As of 2010, there are, worldwide, 195 nation-states. The number of those that have operated under the same political regime since the advent of the First World War is five: https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://pewresearch.org/assets/pdf/1743-static-america.pdf&pli=1

what are the five?

9/28/2010 6:41:37 PM

9/28/2010 6:44:18 PM

All I can think of off the top of my head are the USA and UK. Do wonder what the other three are...

Oh shit, Australia. Right?

[Edited on September 28, 2010 at 10:28 PM. Reason : d]

9/28/2010 10:27:27 PM

I believe those are all correct.

9/28/2010 10:41:33 PM

the vatican?

9/28/2010 10:43:20 PM

switzerland?


saudi arabia?

[Edited on September 28, 2010 at 10:55 PM. Reason : a]

9/28/2010 10:45:12 PM

USA: Since 1789 (U.S. Constitution took effect 4 March 1789)
Note that although the colonists declared independence on 4 July 1776, won the decisive battle of the War in 19 October 1781, and received independence via the Treaty of Paris on 3 September 1783 (ratified 9 April 1784), the present régime commenced only with the adoption (17 September 1787), ratification (21 June 1788), and implementation (4 March 1789) of the Constitution.

UK: Since 1707 (Acts of Union)
...then again Ireland wasn't annexed until 1800 via other Acts of Union, and most of Ireland became independent, except for part of the province of Ulster known as Northern Ireland, with a 1922 treaty

Australia: Since 1901 (Federation commenced 1 January 1901)
...then again the Statute of Westminster, establishing actual legislative independence, wasn't brought up until 1931

Saudi Arabia: Since 1932 (Kingdom unified 23 September 1932)
Switzerland: Since 1848 (Federal constitution)
Vatican City: Since 1929 (Lateran treaty)

When I looked this shit up the first time I mis-read that 1848 as 1948...anyway you can rule out much of the world because of some well-known revolutionary events between 1914 and now:
The breakup of the USSR and the end of the Warsaw Pact (Iron Curtain)
Ethnic nationalism in Yugoslavia
The rise and fall of the Nazi/Fascist/Japanese empires
The Cultural Revolution in China, and similar Communist revolutions in other Asian countries
The Islamic Revolution in Iran
The breakup of the Ottoman Empire
The success of the Zionist Movement
and the biggie...
Decolonization in Africa, Asia, Central America, and the Caribbean (South America mostly became independent in the 19th century...hint hint)

The problems come about when you notice how recently some seemingly-stable states changed their governments, like when Brazil adopted a new one in 1988, or when Bhutan changed from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy in 2007 (oddly at the insistence of the King).

9/28/2010 11:36:27 PM

Quote :

" First World War "

Quote :

"Saudi Arabia: Since 1932 (Kingdom unified 23 September 1932) "

9/28/2010 11:53:56 PM

sweeeden

9/29/2010 12:02:15 AM

^^did you need me to point out which guesses were wrong? I thought just posting the year would be sufficient

also you must not have noticed that the Vatican was also a wrong answer

[Edited on September 29, 2010 at 12:05 AM. Reason : Sweden: since 1905 (union with Norway ended 13 August 1905)

9/29/2010 12:03:30 AM

so then norway too?


and if not norway then canada? France? although I guess france was under nazi control for a period of time.

[Edited on September 29, 2010 at 1:40 AM. Reason : .]

9/29/2010 1:39:44 AM

Norway was occupied too

also IIRC Canada didn't become wholly independent until the Canada Act of 1982 (although much of its independence was achieved with the Statute of Westminster in 1931)

9/29/2010 1:46:51 AM

do oyu know the last one, or are we trying to hunt this down?

9/29/2010 12:10:12 PM

im going to guess....


USSR
North Korea
Hoboken, New Jersey
The former republic of yugoslavia
and Vichy France


what did i win?

9/29/2010 12:29:43 PM

Quote :

"The number of those that have operated under the same political regime since the advent of the First World War"

USA?

you might want to check that. i don't think "political regime" means what you think it means.




[Edited on September 29, 2010 at 12:41 PM. Reason : ]

9/29/2010 12:33:42 PM

everyone else gets the idea, no need to nitpick semantics

9/29/2010 12:35:34 PM