Top 10 Countries With the Most Fascinating Cultures and Histories

The Top Ten
1 China China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of more than 1.4 billion. China spans five geographical time zones and borders 14 countries, the second most of any country in the world after Russia. Covering an area of approximately 9.6 million square kilometers (3,700,000 sq mi), it is the world's third or fourth largest country. The country consists of 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities, and two Special Administrative Regions (Hong Kong and Macau). The national capital is Beijing, and the most populous city and financial center is Shanghai. Chinese (Mandarin) is the only official ...read more.

Despite the fact that most of them are communists, and the country itself is as well, it doesn't make the culture stop being so gorgeous and beautiful. The landscapes are amazing, and my favorite part, has to be the kimonos. They are ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING to look at. The Chinese women look so beautiful in such golden trimmed clothing. The roofs, for shade are just something that you'd want to stay under forever. The scenery in the photographs of the women in kimonos, the lakes, ponds, mountains, and of course, but to mention The Great Wall of China. They've made this culture and country so amazingly outstanding, and I hope they know that. THIS deserves the number one spot.

China has an incredible amount of history, there's no way you could remember it all. Being Chinese, I celebrate the holidays and eat Chinese food and grew up on their stories. So maybe I'm a bit biased, but I don't think anyone could argue that its culture and history are extremely interesting.

The most sophisticated, influential, diverse and unique culture and history to ever exist. Wish I could live amidst the Orient, the Far East, and experience the best of Chinese food, philosophy, poetry and everything else.

Teaching Chinese abroad gives me a chance to see my culture from a different perspective, which is awesome. Trust me, there is much much more than just food, panda and Kung Fu to explore in China. And welcome to China to see and experience it yourself.

2 Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the northeast. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Sea of Crete and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin, featuring thousands of islands. The country consists of nine traditional geographic regions, and has a population of approximately 10.7 million. Athens is the nation's capital and largest ...read more.

Greece is a classic civilization we all still learn from to this day. From their beliefs, government system, and obviously their mathematicians and scientists, who've discovered some of the most important and basic concepts that we still build upon to this day. Their ancient history is absolutely fascinating!

Vibrant culture, fascinating history. Truly the most wonderful Western civilization.

In my opinion Greece is one of the most artistic countries.

Greece is amazing

3 India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country (with over 1.2 billion people), and the most populous democracy in the world. Its capital is New Delhi. Some other major cities are Mumbai, Chennai, and Ahemdabad. The most spoken languages are Hindi and English, but there are 22 official Indian languages.

India and Indian people have contributed a lot to global civilization. Without ancient India, the world would probably not be what it is today. There is a lot of unique architecture from various time periods and cultures, including the Taj Mahal or the palaces of Rajasthan. India also has a great cuisine, which is the most accommodating to vegetarians and all dietary preferences. On that note, one admirable thing about India is the love and respect its culture gives to animals, especially those that are important to human society, like cows (I.e. dairy and agriculture). India has also contributed a lot to the sciences, just one example of which is the modern decimal numeral system that is first known to be used here and then transmitted to Arab traders (hence the Hindu-Arabic numeral system). The importance and efficiency of this numeral system for modern science cannot be overstated.

Indian (or as I prefer, "Hindu", not in the religious but in the cultural sense) is a completely alien and unique culture. In ancient times, the inhabitants of this naturally-rich land had incredibly profound ideas proper of a very sophisticated individuals and their strong intellectual interest. Their attention to ethics made them to have the incredible modern insight that the slaughter of animals is unjust and cruel, forbidding it as early as the 7th century B.C. Wow! Among their astounding contributions to mathematics are early proofs and the positional numerals, and a surprising fascination and understanding of big numbers, along with their contribution to other sciences, all of them fundamental to our modern world. It produced the most perdurable superstitious practices as well, such as meditation and ayurveda. Unfortunately, like all the great ancient cultures, it suffered a crushing decadence in its way to actuality.

