Category Story of Nations

          Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg are collectively known as the Low Countries because most of the land lies near the coast of the North Sea. These countries came together for trade and became rich in the Middle Ages.

          The French dukes controlled this area for a while. But, they chose to join the Habsburg family in the 1500s, which ruled over Spain and Austria. Peace did not prevail in the Low Countries even though they were rich. There were a series of wars and they were ruled by foreign powers time and again. Belgium broke free from Netherlands in 1830 and Luxembourg gained independence in 1867.

          In 1948, these countries joined again in an economic union. This union is referred to as Benelux, a combination of the first sounds of the three countries. Benelux was a founding member of the European Economic Community.

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          Denmark has one of the most peaceful societies in the world with high standards of living. It is one of the least corrupted democracies.

          Denmark was once ruled by the Vikings. The Vikings were replaced by the Danish monarch. Remember the Kalmar Union that we discussed in the history of Sweden? After the dissolution of this treaty, Denmark went to war against Sweden and lost much of its territory.

          The country fought wars with Germany too. Denmark lost Schleswig to Germany, but it was regained after the First World War. This happened in the 1920s, leading to the creation of modern Denmark.

          Germany occupied Denmark during the Second World War, but it was freed after the war. Today, Denmark is a constitutional monarchy with a vibrant representative democracy.

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          Finland has strong neighbours who played a key role in shaping its history. It is a small nation positioned between Sweden and Russia and has often been a tool to prove the power of its neighbours. Sweden started to gain control over Finland from the 1100s which was later lost to Russia in the Napoleonic War.

          Russia invaded Finland in 1809 and it became part of the Russian Empire. The Russian Revolution paved way to Finland’s independence. It became a free country in 1907. After gaining liberty, the people tried to establish a monarchy. This attempt was a failure; the country later became a republic with the president as the head of the State. The Soviet Union occupied Finland again during World War ll. Though the country lost some of its territories, it regained freedom after the war.

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           Sweden was not known to the world till Vikings explored this land. Sweden prospered under the rule of Vikings who fought wars to expand their territory.

          By AD 1000, several provinces united and established nobility. Later in 1389, Sweden, Denmark and Norway united under the Danish Queen Margaret. This is known as the Kalmar Union. The Kalmar Union was short-lived: internal conflicts erupted between these countries and they broke off the agreement.

          The credit of building modern Sweden goes largely to King Gustav Vasa. Sweden enjoyed great cultural developments in the 18th and 19th centuries due to its contact with France. The economy picked up during World War I. Sweden is now one of the wealthiest nations of the world. The monarch is still the head of the country, but the real power lies with the elected representatives of the people.

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          Europe has had great influence on political history since time immemorial. The system of democracy as we know today was developed in Europe in about 450 BC.

           People from this not-so-big continent went around the world and colonized it. Almost all the countries around the world would have a European link at one point or the other. At a point of time, European powers, especially Britain, Spain and Portugal controlled the world. These countries grew rich by exploiting Asia, Africa and the Americas.

          The Great Wars of the world began in Europe. Both World War I and World War II had their roots in Europe. The tension between communism and capitalism was played out here primarily. This power struggle that took place between the communist and non-communist countries is known as the Cold War which finally witnessed the collapse of the Soviet Union.

          Today, Europe has 51 independent countries and related territories. Armenia and Cyprus are considered to be in Europe though they are geographically located in West Asia.

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          The story about the rulers of Peru is as old as the story of the Inca civilization. The Inca civilization flourished in Peru in the 1400s. A Spanish conqueror named Francisco Pizzaro destroyed the empire of the Incas and established a settlement. This happened in 1532 and Spain ruled Peru for the next 300 years. The Spanish rule was largely oppressive and the natives rebelled against their rulers. After a series of violent battles, Peru earned its independence in the 1820s.

          Peru has had times of trouble after independence. From the mid twentieth century, Peru’s government alternated between democracy and military regimes. A Maoist group called the Shining Path gained power over Peru in the 1970s. However, they faded away after their leader Abimael Guzman was captured in 1992.

          Peru is a peaceful democracy since the 1990s. The people of Peru are required to vote by law!

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