The West
Flag used in Reuss, central Germany in 1778
succeeding Angela Merkel 70
Capital City: Berlin. Founding Year: 1237
Berlin, capital of Prussia, lay east of the River Elbe bordering the early Germanic tribes of the Franks (and Saxons) to the west. Berlin's name thus had its roots in the language of its Slavic inhabitants, probably Berl - Swamp, though with the Ber- at the beginning sounding like the German word Bär - Bear, a bear appears in the coat of arms of the city.
Click here for the history of Germany.
Flag from 1794
Click here for history since 1789
Capital City: Paris. Founding Year: Circa 250BC
Flag used in Reggio Emilia, northern Italy in 1797
Click here for some notes on Sicily and Naples in the south-west. Traditionally close to the west (Spain).
Click here for Venice in the north-east. Traditionally close to the east (Austria).
Click here for Florence, Tuscany in the north-west, homeplace of the Medici Family, the Renaissance and the modern Italian language. Traditionally close to Rome and the Royal House of Savoy who aided by France, engineered Italy's reunification 1848-1870 from Piedmont-Sardinia, with its initial capital at Turin in the alps.
Became a republic in 1946.
Capital City: Rome. Founding Year: Circa 753BC
Flag from 1801
succeeding Rishi Sunak (Oct 2022), Liz Truss (Sep - Oct 2022), Boris Johnson
Click here for some of England's history
Capital City: London. Year: Circa 47AD
Flag from 1965
Click here for some of Canada's history
Founding Province: Quebec. Year: 1608
Capital City: Ottawa. Founding Year: 1855 with the renaming of Bytown.
Flag adopted 1777
Donald Trump President-elect 20 Jan 2025 78 (wife Melania Trump 54)
Click here for some of US's history
Major City: New York. Founding Year: 1624 as New Amsterdam. Renamed New York in 1664
Capital City: Washington D.C.. Founding Year: 1790 from two pre-existing settlements founded in 1749 and 1751.
Flag from 1875
The Kingdom of Tonga was a
Click here for more on Tonga's history
Capital City: Nuku'alofa, formalized 1875
Samoa ruled by Germany 1900-1914, New Zealand 1914-1962, a republic since 1962
Fiji was a
Vanuatu was known as New Hebrides an Anglo-French condominium 1906-1970, a republic since 1970
New Caledonia a French territory since 1853
Solomon Islands a British protectorate 1886-1978, an independent constitutional monarchy since 1978
Flag from 1902
Click here for some of New Zealand's history within the Commonwealth
Major City: Auckland. Founding Year: Circa 1350
Capital City: Wellington. Founding Year: Circa 1280
Flag from 1971
Click here for Papua New Guinea Timeline
Capital City: Port Moresby. A trading village renamed in 1873. Became a British Protectorate in 1888 following German colonisation in the north.
Australia
Flag from 1901
succeeding Scott Morrison (PM 2018 - 2022) 56
NSW Qld Vic Premiers
Christopher Minns NSW 45 (since elections March 2023)
David Crisafulli Qld 45 (since 28 Oct 2024)
Jacinta Allan Vic 51 (replacing Daniel Andrews on 27 Sept 2023)
Some Famous Aussie Politicians
Josh Frydenberg previous treasurer (2018-2022) 49
Click here for the account by his mother Erica Frydenberg (born Strausz) 81, of how she arrived in Australia from Hungary in 1950
Alexander Downer 73
Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1996 to 2007 and High Commissioner to the UK from 2014 to 2018. Click here for that London conversation with George Papadopoulos (Trump's adviser) in May 2016
Some Famous Aussie Writers
Adam Creighton (about) 40
Frances Whiting (around) 60
Click here for some editorials written by Greg in The Australian (2007-2024)
Bernard Salt 67
Famous Footballer
Israel Folau 35
Click here for New South Wales Timeline
Major City: Sydney. Founding Year: 1788
Capital City: Canberra. Parliament House Opened: 1927
Middle East
Flag from 1897
Click here for the latest news on Israel
Capital City: Jerusalem. Called Salem circa 2000BC (afterwards named Jebus). Renamed as City of David circa 968BC.
Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement was founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. It has been the de facto governing authority of Gaza Strip since its takeover in 2007.
After Dec 2019 Ismail Haniyeh lived in Doha, Qatar, along with its previous chief Khaled Mashal.
Major City: Gaza City. Founding Year: Circa 2000BC
Flag from 1964
Click here for his predecessor Yasser Arafat and the founding of the PLO
Capital City (de facto): Ramallah. Founding Year: Circa 1000AD Crusader era
Turkiye
Toor-kee-yeh
since Dec 2021
Flag from 1844
Click here for a report in 2017 on Recep Erdogan in the Australian.
