<P> The political history of the world is the history of the various political entities created by the human race throughout their existence and the way these states define their borders . Throughout history, political entities have expanded from basic systems of self - governance and monarchy to the complex democratic and totalitarian systems that exist today . In parallel, political systems have expanded from vaguely defined frontier - type boundaries, to the national definite boundaries existing today . </P> <P> In ancient history, civilizations did not have definite boundaries as states have today, and their borders could be more accurately described as frontiers . Early dynastic Sumer, and early dynastic Egypt were the first civilizations to define their borders . Moreover, for the past 200,000 years and up to the twentieth century, many people have lived in non-state societies . These range from relatively egalitarian bands and tribes to complex and highly stratified chiefdoms . </P> <P> The first states of sorts were those of early dynastic Sumer and early dynastic Egypt, which arose from the Uruk period and Predynastic Egypt respectively at approximately 3000BCE . Early dynastic Egypt was based around the Nile River in the north - east of Africa, the kingdom's boundaries being based around the Nile and stretching to areas where oases existed . Early dynastic Sumer was located in southern Mesopotamia with its borders extending from the Persian Gulf to parts of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers . </P> <P> By 2500 BCE the Indus Valley Civilization, located in modern - day India, Pakistan and Afghanistan had formed . The civilization's boundaries extended 600 km inland from the Arabian Sea . </P>

When was the first form of government created