Yeah, we’re childish. But these are exactly the kinds of questions that pop into our head all the time — especially as Cathy is forcing us to watch Extra or somesuch.
So we decided to put this list together and welcome your input. Here are the ground rules:
1. By “countries,” we mean current countries based on current boundaries.
2. Any past accomplishments are credited to the current country; modern Iraq, for example, gets credit for Mesopotamia.
3. Seminal achievements score the biggest points; however, some points are deducted for long periods of backwardness.
4. For our descriptions, our own commentary is mixed with direct pulls from Wikipedia in most cases; we didn’t demarcate which was which so it would be easier to read. Just assume it’s all borrowed if you’d like.
OK, here we go — the Top 10, starting with the greatest country in the history of the world:
1. Italy. What can we say? Ancient Rome created what we now call “Western society” — including our laws, our culture and our religion. After Rome fell and Europe spent 1,000 years in darkness, Italy reclaimed it with the Renaissance. To create a civilization is achievement enough — but to save it 10 centuries later is truly remarkable.
2. United Kingdom. The dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, the United Kingdom is often credited with being the nation that “created the modern world”, by playing a leading role in developing Western ideas of property, capitalism, and parliamentary democracy as well as making significant contributions to literature, the arts, and science and technology. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-quarter of the Earth’s surface and encompassed a third of its population.
3. United States. The U.S. is, by any measure, the wealthiest, most powerful and most influential country in the history of the world. Only its brief lifespan keeps it from topping the list. Buoyed by victories in World War I and World War II as the only major power not devastated, and especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union following the Cold War, the U.S. has emerged as the world’s sole superpower.
4. China. The once and future superpower. China was one of the earliest centers of human civilization. It has one of the world’s longest periods of mostly uninterrupted civilization and one of the world’s longest continuously used written language systems. Today, it is the likely successor to the United States as the most powerful country in the world.
5. Greece. Regarded as the cradle of western civilization and being the birthplace of modern democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, Western Literature, Political Science and drama, including both tragedy and comedy, Greece has a very long and remarkably rich history during which its culture has proven to be especially influential in Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East. Today, Greece is a developed nation, member of the European Union since 1981 and a member of the Eurozone since 2001.
6. Egypt. The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world’s great civilizations. A unified kingdom was founded circa 3200 BC by King Narmer, and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty, known as the Thirtieth Dynasty, fell to the Persians in 343 BC who dug the predecessor of the Suez canal and connected the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. Later, Egypt fell to the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Muslim Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the seventh century to the Egyptians, who gradually adopted both. Unfortunately, it’s been pretty much downhill since then.
7. Iraq. The Republic of Iraq sits on land that is historically known as Mesopotamia, which was home to some of the world’s first civilizations, including the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian. These civilizations produced some of the first writing, science, mathematics, law and philosophy in the world, making the region the center of what is commonly called the “Cradle of Civilization”. Downhill since then.
8. India. The first known permanent settlements appeared over 9,000 years ago, and gradually developed into the Indus Valley Civilisation, a centre of important trade routes and vast empires. India has long played a major role in human history. Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Ayyavazhi, and Sikhism — all have their origins in India.
9. Iran. Iran (formerly Persia) has been inhabited by human beings since pre-historic times, centuries before the earliest civilizations arose in nearby Mesopotamia. Following the Islamic conquest of Persia, the country was at the heart of the Islamic Golden Age, especially during the 9th to 11th centuries.
10. Chad.Michel Brunet’s 2002 discovery places the origins of humanity here, about six million years ago. Where in Africa life began remains a mystery — until Brunet, Kenya and Ethiopia were the best theories — but we’ll give Chad credit for being our best guess at the moment.
By our measure, Russia, Japan, France, Germany and a few others just missed out. OK — who did we miss?
Update: Check out our newest, in honor of Independence Day — “The 10 Best and Worst Days in the History of the United States.”
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Technorati tags: U.K., Italy, Iran, Iraq
Tags: greatest countries, history
where is Ottoman Emprire ? in that times, Ottoman was biggest in the world.
and where is Seljuk Empire ?
dont forget Turkish Culture.
dont forget year 1071.. year 1453..and year 1918-1923
Is there a dispute that the US could totally kick the crap out of any of these so called great countries in history. Rome, please. Day 1, tomahawk in yo coliseum! jk, The US, because of its infancy, should be between 5-10, but is no doubt the country of the modern era, NO DOUBT, and likely isnt going anywhere for a while.