Major City: Istanbul. Founding Year: Circa 660BC as Byzantium. Made Eastern Capital City in 324AD by Roman Emperor Constantine with the name Constantinople. Name changed to Istanbul in 1923.
Capital City: Ankara. Founding Year: Circa 2000BC. Made Capital City in 1923.
Flag from 1953
Capital City: Cairo. Founding Year: 969 AD as al-Qahirah 
("Cairo") in Arabic
Egypt was known to the Arabs as Misr, and to the Jews as Mizraim, Noah's grandson via Ham who settled there after the flood. It was named Aegyptos by the Greeks, with its northern capital, 20kms south of Cairo, known as Memphis. The Greeks built Alexandria in 331 BC to be their capital, 200 kms to the north on the Mediterranean Sea. With its conquest by Rome in 30 BC followed by the rise of Christianity in 313 AD, many pagan temples were defaced and destroyed. With the Muslim conquest in 640 AD, the few remaining structures were dismantled so that the stone might be reused in the neighbouring villages, and later in Cairo.
Flag from 1943
Najib Mikati PM (since 10 September 2021) 68
Became PM after Hassan Diab submitted his resignation in wake of the 2020 Beirut explosion.
Click here for PLO-inflicted civil war 1975-1990 with Michel Aoun as Brigadier-General. Was granted asylum in France after Syria occupied Lebanon in 1990. Returned in 2005 after suicide truck bomb assassination in Beirut of PM Rafic Hariri and Syria's subsequent withdrawal. In France, founded the Free Patriotic Movement, since 2007 broadcasting into Lebanon in French Arabic and Armenian. Led by son-in-law Gebran Bassil since 2015.
Capital City: Beirut founding Year: ca 2000BC an early Canaanite/Phoenician name meaning "Wells".
Became capital of Lebanon following its independence from France in 1943.
Flag from 1958
Click here for rulers of Syria since 1920
Capital City: Damascus. Founding Year: Circa 1400BC.
Flag from 1921
Following the Ottoman defeat in World War 1, it was agreed in 1921 that Abdullah bin Hussein would administer the territory known as Transjordan under the auspices of the British Mandate for Palestine. It achieved full independence as a kingdom in 1946, with its name shortened to Jordan in 1949.
Capital City: Amman. Founding Year: Circa 2000BC. Capital city for the Ammonite tribe.
Saudi Arabia
Green Flag from 1744
Mohammad bin Salman Crown Prince (since 21 June 2017) 39 (wife Princess Sara bint Mashour Al Saud)
Click here for Saudi royal family background
Capital City: Riyadh pronounced Ree-yadd. Founding Year: 1744.
With regard to the failed state of Yemen directly to the south click here for recent Saudi-Houthi peace talks in Sanaa in April 2023, Yemen’s war erupted in 2014 when the Iran-supported Houthi rebels, a tribal militia from the country’s north, stormed the capital Sanaa and captured it. Saudi Arabia viewed the rebels presence on its southern border and Iran’s support for the movement as a dangerous expansion of Tehran’s regional footprint and formed an international, US-supported coalition to fight it. Subsequently the Saudis imposed an air land and sea blockade on Houthi areas around Sanaa, worsening the famine and cholera epidemic.
Until 2022, there were three Presidents
- Hadi, who resigned in Sanaa 21 Jan 2015 and was placed under virtual house arrest. A month later, Hadi escaped to his hometown of Aden, rescinded his resignation, denounced the Houthi takeover, and in March moved to Riyadh. In 2022 replaced by Rashad al-Alimi.
- Mahdi al-Mashat, Chairman of the Iran-funded Houthi movement in Sanaa, and
- Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, President of the Southern Transitional Council in Aden. Since 2022, Vice President.
Flag from 1963
Following elections in Oct 2021, formation of a new government stalled for 12 months. The party who won the most votes, supporters of militant nationalist cleric
History of Iraq
Associated with the ancient city of Uruk, about 80 kms north-west of ancient Ur.
Ruled by the Arabs following the fall of the Sassanid Empire of Persia in 633-654 as well as the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion.
Capital City: Baghdad. Founding Year: 762AD as a Persian village just north of ancient Babylon.
Baghdad reached its peak around 775AD as perhaps the
The exotic Orient
Baghdad was sacked by the Mongols in 1258, and never reclaimed its grandeur.
After World War 1, Faisal bin Hussein became King of Iraq under the British Mandate. Iraq became an independent kingdom in 1932, then a republic in 1958. Baghdad's population grew from 145,000 in 1900 to 7 million today.
