Several groups populated what is now Argentina at the beginning of the 16th century: Tehuelches, Rehuelches, Rampas, Matacos, Guaycures, Huerpes, Diaguitas, Mapuches,etc.

When, in the early 16th century, the first Europeans came to Argentina, the Native Americans had already halted the Inca drive southwards from Peru through Bolivia into northern Argentina. The Spaniard Juan de Solís landed on the shores of the Plata estuary in 1516, but the Indians resisted to his conquest intent, he was killed and the expedition failed. Magellan touched at the estuary four years later, but turned southwards to winter on the Patagonia's shores, after that he discovered the strait that connects ...

Australia was colonized in 1788, although was inhabited for over 40,000 years by the indigenous Aboriginal peoples. Australia has been an independent member of the British Commonwealth since 1901 when it became a Federation of States. A referendum to change Australia's status from a Commonwealth headed by the British monarch to a republic, was defeated in 1999 and hence Queen Elizabeth II of England remains the Head of State.

Today's Republic of Austria is a small state, whose origins can be traced far back into history. Populated since prehistoric times, Austria's location in the heart of Europe means that it has had its share of the continent's historical developments. It evolved from a border region into a powerful empire and multiracial state, which collapsed at the end of World War I. In 1918, the small, newly proclaimed Republic of Austria followed by an administrative reorganization which also resulted in an joint up approach for Topographic Mapping and Cadastre in close cooperation with Land Registry. Austria emerged from World War II and the sufferings associated with it as a neutral state that feels secure in its existence and which plays a decisive role in Europe.

57-51 before J.C: conquest of the Long pole Belgium by Julius Caesar. This region was lived by peoples of Celtic and Germanic origin.

In the IIIth century ap J.C: invasion by Francs, Saxon and Frisian. The North is marked by the Germanic influence and the South assimilates the Latin culture.

843: Treated with Verdun, the Belgian territory is divided into two parts; Flanders is connected in France and east territories connected in Germany.

Of the XIth in the XIVth: principalities form whereas cities become important centres of business and industry.

XVth: the Belgian territories are the ownership of Dukes de Bourgogne.

...

The 1959 Constitution provides for The Sultan as the Head of State with full executive authority. The Sultan is assisted and advised by five councils - the Religious Council, the Privy Council, the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet), the Legislative Council and the Council of Succession

The 1959 Constitution established the Chief Minister as the highest official, with the British High Commissioner as adviser to the Government on all matters except those relating to the Muslim religion and Malay customs. Effectively, however, in all internal and financial matters, the country has been self-governing.

Land administration was first handled by the British Resident which has the power to issue the letter of ownership to land applicants until the "Declaration of Constitution" in 1959 where this power was given to His Majesty Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam through Sultan in Council.

Cambodia was colonized by French protectorate (1863-1954). After independent, the country got peace until 1970 and then Cambodia passed across the war for many years. Between 1970-75, the country had suffered by civil war and between 1975-1979; the Khmer Rouge came to power. The Khmer Rouge regime, in addition to killing an estimated two million people, brought about one of the greatest population displacements in human history, forcing hundred of thousands to move from cities and towns to the countryside and from one part of the country to the other. In 7th January 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime collapsed and the country was re-constructed from the scratch.

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The history of Cyprus goes back 11,000 years.

Cyprus is an island of oceanic origin which has never been connected to the mainland. In the Pleistocen glacial episodes the minimum distance of Cyprus to the mainland would have been 30 km.

• The Stone Age - Neolithic Period I (8th millennium - 4500 BC)
• Neolithic Period II (4500-3500 BC)
• Chalcolithic Period (3500-2500/2300 BC)
• The Bronze Age - Early Bronze Age (2500/2300 - 1900 BC)
• The Middle Bronze Age (1900-1600 BC)
• The Late Bronze Age (1600-1100 BC)

...

The former kingdom of Bohemia (Golden Age under Charles IV of Luxembourg - the king of Bohemia and the Emperor of Rome and Germany) lost his independence after the battle of the White Mountain in 1620 and began for next 300 years a mere province of Habsburg monarchy, later the most industrial part of the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy. After the Word War I. in 1918 former Czechoslovakia as an independent and democratic state (republic) of Czechs and Slovaks was formed. During Word War II. Czechoslovakia was occupied by Germany. After the war Czechoslovakia continued in its economic and democratic development till the communist coup in1948, which stopped democratic development for next forty years. After so called "Velvet Revolution" in 1989 the process of liberation and economic restoration begun. In 1993 former Czechoslovakia was democratically divided into two independent states: the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic should be a member state of European Union in 2004.

