Most of us probably know more about ancient Egypt than we do about modern day Egypt (and of course we’ll talk a little ancient Egypt in the activities below) so let’s change that.
Egypt Basics
Egypt is officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, and it’s located in northeast Africa and southwest Asia/the Middle East thanks to the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by Palestine and Israel, Sudan and Libya, as well as the Mediterranean and Red seas and the Gulf of Aqaba.
Cairo is the capital and largest city, though Alexandria is also important (and the second-largest city) because of tourism.
The country is 390,121 square miles or 1,010,408 square kilometers, and has a population of around 109,450,000 people. The official language is Egyptian Arabic.
Egypt is considered one of the cradles of civilization and one of the countries with the longest history, as people have lived there since the 6th to 4th millennia BCE. It was an early home to Christianity and adopted Islam more widely from the 7th century. It’s been part of the Fatimid Caliphate, the Mamluk Sultanate and the Ottoman Empire, was controlled by Britain and gained independence in 1922, when it became a monarchy.
After a revolution in 1952, Egypt became a republic and has since had a lot of armed conflict with Israel and unrest within the country. While there was an election in 2014, the current president is considered authoritarian. There is a president and prime minister as well as a legislature.
The English name Egypt came from Ancient Greek.
Today’s Egypt is the second largest economy in Africa and it has the largest manufacturing sector in Africa.
Egypt National Symbols
The Egyptian flag has equal sized red, white and black horizontal stripes, with a gold eagle in the center of the white stripe. The colors are the same as those on the Arab Liberation Flag, adopted during the revolution. The gold eagle is the eagle of Saladin, which is visible in the Citadel of Cairo, which was built by Saladin in the 1100s. The eagle is thought to be a symbol of Saladin and is used as an emblem in several countries, but became popular in Egypt after the revolution as well.
The national anthem is “Bilādī, bilādī, bilādī,” or “My homeland, my homeland, my homeland.” It was adopted in 1979.
The national flower is the Nymphaea lotus, also known as the white lotus, Egyptian lotus or Egyptian water lily. The national tree is the Doum palm and the national animal is the endangered steppe eagle.
Symbols of ancient Egypt such as the ankh and scarab beetle, are also considered national symbols.
Egypt Activities for Kids
Of course kids tend to love ancient Egypt, and you can find lots of videos of tours of the pyramids and other historic sites like the sphinx. You can also learn more about the old city of Cairo. And learn about the plants and animals that make the Nile River home. (Plus a video on the Nile crocodile).
There are tons of resources on Egypt, both ancient and modern, at Teachers Pay Teachers.
Learn how to make your own papyrus type paper with Let’s Go Live Science. 123 Homeschool 4 Me has hieroglyphics worksheets, as well as a very cool King Tut CSI activity where kids can learn about King Tut’s death and try to figure out how he died (scroll all the way down to find the download).
Check out some fun ancient Egypt crafts from Artsy Craftsy Mom.
Of course there are tons of books about ancient Egypt, but the Magic Tree House one is a fun one. Also check out Where Are the Great Pyramids or the National Geographic Kids book Everything Ancient Egypt.
Try koshari, the national dish of Egypt, which is a combination of rice, lentils, pasta and beans with fried onions and tomato sauce. Sounds like a lot but it’s a classic. Find a recipe at Daring Gourmet.
Egyptian Headpiece Tutorial [Jewelry Making]
Freebie Printable: Egyptian Isis [Card Making]
Learn about Mummification with Apples
Free Printable coloring in sheets- Simply right click, download and print.
Get Free Newsletters & updated from Thrifty Gifts Shop Sign Up Today! https://thriftygifts.shop/