A big thanks to the Muslims who shaped Indian culture today. The food, the music (courtyard dances, Adab! ), The language (Urdu) and architecture. India as it's known wouldn't be so without the influence of the Muslims. Whether you accept that or not, I know it's hard as Modi is pushing an anti Muslim rhetoric all over the country. Good luck to the future of India, I hope they learn that prejudice ain't getting them nowhere. Muslims are part and parcel of India's history and present too.

India has the world's most beautiful architecture, the Taj Mahal, built out of love by Shah Jahan. A truly mesmerizing place that must be seen! The beautiful sunrise behind the incredible monument and the bright rays of the full moon that fall on it makes it a paradise. It is astonishing to see how clever Indians are to construct such an amazing monument that is symmetrical and adheres to mathematical formulas in every way!

4 Italy Italy, (Italian: Repubblica Italiana), is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe.

Italy covers an area of 301,338 km2. With almost 62 million inhabitants, it is the 3rd most populous EU member state. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino and Vatican City. The Capital and largest city is Rome. Other major cities are Milano, Naples, Turino, Venice, Florence. Italy's official language is Italian. ...read more.

Italy is a beautiful place, with a very unique culture. Not only is it pretty important today, but it was also the center of the Roman Empire and Republic. Florence, Rome, and Venice- Italy has some of the greatest cities in the world!

I will not pretend to know much about Italy, but it's a place I've always wanted to go to, just to get a peak at Venice!

Italian is one of the most beautiful languages of the world! And Florence is the true City of Love.

Italy is very fascinating and has a great culture!

5 Egypt Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip (Palestine) and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. The Gulf of Aqaba in the northeast separates Egypt from Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Cairo is the capital and largest city of Egypt, while Alexandria, the second-largest city, is an important industrial and tourist hub at the Mediterranean coast. At approximately 100 million inhabitants, Egypt is the 14th-most populated country in ...read more.

This culture has been alive for a long time and there is so much interest that can go into the Egyptian culture, plus there are so many ancient relics that have been found, I personal find this culture incredibly interesting.

In social studies, I always yawn whenever we talk about America, India, and more. But when Egypt comes, I'm in a whole new world. It fell in love with the actual interesting features such as pyrimads, magic, pharaohs, and more. It's so ancient and cool at the same time.

Ancient Egypt is one of the most interesting subjects I've ever been taught in class. It has such a rich past, that's so full of mystery.

One if my favorite places to visit! Has such deep and rich history!

6 England England, previously the Kingdom of England, is a constituent country of the United Kingdom along with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

England can trace its history as far back as the 10th century, but modern England didn't start till the Norman Invasion of 1066. In 1535, England annexed Wales and in 1603 shared a Monarch with Scotland, which eventually led to the Unification of the two into 'Great Britain', in 1801 Ireland was incorporated forming the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland', in 1922, 6 counties stayed in the UK while the rest of Ireland declared Independence. ...read more.

England has such rich history, it's an amazing place! It's the best because of the people - their senses of humour are the best in the world.

The Greatest European Culture! Brits gave us biggest Empire, lots of modern technology, fashion, science, laws, music, film, artists etc...
Absolutely the greatist literature! Brits have never capitulate, also they burried 4 empires, and greatest modern country USA is also the descendants of Brits.
P.S. How this russian scumbag can be higher than England? Kremlin farm of trolls is now even on toptens?

Ten? Come on! We all know about dear old England's fabulous history and culture... She is amazing!

England may be small it is full of culture. For example, the many stunning buildings from the tutor period, Victoria era

7 Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia in the Pacific Ocean. It lies off the eastern coast of the Asia Mainland (east of China, Korea, Russia) and stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and near Taiwan in the southwest.

Japan has a huge capital city called Tokyo, other cities in Japan include Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Osaka, Nagoya and Sendai. It's close to South Korea, which is on the North West of it. It has a large population of 126.86 million people (Statistics Bureau of Japan. Retrieved April 27, 2016). ...read more.

The Island Nation has remained aloof from the world through centuries of separation and isolationist policies. With the rise of the modern technology and international commerce, this has create a unique mix of tradition you won't find anywhere else with the cutting edge of the modern. No country is as unique, or has a history so steeped in legend that at certain points of history, they become inseparable.

