Egypt, located in North Africa, is known for its rich history and ancient civilization. It is home to the Great Pyramids of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Nile River, which flows through Egypt, has played a crucial role in the country’s agriculture and transportation. Egypt is also famous for its pharaohs, such as Tutankhamun and Cleopatra. The country has a diverse culture, with influences from Arab, African, and Mediterranean traditions. Tourism is a significant industry in Egypt, attracting visitors to explore its historical sites and vibrant cities.
Egypt Facts For Kids
- Egypt is a country in Africa.
- The Nile River flows through Egypt.
- Pyramids are ancient Egyptian tombs.
- The Sphinx is a famous statue with a lion’s body and a human head.
- Cleopatra was a famous queen of Egypt.
- Pharaohs were the rulers of ancient Egypt.
- Hieroglyphics were the ancient Egyptian writing system.
- Mummies are preserved bodies of ancient Egyptians.
- Cairo is the capital city of Egypt.
- Egypt has a vast desert called the Sahara.
Cairo (capital city)
Cairo, Egypt’s capital and the largest city in both the country and the Arab world is a vibrant metropolis characterized by a blend of contemporary skyscrapers and ancient landmarks. Among its most renowned attractions is the Egyptian Museum, home to over 120,000 relics from Egypt’s rich historical tapestry, including precious items from King Tutankhamun’s famous tomb.
However, Cairo’s essence extends beyond history as it is also a hub of learning and education, exemplified by the Al-Azhar University, the largest and oldest of its kind in the Arab world. The city is often referred to as ‘the city of a thousand minarets’, a testament to its skyline dotted with magnificent Islamic architecture.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt, known for its iconic pyramids, sphinx, and pharaohs, is one of history’s most intriguing and influential civilizations, offering a plethora of discoveries for children. This civilization thrived for over three millennia, from 3100 B.C. to 30 B.C., standing as a testament to human ingenuity and resilience.
The Ancient Egyptians were at the forefront of numerous areas, including architecture, mathematics, and medicine, and were the inventors of writing systems such as hieroglyphics. The River Nile was an integral part of their civilization, supplying water, food, and transportation, thereby playing a significant role in their prosperity. The Ancient Egyptians held a profound belief in the afterlife, which influenced their practice of mummification and led to the creation of magnificent tombs such as the Valley of the Kings.
Nile River
The Nile River, stretching an impressive 4,135 miles and is considered the world’s longest river, is a captivating feature of Egypt and a crucial part of its existence. Serving as a vital lifeline, it provides not only fresh water but also food and transportation to numerous Egyptians. For millennia, its yearly floods have deposited fertile soil along its banks, fostering the growth of thriving civilizations.
Fascinatingly, the ancient Egyptians even deified the Nile, creating a god named ‘Hapi’ to symbolize the river’s fertility blessings. Today, the Nile maintains its importance, remaining an essential resource for agriculture, fishing, and as a water source in Egypt’s arid desert landscape.
Pyramids of Giza
The Pyramids of Giza, located in Egypt, pique the fascination of children due to their grandeur and historical significance. Among the largest of these awe-inspiring structures, which are recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, stands the Great Pyramid.
This colossal edifice, constructed for Pharaoh Khufu between 2580-2560 BC, astonishingly held the record as the tallest man-made structure globally for over 3,800 years. Its construction involved an estimated 2.3 million stone blocks, each weighing between 2.5 to 15 tons. However, the Pyramids of Giza had a purpose beyond mere tombs for the pharaohs. They served as massive treasure chests, housing a wealth of items deemed necessary for the afterlife, including gold, food, furniture, and even boats.
Pharaohs
Ancient Egypt was profoundly influenced by its powerful rulers, the Pharaohs, who were instrumental in shaping the nation’s history and culture. Interestingly, the term ‘Pharaoh,’ which translates to ‘great house’ in ancient Egyptian, initially denoted the royal palace before it evolved to represent the kings themselves.
These rulers, distinguished by their unique double crowns symbolizing their dominion over Upper and Lower Egypt, were more than just leaders. To the ancient Egyptians, they were revered as earthly deities. Among the most renowned Pharaohs were Tutankhamun, often referred to as King Tut, and Cleopatra, the final Pharaoh of Egypt.
Egyptian Hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs, a blend of art and formal writing, serve as an intriguing aspect of Ancient Egypt for children to study. These symbols, amounting to over 700, were utilized by the Egyptians for over three millennia as a means of recording tales of their deities, pharaohs, and the daily life. Each hieroglyph could represent a sound, concept, or even an entire word.
The arrangement of these symbols, written in rows or columns, allowed for reading from either left to right or right to left, dictated by the direction the symbols faced. The discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799 played an integral role in the comprehension of hieroglyphs, as it bore the same text in Greek, Demotic, and Hieroglyphs, enabling scholars to decode these ancient symbols.
Egyptian Arabic
The predominant spoken language in Egypt is Egyptian Arabic, a unique variant of Arabic marked by its distinct vocabulary and pronunciation. Its uniqueness stems from the influence of several languages such as Turkish, French, Italian, and the ancient Egyptian language, Coptic.