I agree, ‘idiots’!
a narrow-mindeed, western point of view. what ignorance!
This list is totally wrong including countries like chad (?????), iran (????) and even the us (only 100 years of history) and leaving out israel (please), france (i don’t like french people but they had 200-300 of world domination), portugal/spain (rule the world together).
This is a very one-sided list, made of course by someone with very little culture.
Come on!! Seriously Iraq is better then Canada?? That’s an insult!
All Scottish People who cling to the tired, and hypocritical, criticism of their association with the ‘self important’ English need a good ‘William Wallacing’ outside Smithfield.
At least it would provide them with a contemporary excuse to whine about it.
This is a very interesting list, subject to much debate. The criteria for “greatest” could be clarified a bit more however. Greatest countires and greatest civilizations are two completely different things. I think we are being a little short sighted in including the USA , (and all the calls for Canada) in the top ten of the greatest countries in the history of the world. In the current world it would be a completely different story. I agree that scotland should be mentioned. It shouldn’t be forgoten that everything outside of rome in europe was occupied by the celts aside from the nordic areas. If they could’ve taken a break from killing each other and actually organized themselves, the roman empire would’ve stayed only in rome. Instead they all got chased into Scotland by the romans, who promtly built a wall and hoped never to deal with those crazy barbarians again. These barbians then did a fine job at civilizing. Much of what we have in the modern world (post 1700s) is thanks to the scots. Capitilism??? America. you can thank Adam Smith for recognizing the history and impending future of trade and the writing a how-to of the best way to exploit it. I don’t think he said anything about importing your labour force in from Negroe countries and paying them nothing, you bright folks figured that out all on your own. If the UK was one of the most dominant kingdoms in the history of the world, Scotland was the engine behind it. The scottish enlightenment which occured in the 1700s basically laid the groundwork for civilization from there on in. You can thank the way the world works today to Scots. (free trade/public school system/the concept of putting the people of the country as the highest importance over the extreme wealthy and those in power)…too bad america didn’t adopt that last one. I’d just like to make the point that the UK would be nothing without the innovation and intellect of Scotland, and in turn America would be nothing without Scotland. And all of this arose from the poorest nation in western europe at the time.
As for the America/Canada debate. I agree that more has come out of America to influence modern society, but it should be remembered that America’s wealth and power was built on the back of slaves. If your proud to be an American you should at least thank the next black person you see for your country’s place in the world. As you know there was no slavery in Canada and we managed just fine. If the term “greatest” refers to the legacy of a country,
I’m for Canada, perhaps I’m biased because I live here, but I think most people outside America will agree. If not right now wait 20 more years, when your middle east peace plan fails and you need to buy all your oil from us…not to mention your drinking water.
It is truly a nice idea to make a list about the greatest countries in history. I’ ve read nearly all the comments, and many European countries have been mentioned throughout these comments. As being a Hungarian i could have mentioned Hungary. It was the Hungarians who protected Europe through many centuries from the 13th century all the way to the Turkish invasion. Who knows what would have happened if the Turks marched through us. I could also list different inventions which helped the world to develope. Many nationalities could list a lot of these inventions. My opininon is that this list is quite good, except for the USA which does not deserve such a high rank. Truly it has been influential in the past century, but JUST the 20th century. Not more. Few centuries later it will deserve its place. But not today. All in all there is nothing wrong with this list. I could say Hungary is missing, but i don’t because compared to the other ones in the list it’s less important. Top 30 it deserves
. peace
If Spain will lose points for the Inquisition, then the US should lose points for SLAVERY, which built it up and it continues to benefit from. And the lack of any real effort of providing reparation to the desendants of slaves, the African Americans.
my gawd am I tired of Americans taking credit for victory in WWI and WWII.
Check the history books written in the countries where the war actually happened – not the ones written by American over-patriotic homers…. Canada deserves the credit that the Americans take all the time.
Iran? Iraq? A dozen countries should be on this list ahead of them… “all downhill ever since” puts it correctly.
