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

By Tim Lambert Ancient Malaysia The first people to live in Malaysia were Stone Age hunter-gatherers. They arrived as early as 8,000 BC. Later Stone Age farmers came to Malaya and displaced them. (The hunter-gatherers continued to exist but they retreated into remote areas). The farmers practiced slash-and-burn agriculture. They cleared an area of the… Continue reading A Short History of Malaysia

By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Chloe Annabel Ancient Malta During the last Ice Age Malta was a high mountain joined to Italy by land. However, when the Ice Age ended about 10,000 years ago the sea level rose and Malta became a group of islands. However, about 5,200 BC Stone Age farmers arrived in Malta… Continue reading A Short History of Malta

By Tim Lambert Early Mongolia In 209 BC a great leader called Modun united the people of Mongolia. This early state was called Hunnu. The Hunnu was a powerful empire and they were often at war with China. However, the Hunnu state broke up in the 4th century AD. From the 6th century to the… Continue reading A Short History of Mongolia

By Tim Lambert Early Morocco The written history of Morocco began about 1,000 BCE when a people called the Phoenicians from what is now Lebanon sailed there. The Phoenicians were great traders, and they founded trading posts in Morocco. The Phoenicians founded the city of Carthage in what is now Tunisia. Soon, Carthage became the… Continue reading A Short History of Morocco

By Tim Lambert Early Myanmar By 300 BC a rich civilization existed in southern Myanmar. A people called the Mon lived in the estuaries of the rivers Sittang and Saliveen. The Indians called it the Land of Gold. This civilization in Myanmar was also known to the Chinese. Then after 100 BC, a people called… Continue reading A Short History of Myanmar

By Tim Lambert Early Nepal Nepal was known to the Ancient Indians. It was mentioned in classical Indian literature. In the 3rd century BC, the great Indian Emperor introduced Buddhism into Nepal. Nepal was also in contact with China. About 200 AD a people called the Lichavis took power in Nepal. Under them, Nepal flourished… Continue reading A Short History of Nepal

By Tim Lambert The Maori The Maori arrived in New Zealand in the 10th century AD. They called the new land Aotearoa, which means Land of the Long White Cloud. The Maori brought dogs and rats. They also brought yams and kumara or sweet potatoes and gourds. The Maori also ate fern roots. There was… Continue reading A Short History of New Zealand

By Tim Lambert Early Oman As early as 2,300 BC Oman was recorded by the Sumerians of Ancient Iraq as being a rich source of copper. In Ancient Times Oman was also a source of frankincense. After about 500 BC Oman was controlled by the Persian Empire based in what is now Iran. Later they… Continue reading A Short History of Oman

By Tim Lambert Ancient and Medieval Paris The city of Paris began in the 3rd century BC when a Celtic tribe called the Parisii built a fortified settlement on the Ile de la Cite. The Romans conquered the Parisii in 52 AD and they built a town on the River Seine. The Romans called Paris… Continue reading A Short History of Paris

By Tim Lambert Ancient Portugal Human beings have lived in Portugal since about 30,000 BC when the world was in the grip of an ice age. The first Portuguese were hunters and fishermen. They also gathered plants for food. They wore leather clothes and they made stone tools. In about 5,000 BC farming was introduced… Continue reading A Short History of Portugal