The 10 Greatest Countries in the History of the World

I own the game, but not a computer with enough juice to run it.

 

dont foget vienna calling.

 

So mass murders dont happen today?

Whatever helps you sleep at night.

 

the u.s. is more of a culmination of most of the countries on this list. that's why it belongs imo. the gov't of the romans + the capitalism of great britain, the scientific innovations of gb, greece, rome, the religion. plus, we are the great democratic experiment.

china's greatest influence on the world, gun powder, seriously. when the chinese introduced gun powder to europeans, it gave them the means to dominate and shape the world.

 

I have to say, I liked Civ 3 bettter.

 

The extent to which one society is inspired or conquered by another. Africa and China, on a large scale, probably emulate Europe more than vice versa, on an economic, military and scientific standpoint. Are our vaccinations and drugs made by African pharmaceutical companies? Do we borrow large amounts of money from Africa? Is our military armed with guns made by African manufacturers? Now on the last two points, this argument seems to fall apart if applied to China, because they hold alot of our debt, and manufacture alot of our goods. I'm elitist (and historically ignorant) enough to assume that China's 20th century modernization was due to increasing interaction with Europe and later the U.S. (starting after the Second Opium Wars with a dormant period between 1949 and the Nixon summit), but obviously I also think China is in a similar position to the U.S. in the late '30s, unwittingly poised for the next global crisis, military or economic, to step in and establish their foothold as the major superpower.

 

I'm coming late to this thread but I have to defend my ancient peeps.

China developed a civilization independent of Mesopotamia or Egypt so while Western civilization can trace their origins back through Rome, Greece to Mesopotamia and Egypt the Chinese already had a civilization at the time the Middle East did.

Also for better or worse the Chinese have three great inventions that have affected every part of the world and greatly shaped the course of human history.

1. Rice cultivation. While rice cultivation started in a few separate places the paddy method of cultivation by the Chinese became dominant and spread throughout the World. Rice not only provided a staple food but the amount of labor involved also became an organizing principle for a variety of civilizations.

2. Paper money. Without the idea of transferring value through an easy and portable method modern economies could never have happened. Could you imagine trying to have industrialized banking or trade system still using coins or ingots of precious metals?

3. Gunpowder. Possible no single invention has altered the balance of power historically as much as gunpowder. Europeans mastered its use and with it countries relatively resource poor and with small populations where able to conquer far richer and more populous nations. Ironically the mastery of gunpowder and the technology associated was one of the reasons the Europeans could gain dominance on China in the 19th C..

 

Mexico invented Mexican food, so they HAVE to be somewhere on the list...