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Here are some interesting Australia Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.

Name: Commonwealth of Australia

Government: Democracy

Population: About 26.4 million (2023)

Urban Population: 90%

Capital: Canberra with 472,000 people

Language: English

Unemployment: 12%

Currency: 1 Australian dollar ($) = 100 cents

Religion: mainly Christians

Timezones: 3

National Symbols: Golden wattle (flower), opal (gemstone), green and gold (colours) and the Commonwealth Star (a seven-pointed star)

National Animals: Kangaroo, emu

National Holiday: 26 January (Australia Day)

National Anthem: Advance Australia Fair

Australia Geography
Australia Maps

Australia is an island country in the Southern hemisphere and belongs to Oceania/Australia. Australia is referred to as country and as continent as the country sits on its own continental shelf. The country is surrounded by the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

Australia is the smallest continent of the seven continents. The continent is often referred to as Oceania. Australia is one of the largest countries in the world while Greenland is considered the biggest island in the world.

Australia is also the driest inhabited continent of the world.

Did you know that Australia is the largest country in the Southern hemisphere and the largest country without land borders?

Australia is the sixth largest country in the world, after Russia, Canada, USA, China and Brazil.

The country is divided into six states (Southern Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania) and two self-governing territories: Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory (which is around Canberra, the capital city).

The country's interior consists of arid and semi-arid areas which are referred to as 'outback'. About 70% of Australia are outback, while the coastal plains are more fertile and house the majority of Australia's population. About 35% of Australia's land area are covered by deserts.

Most of Australia's population live in the eastern and southern parts of the country and along the coastline.

Australia is roughly the same size as the USA without the states of California and Texas.

Australia belongs to the Commonwealth countries. Read more here.

10 Australia Superlatives

1. The highest mountain of Australia is Mount Kosciuszko with 2,228 m/ 7,310 ft. This mountain is in the Great Dividing Range.

2. The Great Dividing Range is the longest mountain range in Australia stretching over 3,500 km/ 2,175 miles.

3. Uluru, previously referred to also as Ayers Rock, is located in the centre of the country and is the largest alone standing rock in the world.

4. The longest river of Australia is the Murray River with 2,508 km/ 1,558 miles.

5. The Great Barrier Reef in Eastern Australia is the biggest coral reef system in the world. The reef consists of more than 3,000 reefs and 900 islands. The Barrier Reef is home to over 350 species of corals and over 1,500 species of fish.

6. Australia is the world's largest exporter of coal.

7. Sydney is Australia's biggest city with more than 5 million inhabitants.

8. Australia's largest desert is the Great Victoria Basin which covers most of Western Australia and South Australia.

9. New South Wales is the most populous state of Australia. 65% of the country's population live in New South Wales.

10. The largest state of Australia is Western Australia.

More about the most famous Landmarks of Australia here.
Australia Facts | Australian Cities

The biggest cities in Australia are Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide. These cities are all located at the coast or close to the coast and are the only metropolitan cities in Australia with more than one million inhabitants.

Canberra is Australia's capital city and the only major city of the country further away from the coast. Canberra is located about 150 km/ 93 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean coastline and about 280 km/ 173 miles to the southwest of Sydney.
Read more about Australia's landmarks and attractions.
Australia Facts: Sydney is Australia's largest city with about 5 million inhabitants, which means that about 20% of all Australians live in this metropolitan city.

The main city in the country's interior is Alice Springs while Darwin is the biggest city in the Northern Territory.

Australia Facts
Australia Attractions for Kids

There are many great attractions in the country. Some of these are - listed in alphabetical order:

Adelaide: the main city in South Australia is home to about half a million people. Adelaide is surrounded by fertile agricultural land and wine regions. Did you know that Adelaide is also known for one of the largest Christmas parades in the world?

Arnhem Land: The Northern Territory is home to a large population of aboriginal people who have a deep spiritual connection with the land and proudly will share their experiences with visitors.

Australian Alps: Experience mountain landscapes with snowy mountain tops even in summer and enjoy the fascinating remote wilderness. There are lovely hiking tracks especially near lake Jindabyne.

Brisbane: the city with over two million inhabitants is the centre of the Australian Gold Coast with numerous resorts for an exciting beach holiday and a bit further to the north, there is the wonderful coral reef you cannot miss!

Great Barrier Reef: The world's largest coral reef is great for snorkelling and diving. Cairns is a popular beach resort town on the Northern Coast and Lady Elliott Island and Hamilton Island are wonderful family holiday islands.

Melbourne: The second largest city of Australia is the main city of the state of Victoria and has lots of trendy restaurants, shops and art galleries along the Yarra River.

Kakadu National Park: Experience the excitement of a real jungle in Australia's biggest national park and one of the world's most unique forests and woodlands and one of Australia's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There you can also admire the Northern Territories highest waterfalls, the Jim Jim Falls.

Perth: The biggest city in Western Australia also housing about two million people is known for its cultural scene and is close to lovely Fremantle which has historic quarters to explore. And don't forget Rottnest Island where you can meet the friendly quokkas, the unique wallabies. Read more here.

Pinnacles Desert Park: Hundreds of limestone pinnacles can be seen in Nambung National Park in Western Australia. There you can also spot wild emus.
To read about Australian landmarks and the Top 10 Visitor Attractions in Australia, click here
Australia Facts | Australian People

Australia's first or indigenous people, are usually referred to as the aboriginal people of Australia. They make up 2% of Australia's population today. The indigenous Australians are said to be direct descendants of migrants from Africa who left the African continent about 75,000 years ago. They have migrated over the Australasian continent until they settled in Australia around 60,000 years ago.

Today aboriginal people live in all main cities in Australia but most of them still live in the desert areas of the Australian outback. On the image above, you can see a man playing the didgeridoo, a kind of wooden trumpet, which is really difficult to play. The aboriginal people are highly skilled in arts and crafts and share with visitors their vast knowledge about the land and the environment.

The 'outback' is the vast, dry and remote inland parts of the Australian continent. Some aboriginal people live still in the sacred area around Uluru, a huge rock formation in the centre of the continent.

Uluru was formerly referred to as Ayers Rock. Many groups of aboriginal people also live in the Northern Territory in Kakadu National Park, which they call 'Arnhem Land', the land of their ancestors.

Australia Facts | Australian Animals

Australia is home to many animal species. In fact, Australia houses more than 10% of the world's biodiversity (animals and plant varieties).

Among the most well-known Australian animals are kangaroos, wombats, koalas and the dingos.

Roadsigns in Australia warn drivers about wild animals mainly kangaroos that might cross the roads.

Kangaroos are marsupials, which means, they carry their babies in their pouches. See the cute little joey (this is how baby kangaroos are called).

Wombats are also marsupials. Wombats have sharp teeth, but are herbivores. This means they eat grasses, bark and roots. Wombats are mainly night-active, but can also be seen out looking for food on cool and overcast days, such as this wombat on the picture below.

Read more about the fascinating Australian wildlife on our special page here.
Australia Facts | Australia Quiz
Test your knowledge

Read more about Australia Popular Pages

We hope you enjoyed these updated Australian facts:-)
Image credits on Australia Facts: Shutterstock.com and own images

Resources for Australia Facts Page:
Return from Australia Facts to KidsWorldTravelGuide Homepage

Central Intelligence Agency. "Australia." World Fact Book. Last update 21 June 2023. Last accessed 30 June 2023

The Commonwealth. "Australia Facts." Commonwealth Secretariat. Last accessed 30 June 2023

The Nature Conservancy. "Meet the Quokka." NatureAustralia.org. Last accessed 30 June 2023

Tammy Solonec. Why saying 'Aborigine' isn't ok. 8 Facts about indigenous people in Australia. Amnesty International. 9 August 2015. Last accessed 30 June 2023

Australia Government. Australia Covid and Travel Information. www.australia.gov.au. Last accessed 30 June 2023

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Australia Facts for Kids | Australia for Kids | Geography | Animals

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Our Australia Facts for Kids inform about Australian superlatives, attractions and people, Australian animals and so much more

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Italy's location on the Mediterranean linked it with the trade routes of the ancient civilizations that developed in the region. With the city of Rome's rise to power, the Italian peninsula became the center of a huge empire that lasted for centuries. ( Learn about Ancient Rome.)

