Egypt is a fascinating country. With its long and colourful history, you will find plenty of fun and interesting Egypt facts for kids. Pyramids and mummies are just some aspects of Ancient Egypt that kids can discover. Even modern Egypt has interesting things that kids can learn about.
Interesting Egypt Facts for Kids
1. Egypt is located in North Africa and is known for its ancient civilisation and iconic landmarks like the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. It is also the land of the pharaohs and known for its many Egyptian mummies.
2. Egypt has an area of approximately 1,010,407 square kilometres, making it the 30th largest country globally.
3. The official name of Egypt is the Arab Republic of Egypt.
4. The capital city of Egypt is Cairo, which is not only the largest city in Egypt but also one of the largest cities in Africa and the Middle East. The population of Cairo is estimated to be around 9 million people.
5. The Nile river valley has been inhabited as far as 6000 BCE.
6. Egypt is the most square-shaped country in the world.
7. The Nile River, which flows through Egypt, is generally considered the longest river in the world. The Nile is about 6,650 km long and flows through several African countries, including Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania.
8. Ancient Egyptians were famous for their pyramids, which were built as tombs for Pharaohs and their queens.
9. Ancient Egypt was divided up into two regions: Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.
10. The Great Pyramid of Giza is Egypt’s largest and most famous pyramid. It is made up of over 2 million stone blocks.
11. The Sinai Peninsula is the only part of Egypt that spans two continents, Africa and Asia. This makes Egypt a trans-continental country.
12. Mount Catherine, also known as Jebel Katherîna in Arabic, is the highest mountain in Egypt, standing at an elevation of 2,629 meters.
13. The afterlife was incredibly important to the Egyptians. They believed that by preserving a dead person’s body, which they did through the process of mummification.
More Fascinating Egypt Facts for Kids
Did you know that camels can be found in the deserts of Egypt and the first reference to camels was back in the 7th Century BCE. Till today, a camel ride is often on the itinerary for visitors to Egypt. Isn’t that a fascinating fact? Read more Egypt facts below.
14. Egypt is known for its arid climate, with most of the country covered by the Sahara and Libyan Deserts. The Sahara Desert, which is the largest hot desert in the world,
15. The vast majority of Egypt’s population, approximately 95%, lives along the Nile River, which is the country’s primary source of water and irrigation
16. Egyptians have been using a system of irrigation to control the flow of water from the Nile River for thousands of years.
17. Alexandria, one of the largest cities in Egypt, was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE during his conquest of Egypt. Alexander named the city after himself
18. Egypt is a country that borders two seas: the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the east.
19. The Aswan High Dam, located in Aswan, Egypt, is one of the largest dams in the world. It was built across the Nile River in the 1960s to control flooding, generate hydroelectric power, and increase agricultural productivity
20. Egypt has the world’s largest number of Arabic speakers. Arabic is the official language of Egypt and is spoken by the vast majority of the population
21. The ancient Egyptians were among the first civilisations to develop a solar calendar with 365 days based on the annual cycle of the Nile River.
22. Most Ancient Egyptian pyramids were built as tombs for pharaohs and their families
23. The Egyptian flag is red, white, and black, with the golden eagle of Saladin in the centre.
24. The colours of the Egyptian flag symbolise the blood of the martyrs (red), peace (white) and the period of occupation (black). The eagle on the Egyptian flag symbolises strength.
25. Ancient Egyptians used a system of writing known as hieroglyphs. It was used as far back as 3000 BCE and for formal texts.
26. The Ancient Egyptians also used a cursive system of writing based on hieroglyphs know as hieratic. This was used for writing on papyrus.
27. Hieroglyphs stopped being understood in the four and fifth centuries.
28. Hieroglyphs is a Greek word. It comes from “Hiero”, which means “holy” and “glyphics”, which means “marks”.
29. Ancient Egyptians who were trained to write hieroglyphs were known as scribes. They would start to be trained as scribes from the age of 6 or 7 years old.
30. Hieroglyphs were only deciphered in the early 19th century with the aid of the Rosetta Stone.
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