Iran
Tricolor Flag from 1906
Masoud Pezeshkian President since July 2024 70 (widowed in 1993)
Aga Khan IV Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini born in Geneva Switzerland. 87
He has been married and divorced twice and is currently single. He has a daughter and two sons by his first wife, now in their late 40s and early 50s, and one son, now 21, by his second wife. At present no successor has been named.
His great great grandfather (Aga Khan I) and his great grandfather (Aga Khan II) were both born in Iran in 1804 and 1830 respectively. His grandfather Aga Khan III (1877-1957) was born in Karachi in what was then British India, today Pakistan. They are said to be direct lineal descendants of Mohammed through Mohammed's cousin and son-in-law, Ali, considered the first Imam in Shia Islam, and Ali's wife Fatima az-Zahra, Mohammed's daughter from his first marriage. While the Aga Khan has British citizenship and travels worldwide continually, his primary residence is in Gouvieux, 65 kms north of Paris France.
Click here for recent news on Iran
Capital City: Tehran. Founding Year: 1554 when a bazaar and a square town wall with four gates were built. Previously it was an unwalled region with just 1,000 residents. Circa 1778, a citadel (today's Golestan Palace) was built by
Click here for Iran's earlier capitals back to Susa (or Shushan) at the time of Daniel, Cyrus the Great and Esther.
East
Flag from 1696
Capital City: Moscow. Founding Year: 1147
A brief history of Russia
Click here for Moscow in 1283, traditionally the year of its first monastery. In 1582 Western Siberia was invaded by Russian Cossacks, building the town of Tobolsk in 1590 to be its historic capital. By 1640 they were encroaching upon Manchuria in China, though were driven back in 1685, signing a cross-border trading agreement instead in 1689.
Emperor Peter the Great (1672-1725) moved the capital from Moscow to Saint Petersburg in 1712, a seaport and also a base for Peter's navy, protected by the fortress of Kronstadt. In the east, Russia settled the far eastern Kamchatka peninsula and reached "Russian America" in 1732, later selling it (as Alaska) to the USA in 1867. In 1858 the Chinese were pressured into signing the
In the west, Russia's treaty with the Turks in 1829 brought about the autonomy of Serbia in 1830, the autonomy of Greece in 1832, though her advance into Romania was delayed (until 1940) by the Crimean War 1854.
Following the Russian revolution in 1917 then the peace treaty with Germany in March 1918, Finland declared its independence after 150 years of Russian rule. For extra protection Russia moved her capital inland back to Moscow. Under Lenin (and Trotsky), from 1922 Russia formed the USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Following Lenin's death and under Stalin's iron rule, Trotsky was forced to flee to Turkey in 1929, then ultimately Mexico where he was assassinated in 1940.
Mikhail Gorbachev was the last President of the USSR with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) forming in its place in December 1991.
The nine full member states are Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikstan and Uzbekistan. A tenth state, Turkmenistan, is an "associate state", and Afghanistan and Mongolia are "observer states".
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, following a meeting with France.
Click here for a map status of Russia's occupation of Ukraine in August, 2024.
On its western borders are Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary,
and in the south Romania, and Moldova.
Ukraine
Flag from 1848
A brief history of Ukraine (literally border country)
Its capital Kiev was a Slavic settlement that was invaded by Goths, Huns, Bulgarians and Kazakhs (Cossacks) before being captured by the Viking Oleg, ruler of Novgorod (in the north) about 879. Famously "Christianized" with a mass baptism in 988 by its ruler Vladimir the Great, it became a major city in Europe, growing to 50,000 inhabitants on the great trade route between Scandinavia and Constantinople. It was then completely destroyed during the Mongol invasions that occurred in 1240. It came under a union of Poland and Lithuania in 1340, a Cossack state in 1648, was incorporated into Russia in 1764, and except for a short period in 1918-1921 did not achieve independence until the breakup of the USSR in 1991.
Pakistan
Flag from 1947
Pakistan (Muslim), which in 1947 included East Pakistan (modern Bangladesh), became independent from India (Hindu) on
Much war and violence followed as millions of refugees fled both countries. Pakistan appointed a Prime Minister and Governor General, becoming a Dominion in the (British) Commonwealth of Nations until March 23 1956, when under its Muslim constitution it became a Republic with Iskander Mirza elected as its first President.
Click here for rulers of Pakistan since 1973
Major City: Karachi. Founding Year: 1729
Capital City: Islamabad. Founding Year: 1960
India
Flag from 1947
India and China, 2 most populated countries in the world
Click here for India's eight most widely spoken languages and scripts.
