Category: Histories of countries and key towns and cities around the world

By Tim Lambert Early Thailand The earliest inhabitants of what is now Thailand were hunter-gatherers. However, about 4,000 BC they began farming. They grew rice. At first, the farmers used stone tools but about 3,000 BC bronze was discovered. From about 500 BC the people of what is now Thailand used iron. At first, what… Continue reading A Brief History of Thailand

By Tim Lambert The Early Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic forms part of the island of Hispaniola. Before the Europeans arrived a people called the Arawaks lived there. However, on 6 December 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in the northwest and called the island Espanola, which was later anglicized as Hispaniola. Spanish settlers founded San Domingo… Continue reading A Brief History of the Dominican Republic

By Tim Lambert The early Gambia By about 500 AD a sophisticated culture existed in the Gambia, which was able to build stone circles. Shortly afterward trade across the Sahara with the Arabs began and it later flourished. As a result of the trade powerful states were built in western Africa. In the 13th century,… Continue reading A Brief History of The Gambia

By Tim Lambert The Ancient and Medieval Netherlands Farming was introduced into the Netherlands in about 4,500 BC. At first, farmers made tools and weapons of stone. However, after 1,900 BC, they used bronze. About 750 BC the inhabitants of the Netherlands learned to use iron. In the 1st century BC, the Romans conquered Belgium… Continue reading A Brief History of the Netherlands

By Tim Lambert The Early Philippines The Philippines was named after King Philip II of Spain (1556-1598) and was a Spanish colony for over 300 years. Today the Philippines is an archipelago of 7,000 islands. However, it is believed that during the last ice age, they were joined to mainland Asia by a land bridge,… Continue reading A Brief History of The Philippines

By Tim Lambert Ancient Tibet The earliest inhabitants of Tibet were pastoral people. They herded goats, cattle, and sheep. By 100 BC people in Tibet learned to irrigate the land and grew rice and barley as well as raised herds of livestock. In the 6th century AD, Tibet was divided into different kingdoms but early… Continue reading A Brief History of Tibet

By Tim Lambert Ancient Tunisia By about 8,000 BC human beings lived in what is now Tunisia by hunting and gathering. After about 5,000 BC they began farming although they still used stone tools. Then from about 1100 BC the Phoenicians from what is now Lebanon settled and traded in the area. About 480 BC… Continue reading A Brief History of Tunisia

By Tim Lambert Ancient Turkey Catal Huyuk was one of the world’s first towns. It was built in what is now Turkey about 6,500 BC not long after farming began. Catal Huyuk probably had a population of about 6,000. In Catal Huyuk, the houses were made of mud brick. Houses were built touching against each… Continue reading A Brief History of Turkey

By Tim Lambert Early Uganda In 1875 the explorer Henry Stanley reached Uganda. At that time Uganda was divided into kingdoms. Shortly afterward the first missionaries came to Uganda. The first Anglican missionaries arrived in Uganda in 1877. The first Roman Catholic missionaries arrived in 1879. Catholics, Protestants, and Muslims all tried to convert the… Continue reading A Brief History of Uganda

By Tim Lambert The Early History of Ukraine In the 7th century BC, a people called the Scythians lived in what is now Ukraine. Later the Greeks settled on the north coast of the Black Sea and they founded city-states there. Slavs settled in Ukraine in the 5th and 6th centuries AD. Then in the… Continue reading A Brief History of Ukraine