Denmark has a long history as an independent kingdom. Since the end of the Viking period around the year 1050 the territory of Denmark has been governed by Danish Kings. A strong cultural identity has been developed throughout the years.

Most authorities agree that the indigenous Fijians came into the Pacific from Southeast Asia via Indonesia.

The first discovery of Fiji was by Abel Tasman in 1643, then Captain James Cook sailed through in 1774 and made further explorations in the 18th Century. Then Captain William Bligh sailed through on the Bounty in 1789.

However, the first Europeans to land and live among the Fijians were shipwrecked sailors and runaway convicts from the Australian penal settlements. Then came the Sandlewood traders and missionaries in the mid 19th century.

The signing of the Deed of Cession in 1874 made Fiji a British Crown territory until 1987, following the two coup d'etats that made Fiji a Republic.

Permanent colonization and farming in Finland is a process that has lasted about 7,000 years. The inhabitants came both from the East and the West.

Until the middle of the 12th century, the geographical area that is now Finland was politically interesting to both its Western neighbour Sweden and its Eastern neighbour Novgorod (Russia). Sweden came out on top, as the peace treaty of 1323 assigned the main part of the country to Sweden and Eastern Finland to Novgorod. After that Finland was part of the Swedish realm for some 500 years up to 1809. As a consequence the Swedish legal and social systems took root in Finland and even today we have two official languages: Finnish (91%) and Swedish (5%).

When Sweden had lost its position as a great power, Russia conquered ...

For centuries the German map showed a patchwork of smaller and bigger independent kingdoms and principalities. The most important changes in the modern age resulted from the Napoleonic wars at the beginning of the 19th century, the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, the First and the Second World War. After the latter Germany was divided, and the country's largest state Prussia, was dissolved. Most of the states as we know them today were established after 1945, but they have largely retained their ethnic traditions and characteristics and some of the old boundaries. Until Germany was reunited in 1990, the Federal Republic consisted of 11 states, which had been created in the former Western occupation zones and had adopted democratic constitutions between 1946 and 1957. In the Soviet-occupied zone, the later GDR five states were likewise formed but these were soon replaced by a centralized administration. After the first free elections in 1990 these five states were recreated with boundaries largely conforming to those prior to 1952. On 3 October 1990 the GDR acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany and Berlin became the capital of the unified Germany.

Immediately after the Opium War Hong Kong was occupied by the UK in 1841 and was ceded by the late Ching Dynasty of China to Britain in 1842. Kowloon Peninsula was ceded in 1860 and the New Territories was leased for 99 years since 1898. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.

Hungary was established as a Kingdom in 1000 and existed as an independent kingdom till 1521. Between 1521-1867 Habsburg kings ruled Hungary. Hungary was part of the German-Roman Empire. The Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy was established in 1867 and existed till 1918. Between the two world wars, Hungary was a democratic republic. Following World War II the country was occupied by the Soviet army and was forced to form political dictatorship and command economy. The communist period was over in 1990, since then there has been political democracy and market economy.

After World War I, two thirds of the country was joined to the surrounding states, which resulted in major Hungarian minorities there. Today about 4 million Hungarians live mainly in Romania, Slovak Republic, Serbia, and Croatia.

After attaining independence on 15th August 1947 from colonization, India emerged one of the fastest developing countries in the world. India rank seventh largest country in area and second in population. It has the largest democracy in the world. India framed a constitution and declared itself a Republic on 26th Jan 1950. The constitution ensured the trinity of justice, liberty and equality for the citizens of India. Adopting the path of democracy, the country held its first general election in 1952. Elections to the lower house of parliament, lok sabha, have been held regularly every five years.

Indonesia was colonized by the Dutch in early seventeen century to mid nineteen century and achieved its independence in 17 August 1945 (proclamation of independence). Authoritarian regimes: from 1945 - 1965 was under the President's Soekarno administration, from 1966 - 1998 was under the President's Soeharto's administration. Democratic regimes: 1998 - 1999 was under the President's Habibie administration, 1999 - 2001 was under the President's Abdulrachman Wachid's (Gus Dur) administration, and now since 23 July 2001 is under the President Megawati Soekarnoputri's administration.