Click here for India's history after Noah's flood.
The Dominion of India came into being in the (British) Commonwealth of Nations between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950, following which it became the modern Republic of India with the adoption of its new constitution.
Capital City: New Delhi. Continuous settlement since about 6th century BC. Founding Year as a walled city, now known as Old Delhi: 1648. From 1857 the British capital was in Calcutta. The Foundation Stone for New Delhi was laid in 1911 by King George V, and the new capital was inaugurated in 1931.
Dalai Lama 89 (a monk since childhood)
As Leader of Tibetan government in exile, the Dalai Lama's residence is in Dharamshala in the far north of India. Several thousand Tibetan refugees live in exile in the suburb of McLeod Ganj where he resides.
Regarding the Tibet Autonomous Region, a large province in south-west China, it is sparsely populated – just 3 million. On Tibet's southern border with Nepal (Pop. 29 million) is Mount Everest, the highest point on earth.
Bangladesh
Flag from 1972
Muhammed Yunus 84 appointed as interim chief adviser.
Capital City: Dakha. Founding Year: 1608
A brief history of Bangladesh
After independence from India in 1947, East Bengal province (East Pakistan after 1955) were ruled by Pakistan (in the west). In 1949 Hasina's father,
War broke out in March 1971. Hasina's father was arrested and taken to Pakistan. Bangladesh formed a provisional government, with her absent father named as President in April, and Calcutta in India as capital-in-exile.
In Dec 1971 Pakistan surrendered, Hasina's father became Prime Minister, though not recognised by Pakistan until Feb 1974. After a major famine that same year, in Jan 1975 he became President a second time, dissolving parliament, implementing a one party state, and closing all newspapers except four nationalised ones. In Aug 1975 he, his wife and most of his family were assassinated by junior army officers. Although the executioners were granted immunity from prosecution, after Sheikh Hasina's election in 1996 that immunity was revoked.
Myanmar (Burma)
Flag from 2010
Military coup d'état 1st February 2021
Win Myint President since 2018, age 72 (wife Cho Cho)
Deposed in coup d'état 1st February 2021
Aung San Suu Kyi Owwn Saan Soo Chee
State Counsellor since 2016, age 79 (widowed since 1999)
Deposed in coup d'état 1st February 2021
Click here for some further notes on Burma
Major City: Yangon (also known as Rangoon). Founding Year: Circa 1028. In 2006, the military government relocated the administrative functions to the purpose-built city of Naypyidaw.
Flag from 1917
Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) King (since 2016) age 72 (current wife Suthida). The king lives controversially mostly in self-imposed exile, reigning from an alpine resort in Bavaria, south Germany.
Click here for some further notes on Thailand
Capital City: Bangkok. Founding Year: 1782
Flag from 1949
China and India 2 most populated countries in the world
Click here for the history of paper money in China
Click here for a history of China's dynasties, censuses
Capital City: Beijing in 1949. Founding Year: 1045BC
Korea North
Flag from 1948
In 1910 Japan annexed the whole country. Following Japan's defeat and with Soviet troops advancing, the country was divided at the 38th parallel by US troops on 10 August 1945. When Soviet troops entered Pyongyang on 25 August 1945, it became a temporary capital for the provisional government, then the de facto capital after 1948. With Korea's division, between 400,000 to 4 million refugees fled south 1945-1950. In May 1946 the Soviet-US joint commission who were overseeing Korea's reunification made it illegal to cross the 38th Parallel without a permit. Following the failure of the commission, first South then North Korea appointed their own leaders in 1948.
In 1950 North Korea invaded South Korea with the aid of Stalin. They captured Seoul in late June 1950 but were forced out by the
Click here for some recent news of North Korea
Capital City: Pyongyang. Founding Year (according to Korean mythology): 1122BC
Flag from 1948
succeeding Moon Jae-In (President 2017 - 2022) 69
Click here for the US forces currently stationed in South Korea approximately 23,500
Capital City: Seoul in 1945 resumed its traditional role. Founding Year: 18BC
Flag from 1870
Naruhito Emperor (since 1 May 2019) 64 (wife Empress Masako 60)
Click here for the US forces currently stationed in Japan approximately 50,000
Capital City: Tokyo. First fortified (from a small fishing village): Circa 1200
Flag from 1898
succeeding Rodrigo Duterte 77
Click here for the US Spanish War of 1898. Granted independence 1946
Capital City: Manila. First Fortified (for trading): Circa 1200
Vietnam
Flag from 1940
Became general secretary when Nguyen Phu Trong (Wen Phoo Trong) 80 died Jul 2024
Click here for the Officeholders from the establishing of the Indochina Communist Party in 1930.