I love the fact that someone is attributing the accomplishments of Canada and the US to European nations. Yes, you could argue that many great peoples were of European descent, and although the time scale changes, where did the Europeans come from? Uh oh, Looks like Chad just moved up the list a little. Civilizations build on the peoples before them, this is what allows the growth and expansion that we see culminated in the americas and other new countries. I think there are a lot of other countries that could have made the list, but based on your criteria I think it is a damn good job, really made me think.
1. Why isnt AZTEC on the list
2. Giving Italy credit for Rome is like giving Iraq credit for Mesopotamia. Wait, you actually did that. Wow. Retard.
This list is OK, but it is missing Portugal/Spain (navigations); France and Germany (Napoleon and Hitler dominated almost all Europe)
Can you really have such a list without including the immeasurably influencial and wealthy (especially in respect to it’s size) Vatican?
No sir, you Vatican’t.
“A couple of problems there, skipper. The inventor of the telephone was Canadian, not American.”
Really, I love that Canadians claim this. Bell was born in Scottland, emigrated to Canda at 23, stayed about 2 weeks before going to Boston and inventing the telephon-American Patent. So, he might be Scottish, but he certainly isn’t Canadian.
dude the japanese have a great history. they are brainiacs, have freaky gameshows & have a beautiful country.
Let’s have a new list – “the list of countries that the united states has bombed in the last 20 years” . . . . err . . . . or 20 days rather?
this list would be much less contentious AND wouldn’t be too small either. surely there are 10 countries that fit this description, right?
qbSpeaking of keeping facts straight. Hello…..Rome was succesful militarily because it adopted the Greek Phalanx/NOT!! Anyone ever hear of the Roman Legion? This type of fighting unit employed complete different weapons and tactics than a phalanx. They could literally run rings around the stiff and unmaneuverable phalanx. It was precisely this change of combat technique away from the old Greek & Persian style of fighting that built the Roman Empire.
It’s interesting that the two biggest empires in the history of the world (geographically speaking)were left out: the Mongols of Ghengis Khan and the USSR. I’m not sure what the Mongols gave to us, but I do know that the USSR gave us vodka, Anna Kournikova, and their greatest gift: Proof that socialism/communism does not work…so that ought to count for something. And saying the U.S. shouldn’t be ranked #1 because of our age is like saying LeBron James shouldn’t be NBA MVP because he’s only 21 years old. We did manage to defeat the United Kingdom in a war at the height of their power, after all…
No Pakistan smells funny
Slavery cannot be so wholly damning to the American legacy- at least not in European eyes. Slavery only existed in the USA for 87 years. Granted, that is 87 years too long but people are mistaken when they point to the hundreds of years slavery existed and thrived in this country. 1776-1863- those are the only years it was legal in an independent United States of America and its current form of government. And even during those years it was largely confined to the Southern states and [some] MidWestern territories.
Most of those years “America” was just an amalgam of European colonies [wherein slavery was practiced]- English, French, Dutch, Spanish, etc. Indeed, the first slaves were brought to this country [read: English colony in Virginia] by a Dutch warship in 1609. And slavery was legal in the British empire until 1835 [around the same time the American slave TRADE was made illegal]- decades after several Northern American states [formally] made it illegal.
Add to this there was a civil war fought in which the issue of slavery played a huge role [yes, Lincoln's views would be seen as quite backwards now but we was a man of his time]. There were also several constitutional amendments intended to further emancipate and enfranchise black people and a civil rights movement in the 50s and 60s that brought them further into the fold. These factors must be taken into account when assessing the stain of slavery on American history and its possible greatness as a country.
Brits- you would have lost WWI and WWII without American assistance. It is insulting to someone who even has a basic grasp of mistory to say otherwise. It’s true we were late comers in both wars- but we pushed the Allies over the top in both instances. The UK was losing to Germany both times- especially in WWII. D-Day would not have happened without American materiel and manpower. Would the Soviets had won by themselves? Maybe. But your situation would’ve hardly been improved in regards to whom you were staring at across the Channel. You had El Alamein and Battle of Britain in your column, well done- you also had Dunkirk, the abortive Norwegian landings, the Dieppe Raid and Market Garden [wow-losing a major land campaign AFTER D-Day-well done!]
