generally considered to be San Marino (301 AD), Denmark (around 965 AD), and France (843 AD), though some sources place Portugal (1143 AD) or even Bulgaria (681 AD) in the top spots, depending on definitions of "country" and continuous identity.
Did you know ? San Marino was founded more than 17 centuries ago, making it the oldest republic in the world. In addition, it is also the smallest European state. 301 : San Marino was founded by Dalmatian Masons who fled from the Roman Empire in an attempt to evade religious persecution by Emperor Diocletian.
The 10 Oldest Countries in the World (By Cultural Continuity)
San Marino
This tiny nation on the Italian peninsula holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest existing republic in the world. With a total area of just 24 square miles (62.2 square kilometers), San Marino is one of the smallest countries in the world but has managed to hang onto its independence for centuries.
4. Bulgaria. As the Oldest Independent Country in Europe makes its way into your bucket list, get ready for its history and tradition to astound you!
Bulgarian is older than Russian, with its writing system (Cyrillic alphabet) emerging earlier. Bulgarian underwent a transition from a synthetic language (Old Bulgarian) to a more analytic one (Modern Bulgarian), while Russian retained more complex grammar and case structures.
The Most and Least Happy Countries in Europe 2025
Below, we show the happiness scores of European countries from the World Happiness Report 2025. Finland continues its reign as the happiest country in the world for its eighth consecutive year.
Italia (Italy) was the core part of the Roman Empire , comprising more or less the same area as today. Someone from Italy would be from that part of the Roman Empire, as opposed to Gallia, Hispania, Asia, et cetera.
Most historians, archaeologists, and Egyptologists concur: Egypt's first unified kingdom stands a few centuries older than China's first historically attested dynasty. However, the Neolithic cultures of China are roughly contemporary with the very first agricultural settlements in Egypt.
Italian DNA is unique due to its exceptionally high genetic diversity, a result of Italy's position as a crossroads for migrations and invasions, blending ancient Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, Neolithic farmers, Bronze Age steppe nomads, and later influences from Greeks, Celts, North Africans, and Germanic peoples, creating distinct regional genetic profiles, like the isolated Sardinians and the North-South gradient reflecting varied environmental adaptations.
A "first world" country is usually an industrialized, democratic nation with political and economic stability, a capitalist economy, and a high standard of living. The term originated during the Cold War, referring to nations aligned with the United States and Western allies.
1. Egypt (6,000 BCE): Home of the pyramids. Nestled on the northeastern tip of Africa, the first country on our list is a modern-day holiday hit thanks to its sparse desert landscapes and bustling beach resorts lapped by glittering blue seas.
Yugoslavia is a major name in the list of European countries that no longer exist. Since the 16th century, the idea of a southern Slavic nation has existed. It was a dream when it was founded following World War. Yugoslavia was once part of the Ottoman Empire and Austria-Hungary.
The population of San Marino is 33,977 (2024). San Marino's landscape is dominated by the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mount Titano, which peaks at 749 metres. The official language of San Marino is Italian and the majority of the population is ethnically Sammarinese, with smaller numbers of Italians also present.
Plovdiv, Bulgaria, with its historical depth as Europe's oldest continuously inhabited city, remains a vital cultural and economic hub. Known for its picturesque setting across the Maritsa River and encircled by seven syenite hills, the city traces its origins to the 6th millennium BCE.
Key Points. Iran is the oldest country with an established government around 3200 BCE. Ancient civilizations of Egypt and China are among the world's oldest. San Marino is the world's oldest continuous republic, founded in 301 CE.
The empire was sometimes referred to as Great Qing but increasingly as Zhongguo. Dulimbai Gurun is the Manchu name for China, with "Dulimbai" meaning "central" or "middle" and "Gurun" meaning "nation" or "state".
Since Africa is literally the cradle of life, it is where everything started, thus the importance of Geo studies in Africa. Africa is not only the origin of human beings, but also most of the plant and animal species.
The Roman people are an Italic ethnic group that was the ethnicity and the body of Roman citizens (Latin: Rōmānī; Ancient Greek: Ῥωμαῖοι Rhōmaîoi) during the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire.
In the late '90s, together with the evidence of the gene coding β-globin, contamination between male and female DNA was documented on the Turin Shroud. Although the presence of male was more noticeable than female DNA, these data were considered null and void.
According to Condé Nast Traveller's 2025 Readers' Choice Awards, one often-overlooked country has officially been crowned Europe's friendliest. Readers across the world shared their travel intel, and the surprise winner? Estonia.
In a region fraught with conflict, Israel consistently ranks as one of the happiest nations on Earth. Bound by family, united through community, and strengthened by a shared resilience, Israelis embrace life amid adversity.
Eurostat: Bulgarians are the least happy people in the EU. Bulgarians were the unhappiest nation in the European Union in 2022, according to the new EU Happiness Index.