Japanese culture, along with many other asian cultures, is the oldest, most well developed culture on the planet. Everything from their weapons, to their clothes, even their language is extremely refined, graceful, and amazing.

Visited Japan over 15 times in my life (so far), the culture does not seize to fascinate and surprise me. The traditions are so rooted deep inside the society as if the people were born with the knowledge.

One of my very favorite countries to visit - for their food, hospitality, their efficient public transportation system, bullet train, Japanese culture, lovely people, and their fashion!

8 Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation (RF), is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world by area, covering over 17,125,191 square kilometres (6,612,073 sq mi), and encompassing one-eighth of Earth's inhabitable landmass. Russia extends across eleven time zones and borders sixteen sovereign nations, the most of any country in the world. It is the ninth-most populous country and the most populous country in Europe, with a population of 145.5 million. The country's capital and largest city is Moscow, the largest city entirely within Europe. Saint Petersburg is Russia's cultural centre and second-largest city. Other major urban areas ...read more.

I am Chinese and I love Russian literature. They have very talented writers. I also love their beautiful eastern Orthodox cathedrals.

Their history in dance and other forms of art has always captivated my attention!

Soviet history is particularly interesting in my opinion. But the more obscure regions of Russia, like Kaliningrad or Tannu-Tuva, or the most interesting.

My native culture

9 Ireland Formed in 1916 after the Easter uprising, Ireland is a small country with a population of roughly 5 million.

Incredible culture! Even 800 years of British domination didn't destroy it all!

10 France France, officially the French Republic, is a sovereign state comprising territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The European part of France, called metropolitan France, extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. France spans 675,000 km2 (251,000 mi2) and has a total population of 67 million (data from 2017). ...read more.

Europe is definitely the most culturally diverse place on the planet. Cultures from Europe have had more influence in the world than cultures from any other continent by far, and France has probably had the most influential and beautiful culture in Europe.

France is a very cool place. I've always wanted to go, my best est friend named Emma got to go there when make a wish foundation helped. I'm not going to give you her whole life story but it was pretty cool, and helps me remember her.

Sure France is well known to be one of the most famous, so famous that lots of jealous like to play French bashing. More you play this game, more France strong is.

Good food, patisseries, charcuteries, cheese, good wines, beautiful landscape (mountains, sea, countryside, tropical islands, amazonian forest, pittoresque towns, beautiful cities and Paris), music, festivals, fashion,...

The Contenders
11 Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea, and shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east, and Egypt to the southwest; it is also bordered by the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to the east and west, respectively. Tel Aviv is the economic and technological center of the country, while its seat of government is in its proclaimed capital of Jerusalem, although Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem is unrecognized internationally.

Israel is God's chosen people. God created the world and gave the Hebrew people that land that everyone is fighting over still. This to me and to many others is #1 because the Jewish people have escaped and been unnaturally persecuted by this world.
I love Israel! They have great fragrant oils, symbolic traditions, martial arts, and food. Israel is truly blessed.

It is the home of Jerusalem, and even for people who are not religious, it's still amazing to learn about the the birthplace of the three major religions of the world.

Woah ok there. This ain't right. The fact actually still stands that falafel, the keffiyeh, dabke and basically everythaaang that's falsely listed as "Israeli culture" is Palestinian. You can't wipe their culture from history as well as their land because only Palestinians can rock the culture you egotistically call Israeli. Simples.

After two thousand years of being scattered throughout the world, Israel has still retained their language and identity...

12 Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Scotland is the most mountainous, and least densely populated country in the United Kingdom.

I'll admit, this is mostly because I am in love with the Scottish accent, but since seeing Brave, I have been super fascinated by the stories and mystical places the movie was based on.

Scotland used to be a monarchy, which is interesting. It also has interesting food, and the scenery is beautiful, the accent is also awesome

I voted this one. To make history, I hope Scotland becomes independent in the future!