Canada- even if we were to accept your assertions as facts those things do not a great country make. Historians and antiquarians study Rome and Egypt, not the ancient equivalent of Finland or Belgium. In short, standard of living and healthcare may make a country desirable to live in [if you consider waiting six months for non-emergency surgery and possibly coming to the US to have it done desirable]- but it does not jibe with the term “Great” as it is being used in this context.
Second- you lost the war of 1812. And I use the terms “you” loosely- your troops were largely British imports as you were part and parcel of the Empire. You’re still a commonwealth nation and your head of state is The Queen. Canuck: “I’d rather have The Queen then some illiterate, inarticulate, war-mongering, dry-drunk who thinks God wanted him to be President.” Well, I’d still take Bushie and I wouldn’t look back. He is our own after all- warts and all.
The US was repulsed in Quebec- yes; you [the British] had your asses handed to you in Baltimore [and even took it on the chin in the Chesapeake campaign leading up to the capture of DC] and New Orleans [I know, I know- the war was over but that made very little difference to the thousands dead there]. Forcible conscriptions of American sailors at sea stopped. The White House was rebuilt with nary a redcoat within in sight and a treaty favorable to the US was negotiated.
I agree with the exclusion of Germany and Russia as these ‘nations’ (in their hayday) were made up of disparate states concerned with fucking each other up as much as possible.
The UK had more to offer than just 19th century industrial revolution/agricultural evolution. Stonehenge? Anglo-Saxons? Doomsday Book? Magna Carta? Shakespere? Modern Medicine/Surgery (Lister)? Colonialism spawning USA, Australia, Canada, South Africa. Spurring revival of China (after having suppressed them for years over the opium trade).
Whilst Rome was important and the ‘Rennaisance’ (well, ‘Florence’ really) a pretty distraction they are both built upon previous achievement and endeavour in democracy and art.
Italy sure looks nice and Da Vinci was one sure fire genius when it comes to everything, but, it lacks the variation and originality that makes for true greatness as a ‘country’ or ‘nation’ (the Italian ‘nation’ was formed pretty late in the day (19th century/Garibaldi) it was essentially a collection of city states at war with each other for a lot of the middle ages and the rennaisance).
The USA? Well…I don’t know. I’m waiting to see if they actually manage to do something original or positive and non-capitalist in the next few years (very much doubt it).
Any Islamic nation should immediately get up there. Mathematics, medicine, religion, art, language, exploration, conquest (see north africa, southern spain, most of middle east). I would say Iraq/Iran number 3/4.
The impact of the development of medicine and mathematics by Islamic intellectuals should never be underestimated (not to mention the vast collection of literature in the world’s first multi national/cultural public libraries available to the general population of these ‘countries’, and as we know knowledge/information is power).
The middle ages or medieval or ‘dark’ ages were not that bad. Gothic arcitecture is far more original than ‘rennaisance’.
As such France shoots straight up for me. Combined with the Revolution (the true start to the modern age, although inspired by American rev which is really a colonial war) it represented ‘people power’ and the ability of intellectual middle class to over throw the yoke of the status quo in their own country (and not just kicking out some troops from a country on the other side of the atlantic). They loved it so much they kept it up for the better part of 100 years (which probably hindered colonial progress/exploration and internal structure/development in the 19th century). Anyhow Napoloen revolutionised modern war fare and transformed the face of Europe. kick starting the whole idea of nation hood and ‘countries’ in the first place. Upon entry into the french armed forces/revolutionary army entrants were asked a simple question. ‘What country do you/are you fighting for?’ Napoleon was astounded by the answers many gave. ‘What is a country?’ ‘I don’t know’ etc. This discovery kick strated the modern state school structure where kids are taught where they are from and why their country is the best! This in turn led to the rise in nationalism/patriotism and the birth of the modern military state. it is also possibly responsible for both world wars and countless bar room brawls over football matches plus your little blog question “The 10 Greatest Countries in the History of the World” Napoloen and France win it for me every time. Viva la middle class/patriot/military industrial complex were gonna fuck up the rest of the world!
The only reason America wasn’t devastated in the world wars is because they didn’t join until (WWI) everyone else was dead or (WWII) Germany was already getting pwned by Russia.
If you take away points from the U.S. for slavery, then take away points from the Romans, the Greeks, the Spanish, the Portugeuse, and all Middle Eastern Empires. It is well known that when ancient empires conquered a people they often sold them into slavery, not just to work, but to use as entertainment(Gladiator anyone)
And to say that the U.S. hasn’t contributed anything to society is kidding themselves. Three inventions have changed the way people live today.
