China and India have had the world's dominant economies for most of the past two millennia

China and India have had the world&#039;s dominant economies for most of the past two millennia

(Image credit: Economist)

China and India are starting to give the U.S. a run for its money as the world's strongest economy — by some measures, China is already topping the U.S. But as The Economist points out in this video, a strong India and China are nothing new in the past 2,000 years. In fact, while we think of the Roman and British empires as global powerhouses, both were relatively puny in terms of economic might compared with China and India (as measured by GDP or historical equivalent). Watch the video below, and remember how short the Pax Americana has really been. --Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.