Best Civilization

Ancient Roman civilization developed from the city of Rome into a republic and then an empire spanning much of the Mediterranean world. The traditional founding date is 753 BCE, while 476 CE marks the conventional end of the Western Roman Empire. These dates provide a familiar outline rather than fi...

Founded by Genghis Khan in 1206, the Mongol Empire grew from a union of steppe peoples into the largest contiguous land empire in history. At its greatest extent, it covered roughly 24 million square kilometers across Eurasia, reaching from Eastern Europe to the Sea of Japan. Its rapid expansion dur...

Centered on the polis of Athens, Athenian civilization combined the institutions of an ancient Greek city-state with an enduring tradition of public debate. The reforms of Cleisthenes around 508 BCE helped establish one of the earliest known systems of democracy. Participation, however, belonged to...

Ancient Israel is a historical term for Israelite societies and kingdoms that developed in the southern Levant during the Iron Age. It encompasses the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah, as well as earlier and later communities whose boundaries and political circumstances c...

The Republic of Florence was an independent Tuscan city-state whose institutions grew out of medieval communal government. Its republican identity existed alongside struggles over who could exercise political power, making it a useful case for studying the difference between formal institutions and...

Centered on Babylon in what is now Iraq, Babylonian civilization formed an important part of ancient Mesopotamia. Its history includes different kingdoms and imperial periods rather than one continuous state. The Code of Hammurabi, dating to the eighteenth century BCE and often placed around 1754 BC...

Along the Levantine coast, Phoenicia developed as a network of ancient Semitic-speaking city-states centered on ports including Byblos, Sidon and Tyre. These communities were connected by language and maritime activity rather than governed as a single enduring empire. From the first millennium BCE,...

The British Empire was a global political system built from English and later British colonies, protectorates, dominions, and other territories. At its peak around 1920, it governed roughly a quarter of the world's land area and population, although estimates vary by definition. Its possessions incl...

Tawantinsuyu, or the Inca Civilization, was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. Centered in Cusco, it spanned much of western South America during the 15th and 16th centuries along the Andean mountain range. The state was highly centralized, utilizing a strict administrative hierarchy and a...

The United States of America is a North American federal republic comprising 50 states. Its founding in 1776 began with a declaration of independence from Great Britain, followed by a war to secure that independence. The Constitution establishes separate branches of government and divides authority...

The Spanish Empire was an overseas and dynastic empire that developed from the late 15th century after the 1492 voyage sponsored by Castile. Its territories included most of Spanish America at various times, the Philippines and other Pacific possessions, parts of Europe, and holdings in Africa. Silv...

The Roman Empire arose from the late Republic, becoming a dominant force in Europe and North Africa. Its vast territory encompassed much of Western civilization, leaving an enduring legacy in legal systems, engineering, and political thought. The empire’s influence extended across generations, impac...

The Rashidun Caliphate was the early Islamic state ruled by the four caliphs traditionally regarded in Sunni Islam as the Prophet Muhammad's successors: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. From 632 to 661 CE, its armies brought Syria, Egypt, Iraq, and much of the former Sasanian Empire under Muslim rul...

The Mughal Civilization was an early modern Islamic empire that dominated the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Founded by Babur in 1526, the empire established a centralized government blending Persianate culture with local Indian traditions. It is distinguished by its archit...

The Neo-Assyrian Empire was the imperial phase of Assyria, a state based in northern Mesopotamia that expanded across much of the ancient Near East during the Iron Age. Historians conventionally date it from Adad-nirari II's accession in 911 BCE to the end of Assyrian rule in the late seventh centur...

The Dutch Republic, formally the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, was a confederation of provinces that rejected Habsburg rule during the Dutch Revolt. The Act of Abjuration declared independence in 1581, and the republic gained international recognition in 1648 before lasting until the Fre...

The Macedonian Empire was an ancient state founded by Alexander the Great, reigning from 336 to 323 BCE. Originating in Greece, the empire expanded rapidly through military conquests across the Achaemenid Persian Empire, reaching as far as northwestern India. Alexander's campaigns facilitated the He...

The People's Republic of China is a single-party socialist state established in 1949, the world's most populous nation and second-largest economy, with a civilization history spanning over 3,500 years.

The Aztec or Mexica civilization was a Mesoamerican society that dominated the central valley of Mexico during the 14th and 15th centuries. Centered on the island city of Tenochtitlan, founded circa 1325, they constructed a vast tribute empire known as the Triple Alliance. The civilization ended fol...

Ancient Greek civilization developed from the 8th century BCE and profoundly shaped Western thought. It established influential concepts in philosophy, mathematics, art, and politics, particularly through innovations like Athenian democracy. This era’s legacy is relevant for historians, students of...

The Olmec were an ancient Mesoamerican culture centered on the southern Gulf Coast of present-day Mexico, especially the lowlands of Veracruz and Tabasco. Flourishing during the Formative period, roughly 1500 to 400 BCE, they are known archaeologically for ceremonial centers, carved jade and basalt...

The Federal Republic of Germany is a modern democratic nation situated in Central Europe. Following its reunification in 1990, it became a major political and economic force within Europe. The country operates as a federal parliamentary republic, comprising sixteen states. Germany possesses the larg...

The Assyrian civilization was an ancient empire originating in northern Mesopotamia, along the Tigris River. It was characterized by a highly organized military that expanded its territory to stretch from Egypt to western Iran during the 7th century BCE. The Assyrians built large capital cities like...

The Old Babylonian Empire was a Mesopotamian kingdom centered on Babylon, usually dated to the period from the rise of the Amorite dynasty to the Hittite sack of Babylon in the 16th century BCE. It reached its greatest territorial extent under Hammurabi, whose reign united much of southern Mesopotam...

The French Republic is a Western European democracy with a history as a major colonial and cultural power, home to the Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789) and a permanent UN Security Council member.

Designed specifically for two players, 7 Wonders Duel turns civilization building into a contest over shared cards. Across three ages, players take available cards from an overlapping arrangement, exposing new choices as they build. Some cards are visible and others remain hidden, so each move can i...

The Portuguese Empire was an overseas network of forts, trading posts, settlements, and colonies created through Portuguese maritime expansion from the 15th century. After the capture of Ceuta in 1415 and the opening of a sea route to India by Vasco da Gama in 1498, Portugal established positions al...

The Gupta Empire flourished from approximately 320 to 550 CE in what is now northern India. This dynasty represents a significant period of cultural and political stability. It’s notable for fostering advancements across science, mathematics, art, and literature—contributing substantially to the dev...

The Ethiopian Empire was the imperial state centered in the Ethiopian highlands and ruled by a succession of monarchies, including the Solomonic dynasty from 1270 until the monarchy was overthrown in 1974. Its history is closely associated with Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, territorial expansion,...