13 Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a federal republic located in North America. The country is located between the U.S. and Central America, and is known for its Pacific and Gulf of Mexico beaches and its diverse landscape of mountains, deserts, and jungles.

Mexico home of the tomato, corn, chile peppers, avocado, cacao, vanilla, native to the region and given to the world. Has some of the best selling beer brands (Corona, Dos Equis, etc.), tequila, tacos, Dia de los Muertos, and had the first university in the Americas. Had some of the most advanced ancient civilizations, and a powerful city state as the Viceroyalty on New Spain overseeing vast global territories from Asia-Pacific to North America, the Caribbean, etc. Today it is the largest media and content producer in the Spanish speaking world, one of the largest producer of Spanish language pop/contemporary musicians and international artists and largest Spanish book publisher. 2nd largest economy in Latin America, most populous Spanish speaking country.

Mexico holds a lot of culture and tradition. The ancient buildings and towns are preserved with love. The people are super genuine and welcoming. Great food, music, views and energy. Mexico holds one of the seven wonders of the world, the pyramid.

Each part of the country has its own tradition, it's so rich culturally and the people there is so nice!

Ancient pyramids, colonial towns, and rich culture, oh and the FOOD!

14 Germany Germany was formally united in 1871 under the initiative of Bismarck with King Wilhelm of Prussia as emperor. The previous 'Holy Roman Empire', basically a continuation of the empire of Charlemagne/Karl der Grosse was dissolved in 1806. ...read more.

As a German I usually speak negatively about my country, but when it comes to history I must admit that Germany has one of the most interesting ones. Beginning with the Holy Roman Empire (Of German Nation), over the German Confederation to Weimar Republic and Third Reich.
However in terms of culture Germany isn't that interesting in my opinion. Most things people consider as "German Culture" is actually Bavarian Culture, so there is that.

15 Iran Iran, also known as Persia, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a sovereign state in Western Asia. The capital city is Teheran and the major city is also Tehran. The country's official language is Persian.

Iran is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations, beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the fourth millennium BC. The country's rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by its 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the third-largest number in Asia and eleventh-largest in the world. Iran is a multicultural country comprising numerous ethnic and linguistic groups. ...read more.

A country with thousands of years of continuous history, glorious architectural and musical traditions, and much to offer to foreigners. A country that has survived dozens of invaders and continues to exist as a single state today, from the first Elamite empire all the way to the modern Shahdom, then the Republic. It stands as unmatched today as it did in 510 because, 10 AD, 300 AD, 1000 AD, 1750, and many other time periods where it dominated the near east with a highly refined and trained military. It is one of the few countries to never be colonized and it is one of the most authentic and most understudied countries that Asia has to offer.

I sensed no racism when I went to Iran, and I am from Canada.
Every city is so different with different culture and beauty, from desert to mountains, to ski resort to caspian sea.
Religious freedom as well, and women have more rights than any other muslim countries.

I think Iranian People are so kind and hospitable.

They have traditional culture.

16 Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a sovereign state located in the Horn of Africa.

Ethiopia is where it all began! It is the most fascinating and beautiful country in the world! Religion, civilization, farming etc have all their origins in this ancient wonderful country!

Ethiopia is the only African country that never been colonized. It beat Italy in battle of adwa. It has more than 85 languages and cultures. The people of Ethiopia are so warm and welcoming. Ethiopia is a very divers beautiful country.

Kikikiki. it is the origin of human being and civilization. It is the only country never colonized. the warrior people and Christianity specially the Orthodox is originated from Ethiopia.

Yes Ethiopia is the country of god and religion and everything, and though it may not be the richest we are very nice and welcoming

17 Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in southwestern Europe with parts of territory in the Atlantic Ocean and across the Mediterranean Sea. The largest part of Spain is situated on the Iberian Peninsula; its territory also includes the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, the Balearic Islands ...read more.

The other large European global empire besides Britain, that spanned the globe from Italy/Netherlands in Europe to Latin America (North and South America), Asia (Philippines, Formosa/Taiwan, etc.), and Africa (Morocco, etc.).
Gave the world terms like quixotic. Was the first European country to have a truly global reserve currency: "piece of 8", using the $$ sign for its denomination, later adopted by Americans for the dollar.
Trade words like cargo/carga and embargo also originate from the Spanish Empire. Today Spanish is the 2nd most used/spoken/read language in the world through the spread of Spanish culture globally.

