Geography Question #7 - What are the Youngest and Oldest Countries?

[AviatorTom]

Over history, countries come and go. Let's ask "What are the youngest and oldest countries?" The youngest country is pretty obvious, but there may be some debate about the oldest country, so let's clarify that we're only talking about a country that has continuously existed as a self-governing entity.

Please don't cheat by looking it up. Make your best guess.

Answer will be given tomorrow (Sunday).

Updates

+1 y

Thanks to everyone for participating.

The youngest country is South Sudan, which split from Sudan in 2011.
The oldest country, as hinted, is subject to debate. Iran (formerly Persia) has been in existence in some form since about 4000 BC, but the oldest continuous self-governing entity is San Marino, a tiny landlocked country inside Italy, founded in AD 301 by a stone mason who became Saint Marinus.

[NathanDavis]

"self governed entity'" makes it all complicated...

many would say Egypt, however Egypt gained independence around just 100 years ago... lol

and if you ignore that technicality and part of history... then you could say that Egypt has been around for thousands of years, but also, Iran has been around for a bit longer, whoever with a bit more tricky history than Egypt so instead...

I will go with Japan as the oldest country because around 30% of their population is over 65 years old... and the country of Niger as the youngest because around 50% of their population are kids younger than 15 years old

[AviatorTom]

Good analysis... very close to the correct answers

[MTC29]

The youngest is South Sudan- and no I didn't look it up.

The oldest is open to argument, but I'm going to say Egypt.

[Andres77]

I think you nailed it.

[Andres77]

I was for Egypt and the new countries in Eastern Europe after the USSR dissolved but I'd forgotten about Southern Sudan.

[AviatorTom]

Good on the youngest... not the oldest though

[Andres77]

Sumeria doesn't exist anymore. Are you still counting that one?
I was holding to those still in existence

[purplepoppy]

Oldest has got to be one of the middle Eastern ones. The problem is agreeing at what point a country becomes a country, china's being going for ages but was it really one country. Then there's the name changes.
For youngest I'm guessing either one that broke off from the soviet union or one of the dodgy African banana Republic

[qwert1234]

I did not answer in time, but w/o reading the answer from OP, my take is

-Oldest: Iran (Yas, I am right!)

-Youngest: Israel (which apparently is wrong lol)

@AviatorTom I wanna follow you because I like this kinds of thread. I wanna get notified when you post something like this.

Is that ok?

[AviatorTom]

Just follow me... you'll get notifications when I post something.

[OlderAndWiser]

I guessed that the oldest country would be either Greece or Egypt, and I think which it is depends upo what you mean by a "country." Then I cheated. And I was wrong.

[Andres77]

Country or form of government?

[Andres77]

I think the USA has the oldest constitution in effect right now. Countries may be older but every other country on earth has had a major change in it's form of government.