Italy's first societies emerged around 1200 B.C. Around 800 B.C. Greeks settled in the south and Etruscans arose in central Italy. By the sixth century B.C., the Etruscans had created a group of states called Etruria. Meanwhile, Latin and Sabine people south of Etruria merged to form a strong city-state called Rome.

Etruscan kings ruled Rome for nearly a hundred years. But Romans tossed out the Etruscans in 510 B.C. and went on to conquer the whole peninsula. They then set out to build a vast empire. At its greatest extent, in A.D. 117, the Roman Empire stretched from Portugal to Syria to Britain to North Africa.

The first sole emperor of Rome, Octavian, took power in 27 B.C. and took the name Augustus Caesar. For more than 400 years, the empire flourished. But by the fourth century A.D., it was in decline. In 395, the empire was split in two, and in 476, Germanic tribes from the north toppled the last emperor.

In the 12th century, Italian city-states began to rise again and grow rich on trade. But Italy remained a patchwork of territories, some of which were controlled by foreign dynasties. Beginning in 1859, an uprising forced the foreigners out, and in 1861, the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed.

In 1914, Italy took the side of the United Kingdom and the U.S. in World War I, but was left in poverty at war's end. Benito Mussolini and his Fascist Party rose to power promising to restore the Roman Empire. He ruled as a dictator and entered World War II on the side of Germany and Japan. He was later captured and executed.

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Italy is a boot-shaped peninsula that juts out of southern Europe into the Adriatic Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and other waters.

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Here are some interesting Italy Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.

Population: About 61 million people live in Italy (2023)

Capital: Roma (Rome) with 4.3 million inhabitants

Name: Repubblica Italiana (Italian Republic) or simply: Italia, Nickname: 'Bel Paese' which means beautiful country

Government: Democracy, Republic

Language: Italian. Official minority languages are German, French and Ladin in some regions in Northern Italy

Literacy: More than 98% can read and write

Religion: mainly Christians (80%, of theses most are Roman Catholics)

Currency: 1 Euro = 100 cents, before 2001: Italian Lira

History: Rome was founded in 753 BC by the twins Romulus and Remus. The Roman Empire was founded in 27 BC and Augustus Caesar proclaimed himself emperor of Rome in 31 BC. After the Roman Empire broke down in 395 AD, there were many separate kingdoms and city states. Italy became one nation only in 1861. Since then the country also includes the islands of Sicily and Sardegna. The 'Kingdom of Italy' lasted from 1861 until 1946. During the Second World War, Italy's Prime Minister Benito Mussolini sided with the German Nazi regime. The Italian Republic was formed in 1946.

Prime Minister: Giorgia Meloni (since 2022)

National Day: 2 June (Festa della Repubblica)

National Symbols: Italian grey wolf (national animal), red rose or white lily (national flowers) and the white five-pointed star with a thin red border line

Flag: 'Tricolore' with green, white and red coloured vertical bands. The flag colours are said to represent these virtues: hope (green), faith (white), and charity (red)

Italy Facts
Where is Italy?

Italy is a country in Southern Europe. The country is located on a peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Adriatic Sea borders the eastern side of the peninsula while the Ligurian Sea and the Thyrrenian Sea border the western coastline of Italy. The Ionian Sea is to the south of the peninsula.

Italy borders six countries: France, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Vatican City and San Marino. Both, Vatican City and San Marino, are enclaves within Italy as you can see on the map.

Italy Map

The country is easy to recognize on any world map, as the country is shaped like a high-heeled boot, as you can see on the map above. The island of Sicily could be imagined as a ball, so that it looks like the boot is kicking a ball, don't you think?

Italy is slightly larger in size than the three countries of the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium combined or about as big as the state of Arizona/ USA.

A flight to Italy's capital city Rome takes roughly 2.5 hours from London/ UK and about 8 hours from New York/ USA.

Italy Facts | Italy Geography

Italy has more than 7,600 km/ 4,722 miles of coastline as the peninsula is located for a large part in the Mediterranean sea.

Italy is popular for its many picturesque ports, scenic lakes and sandy beaches.

Italy has two bigger islands, Sicily to the south and Sardegna to the west.

Two islands of Italy, Lampedusa and Lampione, are located far to the south and are closer to Africa than to Italy. Both islands are on the African continental shelf.

There are many smaller islands such as Capri, Ischia and Elba which are all to the west of mainland Italy.

The main cities in Italy are Roma/Rome, Milano/Milan, Firenze/Florence and Napoli/Naples.

The Alps and the Apennines are the two main mountain ranges in Italy. About 40% of the country is covered by hills and mountains.

In the North, the mountain range of the Alps separates Italy from the other European countries France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia.

The highest mountains of Italy can be found in the Alps. The Dolomites are a part of the Alps mountain range in Italy's north and many of the peaks are above 3,000 m/ 9,843 ft high!

There are many lakes in northern Italy, in the centre of the country, the landscape flattens, this flat area is called the Po Valley.

The Apennines mountain range run all the way down the boot and separates the eastern and the western regions of Italy.

And did you know that in Italy, there are still active volcanos?

In the South of Italy you will find Italy's three active volcanoes: Vesuvius near Naples, Etna on Sicily and Stromboli off the Coast of Italy.

Italy Facts | Italy Geography Superlatives

Here are some fascinating Italy facts that are always good to know:

Italy's largest island is Sicily. This island is also the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.

The biggest city of the country is Rome with 4.2 million people.

The highest mountain peak in Italy is Monte Bianco, better known as Mont Blanc, which is 4,807 m or 15,776 ft. high.

The longest river in Italy is the Po River in Northern Italy with a length of 652 km/ 405 miles.

Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy. It is located in northern Italy and famous for the winds that attract many surfers to its shores.

The longest border to any neighbouring country is shared with Switzerland. This border is 698 km/ 434 miles long.

The Etna is the most active volcano in Europe. It is located on the island of Sicily.

And again, remember, Italy surrounds two of the world's smallest countries! These are San Marino in Northern Italy, which is also the oldest republic in the world, and Vatican City in Rome, the smallest country in the world.

Italy Facts
Italy Attractions for Kids

Rome: Italy's capital city is a wonderful place to learn about the Romans and ancient history. There are so many historic sites in the city that is nicknamed 'Eternal City' and you must visit historic monuments as as the Foro Romano (Forum Romanum) with its ancient Roman ruins or the Colosseo.

Venice: This Northern Italian city is often referred to as 'Lagoon City' or 'The City of Masks'. The Italian name of the city is Venezia. Venice is famous for its canals, bridges and gondolas. The city is built on 120 islands and is known for its colourful carnival.

Pisa: The city on the river Arno is famous for its duomo and the leaning tower. One just must experience the Leaning Tower of Pisa which dates back to the 12th century. The bell tower of the main cathedral of the city is as fascinating as the colourful decorated churches.

Ravenna: The city is famous for the ancient colourful mosaics that decorate the city's churches. The extensive mosaic decorations date back to the 5th century and are fascinating artworks to explore. The city was once on of the main centres of Roman Christian art.

Tuscany: The Tuscany is a popular tourist region with scenic countryside in central Italy. The rolling hills invite for hiking trips and there are lovely medieval towns such as San Gimignano, Lucca or Montepulciano. The capital of the Tuscany region is Florence.

Florence: This city in Tuscany called Firenze in Italian is known for its arts museums and historic churches, Renaissance art and architecture. Many of the great Italian artists such as Michelangelo or Leonardo da Vinci once lived in this city.

Dolomites/Dolomiti and Italian Alps: The provinces in Northern Italy are renowned for fabulous skiing, hiking and mountainside holidays. You should also to visit South Tyrol's capital Bolzano. In the city's Natural History Museum you can marvel at Oetzi, a mummy from the Ice-age.

Alberobello: This small town is located in Apulia (Puglia in Italian). This town in southern Italy is known for its historic stone huts with cone hat-roofs. These unique houses are called trulli.
Read here about the most famous Italian landmarks and attractions here.