On 14 May 1948, following the 29 November 1947 UN resolution, Israel proclaimed its independence. Israel focused on building the state, and the gates of the country were thrown open, affirming the right of every Jew and World War II survivors to come to the country. By the end of 1951, the population was a total of 687,000 men, women and children had arrived. Towards the end of the first decade, the output of industry doubled, as did the number of employed persons, with industrial exports increasing four-fold. Vast expansion of areas under cultivation had brought about self-sufficiency in the supply of all basic food products except meat and grains, while some 50,000 acres (20,000 hectares) of mostly barren land were afforested and trees were planted along almost 500 miles (800 km.) of highway. The educational system was greatly expanded and school attendance became free and compulsory for all children aged 5-18.

During Israel's second decade (1958-68), ...

Archaeological findings have placed knowledge of Iranian prehistory at middle Paleolithic times. The earliest sedentary cultures date from 14,000 to 18,000 years ago. By the sixth millennium B.C.E, a fairly sophisticated agricultural society and proto-urban population had emerged. As a part of the third wave of migration from Europe, Aryan tribes traveled across the Caspian Sea and settled the area of Iran around 1500 B.C.E. After centuries of inhabitation and peaceful co-mingling with the indigenous population, two major civilizations emerged out of these peoples, the Persian and the Medes. The following dynasties that ensued were called the Achaemenian the Parthians, .the Sassanian, the Arabs (such as Omayyads, Abbasids, Ghazna, ...

Japanese history can date back over 10,000 years and its unique culture has continued adapting imported cultures all the way. The country made steady modernization after the Meiji Restoration which began in 1867 and became the most prominent nation in Asia. However, with the complete defeat of World War II, every major city was devastated; the economy was a disaster with only 1/10 industrial production compared with the prewar level. After a few years of postwar turmoil, Japanese economy began its remarkable recovery that marked over 10% economic growth for years and brought a payment surplus already in late 1960s. Though it slowed down at oil crisis in 70s and a decade following the collapse of asset-inflated economy in 90s, Japan has been one of the largest economic powers as well as the largest donor of bilateral ODA, which started with the Colombo Plan signed in 1954.

The land that became Jordan is part of the richly historical Fertile Crescent region. Its history began around 2000 B.C., when Semitic Amorites settled around the Jordan River in the area called Canaan. Subsequent invaders and settlers included Hittites, Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arab Muslims, Christian Crusaders, Mameluks, Ottoman Turks, and, finally, the British. At the end of World War I, the territory now comprising Israel, Jordan, the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem was awarded to the United Kingdom by the League of Nations as the mandate for Palestine and Trans Jordan. In 1922, the British divided the mandate by establishing the semiautonomous Emirate of Trans Jordan, ruled by the Hashemite Prince Abdullah, while continuing the administration of Palestine under a British High Commissioner. The mandate over Trans Jordan ended on May 22, 1946; on May 25 Jordan became fully independent from Great Britain, and has developed without interruption as the independent Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan ever since.

The Gilbert Islands as it was formally known before independence in 1979 was colonized by British in 1892. Although Protestant and Catholic missionaries arrived earlier and introduced schools, it was through the British administration that the traditional ways of living began to change significantly. New laws were introduced, cluster of individual extended family hamlets were amalgamated into villages on land taken by the administration from customary landowners. Proper housing layouts were enforced and new roads that usually extend the entire length of the island were built.

The islands particularly the capital Tarawa was host to one of the fierce battle grounds between the American and Japanese troops during WW2.

A look back at the roughly 5,000 years of Korean history and archaeology reveals triumphs and tragedies, successes and struggles - all of which have been instrumental in shaping the Korea and Koreans of today. The Republic of Korea in the south and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north are divided along the 38th parallel. In 1950, North Korea launched an all-out attack on the Republic of Korea, triggering the Korean War, which raged until 1953. This devastating conflict was halted by an armistice agreement that established the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which has divided the Peninsula ever since. Reunification remains the long-cherished but elusive goal of all Koreans on both sides of the vigilantly guarded Military Demarcation Line.

Latvian ancestors Proto-Balts arrived in the territory of nowadays Latvia in the first half of the 2000 BC. In the 900s AD the ancient Balts began to establish specific tribal realms and gradually four Baltic tribal cultures developed: Couronians, Latgallians, Selonians, Semigallians. Starting from 1200s, when German Crusaders invaded the territory of Latvia, until the beginning of 1900 the territory of Latvia was under rule of other countries. In thirteenth century a confederation of feudal nations Livonia was developed under German rule. After the Livonian War (1558 - 1583) Latvian territory came under Polish-Lithuanian rule, later after the Polish-Swedish war (1600 - 1629), part of the territory passed under Swedish rule. It can be considered that ...