1.Internet, what your using to read this
2.Cars, that thing with four wheels and an engine that you use to get around (unless you live in China, you probably ride a bike)
3.Airplanes, Long distance travel would take waaay longer without them(plus their very good at droping bombs)
I know the U.S. doesnt have much history and doesn’t deserve to be top five, but at least top ten for the sheer fact that the U.S. has risen so far and done so much in such a short time. It took the Romans many hundreds of years to go from seperate city-states to a enormous empire. Rome wasn’t built in a day people.
But seriously Chad?
i understand your list but you forgot one of the best countrys Ireland has a very rich culture and a huge impact on the top two countrys
i understand your list but you forgot one of the best countrys Ireland has a very rich culture and a huge impact on the top two countrys
I love to hear all of the anti-US talk- jealous maybe? If the US is so terrible, why do so many emigrate to the US?
Admittedly, the US has been guilty of many atrocities(Native Americans, slavery, etc.), but very few nations would escape the same verdict. America has contributed much to the freedom and well being(social and economic) of the world.
As to the “low cost of Canadian helath care(one attribute that is claimed to make Canada superior) this luxury is mostly possible because Americans pay the costs of the research and development of the drugs through the higher prices they pay.
Lastly, I agree that many Americans do indeed act as though they live in the greatest nation and that no other nation compares. However, based on the above blogs, it would seem that this sentiment is consistant throughout all nations.
To all those who want to put Canada on the list think about this. Mexico deserves to be on that list before you. You want to know why, it is because of the Mayans and Aztecs.
“The USA? Well…I don’t know. I’m waiting to see if they actually manage to do something original or positive and non-capitalist in the next few years (very much doubt it).”
Well that’s a silly comment. I very much doubt it too, considering the United States is a nation based on capitalist principles.
Whether or not you believe the USA is an imperialist bully or a global watchdog, it’s ridiculous to say that nothing original or positive will come of us.
The United States gave $16 billion in foreign aid in 2003, more than any other nation in the world. Japan, second on that list, gave only half that amount. If that’s not a positive, I don’t know what is.
It’s far too easy to crucify the United States for the current problems in Iraq (even though the United Kingdom jointly invaded Iraq back in 2003). At the same time, our own people are asking for U.S.-led aid in dealing with the ethnic-cleansing in Darfur. It’s a lose-lose situation for America. We can’t win or lose.
I believe the US will eventually begin to isolate itself. Our titanic budget deficit and skyrocketing healthcare costs will force us to decrease our role in international affairs.
And unless another nation steps in to do the policing, the world will be a more dangerous place.
Russia… gave us Anna Kournakovia. That’s got to be worth some points.
Irleland gave us nice people?
whoever said that the american dream is a farce, is a fool. If it weren’t for the dream that a country could offer it’s people religious, political, and social freedoms, the U.S. would not be a melting pot of world cultures that it is today.
Oh, and i prefer my beer cold but props to the country that invented beer.
Everything created by humans is a result of standing on the shoulders of giants. Yes, even all the way back to Chad or wherever humanity originated. And wherever that may be, it certainly deserves to be on this list. I believe you all fail to grasp that the greatest discovery of any person from anywhere at any time is when the first pre-human stood up on two feet. EVERYTHING is a result of that. EVERYTHING. As for the U.S. not being included due to its infancy in the scope of history, that’s just ignorant. Just because we’re rookie of the year doesn’t mean we can’t win the championship also. Despite any hatred you may have for the U.S., you’re just denying to yourself the truth: It is a great country, has contributed as much or more as any of the countries on this list to people’s lives TODAY, and has had an astouning impact on the world. It’s so easy for all of you in other countries to focus on the negative aspects of the U.S. out of ignorance or just blind hatred. I’m truly hurt at some comments. I, as an American, recognize the great achievements of other countries accordingly and give them great respect for said accomplishments. It’s just a shame to me that because of your own personal bias and bigotry you should strip people of their achievments. Saying the U.S. had no impact on either world war is so offensive and idiotic to so many people that fought and died to protect not only the U.S. but all of your countries as well that it is appalling.
