Which Is The Oldest Country In South Asia?

The region is generally considered to include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. However, some definitions also include Iran, Mongolia and Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. With such a wide range of countries included in the region, it is difficult to determine which one can be considered the oldest.

One way to approach this question is to look at the history of each individual country in south Asia. For example, Afghanistan has a long history dating back to around 3000 BCE when the area was first settled by Neolithic people. The Indus Valley Civilization began in what is now Pakistan and northern India around 2600 BCE and flourished until around 1500 BCE. In contrast, Sri Lanka only became inhabited relatively recently around 500 BCE although there are records of human activity on the island dating back much further (around 125000 BCE).

Another way to answer this question would be to look at the origins of the various south Asian cultures and civilizations. The Indus Valley Civilization is thought to have arisen from a number of earlier cultures including the Mehrgarh culture (7500-6000 BCE) which was centered in present-day Pakistan. Similarly, the Vedic civilization (1500-500 BCE) which developed in north India had its roots in an earlier culture known as the Indo-Aryan culture (2000-1500 BCE). These examples show that even though some countries in south Asia may have been settled later than others, their cultures may have very ancient origins.