The first recorded mention of Lithuania was in 1009 AD in the Quedlinburg Annals. The Lithuanian state was founded in the middle of the 13th century by Duke Mindaugas, who was crowned as a king in 1253. By the beginning of the fifteenth century, Lithuania was one of the largest countries in Europe and its territory extended from the Baltic Sea up to the Black Sea. From 1648 onwards, the state faced attacks from the Russians and from Sweden. These wars critically weakened the state and, in the partitions of Poland, which took place between 1772 and 1795, Lithuania was largely annexed by the Russian Empire. These pressures helped to encourage the development of a national movement. Independence was declared on 16 February 1918. After the outbreak of the Second World War, Lithuania was annexed to the USSR and the occupation lasted till 1990. The restoration of independence was declared on 11 March 1990.

In 2000 Lithuania started negotiations for EU membership and in late 2002, was accepted for membership in both the EU and NATO (effective 2004).

Macao was a former Portuguese Colony from the 16th century to 1999. In 1985 Lisbon announced the opening of negotiations with Beijing on the transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China. The final settlement, which was signed in 1987, provided for a handover in 1999 after which Macao would become a 'Special Administrative Region' within China. The Basic Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region was adopted by the National People's Congress (NPC) on March 31, 1993, as the constitutional law for Macao taking effect on December 20, 1999.

In Peninsular Malaysia, the States of Perak, Selangor, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan formed themselves into a loose federation known as the Federated Malay States (FMS), with a system of centralized government. These four states, together with the states of Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, Terengganu and Johor, had an administration link with the British Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore, through the High Commissioner for the FMS being also the Governor of the Straits Settlements.

Following the end of World War II and the period of British military administration, Malacca and Penang were joined to the nine Malay states to form in 1946, the Malayan Union; this being superseded by the ...

Stages of the history of Mexico:

Prehispanic Epoch [1600 B.C. - 1521 D.C.]

• Origins of Mesoamerica
• First civilizations in Mexico
• Empire Epoch: Toltecs, Tarascans and Aztecs

Colonial Epoch [1521 - 1821]

• The Spanish Conquest or military occupation
• The Viceroyalty

Independent Mexico [1821 - 1921]

• Consummation of Independence ...

The first Europeans to set foot in modern day Namibia were the Portuguese explorers Diego Cao who landed at today's Cape Cross in 1486 and Bartholomew Diaz who erected a cross at today's Lüderitz. Further European explorations were kept at bay by the forbidding desert coast until the 18th century.

The discovery of huge amounts of guano on the islands scattered along the Namibian coast around 1840 led to the first European settlement in Namibia at Angra Pequena, today known as Lüderitz. Angra Pequena became a bustling port for ships on the way to Europe from the Cape of Good Hope, but even then the Namib Desert kept the early Europeans from moving inland.

In 1878 Britain annexed the Walvis Bay enclave and ...

The Great King Prithvi Narayan Shah unified the country by joining the small-small states into one single country, Nepal on 1786BS. Since then the Shah dynasty is ruling the country. However, from 1846 to 1950 about 104 years of period, the Rana Prime Ministers ruled it. On 1950, with the joint movement of the then King and the public, democracy was established in the country. On 1961, the king then took over the absolute power and dismissed the elected government and Panchayat system was exercised, the system lasted for about 30 years. Once again, there was a public movement on 1990, the king then pronounced the establishment of democracy, since then multiparty democratic system is restored in Nepal. At present, King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev is the Head of State.

The Republic of the Netherlands was formed after defeat of the Spanish occupancy in 1648, with the Peace Treaty of Münster. In 1795 the Republic was occupied by the French Napoleon, and during 1810-1813 it was annexed and became part of France. In 1815, after the defeat of Napoleon in the Waterloo battle, the Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed. The territory included southern parts, now Belgium. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral during World War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. After World War II it lost its major colony Indonesia. The Netherlands was a founding member of NATO and EC, and participates in the EMU.

New Zealand is young in its history of human habitation, being discovered and then settled, about 950 AD, by Polynesian people from the islands of the Pacific. Polynesians were renowned for their ability to navigate the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean.

In 1642, the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman briefly sailed along the West Coast of New Zealand. Captain James Cook circumnavigated the country in 1769 and was the first European to set foot in the country, claiming it for the British Crown, and opening the way for colonial settlement.

In 1840 the British government entered into a treaty, known as the Treaty of Waitangi, with the Maori chiefs of New Zealand.