Italy Facts | Italian People

Italy is quite densely populated, with most people living in the country's northern regions. The Po Valley, also referred to as Padan Plain, is an area with many industrial centres. Almost half of Italy's population live in the Po Valley. The Po Valley's biggest cities include Milan (Milano), Modena, Turin (Torino) and Verona.

Milan is the main industrial centre of Italy and also known to be one of the world's fashion capitals.

Italians lead a modern lifestyle especially in the urban centres but they also celebrate century-old cultural traditions. Famous festivals that are celebrated annually are the carnival celebrations before Lent. In Venice, these are said to originate in the 12th century.

The Palio in Siena is dating back to 1644 when the first horse race in the city's main square was held.

And of course, Italians love soccer! The admittedly quite brutal Calcio storico match is still played and celebrated in Florence once a year. C alcio means soccer in Italian.

The Italian soccer league is followed by many Italians abroad too: Inter Milan, Lazio Roma and Juventus Turin are just some of the Italian soccer teams which are favoured by Italians.

Soccer, skiing, cycling, surfing or motor racing are just some of the sports Italians have very strong interest in.

The family is very important for Italians, where there are still many big families including grandparents, parents and children in the household.

Italians love their food, which is usually prepared freshly by ' la mama', the mother, or the nonna, the grandmother.

In the afternoon or evening it is common to meet up with family and friends on the piazza. The piazza is the main square of the village or town.

Italy Facts | Famous Italians

Italians are famous for their inventions and discoveries. The Italian explorers Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci explored many places in the Americas while Marco Polo travelled extensively in Asia.

Leonardo da Vinci was a scientist and artist who was the first to prove the world is round and not flat.

Alessandro Volta, was the prioneer who did studies in electricity, hence the name 'Volt' describing a unit of electricity.
More Italy Facts about Famous Italians for Kids: Explorers, Inventors and more

Did you know that Italians also invented the piano and the thermometer?

Italy Facts | Italian Language

Italian is a Romance language and the language roots are in the Latin language. Italian is very close to French, as 89% of the vocabulary are shared, and 82% is shared with the Spanish vocabulary.

Italian is an official language not only in Italy but also in Switzerland, San Marino and Vatican City.
Italy Facts: 10 useful Italian words and terms
The Italian alphabet consists of 21 letters only. The letters j, k, w, x and y do not exist, except for lean words, that means words that originate in another language.

The pronunciation is soft and very melodic and so the language is used in opera and also popular by young pop music artists.

Most young people in Italy learn to speak English, French or German in school.

In remote rural villages in Italy's northern regions, some of the older people, however, do only speak a little Italian and still mainly use a regional language such as German in the Alto Adige or French in the Valle d'Aosta or the unique Ladino (Ladin) language in the Trentino.

Italy Facts | Italy Economy

Italy is one of the original six founding countries of the European Union with Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Read more about the European Union here.

Italy's extreme northern regions and most parts in Southern Italy are used for agriculture. In the North the main produce are dairy products and grains, while in the south mainly fruits and olives are harvested.

Italy also has a lot of industry especial in the country's north around Milan. Among the famous Italian brands are: Ferrari, Lamborghini, Fiat (car manufacturers), Gucci, Prada (fashion) and Ferrero (food - Nutella) or Barilla (food - spaghetti and pasta).

The main trading partners of Italy are Germany, France, the USA and China.

Italy Facts | Italian Food

The Italian main dishes often contain pork and beef, seafood as well as potatoes, rice and pasta (wheat and egg noodles) products and of course, tomatoes.

is surely one of the most famous exports and in Italy pizza is usually baked in a wood-fired oven. Italian pizza is very thin, but loaded with fresh vegetables or thinly sliced ham, salami, artichokes or olives.

The Italian (variety of noodles) is renowned worldwide and there are more than 200 different shapes.

Pizza: probably the most famous Italian dish, pizza was is said to have been invented in Napoli (Naples in English) around the year 1860

Spaghetti: long thin pasta/noodles served with a large variety of topping or sauce

Calzone: this folded-up pizza bread is filled with tomatoes, ham, cheese and all kinds of other filling

Pesto: a thick green sauce made with olives, basil or other herbs and olive oil, pine kernels and parmiggiano, which is an Italian hard cheese

Gelato: ice-cream is another famous Italian invention

Lasagna: this layered pasta dish is made with layers of pasta sheets, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and mince meat

Mozzarella: Italian soft cheese balls, that originally were made mainly from buffalo milk, but today mozzarella is often made with cow's milk

Italians love their food and many dishes are based on fresh vegetables and seafood too. There are delicious sweet cakes in Italy, such as (a yeast cake with raisins), p anforte (a hard and flat fruit cake) and almond cookies such as .
Read more about Italian Food here.
Here is some typical Italian food:

Did you know that Italians eat spaghetti only with a fork and don't use a spoon?

Italy Facts | Animals in Italy

One third of all European animal species can be found in Italy. The country also houses half of all plant species that grow in Europe.

There are over 4,770 endemic species in Italy. Endemic means that these animal species are native and only exist in Italy. There are about 100 mammal species and over 500 bird species. Among the species that you might encounter are the unique Sardinian deer and the Corsican hare.

There are 20 national parks in Italy and 16 Marine Reserves to ensure the protection of threatened species such as the Italian shark or the Italian wolf, the national animal.

Italy Facts for Kids: Sheep are held mainly in Southern Italy and donkeys still help farmers in remote villages as they are trained to carry heavy loads over steep terrain.

Brown bears are protected in Italy. There are only few bears left in the wild now.

In the Alps you will very likely see marmots, a ground squirrel species, which call each other with very high pitched calling sounds. And if you are very lucky you might even spot a lynx, a wild cat with little hair tuffs on the ears!

Resources for Italy Facts

Central Intelligence Agency. "Italy." WorldFactBook. Last updated 22 March 2023. Last accessed 29 March 2023

Città di Venezia. "Carnevale di Venezia." . Last accessed 29 March 2023

Italia Agenzia Nazionale Turismo "Italia." . Last accessed 29 March 2023

Popular Pages | Italy for Kids

More about Europe

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Italy Facts for Kids | Italy for Kids | People | Geography | Food

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Our Italy Facts for Kids will provide facts about Italy, the country and the people, animals, food and so much more. Enjoy exploring Italy with us!

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Colombia Facts for Kids

Learn some interesting information about Colombia while enjoying a range of fun facts and trivia that's perfect for kids!

Read about the population, capital city, indigenous tribes, currency, popular sports, famous musicians and much more.

The official name of Colombia is the Republic of Colombia.

The name "Colombia" is derived from the last name of the explorer Christopher Columbus.

99% of the population speak Spanish, the official language of Colombia. There are also many indigenous languages spoken throughout the country.

Colombia shares a land border with 5 countries including Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru.

Colombia is the only country in South America that has a coastline on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Bogotá is the capital of Colombia. It is the second largest capital city in South America and at 2640 m (8661 ft) it is one of the highest capital cities in the world.

Colombia has a population of over 45 million people (45,745,783) as of July 2013.

Colombia is classed as a "megadiverse" country, ranking as the 2nd most biodiverse country in the world. It has the highest amount of species by area in the world, including the most endemic species of butterflies, the most orchid species, the most amphibian species and more species of bird than all of Europe and North America combined.

The area covered by modern day Colombia was originally inhabited by the indigenous tribes Muisca, Quimbaya, and Tairona. In 1499 the Spanish arrived making the area a Spanish colony called New Granada.

The currency of Colombia is called the Colombian peso.

Colombia is the world's leading source of emeralds and its coffee is world-renown.

Stands selling fruit and juices are found throughout Colombia, especially on the Caribbean coast.

Colombia has a vibrant music scene, two of the most well-known Colombian musicians are Shakira and Juanes.

The traditional national sport of Colombia is called Tejo. It is a team sport that involves launching projectiles at a target.

The most popular sport in Colombia is football (soccer). The Colombian national team won the 2001 Copa América (South American Championship).