After the French left in 1955, South Vietnam had two Catholic military presidents, and strong US support from 1964-1975
- Ngo Dinh Diem until 1963 when he was killed in a coup d'etat by his successor.
- Nguyen Van Thieu until his resignation April 21 1975, fleeing to Taiwan five days later.
Australia's military commitment to South Vietnam April 1965 to January 1973.
Click here for some historical notes of Vietnam (French Indochina) that included Cambodia (and Laos).
Major City: Ho Chi Minh City also known as Saigon. Founding Year as a Temple site: Circa 400AD. First settled about 1000AD.
Capital City: Hanoi. Founding Year: 1010
Flag from 1863
Succeeded his father Hun Sen who'd had a significant role from April 1975, when the US backed Khmer Republic (1970-1975) fell. Hun Sen had left for Vietnam in June 1977, returned with Vietnam's invasion in December 1978 (under Pol Pot's "Khmer Rouge" regime 1975-1979 all monetary exchange had been abolished). Vietnam set up a new government, and the Cambodian riel was reintroduced.
Capital City: Phnom Penh. Founding Year: 1372
Malaysia
Flag from 1950
Mahathir Mohamad long-term politician 99 (wife Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali 98)
A brief history of Malaya (and Singapore)
In 1800 the population of Malaya was just 3 million with the British East India company establishing an outpost in Penang.
In 1942 the island of Singapore, violently invaded, fell to Japan. After Japan's surrender in 1945, a significant number of British troops were deployed to Malaya and Singapore until 1971, with Australia RAAF support from June 1950 and additional ground forces deployed in October 1955.
In 1957 the Federation of Malaya was formed, becoming Malaysia in 1963 when it merged with Singapore, also Sarawak & Sabah in north British Borneo. A violent confrontation with Indonesia ensued over Borneo, easing in 1966 with General Suharto's replacing President Sukarno.
In 1965 Singapore was expelled from the Federation, becoming its own Republic.
Although British troops withdrew in 1971, good relations have been maintained, with a five nation (Au, NZ, UK, Singapore and Malaysia) operational headquarters set up at Butterworth Air Base at Penang.
Click here for further notes on the early years of British Singapore and Malaysia, starting with Stanley Raffles in Penang in 1805.
Click here for a timeline snapshot (from Wikipedia) of British Malaya and British Borneo.
Capital City: Kuala Lumpur. Founding Year: Circa 1857
Flag in 13th century
Capital City: Jakarta on the island of Java (known to the Dutch as Batavia until Indonesian independence on December 27, 1949). Founding Year: Circa 400AD
Nusantara, Kalimantan, is the planned capital on the island of Borneo, opened / inaugurated in August 2024.
Click here for a map of Indonesia and recent news in June 2022
A brief history of Indonesia
It was ruled by the Dutch East India Company (Nederlands Oost Indië) from 1603-1800. At the time the population of Java was about 4 million. The Netherlands then ruled until 1942 and the Japanese invasion. Earlier in the 1930s Sukarno, an architect by profession, became leader of Indonesia's independence-seeking National Party. He welcomed Japan as the pathway to an independent Indonesia, visiting Tokyo in 1943.
Upon Japan's surrender, Sukarno was declared to be President of the new Republic of Indonesia, ruling from Yogyakarta, 560 kms south-east of Batavia. Four years of intermittent civil war followed, British and Australian troops remaining reluctantly in the East Indies until November 1946 to assist authorities maintaining the peace. Sukarno's capture in December 1948, was followed soon after by a peace agreement in May 1949, then independence in December.
There was a murderous assault on the top military brass involving the Indonesian army at the close of September 1965
...
where six top anti-communist military leaders were kidnapped and executed by army troops said to be "protecting the president" and forestalling a planned government coup. The men executed included the commander of the army, the second deputy-commander, two brigadier-generals, and two other senior men. However the troops failed to kill the Minister of Defense, who escaped, and hid, and with a broken ankle immediately appointed General Suharto as new Army Commander. Read further details here
Following the Asia economic crisis in 1997 when the rupiah dropped from 2,600 to 17,000 to the US dollar, Suharto resigned and was replaced by his Vice-President Habibie.
In 2004 SBY (Yudhoyono) was elected President, followed by Joko Widodo in 2014, and Prabowo Subianto (President-elect) in Feb 2024.
Carl Linnaeus 1707-1778, Charles Darwin 1809-1882, and Karl Marx 1818-1883