Egyptian children naturally acquire this language as their mother tongue and are later introduced to Classical Arabic in their academic pursuits. In addition to this, Egypt’s prominence in the Arab world through its music and cinema has led to a broad understanding of Egyptian Arabic across numerous Arab nations.
Egyptian cuisine
Egyptian cuisine, steeped in history and rich in flavor, encompasses a variety of meals that have been savored for millennia. Most traditional meals in Egypt typically involve staple foods such as rice or bread, accompanied by a main dish usually containing vegetables, lentils, or beans. Among the popular dishes is ‘Koshari,’ a hearty concoction of rice, lentils, and pasta, garnished with a zingy tomato sauce and crispy fried onions.
‘Ful Medames,’ a fava bean stew, is another cherished meal often served for breakfast. The cuisine also extends to sweet delights relished by children and adults alike. These include ‘Basbousa,’ a semolina cake drenched in syrup, and ‘Kahk,’ a festive cookie indulged in during celebrations.
Islamic Cairo
Located in the eastern region of the city, Islamic Cairo offers a window into Egypt’s rich Islamic heritage that can captivate the curiosity of young learners. This historical zone is teeming with mosques, Islamic schools known as madrasas, and monuments that date back to the Fatimid, Ayyubid, and Mamluk eras.
The famed Al-Azhar Mosque, reputed to be one of the world’s oldest universities, majestically stands in this district. Children will be enthralled with the vibrant Khan el-Khalili bazaar, a traditional marketplace that has been a hub for traders for centuries. A stroll through the meandering, narrow lanes of Islamic Cairo is akin to a journey back in time, providing a unique perspective on Egypt’s cultural and historical evolution.
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal, an essential waterway located in Egypt, serves as a critical component of global trade and Egypt’s economy due to its strategic connection between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. This man-made marvel opened in 1869, enables ships to sail directly from Europe to Asia, bypassing the need to navigate around Africa, resulting in significant savings in time and money for shipping companies.
Boasting a length of 120 miles and a depth of 79 feet, the passage through the canal typically takes a ship approximately 11 to 16 hours. Notably, an expansion in 2015 increased its capacity by allowing two-way traffic for larger vessels, further enhancing this impressive engineering achievement’s significance in international shipping.
Today, most people in Egypt still live along the Nile River. The Suez Canal, which runs from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea provides a passageway for ships traveling from Europe to Asia and India. This canal, which was completed in 1869 with French and British aid, is an important source of income for the Egyptian government.
Many people in Egypt are farmers. Egypt is one of the world’s leading producers of cotton, used for making clothing and home textiles. Egyptian farmers also grow sugar, rice, wheat, fruit and vegetables.
Most people in Egypt are Arab Muslims. Egypt has been one of the most tolerant Arab countries of women’s rights. Fundamentalism is taking root in the country, though, and women are worried that they will lose some of their rights.
Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is a very old and very crowded city. Its population could reach 100 million by 2025. Housing is in short supply here. Many people live in tiny houses on the edge of the city. Others live among the graves in the ancient cemeteries or even on the roofs of high-rise buildings.
Fun Facts about Egypt for Kids
- 99 million people live in Egypt (2018)
- Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is the president of Egypt (2018).
- The country has 386,662 square miles of land and is the 30th largest country in the world by land mass.
- Oil, Cotton and food products are the Egyptians largest exports.
- Over 12% of the workforce are employed within the tourist industry.
- At 2,629 m Mount Catherine is the tallest mountain in Egypt.
- The river Nile is the longest river.
- The largest pyramid in Egypt is the Pyramid of Khufu at Giza.
- Very little rain falls in Egypt, on average as little as one inch falls annually.
- The official language is Arabic.
- Most people are Muslim.
- The life expectancy in Egypt is 72 years.
- Over 75 percent of adults can read.
- Our 365 day calendar was invented in Egypt.
- Ancient Egyptians considered cats as sacred.
- Ancient Egyptians worshiped over 1400 different Gods.
Egypt Vocabulary
- Flourish: prosper, grow
- Complex: detailed, complicated
- Tolerant: accepting of varied beliefs
- Fundamentalism: strict, conservative views and beliefs
Learn More All About Egypt
This is the best video we found for kids to learn about Egypt:
This is a video presentation about the geography of Egypt, the importance of the Nile river, and how the Egyptians identify their location.
Egypt Q&A
Question: What kinds of animals live in Egypt?
Answer: Egypt is home to many animals, including crocodiles, cheetahs, hyenas, cobras and many birds. The Nile River floods each year, leaving behind sediment that leaves the soil rich and fertile.
Map of Egypt
Here’s a map of the country of Egypt and all its cities and villages. Zoom in to get into street level or zoom out to see other countries around Egypt! You can see the terrain, but also see the roads, images of the buildings and even take a 3D tour through the streets of the cities of Egypt, as though you are actually there!