Other popular and successful sports of Colombia include roller-skating, weightlifting, baseball, boxing, motorsport and cycling.

For more information, check out maps of Colombia or take a closer look at the Colombian flag.

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Fun Colombia Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Colombia

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Colombia Facts for Kids Learn some interesting information about Colombia while enjoying a range of fun facts and trivia that's perfect for kids! Read about the population, capital city, indigenous tribes, currency, popular sports, famous musicians and much more. The official name of Colombia is the Republic of Colombia.

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More Facts about Mexico!

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Interesting Mexico Facts for Kids

Here are some interesting Mexico Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.

Population: 129 million people live in Mexico (2022)

Capital: Mexico City with 22 million inhabitants is the country's biggest city.

Name: United Mexican States (in Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos)

Government: Democracy, Republic

Language: Spanish

Literacy: More than 95% of the population over the age of 15 years can read and write

Religion: Christians, mainly Roman Catholics (78%)

Currency: 1 peso = 100 centavos

Flag colors: green, white and red

National Symbols: golden eagle and national colours green, white and red

History: Mexico was conquered and colonised by the Spanish from the 16th century. The president of Mexico is Andrés Manuel López Obrador (since 2018, the next elections will be held in July 2024)

Mexico Facts | National Symbols

The flag is shows three bands in green, white and red. The emblem on the white ground shows an eagle standing on a cactus with a snake in the beak.

What do the colours in the flag stand for? The colours of the Mexican flag stand for independence, unity and religion. The legend describes, that the Aztec settled and built their capital city which they named Tenochtitlan, which is today Mexico City, on the place where they saw and eagle sitting on a cactus, eating a snake.
More about the meaning of colours in flags
Mexico Map and Geography

Mexico is located on the North American continent and shares borders with the USA in the North and Belize and Guatemala in the South.

The border between Mexico and the USA is the second longest border in the world and is about 3,155 km/ 2,000 miles long.

Below you can see a map of Mexico, click on the map to zoom in to see more cities and detailed information.

Mexico has mountains in the eastern and northern parts of the country, rainforests in the southern and eastern parts and deserts in the West.

Most of the bigger cities are located in the southern parts of the country. There are low coastal plains, high-rugged mountains and a high tableau in the centre of the country.

The climate varies from tropical climate to desert climate.

Mexico has four time zones!

Mexico is situated on the 'Ring of Fire', the world's most prominent volcano and earthquake region. However, the volcanos on Mexico's Baja California, a popular tourist destination, are mostly dormant.

The peninsula to the west of mainland Mexico is called Baja California. Over 120 species of cactus are growing there!

Mexico Facts | Geo Superlatives

Mexico has the world's largest Spanish speaking population and Mexico is also the second most populous country in North America - after the USA.

The highest peak in Mexico is a volcano. It is called 'Pico de Orizaba' or 'Volcan Citlaltepetl' and is 5,636 m/ 18,491 ft high. This is also the third largest volcano in Northern America.

The longest river in Mexico is the Río Bravo del Norte (also referred to as Rio Grande). This river begins in the southwestern USA and flows into Mexico.

The largest lake in Mexico is Lake Chapala near Guadalajara.

The "cardon cactus" is the world's biggest cactus! The Mexican giant cactus measures up to 21 metres/ 70 feet in height and can be seen in the deserts of Baja California. These cacti can live up to 300 years.

Landmarks and Attractions in Mexico

Mexico is one of the world's top travel destinations and for US travellers, Mexico is the top destination. And Mexico houses 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites! So much to explore in this North American country.

Mexicans love children, so families are always welcome everywhere! There are some great attractions for kids, among the most popular with families are:

Chichen Itza: built by the Maya people is a World Heritage Site and visited by more than one million people every year.

Acapulco: The bay on the Pacific Ocean is home to Mexico's most popular beach city with golden sandy beaches, lots of holiday resorts and known by families for it's magnificent water sports park. Mexico's busiest port is quite a sight too.

Oaxaca: Visit the archaeological site of the Monte Alban ruins, shop at the city's colourful market or marvel at the famous rock formations and bubbling waters at Hierve el Agua which means 'bubbling of the water'.

Mérida: The city's Mayan cultural heritage is displayed in the fascinating Mayan World Museum (Gran Museum del Mundo Maya), the Dzibilchaltún ruins and archeological site, as well as a rich colonial heritage as seen on the city's Plaza Grande and the main boulevard Paseo de Montejo or the Catedral de Merida.

Agave landscape at the foothills of the Tequila volcano: The blue agave plant is used to produce the famous tequila spirit. Agave plantations and tequila distilleries are dotted all over the region.

Mexico City: the capital city is built on the site of the former Aztec capital Tenochtitlan. Make sure to also visit the ruins of the ancient Aztec pyramids at nearby Teotihuacan.

Teotihuacan: The ancient city ruins of Aztec monuments such as the pyramids of the Sun and the Moon and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl are stunning. This was once the most most powerful centre in the Americas - only 50 km/ 31 miles north east of the capital Mexico City

Mexico Facts
Mexican People and Languages

Most people in Mexico speak Spanish. Mexico is the country with the most Spanish speakers in the world.

More people speak Spanish here than in Spain, because many more people live in Mexico and the country is also more than three times bigger.

Most Mexicans (80%) are Christians as Roman Catholicism was introduced by the Spanish colonists. La Virgen de Guadalupe (Virgin of Guadalupe) is considered the Patron saint of Mexico.

Mexicans are known as very friendly and welcoming foreigners, they are really fond of kids. Mariachi are the popular musicians who play folk music. They mainly use string instruments, but also trumpets are sometimes played. The groups are often invited to play at birthday parties, weddings and other family celebrations.

On 1 and 2 November the Mexicans celebrate the Dia del los Muertos, a special festival to remember the deceased members of the family. The family gathers around the homes and in the graveyards and there are many decorations to remember the family members that have passed on.

Famous Mexican are among many others: the actress Selma Hayek, the guitarist Carlos Santana and the soccer players Javier Hernandez and Guillermo Ochoa.

Mexico Facts | Mexico Animals

Mexico is one of the most bio-diverse countries on earth. The country has the most reptile species in the world housing over 700 reptile species and also has the second most (over 430) mammal species in the world.

In Mexico, there are jaguars, pumas and huge iguanas. Whales, manta rays and manatees are common in the oceans and can sometimes by spotted of the Yucatan coast. In the jungles of southern Mexico, one can encounter various types of lizards, monkeys and colourful birds, such as parrots.

More Mexico Facts:
Mexico Economy

Mexico's main trading partners are the USA, which is the most important parter for exports and China and Japan who also sell many products to the Mexicans and thus are Mexico's biggest import partners.

The main exports from Mexico are corn (maize), oil, fruits and vegetables, silver, coffee, cotton.

Oranges are the most popular and most consumed fruit in Mexico (2021)

Mexico's largest cities are:

Mexico City: more than 22 million inhabitants

Guadalajara: about 4 million inhabitants

Monterrey: about 4 million inhabitants

Tijuana: about 2 million inhabitants

Did you know that Mexico is the second largest city in the western hemisphere? Only Sao Paolo in Brazil is bigger!

Mexican Food

Chocolate, chilies and corn come originally from Mexico.

The main staple food is corn and rice, fruits and vegetables, chicken, pork, beef, lamb and along the coastal regions also seafood. Chilli peppers are usually among the main ingredients in many Mexican dishes.

One dish many of you will think of is ' chilli con carne', a dish with spicy mince meat and kidney beans but this is not really a Mexican dish, but only a Mexican-style dish!

Instead enchiladas, tortillas and tacos are typical Mexican dishes and very popular in Mexico!

Other typical Mexican food:

guacamole: avocado dip made with mashed avocados, salt and lime or lemon juice, often also with chilli peppers

tortilla: Mexican corn or wheat flour flatbread is eaten with almost every dish. A tortilla is usually filled with meat, cheese, potato or vegetables

tostada: crunchy tortilla that has been fried in oil

enchilada: stuffed tortilla that has been baked in chilli sauce

nachos: tortilla chips often served hot with melted cheese or spicy mince sauce, usually eaten as a snack

tamales: stuffed and steamed dough pockets wrapped in banana leaf or corn husks

pan de muerto: sweet bread roll baked for the 'Day of the Dead' which is celebrated on 1 and 2 of November

chile verde: stew cooked with lots of spicy green chilli

elote: the Mexican version of 'corn on a cob', a popular street food

Did you know that...?

