What is the oldest current coutry?

[SerriaFox]

What is the oldest country?

To qualify the country current leadership must be able to trace it power peacefully without great change to the structure of the Government.

Civil Wars which didn't change the government, ie the rebels losing does not count.
Revolutions in which the rebels win, do count as the founding of a new country.
All though you can feel free to argue. if you believe the structure of government was maintained. I.e. a younger brother defeating an older brother.

 

[Masada]

China dating back to the Han?

 

[SerriaFox]

China dating back to the Han?

The current government date to some around world war 2 depends on how you date the rise of communism

I looking for current governments only.

 

[Masada]

The change isn't as marked as you might think.

 

[NovaKart]

England is the first that comes to my mind but I haven't thought about it for long.

China's government while not allowing much freedom does not have the cult of the divine and is not as vested in a single person. I guess you could argue that some emperors were just figureheads and they had to pay attention to advisors and generals at times but I still see a significant difference in imperial China's government and modern China.

That said, there are some strong parallels I guess. What comes to mind now is how they're in Zhong Nan Hai which is like the modern forbidden city and it doesn't even appear on maps.

On second thought, what about the Vatican?

 

[trader/warrior]

Isn't it San Marino since 300 ad or something?

 

[Communisto]

Ethiopia's pretty up there isnt it?

 

[ParkCungHee]

Ethiopia's pretty up there isnt it?

Fascist conquest in the 1930s, communist revolution, collapse of communism, quite a few changes in just the past 100 years.

 

[Communisto]

Fascist conquest in the 1930s, communist revolution, collapse of communism, quite a few changes in just the past 100 years.

Well, yeah but it also remained largely independent throughout the colonization of Africa and has existed with relatively few changes in name and territory for recorded history. Everything you said above, besides collapse, can be said of China as well

 

[Masada]

I still see a significant difference in imperial China's government and modern China.

I see a significant difference between Han and Tang. Whether or not the difference is as marked as between Qing and CCP is something else entirely.

 

[Dachs]

Usually San Marino tops this list.

 

[NovaKart]

Well if we're talking about the government I don't know. Chinese society has changed drastically since the Qing dynasty, same as every nation I guess. Imperial China died with Empress Ci Xi. I can't see the CCP putting power into a 3 year old.

 

[Dachs]

China doesn't qualify because of 1911-1928.

 

[SerriaFox]

Isn't it San Marino since 300 ad or something?

Wikipedia said it had the same constitution since 1600

 

[trader/warrior]

nevermind

 

[Masada]

China doesn't qualify because of 1911-1928.

I dunno dachs.

 

[Traitorfish]

San Marino is the oldest, although it's a microstate, so perhaps not what you were after. My guess for the oldest macrostate would either be Japan, if one accepts the Imperial House as representing an unbroken political lineage, or, if not, the United Kingdom, which, through the former Kingdom of Scotland, dates back to the Pictish Kingdom of Alba of the 9th century.

 

[LightSpectra]

Japan's monarchy was sidelined during the Shogunate though, and the British lineage was disrupted by the English Civil War and Revolution of 1688 in the 17th century.

 

[Traitorfish]

Japan's monarchy was sidelined during the Shogunate though...

Like I said, that one can be debated. It depends on whether we're looking for de facto or de jure continuity.

...and the British lineage was disrupted by the English Civil War and Revolution of 1688 in the 17th century.

True, but does that count as a disruption of political lineage? I suppose that would depend on whether or not you count the forcible integration of Scotland into the English Commonwealth from 1951-1959.

 

[LightSpectra]

The TC did say "without great change to the structure of the Government." By that criteria, I think San Marino is really the only one that's more than a century old at this point.