Everyone has a right to be patriotic for their country if they chose, and I love America dearly. To say the American dream is a lie is personally offensive to me. Many people do get deluded into thinking cash is king, and it is a shame. However, this is a problem in most countries and cannot be attributed soley to America. The beauty of it is, the people that don’t fall into that trap can and do follow thier dreams and do what they want for a happy life quite often.
I’m sorry if this went off on a tangent defending America, it’s just a shame that I have to do so because so many people attack it. The majority of America never wanted any thing to do with the war in Iraq and are extremely pissed at the minority of people that control the majority of our country.
All that being said, I believe this list is fairly spot on with only a few debateable alterations.
I just want to thank SB and everyone who has left comments. This might seriously be the best blog thread I’ve ever seen, if only because you’ve made an extraordinarily bold list (with a few bold choices and omissions), and have stirred some extremely intelligent conversation.
If I could read blog entries like this even once a month, I would be a happy man – as it is, gems like this are hard to come across these days. Again, many, many kudos to SB and everyone who has contributed to this discussion.
to all the alexander graham bell debate. He was born in Scotland, moved to Ontario. Then settled in Boston where he invented the telephone. He would return to Canada for the summers. He only lived in the states for his career. He moved permantly to Nova Scotia after his time in Boston, where he continued to invent many things. Hydrofoil boat (and set a world speed record in the process), a sign language based on phonetics, which is much more effiecent. He lived the rest of his years in Cape Breton and is buried here. If anyone one can lay claim to Bell is say its scotland. but Canada has more claim than the states.
include USA? the only country to ever nuke another? the country that is still denying the existance of global warming despite the near dissapearance of a whole island just off alaska? the home of modern slavery? the killers of millions of native americans? the killers of thousands of iraqi civialians and the cause of the said country’s near civil war. yeah stick nazi germany on the list too while you’re at it.
Nazi Germany was completely dominating France and England before the U.S. stepped in in WWII. Then, for over forty years, the U.S. protected Europe from the Soviet Union.
Other countries are constantly bashing the U.S., but when the sh*t hits the fan, who do they come running to for help? The U.S. provides more aid than any other country.
People are jealous because the U.S. is just far more wealthy than other countries. Look at the list of billionaires in the world. The U.S. has over 200, the next closest country has less than 30.
There is a big gap between rich and poor and I love it. It puts a premium on working hard to make things better. You can start out with nothing and end up disgustingly wealthy. The incentive and possibility of wealth is why America has far outpaced all other countries in terms of economic development and output. That attitude is why our companies run the show.
Hey, what about Lebanon? Lebanon is the world’s punching bag! Without them, we would all be overstressed.. and.. obese…wait, that’s not a real country! Look, a bird! *poof*
Just a second there.
Some anonymous person posted the followng.
This list is totally wrong including countries like chad (?????), iran (????) and even the us (only 100 years of history) and leaving out israel (please), france (i don’t like french people but they had 200-300 of world domination), portugal/spain (rule the world together).
This is a very one-sided list, made of course by someone with very little culture.
By Anonymous, at 6/13/2006
I know the US doesn’t have that many years, but we have more than 100! Do the math… 2006-1776 (or thereabouts)230. Not 100. Duh. Because, you know, we were around before 1906. My great-grandfather emigrated here around 1906 because the US seemed better than where he was. (Which was, in fact, Norway.)
And I love how the US is being rebuked for bombing Hiroshima to stop the war, and people don’t care that Germany, under Hitler, killed… How many was it, again? And Napoleon. Can’t forget him. I’d burn my capital too, if he wanted to take it. And then his country abandoned him. Poor Napoleon.
garymeg said…
include USA? the only country to ever nuke another?
And the reason was, sir, to STOP THE WAR. So many more people weren’t killed. They did not know the full extent of what they did until it was too late- do you remember what came out of the pilots mouths after they saw what they had done?
the country that is still denying the existance of global warming despite the near dissapearance of a whole island just off alaska?
Not everyone in the country is denying global warming, and I’m sure that many other countries are at the same point.
the home of modern slavery?
We haven’t had slavery for over 100 years. If you’re talking about human trafficking, that’s happening EVERYWHERE, thank you. If you even thought of that.
the killers of millions of native americans?