Hot chocolate was considered the sacred drink by the Aztecs!

Mexico Facts | Resources

Central Intelligence Agency. "Mexico." WorldFactBook. Last updated 24 October 2022. Last accessed 29 October 2022

The Associated Press. "Mexico Population Rises to 126M." . 25 January 2021. Last accessed 29 October 2022

Embassy of Mexico in the UK. "Symbols of Mexico." . Last accessed 29 October 2022

FactZoo: "Mexican animals in pictures ." Last accessed 29 October 2022

Popular Pages

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Mexico Facts for Kids | Mexico Attractions | Food | People | Geography

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Our Mexico Facts for Kids will provide information about the geography, the people and the culture of the North American country.

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PEOPLE & CULTURE

Mexico is the product of a rich Native American heritage, three centuries of Spanish rule, and a shared border with the world's richest country, the United States. Today, many Mexicans are mestizos, which means they have a mix of Native American and Spanish blood.

Throughout its history, Mexico has been home to great artists. The Maya and other Native Americans made impressive murals, sculptures, and jewelry. Modern Mexican artists include great painters, photographers, sculptors, and muralists.

Mexicans take sports seriously. In ancient times, losers of a ritual ball game were once put to death. In some dangerous sports, like bullfighting and rodeo (which was invented in Mexico), competitors still put their lives on the line.

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PEOPLE & CULTURE Mexico is the product of a rich Native American heritage, three centuries of Spanish rule, and a shared border with the world's richest country, the United States. Today, many Mexicans are mestizos, which means they have a mix of Native American and Spanish blood.

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The Celts lived in Wales in prehistoric times. The Romans invaded in the 1st century ad. The Romans used the name Britons for the Celts they found. Roman rule ended in about 400. Then a number of new Celtic kingdoms were formed. The English considered the Britons to be Welsh. The name Welsh comes from an Old English word meaning "foreigner." But the people of Wales called themselves Cymry, which means "countrymen" in Welsh.

In the 800s and 900s Welsh princes tried to unite the kingdoms. They were not successful. In 1093 French invaders, called the Normans, brought all of southern Wales under their rule. In the 1100s and 1200s the kings of England made several attempts to conquer Wales. King Edward I was finally successful in 1277. In 1301 he gave his son the title prince of Wales.

In 1401 the Welsh revolted against the English. For a few years Wales was independent. By 1410, however, the English had regained control. In 1536 Wales was officially united with England. In 1801 Wales became part of the United Kingdom along with England, Scotland, and Ireland. (Later most of Ireland split from the United Kingdom, but Northern Ireland remained.)

In the 1800s and 1900s the people of Wales worked for the right to govern themselves. In 1997 the people voted to form a lawmaking body of their own. The body, called the National Assembly for Wales, was formed in 1999. It took control of many things that the national Parliament in London had handled before. Population (2010 estimate), 3,006,400.

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The Celts lived in Wales in prehistoric times. The Romans invaded in the 1st century ad. The Romans used the name Britons for the Celts they found. Roman rule ended in about 400. Then a number of new Celtic kingdoms were formed. The English considered the Britons to be Welsh.

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Kids learn about the Geography of Portugal. The history, capital, flag, climate, terrain, people, economy, and population.

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Culture | Manitoba Metis Federation Inc.

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The Manitoba Metis Federation is the official self-government for the Metis people of Manitoba. The MMF promotes the political, social and economic interests of its citizens, advancing and protecting the rights of the Metis people and delivering programs and services in areas such as child and family services, justice, housing, human resources and economic development.

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Métis people Facts for Kids | KidzSearch.com

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The Métis (pronounced 'may-TEE' in English and 'may-TEES' in French), also known as Bois Brule, mixed-bloods, or Countryborn (Anglo-Métis ), are one of the three divisions of Aboriginal peoples in Canada according to the Canadian government. Their home land is in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, as well as the Northwest Territories.

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The History of the Metis/The Flag

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When the fur trade moved west, in the 1700s and 1800s, many French-Canadian fur traders found Native wives and had children. The children born from these unions formed a new Nation in Canada - the 'Western Métis'.

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Ireland Facts #2

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Ireland Facts for Kids

Learn some interesting information about Ireland while enjoying a range of fun facts and trivia that's perfect for kids!

Read about the national symbols, Irish novelists, its national holiday, major cities, language, favorite sport and much more.

Ireland is called Éire in Irish and is also known as the Republic of Ireland.

Ireland covers five-sixths of the island of the same name, the remaining one-sixth of the island is Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.

Irish, or Irish Gaelic is the country's first official language, however the second official language English is more commonly spoken.

There are over 4.75 million people living in Ireland as of July 2013.

The Irish capital, Dublin is home to over one quarter of the total population.

Other Irish cities of note include Cork, Limerick and Galway.

Irish novelists have made major contributions to world literature. Famous writers include Jonathan Swift - Gulliver's Travels, Bram Stoker - Dracula and James Joyce - Ulysses.

Ireland has won the Eurovision Song Contest a record seven times.

A number of multinational technology corporations have setup European headquarters in Ireland helping to make it one of the largest exporters of hardware and software-related goods and services in the world.

Ireland was one of the initial 12 European Union nations that began using the euro currency in 2002.

Saint Patrick's Day is Irelands official national holiday. The 17th of March holiday is celebrated in Ireland and also embraced by many other countries around the world.

The world famous Guinness beer is from Ireland, it originated in the Dublin brewery of Arthur Guinness.

Gaelic football and hurling are traditional sports of Ireland and remain the most popular sports in the country.

At the Olympics, boxing is Ireland's most successful sport.

In 2002 Ireland was the first country in the world to have an environmental tax for plastic shopping bags and in 2004 it was the first to introduce a public smoking ban.

Shamrock (type of clover) is the national symbol of Ireland and along with the harp it is a registered trademark of the country.

For more information, check out maps of Ireland or take a closer look at the Irish flag.

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Fun Ireland Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Ireland

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Ireland Facts for Kids Learn some interesting information about Ireland while enjoying a range of fun facts and trivia that's perfect for kids! Read about the national symbols, Irish novelists, its national holiday, major cities, language, favorite sport and much more. Ireland is called Éire in Irish and is also known as the Republic of Ireland.

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Ireland Facts #1

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Archaeologists think the first people to settle in Ireland arrived around 6000 B.C. By 3500 B.C., settlers were using stone tools to clear farmlands. Around 700 B.C., a diverse and technologically advanced culture from central Europe called the Celts began to settle the island. They would thrive there for nearly 2,000 years.

In the ninth century A.D., Viking invaders began raids into Ireland. They established settlements that later became some of the country's main cities, including the capital, Dublin. The Vikings and Celts fought often for 200 years until a battle in 1014 united the country. Peace broke down quickly though, and Ireland was divided into many kingdoms.

In 1170, Norman Vikings who had taken control of England invaded Ireland and made it an English territory. In the early 1600s, England's official religion became Protestant while most Irish remained Roman Catholic. This would create tensions that would eventually lead to revolution and Ireland's independence.

By the 1820s, British laws unfair to Catholics had sparked a mass movement for Irish sovereignty. In 1829, many of those laws were overturned, but Ireland still wanted freedom. In 1922, after violent uprisings, the Irish Free State was created within the British Empire.

Ireland became a fully independent republic in 1937. By 1949, they had no ties to the United Kingdom.

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Ireland Country Profile - National Geographic Kids

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Archaeologists think the first people to settle in Ireland arrived around 6000 B.C. By 3500 B.C., settlers were using stone tools to clear farmlands. Around 700 B.C., a diverse and technologically advanced culture from central Europe called the Celts began to settle the island. They would thrive there for nearly 2,000 years.

