Every now and then I am surprised by remembering that the French Revolution occurred after (and in response to) the American one. Which led me to my recent realization: America is a young nation with an old government. Most, if not all, European countries trace their ethnic roots to before the Roman Empire. But few of the nations' current governments were formed prior to the 19th century. 1991 was a good year for nation forming, after the fall of the USSR. 1945, ditto after the end of WWII. Even the UK didn't become "united" until 1800, then lost part of Ireland in 1922. Actually, only very small, out-of-the-way countries have managed to keep a single government thru the upheaval of the 20th century. Without further ado, countries whose most recent change in governance is still older than the USA:
Andorra- 1278 (modernized 1993, whatever that means)
San Marino- 1600 (World's oldest constitution still in effect)
Yeah, really just one country. Several come close, but treaties and occupations are sticky business and Wikipedia isn't all that clear in the side bar lists.
Despite the fact that we lack a unifying ethnic culture (or perhaps because) our country has managed to survive from inception under a single government. And if you believe that its just our size that has kept us from the invasions that have afflicted Europe, look at Imperial Russia (or China). In a time when patriotism is partisan, this is something all Americans can be proud of.