Yes, this wasn’t the best thing to do. But many people’s ancestors weren’t even involved- mine were still in Scandinavia.
the killers of thousands of iraqi civialians and the cause of the said country’s near civil war.
So… You like Saddam? You like fearing for your own life and having a so-called voting process that if you didn’t vote for him, you were killed? And the person you voted for was, too? And… Civil war? VIVE LE REVOLUTION- Many others have had Civil Wars.
I agree that the U.S. should be on the list, but maybe not as high. I know that the U.S. has influenced many lives (good or bad, it’s still history). But listing all the accomplishments is a little hollow, since planes for example have been the result of a long time with many people from many different countries working on it. It’s like taking an axe and cutting down a tree, only that five seconds before you’re done someone else grabs the axe and finishes the job. Who should get the credit?
I would put Greece on top, they have a very long list of accomplishments as well, and they kept their language until today. In my opinion, a country should not only be judged on how long it existed, but it should be one factor, since it is about the 10 greatest countries in HISTORY!
You Canookian’s need to take the knot out of your underwear. While I will admit you have a nice country, and I wouldn’t mind living there, but in no way has your young country contributed much to the rest of the world. You seem to be heading towards a civil war since you can’t even decide whether you will be french or english. I don’t think Canookia would crack the top 20…
LOL a Canadian civil war. The rest of Canada would just tell Quebec to shut up and go home.
I must have missed something. What was exactly that USA gave to the world? Oh yes! War, death, honger,that’s why they are included in the list. Honestly I feel shame that the human kind includes such as their president (among others). If this is the list of shame I can understand it, you see U.K is also in the list….
I think this list is very superficial.
Every nation (or country) has it’s own values, you just have to discover them … how many of them you know?
A country can’t be called great, because in the history book or in a TV show a fellow told you so, a country is great because you actually discovered the greatness of that country.
Visit those countries, and tell us your personal thougths about these, and you may want to include some other countries. I found in different countries very nice people, who discovered great things and they are great people, and they don’t need a list to be called GREAT.
Think about this.
I strongly disagree with this list. I think No. 1 belongs definetely to Greece and the second place to Italy. Italy just adopted the ancient Greek civilization and through mixtures gave it to the western world and made it what it is today. In the third place I would put Egypt, because it sure is more important than Great Britain and US, which – by the way – began its existence with nothing more than what the emmigrants brought with them from Britain. Do you really believe that western countries just sprang up from nowhere, ready and complete on their own?
one more previously-mentioned canadian miscue (or misqueue, if that’s how you spell it up there) – the modern interlocking zipper was created by canadian (swedish-born) gideon sundback, but was based on designs by the widely-credited inventor of the zipper, whitcomb l. judson (who happens to be my great great uncle), an american, who was sundback’s boss and eventual father-in-law. not particularly important or influential, but i like to get the facts right.
Why not Romania?
A romanian invented the fountain pen (Petrache Poenaru).
A romanian invented the reactive airplane (Henri Coanda)
The best geriatric treatment influencing the aging process was invented by a romanian (Ana Aslan)
The ejection seat was invented by a romanian (Anastase Dragomir)
And the list can be very long.
We cannot make a top of greatest countries just with the biggest ones, or to put one in the list just beacause they have a big army or won some battles (by the way the wars are stupid)
You said Greece … Well what about Greece ?
Well what I mean is
Ancient Greece, then there is Helenistic Greece .. You know Alexander The great and stuff. Scientific Advances at the time put Ancient Greece to shame. Oh, how about Byzantine Greece. If you wanna know what heppend to the Roman empire, well it flurished when Europe went thru the dark ages. With science, relegion, culture … as well as been the firewall to invasions from the east.
Oh well, at this rate Europe (A Greek word) will soon get an entry as well …
Guess how the Roman Empire becamse a Greek empire …
G
To Greece-lovers:
I love Greece, too. I have it at 5, but considered having it at 3 initially. My first ordering was:
1. Italy
2. China
3. Greece
Then I thought about the incredible impact that global capitalism has had on the world, and I had to bump the U.K. and the U.S. up on the list.
I understand that the Byzantine Empire was more progressive than anything going on in Western Europe at the time, but it failed to amount to much in the end. Serving as a buffer to protect Western Europe until the Renaissance came along is good — but not as good as being responsible for the Renaissance itself.