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Canada

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OFFICIAL NAME: Canada

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Federal parliamentary state

CAPITAL: Ottawa

POPULATION: 35,881,659

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: English, French

MONEY: Canadian dollar

AREA: 3,849,674 square miles (9,970,610 square kilometers)

MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Rockies, Coast, Laurentian

MAJOR RIVERS: St. Lawrence, Mackenzie

Canada is a vast and rugged land. From north to south it spans more than half the Northern Hemisphere. From east to west it stretches almost 4,700 miles (7,560 kilometers) across six time zones. It is the second largest country in the world, but it has only one-half of one percent of the world's population.

Canada features black-blue lakes, numerous rivers, majestic western mountains, rolling central plains, and forested eastern valleys. The Canadian Shield, a hilly region of lakes and swamps, stretches across northern Canada and has some of the oldest rocks on Earth.

Canada's far north lies in the frozen grip of the Arctic, where ice, snow, and glaciers dominate the landscape. Few trees grow here, and farming is not practical. Native Canadians, called First Nations people, live in this region by hunting and fishing.
Map created by National Geographic Maps

PEOPLE & CULTURE

In some ways Canada is many nations in one. Descendents of British and French immigrants make up about half the population. They were followed by other European and Asian immigrants. First Nations peoples make up about four percent of the population.

Inuit people live mostly in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Many Native Canadians live on their traditional lands, but many others have moved to cities across Canada. First Nations artwork is widely recognized and is seen as a symbol of Canadian culture.

Canada's remote north and extensive forests are home to wildlife, from bears, wolves, beavers, deer, mountain lions, and bighorn sheep to smaller animals like raccoons, otters, and rabbits. The country's lakes and rivers, which contain about 20 percent of all fresh water on Earth, are full of fish such as trout and salmon.

Canada's prairies in the south are home to bison and pronghorn antelope. Farther north are Canada's sprawling evergreen forests, which have lots of wildlife, including moose and black bears. Even farther north is the cold, bare tundra, where herds of caribou and musk ox live.

Canadians work hard to protect the native wildlife. Canada has 41 national parks and three marine conservation areas. Nevertheless, species like wolves, lynx, and Atlantic fish have been overhunted and overfished.

GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY

The British monarch is the head of state of Canada. The monarch is represented by a governor-general, who has very limited powers. Laws are made by Canada's elected federal government, which includes a parliament and a prime minister.

Britain's Quebec Act of 1774 granted Quebec its own legal and religious rights. Despite this concession, many Quebec citizens have long sought independence. In votes held in 1980 and 1995, Quebec decided to stay in Canada. But the second vote was very close, and the debate is still alive.

Canada has provided fish, furs, and other natural resources to the world since the 1500s. Today, it is a world leader in agricultural production, telecommunications, and energy technologies. The vast majority of Canada's exports go to the United States.

The first people to come to Canada arrived between 15,000 and 30,000 years ago across a land bridge that joined Asia and North America. Around A.D. 1000, the Viking explorer Leif Eriksson reached Newfoundland, Canada. He tried to establish a settlement, but it didn't last.

In the 16th century, French and British settlers arrived. Land disputes between farmers and fur traders led to four wars between 1689 and 1763. The final war, called the French and Indian War, left the British in control of Canada, but French influence remains strong even today.

In 1867, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick combined to form a dominion with its own government, parliament, and prime minister. Manitoba joined soon after. In 1931, Canada became an independent nation.

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Canada Country Profile - National Geographic Kids

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OFFICIAL NAME: Canada FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Federal parliamentary state CAPITAL: Ottawa POPULATION: 35,881,659 OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: English, French MONEY: Canadian dollar AREA: 3,849,674 square miles (9,970,610 square kilometers) MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Rockies, Coast, Laurentian MAJOR RIVERS: St. Lawrence, Mackenzie Canada is a vast and rugged land.

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Your "Departing From" is:  Canada. Your "Departure Date" is the day you leave the country:  Choose Today's date. Your "Going To" is the country that you are going to pick to learn more about. Your "Arrival Date" is today, but choose a later time.
Click "Go!" When you get to the countries page there is going to be a "Suggested Itinerary" - That means these are the things you click on to learn more about your country

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Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers from Scholastic

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United Kingdom

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The United Kingdom is a small group of islands that has played a big role in world history. At one time, the United Kingdom ruled colonies in Africa, the West Indies, China, India and, of course, the United States. Because of this, the English language is spoken all over the world.

Wales, to the north of England, supplied coal to the UK for many years. Men and boys worked in coal mines. Today most of the coal mines have closed. People in Wales are having trouble finding new jobs.

For many years, people in Northern Ireland have been fighting. The Protestant people want to stay connected to the United Kingdom. The Catholics want to be independent. The Irish and British governments are trying to find a solution.

Fun Facts about the United Kingdom for Kids

England has been ruled by kings and queens for thousands of years. Today, the monarchy doesn't make political decisions. The UK has a multiparty, democratic government.

Many great writers came from the UK. William Shakespeare, Jane Austin and Charles Dickens, considered some of the greatest writers of all time, lived in England. You might have read Roald Dahl's books. Dahl wrote "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "James and the Giant Peach." And of course, don't forget J.K. Rowling, author of the "Harry Potter" series.

The capital city is London.

The UK includes 93,282 square miles.

The population is 64,231,000.

61 percent of the people in the UK are Christian; 3 percent are Muslim, while 36 percent are other.

99 percent of adults can read.

People in the UK can expect to live 78 years.

United Kingdom Vocabulary

1. Colony: an area settled by colonists, or people who have come from somewhere else

2. Independent: separate, free

3. Monarchy: kings and queens

4. Coal mine: a mine that produces coal

All About the United Kingdom Video for Kids

Watch this awesome United Kingdom video for kids:

This is a video discussion of the history, the present UK and the people of UK.

United Kingdom Q&A

Question: What sports do people play in the UK?

Answer: Rugby, cricket and golf were started in the UK and are still loved here. The rules for soccer are based on games played at boys' schools.

____________________

Question: What do people do for jobs in the UK?

Answer: Some of the first factories in the world were started in the UK. Today most people work in a service industry, such as banking, insurance and education. London is the largest financial center in the world.

Map of the United Kingdom

Here's a map of the country of the United Kingdom and all its cities and villages. Zoom in to get into street level or zoom out to see other countries around the United Kingdom! 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 the United Kingdom, as though you are actually there!

Enjoyed the Easy Earth Science for Kids Website all about the United Kingdom info? Take the FREE & fun all about the United Kingdom quiz and download FREE United Kingdom worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.

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The United Kingdom is a small group of islands that has played a big role in world history. At one time, the United Kingdom ruled colonies in Africa, the West Indies, China, India and, of course, the United States. Because of this, the English language is spoken all over the world.

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England/Great Britain

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England Facts for Kids

Learn some interesting information about England while enjoying a range of fun facts and trivia that's perfect for kids!

Read about the famous scientists England has produced, its islands, rivers, mountains, major cities, population and much more.

England is the most populated country in the United Kingdom. The other countries that make up the United Kingdom are Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

England is bordered by Wales to the west and Scotland to the north.

The population of England in 2011 was around 53 million.

The capital city of England is London. Other major cities include Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool, Newcastle and Leeds.

England includes many small islands such as the Isle of Wight and Hayling Island.

There is only a 34 kilometre (21 mile) gap between England and France and the countries are connected by the Channel Tunnel which opened in 1994.

England was the first industrialized nation after the industrial revolution that began around 1760.

Famous English scientists include Charles Darwin, Michael Faraday, Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking among many others.

The longest river in the United Kingdom is the River Severn. Located in England and Wales, it stretches around 354 kilometres (220 miles) in length.

The longest river found entirely in England is the River Thames, it flows through London and is slightly shorter than the River Severn at around 346 kilometres (215 miles) in length.

The largest lake in England is named Windermere.

The highest mountain in England is Scafell Pike, which stands at around 978 metres (3,209 ft) in height.

England has a large economy and uses the pound sterling as its currency.

English computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee is credited with inventing the World Wide Web.

There have been a number of influential English authors but perhaps the most well known is William Shakespeare, who wrote classics such as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Hamlet.

Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in England but others such as cricket and rugby have large followings.

The Summer Olympic Games have been held in London 3 times, in 1908, 1948 and 2012.

The official London home of the British monarch (king or queen) is Buckingham Palace.

For more information, check out maps of England or take a closer look at the English flag.

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Fun England Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about England

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England Facts for Kids Learn some interesting information about England while enjoying a range of fun facts and trivia that's perfect for kids! Read about the famous scientists England has produced, its islands, rivers, mountains, major cities, population and much more. England is the most populated country in the United Kingdom.

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United Kingdom of Great Britain

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Located off the northwest coast of Europe, the United Kingdom includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

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Colombia

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FAST FACTS

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Colombia
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Republic
CAPITAL: Bogotá
POPULATION: 46,245,297
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Spanish
MONEY: Peso
AREA: 439,619 square miles (1,138,910 square kilometers)
MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Andes, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
MAJOR RIVERS: Magdalena, Cauca, Atrato, Sinú

GEOGRAPHY

Colombia is nicknamed the "gateway to South America" because it sits in the northwestern part of the continent where South America connects with Central and North America. It is the fifth largest country in Latin America and home to the world's second largest population of Spanish-speaking people.

Colombia is a land of extremes. Through its center run the towering, snow-covered volcanoes and mountains of the Andes. Tropical beaches line the north and west. And there are deserts in the north and vast grasslands, called Los Llanos, in the east.

Dense forests fill Colombia's Amazon Basin, which takes up nearly the country's entire southern half. In northwest Colombia, a warm, wet, jungle-filled area called the Chocó reaches across the Panama border.

PEOPLE & CULTURE

Colombia's people are as varied as its landscape. Most citizens are descended from three ethnic groups: Indians, African people brought to Colombia to work as slaves, and European settlers. This rich cultural mix makes the country's foods, music, dance, and art diverse and unique.

NATURE

With its vast rain forests, sprawling savannas, huge mountains, and 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers) of coastline on two oceans, Colombia is one of the most biologically diverse countries on Earth. Even though it takes up less than one percent of the world's land area, about 10 percent of all animal species live in Colombia.

Much of Colombia's forest habitats have been undisturbed for many millions of years. This has given wildlife a chance to evolve into many different species. Animals from jaguars to caimans to poison dart frogs all call Colombia's jungles home. The mountains provide habitat for huge Andean condors and rare spectacled bears, South America's only bear species.

Thousands of years ago, Colombia was nearly completely covered in jungle. But people have cleared most of the trees to create farmland, and now only a handful of areas have their original forests. The government has set up several national parks to protect habitats, but damage to the environment continues.

Peso,

Photograph by Max Blain, Dreamstime

GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY

Colombia has a long history of democracy. Like the United States, the country is run by a president, who is elected every four years. Laws are made by a House of Representatives and a Senate.

Colombia's biggest trading partner is the United States, which buys 40 percent of the country's exports. Colombia sends a variety of items overseas, including coffee, bananas, oil, coal, gold, platinum, and emeralds.

One of Colombia's worst exports, though, is illegal drugs. With help from the United States, the Colombian government is carrying out Plan Colombia, a costly and wide-ranging effort to rid the country of the gangs, called cartels, that produce illegal drugs for sale around the world.

HISTORY

Archaeologists think the first people to arrive in Colombia came about 20,000 years ago. Some 8,000 years after that, settlers in the Magdalena Valley in the western part of the country grew into a civilization called the Chibcha. From the Chibcha arose the Muisca, an advanced culture that became the dominant power in Colombia by A.D. 700.

Spanish explorers arrived in Colombia in 1500 but didn't establish a settlement until 1525. These settlers were obsessed with finding gold and other valuables, and by 1538 they had conquered the Muisca and stolen all their gold and jewels. Colombia remained under Spanish rule for nearly 250 years.

By the late 1700s, people in Colombia had grown tired of Spanish rule. In 1811, the city of Cartagena declared independence and Bogotá soon followed. Spanish soldiers tried to reclaim control in 1815, but Colombian forces led by the famed Venezuelan general Simón Bolívar defeated the Spanish in 1819.

After independence, Colombia became part of a large country called New Granada. This country fell apart by 1835, and Colombia became a separate nation. Fights soon broke out between political groups over who would lead the country. Since then, Colombia has had several civil wars and relatively few times of peace.

Check out the interactive map and discover more countries.

Get Facts, Photos, and videos.

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Colombia Country Profile - National Geographic Kids

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FAST FACTS OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Colombia FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Republic CAPITAL: Bogotá POPULATION: 46,245,297 OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Spanish MONEY: Peso AREA: 439,619 square miles (1,138,910 square kilometers) MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Andes, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta MAJOR RIVERS: Magdalena, Cauca, Atrato, Sinú GEOGRAPHY Colombia is nicknamed the "gateway to South America" because it sits in the northwestern part of the continent where South America connects with Central and North America.

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Paraguay

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We've pulled together a few interesting facts about Paraguay's geography, history and culture, and have a complete set of flag printables - including jigsaw, notebooking pages, colouring page and bookmarks - for you to enjoy. Useful when you are learning about the country, or perhaps supporting Paraguay in a sporting occasion!

Paraguay River, Paraguay

Learn about Paraguay

Geography of Paraguay:

Paraguay is a small inland country in South America which is surrounded by the larger nations of Brazil in the northeast, Bolivia in the northwest and Argentina to the south.

The country is divided into two regions by the Paraguay River, which is the second longest river in South America after the Amazon.

In the west, the Chaco is a vast semi-arid land covered with hard wood trees called 'quebracho' or 'axe breaker', which contain valuable tannins used to make leather.

Eastern Paraguay, known as the Paranena, has low green hills and is home to most of the population of 6,500,000.

Paraguay on map of South America. Find a printable version here.

The Itaipu Dam was built on the River Parana, on the border with Brazil, the joint owner. It is the world's largest hydroelectric dam in terms of energy generated, producing sustainable electricity for both countries. The project used as much concrete as could have been used to build 210 football stadiums!

The world's largest wetland area, called the Panatal, covers 200,00 square kilometres of Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia. Home to abundant wildlife such as the capybara, a large rodent, and 650 species of bird, this flooded grassland region is under threat from cattle grazing and agriculture.

History of Paraguay:

The capital Ascuncion city is known as the "Mother of all Cities" because Spanish explorers used it as a base in the 16th century. It was capital of a Spanish province which included parts of Brazil and Argentina called the Indies.

Paraguay gained independence in 1811. The country fought a costly war against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay from 1865-1870.

The Chaco War, fought with Bolivia from 1932-35, was only finally settled in a treaty of 2009.

Paraguay Culture:

Of the many indigenous people, the Guarani are famous for their distinctive language, which is spoken by most Paraguayans.

'Sopa paraguaya' is the national food. Although it means Paraguayan soup, this rich cheesy dish is actually a spongy cake.

Amongst famous Paraguayans is footballer Roque Santa Cruz, the highest goalscorer for the Paraguayan team, who plays for Malaga.

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We've pulled together a few interesting facts about Paraguay's geography, history and culture, and have a complete set of flag printables - including jigsaw, notebooking pages, colouring page and bookmarks - for you to enjoy. Useful when you are learning about the country, or perhaps supporting Paraguay in a sporting occasion!

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Paraguay

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Kids learn about the Geography of Paraguay. The history, capital, flag, climate, terrain, people, economy, and population.

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Philippines

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Have you ever wondered how countries, cities and streets gain their names? Sometimes, places are given descriptive names. The Snake River that runs through the western United States was named because it winds like a snake. Many times, locations are named for people. Ferdinand Magellan landed in the Philippines in 1521, claiming the islands for King Philip II of Spain.

The Philippines belonged to Spain until 1898, when it was given to the United States. It gained its freedom in 1946. It formed a democratic government similar to ours. Since then, the country has endured dictatorship and conflict. In 1986, the widow of a rebel leader, Corazon Aquino, was made president.

