However, unlike an empire that unites nations and regions under one centralized government (by force), a civilization refers to a group of sovereign places united by a common culture.
Before we get our hands dirty digging up the past in search of the 7 Greatest Ancient Civilizations, we must have a basic understanding of what exactly a civilization is. In an effort to give us a better feel of what we're dealing with in this quest of ours, let's start with an example that we can readily grasp. What is meant by modern Western Civilization? It includes nations like the United States of America and Canada, but it also includes entire regions like Europa. This is civilization. It does not refer to one sovereign country but encompasses many. However, unlike an empire that unites nations and regions under one centralized government (by force), a civilization refers to a group of sovereign places united by a common culture. Now, without further ado, here are the 7 Greatest Ancient civilizations.