The most interesting and diverse country in Europe. Great food. Beautiful landscapes and people.The North has one of the most magnificent coast lines I have ever seen

Spain is great but I'm surprised Brazil isn't on the list... Would've voted for it

It is an amazing country

18 United States The United States of America, or the U.S.A. for short, is a federal republic composed of 50 states, 48 of them are contiguous states. There are two other states, Alaska and Hawaii, which are north and south of the contiguous states, respectively. The United States declared its independence from the British Empire in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence. They won their independence in 1783 with the Treaty of Paris. Its capital, Washington D.C. (District of Columbia) is defined by imposing neoclassical monuments and buildings including the iconic ones that house the federal government's 3 branches: the Capitol, White House and Supreme Court. Though it has no official language, English and ...read more.

Um, stop hating on the USA people just because most of you live here. We're like super more interesting than these other countries!

I suppose it could be interesting. But in America, it's culture/history is nothing compared to other countries.

Although it is young, USA has lots of history and has a mix of different cultures around the world.

America has done a lot in the short history it has been through.

19 Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of 7,617,930 square kilometres (2,941,300 sq mi), Australia is the largest country by area in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country. Australia is the oldest, flattest, and driest inhabited continent, with the least fertile soils. It is a megadiverse country, and its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates, with deserts in the centre, tropical rainforests in the north-east, and mountain ranges in the south-east.

A country where saying "mate" is hip, and not only that but with a neat aboriginal culture, this place has it all! Not to mention a great art scene!

I strongly believe Australia is the most fascinating and interesting country/continent. In the universe

Rich culture in the indigenous community that can rival many other older civilisations with its unique ways, may not be as old or have as much recorded history but is truly a beautiful culture

20 United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly shortened to United Kingdom, UK or Britain is a Sovereign State located of the Northwestern coast of Europe. It is a Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy currently lead by Monarch Queen Elizabeth II and its current prime minister is Boris Johnson. The UK is a Unitary State consisting of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is currently a member state of the European Union, but as of 2016 has start the withdrawal process, and is set to leave the Union in October 2019. ...read more.
21 Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the northwesternmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to the east, and the disputed territory of Western Sahara to the south. ...read more.
22 Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country in Eastern Africa. At 580,367 square kilometres (224,081 sq mi), Kenya is the world's 48th largest country by area. With a population of more than 47.6 million in the 2019 census, Kenya is the 29th most populous country in the world. Kenya's capital and largest city is Nairobi, while its oldest, currently second largest city, and first capital is the coastal city of Mombasa. Kisumu City is the third-largest city and also an inland port on Lake Victoria. Other important urban centres include Nakuru and Eldoret. As of 2020, Kenya is the third-largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria and South Africa. Kenya is bordered by South Sudan ...read more.

Great people, great climate... did you know it was one of the few countries in Africa to have gotten independence from colonialists, and yes using homemade guns, bombs, arrows and so on, and they won! Wonderful history!

The 42 tribes, the different cultures, different languages and they still manage to run their country using two national languages English and Kiswahili. Natural resources, the people, everything about Kenya is just fascinating.

African cultures in general are always so awesome to learn about, but Kenya in particular is the country I have the most knowledge on, so it's the one I'm picking.

The beauty and splendor of this nation is sensational. From its flora and fauna to its majestic features!

23 Sweden Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. ...read more.
24 Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Located on the island of Great Britain, it is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, and the Bristol Channel to the south.

Wales is a lovely country when I visited Swansea in Wales and when I went in to town everybody was so caring and helpful.

Wales is beautiful and underrated.

Wales is an amazing place!

Rich in culture, language, eisteddfod, history and a beautiful place

25 Denmark Denmark is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the most populous and politically central constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland in the North Atlantic Ocean. European Denmark is the southernmost ...read more.
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