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 Brief History of Singapore

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 Brief 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 Brief 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 Brief 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 Brief 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 Brief 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 Brief History of Switzerland

By Tim Lambert Early Tajikistan During the Bronze Age, agriculture and trade flourished in what is now Tajikistan. People built the town of Sarazm. However, the written history of Tajikistan began in the 6th century BC when the Persians conquered the region. It was the first of many empires to rule Tajikistan. The Persian Empire… Continue reading A Brief History of Tajikistan

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 Brief History of Tanzania

By Tim Lambert Ancient Georgia The first people in what is now Georgia were hunters and gatherers, but about 6,000 BC, they began farming. The Stone Age farmers also made pottery. By 3,000 BC, the people of what is now Georgia made bronze tools. About 1,100 BC, they started making iron tools.  By about 600… Continue reading A Brief History of the Country of Georgia