Is Egypt the oldest country in the world?
When searching for the origins of civilization, one nation is not uncommonly found out. Egypt. But is Egypt the oldest country in the world? The answer depends on our definition of “country” – but by a lot of historical standards, yes, Egypt is the oldest nation-state in the world.
The birth of ancient Egypt: Around 3150 B.C.E.
Egypt’s claim to being the world’s oldest country comes from its established history of centralized government, culture, and writing, dating back to around 3150 B.C.E. This is believed to mark the start of King Narmer's reign, the first pharaoh of a unified Egypt. This date is often cited as the official founding of Egyptian civilization, transitioning it from a collection of smaller regional cultures into a single political and cultural entity.
Who was narmer?
King Narmer, called Menes in certain historical sources, is recognized as the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, who founded the First Dynasty of ancient Egypt. This event is when one of the most sophisticated and long lasting civilizations in the world started.
The Narmer Palette, an archaeological finding of approximately 3200–3000 B.C.E., gives us visual evidence of this unification. On one side of the palette, the White Crown of Upper Egypt is depicted on Narmer; on the other, he wears the Red Crown of Lower Egypt. This imagery points to the real collapse of the two regions into a united kingdom under Narmer.
A unified, literate, and powerful state
Academics are in concurrence that Egypt by the time of Narmer has turned into a centrally organized state, in print, and a very strong one. According to historian Robert J. Wenke, writing in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt (2001), the era of Narmer’s reign is “precisely the period in which Egypt first became a unified, powerful, wealthy, and literate state.” They include centralizing government, defined territory, written language, and cultural identity, which are the main identifying characteristics of a modern state.
How Egypt compares with other ancient civilizations
gypt is often considered the oldest existing nation-state, but it’s not the only ancient civilization. Mesopotamia (today’s Iraq), for example, shows earlier signs of urban development and is home to the world’s earliest known writing system. However, Egypt's early political unification under a central authority gives it a strong claim to being the first true nation-state in recorded history. However, Egypt is different because its national identity has been fairly stable over millennia, even during invasions by foreigners and regime change.
Unlike cities that rose and fell in Mesopotamia, Egypt was a unified kingdom, with a lasting government, culture, architecture such as the Pyramids of Giza and temples along the Nile which define its historical remains.
Conclusion
So, is Egypt the oldest country in the world? If we define a “country” as a centralized and unified state with a lasting cultural identity, ancient Egypt is a leading contender. However, it’s important to note that the modern sovereign state known as the Republic of Egypt was officially established in 1953. Therefore, Egypt is more accurately described as one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations rather than the oldest existing modern country. Originating from 3150 B.C.E. under King Narmer, Egypt, the world’s oldest nation-state, is widely known to have accumulated over 5000 years of historic and cultural significance.