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

By Tim Lambert The Foundation of Singapore According to legend, Singapore was founded centuries ago when a prince from Sumatra landed on the island and saw a lion. He took it as a good omen and founded a city called Singapura, which means lion city. The legend may or may not be true. The name… Continue reading A Short History of Singapore

By Tim Lambert Early Slovakia Slavs settled in what is now Slovakia in the 6th century AD. They were soon conquered by a people called the Avars. However, at the end of the 8th century, the Slavs drove the Avars out. In the 9th century, Slovakia became part of the state of Great Moravia, which… Continue reading A Short History of Slovakia

By Tim Lambert Early Slovenia By about 3,500 BC Stone Age farmers lived in what is now Slovenia. The bronze age followed then about 750 BC the iron age began. Then about 400 BC, the Celts settled in Slovenia. They formed the state of Noricum. However, in 10 BC the Romans conquered Slovenia. Under Roman… Continue reading A Short History of Slovenia

By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Anthony Simon Pursell Early South Africa Over a hundred thousand years ago people in what is now South Africa lived by hunting animals and gathering plants. They used stone tools. Then about 2,000 years ago people in the west learned to herd sheep and cattle. About 200 AD people mixed… Continue reading A Short History of South Africa

By Tim Lambert Ancient Spain From about 900 BC a seafaring people called the Phoenicians who came from what is now Lebanon traded with what is now Spain. They founded a chain of trading settlements along the coast on islands and peninsulas. The Iberians gave the Phoenicians silver in return for wine and olive oil… Continue reading A Short History of Spain

By Tim Lambert Ancient Sri Lanka About 500 BC when a people called the Sinhalese migrated there from India. According to legend, the first settlers were led by a man named Vijaya. According to tradition, Buddhism was introduced into Sri Lanka in 260 BC by a man named Mahinda. It soon became an integral part… Continue reading A Short History of Sri Lanka

By Tim Lambert Ancient Sweden The first humans arrived in Sweden by 8,000 BC after the end of the ice age, when warming temperatures first made the country habitable. The first Swedes were stone-age hunters and fishermen who lived near the coast. However, after 4,000 BC farming was introduced into Sweden. The farmers used stone… Continue reading A Short History of Sweden

By Tim Lambert Early Switzerland About 500 BC a Celtic people called the Helveti entered Switzerland from the west. However, by 58 BC the Romans ruled the area and they built a capital at Aventicum (Avenches). In the following centuries, Switzerland became thoroughly Romanized. The Romans built roads and other towns. However, in 260 a… Continue reading A Short History of Switzerland

By Tim Lambert Ancient Tanzania The first human beings in Tanzania lived by hunting animals and gathering plants. Agriculture in Tanzania probably began about 1,000 BC but the farmers still made wooden and stone tools. However, by the 4th century AD, Bantu people began to migrate to Tanzania. They brought iron tools and weapons. Meanwhile,… Continue reading A Short History of Tanzania

By Tim Lambert Early Tasmania About 35,000 years ago the Earth was in the grip of an ice age. The sea level was lower than it is today and Tasmania was joined to mainland Australia. Indigenous Tasmanians were able to cross on foot. However, about 12,000 years ago the ice age ended and the sea… Continue reading A Short History of Tasmania