Young History

Two years ago I covered the entire history of this nation from its origins to the invasion from Russia in 2022. This nation has since faced off against one of the latest powers in the world in a war backed by the rest of the world. This nation is filled with strong willed citizens who have refused to back down in the face of death. Once again, this is Ukraine. 

This nation is the beating heart of Central Asia. The people who call this nation home have shaped and influenced the history of central asia for almost 3000 years. This nation has cities like Smarkand and Bukhara which marked the connecting point between the east and west on the silk road. Beyond that, this country has a unique culture that shows shades of Mongolian, nomadic, Turkic and Persian influence. This is Uzbekistan.

Bordering great powers like Pakistan and China is a nation once dubbed the graveyard of empires. This nation produced the Bactrians, Pashtuns, and many other great people groups that influenced hundreds of years of central asian history. This nation battled great empires like the Soviet Union, The British Empire and many ancient powers. This nation has persevered through many years of war in the 21st century and has held tightly onto its storied culture. This is Afghanistan. 

This nation lies across the two sides of the South China Sea. On both sides of this nation there has been thousands of years of human history that shaped the nation into what it is today. This nation was influenced by great maritime empires like the Srivijaya and global ones like the British. In the time since this country gained independence it has become one of the most well developed in the world. No matter the internal and external battles this nation has fought it has continued to grow for the last 60 years. This is Malaysia. 

Perhaps the single most unique borders belong to this nation. With over 4000 KM of in length this nation is longer than the US is wide. This is a latin nation that has felt massive influence from Spain, the US, and many of its neighbors. Despite a lot of this influence this land has had a unique culture defined by the indigenous Mapuche people and the modern residents. This nation has held a prideful warrior culture, a powerful mercantile system and a period of rapid development. This is truly one of my favorite nations in the world, this is Chile. 

On the southwestern coast of Africa is a lusophone nation with a unique history. This nation was conquered by both Portugal and the Netherlands but never lost who it truly was. This nation embodies resistance and nobody in the nation did more than Queen Nzinga. Since then this nation fought a brutal war for independence, a lengthy civil war and faced decades dominated by the same leader. Today, this nation is deeply ridden with inequality but there seems to be a brewing effort towards change. 

On the powerful coast of East Africa is a nation that has influenced the world around it for a millennia. The coast of this nation was home to generation defining trade and the development of the unique Swahili language. This is a lusophone that is defined by its deep connection to Portuguese culture. Over the last 6 decades this nation has fought in civil wars and revolutionary ones to change the trajectory of its future. This is Mozambique.

In the heart of the Middle East is a peninsula that birthed a prophet who has influenced bllions since he lived. The history of this nation dates back at least 12,000 years; in that time the greatest ancient, medieval and modern civilizations have interacted with this nation. In the modern age, a family emerged in the desert that is now the most powerful on the planet. The modern nation is influential, rich, deeply dynastic and incredibly diverse. This nation stands at the foreground of the future, for better or for worse. This is Saudi Arabia. 

In the southern point of the Arabian peninsula is a nation named for that same location. This nation has seen millennia of history that dates back to ancient times and ancient civilizations. The culture, food, coffee and nature in this country are all unique to this space alone. However, beneath this beauty is a nation of deep division, struggle and abuse. For nearly a decade this nation has been divided between civil war lines that reflect a tumultuous history of different peoples. This is Yemen. 

On the coast of West Africa is a nation that represents the very heart of the region. This area has been inhabited for millennia by hundreds of different people groups. The Fon, Fante and the mighty Asante have all made this land their home. The Asante formed the great Ashanti confederation and then made an empire that is still spoken of to this day. This nation pushed through European colonialism and emerged as the first African nation to break into independence. This nation has seen the highest parts of freedom and struggles with external abuse. This nation is strong, storied and unique. This is Ghana.