The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and is a member of the Commonwealth supporting the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand withdrew from a number of defence alliances during the 1970s and 1980s. In recent years the government has sought to address longstanding native Maori grievances.

Aborigines reached the Philippines thru land bridges from the Malay peninsula. Indonesian followed by Malaysian reached the Philippines by boat. Spanish colonizer reached the Philippines in 1521. However, several hundred years before them, Chinese traders were already visiting the archipelago.

The American Government placed the Philippines under its colonial rule in 1898 thru the Treaty of Paris wherein the Spanish government transferred its authority over the Philippines to the Americans. The Philippines became a member of the Commonwealth and at the end of the World War II, was granted Political Independence by the American government, although at present, the officially recognized date of Philippine Independence is June 12, 1898.

In 1652, the Dutch realised the strategic and economic importance of the Cape of Good Hope and sent a merchant, Jan van Riebeek from The Dutch-East India Trading Company to establish a refreshment station for passing ships. South Africa was governed by Holland from 1672 to 1810. .After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope in 1806 annexing the Colony to the United Kingdom, 10 000 of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own Republics . The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments, but ...

From the middle of the first millennium B.C. to well after the first millennium A.D. Sri Lanka sustained an advanced hydraulic civilization centered around village tanks and irrigation schemes. The island was dominated by successive European sea powers beginning with Portugal from the early sixteenth century to the mid-seventeenth, followed by the Netherlands until the end of the eighteenth century, and finally Britain until Independence in1948. The great majority (75 percent) of the people are Sinhalese. The Tamil population accounts for 18 percent including those in the estate sector, who are descendants of the workers from India brought to Sri Lanka by the British in the nineteenth century to work on plantations. The Moors, ...

Sweden has developed from settlements after the last ice period. The present country was unified into one kingdom around 1000. During medieval time, it was sometimes a union between Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The modern kingdom was established around 1500 and the democratic state around 1900. Finland and the Baltic States have for different periods been included in the Swedish kingdom and been influenced by the Swedish cadastral system.

After the last civil war of 1847, the loose confederation of states was replaced by a soundly structured federal state, in which, however, the autonomy of the Cantons and communities was largely maintained. Many parts of the present Swiss Federal Constitution still correspond to the first modern version of 1848. Subsequent Swiss history led not to a unitary state but to a nation by will in which small communities of varying size, economic strength and cultural traditions (language, religion etc.) live alongside in mutual respect.

Switzerland's independence and neutrality have long been respected by the major European powers and it was not involved in either of the two ...

Tanganyika (present Tanzania Mainland) was colonized by Germany from 1895-1914. After the First World War, the League of Nations entrusted Britain to rule the country as a Mandate Territory. British colonial rule, therefore, lasted from 1919-1961. On 9th December 1961 Tanganyika became an independent state becoming a republic on the same day in 1962.

In 1964 Tanganyika united with the isles of Zanzibar and became the United Republic of Tanzania. Tanzania is a multiparty state with all political leaders democratically elected. Zanzibar has its own cadastral system. Therefore, the cadastral information described herein does not include the isles.

The history of Turkey comes from the Seljuk and the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish Republic was established in 1923, following the demise of the Ottoman Empire. The Empire had been in a state of decline for several centuries. Inability to keep up with industrial and scientific developments, social and political unrest and wars had sapped its strength. The First World War, in which the Ottoman Empire took part on the losing side, signaled its end. As the Empire crumbled, its Turkish nucleus rose up in a War of Liberation against the invading powers and the Sultan's government. It was successful and resulted in the Lausanne Peace Treaty of 24 July 1923, which established the international status and boundaries of the new state. The Republic was declared on 29 October 1923. Today Turkey is accepted as a moderately developed country. It has signed a customs union agreement in 1995 with Europe for free trade of goods and the government hopes to be a full member of the European Union.

En 1498 comienza la exploración del hoy territorio venezolano, su colonización y proceso de poblamiento comienza con la fundación de asentamientos en las islas de Margarita, Cubagua y Tierra Firme, con los cuales se inició el complejo desarrollo de la formación socio histórica en la actual Venezuela. La organización de la producción, el comercio y la vida institucional, se logró a partir de mediados del siglo XVI a través de una serie de instituciones civiles y religiosas alcanzando su plenitud en el siglo XVIII con las reformas borbónicas, que consolidaron la unidad territorial venezolana en 1777.

La consolidación del territorio venezolano, sólo se alcanza a partir de la creación de la Capitanía General de Venezuela ...