The Philippines is an archipelago, or string, of over 7,000 islands. People live on only one-third of the islands. The Philippines have beautiful beaches and coastal areas, as well as hills, valleys and mountains. Many animals live here and thousands of birds flock here every year.

Farmers grow crops, such as sugar cane, bananas, mangoes, coconuts, rice and corn. The Philippines enjoys a higher standard of living than many other countries in Southeast Asia.

Fun Facts about the Philippines for Kids

84,765,000 people live in the Philippines.

The country has 115,831 square miles of land.

People speak Filipino, English and local dialects.

Most people are Roman Catholic. People also belong to the Protestant, Buddhist or Christian faiths.

People in the Philippines can expect to live to be 70.

96 percent of adults can read.

Philippines Vocabulary

Learn More All About Philippines

This is the best video we found for kids to learn about the Philippines:

This video is all about the Philippine's geography, history and politics.

Philippines Q&A

Question: Why do many people in the Philippines have Spanish names?

Answer: When the Spanish government ruled the Philippines, it made a rule that all people must have Spanish last names.

Map of the Philippines

Here's a map of the country of Philippines and all its cities and villages. Zoom in to get into street level or zoom out to see other countries around the Philippines! 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 the Philippines, as though you are actually there!

Enjoyed the Easy Earth Science for Kids Website all about the Philippines info? Take the FREE & fun all about Philippines quiz and download FREE Philippines worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.

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Have you ever wondered how countries, cities and streets gain their names? Sometimes, places are given descriptive names. The Snake River that runs through the western United States was named because it winds like a snake. Many times, locations are named for people.

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Philippines

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The islands are home to many species of flowering plants and ferns, including hundreds of species of orchids. Tall grasses have replaced the forests, which have disappeared due to logging, mining, and development.

The Philippines are inhabited by more than 200 species of mammals, including monkeys, squirrels, lemurs, mice, pangolins, chevrotains, mongooses, civet cats, and red and brown deer, among others.

The binturong, or Asian bear cat, was once prominent, but now this furry mammal is vulnerable. The tamaraw, a species of small water buffalo found only on Mindoro, is critically endangered.

Hundreds of species of birds live in the Philippines, either for all or part of the year, including peacocks, pheasants, doves, parrots, kingfishers, sunbirds, tailorbirds, weaverbirds, and hornbills. The endangered Philippine eagle, which eats monkeys, is barely surviving deforestation.

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The islands are home to many species of flowering plants and ferns, including hundreds of species of orchids. Tall grasses have replaced the forests, which have disappeared due to logging, mining, and development. The Philippines are inhabited by more than 200 species of mammals, including monkeys, squirrels, lemurs, mice, pangolins, chevrotains, mongooses, civet cats, and red and brown deer, among others.

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Tanzania

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Netherlands

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Fun Netherlands Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Holland

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Learn some interesting information about the Netherlands while enjoying a range of fun facts and trivia that's perfect for kids! Read about major cities in the Netherlands, its population, language, economy, agricultural products, borders, popular sports and much more.

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Netherlands

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HISTORY
Because the Netherlands has no mountain ranges or natural borders, it was not able to protect itself from invading neighbors. Foreigners occupied the country for much of its history.

The Romans, Celtic tribes, Germanic groups, Scandinavian Vikings, the Franks, Austrians, and the Spanish ruled parts of the Netherlands for centuries. In the late 1500s, the Dutch tried to overthrow their Spanish rulers. They fought in the Eighty Years' War and finally gained independence in 1648.

During the Napoleonic Wars, France 's Napoleon took over Holland and put his brother Louis on the throne. In 1814, the people claimed independence from France and for 25 years, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands were joined together as one country called the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

In 1839, Belgium and the Netherlands became independent and Luxembourg became independent in 1890.

During World War II, Germany occupied the Netherlands for five years and killed many people who resisted the Germans or tried to help the Dutch Jews.

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HISTORY Because the Netherlands has no mountain ranges or natural borders, it was not able to protect itself from invading neighbors. Foreigners occupied the country for much of its history. The Romans, Celtic tribes, Germanic groups, Scandinavian Vikings, the Franks, Austrians, and the Spanish ruled parts of the Netherlands for centuries.

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Romania

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Kids learn about the Geography of Romania. The history, capital, flag, climate, terrain, people, economy, and population.

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Romania

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Print out the Romania flag in lots of sizes or colour one in, guide your learning with our fun worksheets, or discover a little geography and history and some interesting facts about Romania.

An aerial view of Bucharest, Romania's Capital City

A Little Geography

The Republic of Romania borders Hungary and Serbia to the west. Moldova and Ukraine lie to the northeast, and Bulgaria south of the Danube.

This land of 238,000 square km is split between the Carpathian mountains, the River Danube and its delta, and the Black Sea coastline.

Bucharest, the capital, is home to 2 million people. It was once called the 'Paris of the East' due to its many fine parks.

Almost 10% of the 20 million population are of Hungarian, Roma or German descent.

A Little History

Originally home to the Dacian tribe, the land became part of the Roman Empire in 108 CE. The name 'Romanian' means 'Of the Romans', although the land was later ruled by the Hungarians and Hapsburgs.

Histria is known as the 'Romanian Pompeii'. This Unesco site was a Greek trading port. The earliest Romanian silver coin was issued here in 480 BCE.

Count Dracula...

Vlad Tepes, Prince of Wallachia, known as Vlad the Impaler, was inspiration for the vampire Count Dracula novel by Bram Stoker. Vlad was a Prince who is celebrated for protecting Romania and Bulgaria against the Ottoman invaders. He was very cruel to his enemies. His family name of Dracula meant 'son of the dragon'.

Bran Castle in Transylvania, which was built to keep the Ottomans at bay, is known as 'Dracula's Castle' although he never lived there. After 700 years of turbulent history it belongs to the Hapsburg family again.

And Some Interestings Facts

Romanian is a romance language, similar to Italian with Latin roots, and therefore differs from other Eastern European languages. It is the official language in Moldova and spoken by nearly 1 million people in Italy.

Was baseball invented in Romania? Oina is a traditional sport played by shepherds since the 14th century CE, which is similar to baseball. Some people think that it may have been passed on to America by Romanian immigrants.

Nadia Comaneci is Romania's most famous female athlete. She won 3 Olympic gold medals for gymnastics in 1976 aged 14 and was the first person ever to get a perfect 10 points in an event.

There are 6,000 brown bears in the mountains. Campers are advised to hide their food up a tree to protect it from hungry bears!

Brasov, a charming mountain town, was rumoured to be where the Pied Piper of Hamelin took the children when they left Germany.

Old town of Brasov, Transylvania, Romania

Location of Romania

Here you can see Romania's location on a simplifed map of Europe. We have a printable version of this map here.

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Print out the Romania flag in lots of sizes or colour one in, guide your learning with our fun worksheets, or discover a little geography and history and some interesting facts about Romania. An aerial view of Bucharest, Romania's Capital City A Little Geography The Republic of Romania borders Hungary and Serbia to the west.

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Romania

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Fun Kids - the UK's children's radio station

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Romania, in southeast Europe, is mountainous in the north while the main feature in the south is the vast Danube valley. The river forms a delta as it approaches the Black Sea, which is a wildlife reserve for countless native and migratory birds.

The Romanian parliament consists of two chambers, the Senat (Senate) and the Camera Deputaţilor (Chamber of Deputies). The members of both are chosen in elections held every four years.

Ethnically, the population is 90% Romanian and 7% Hungarian. The Romanian language, like a number of others in southern Europe, is directly descended from Latin, although Romania is separated from other Romance-language countries by Slav speakers.

Romania has considerable natural resources - oil, natural gas, coal, iron, copper and bauxite. Metal-working, petrochemicals and mechanical engineering are the main industries.

Cuisine:

Romanian speciality dishes include grilled meatballs, meat wrapped in cabbage leaves, pork stew with garlic and onions and doughnuts made with cream and cheese.

Famous people:

The spine-chilling tale of Dracula was inspired by the 15th century Romanian Count Vlad Dracul whose son was famous in wartime for impaling captured enemies.
Less notorious Romanians include:
Eugene Ionesco - the writer
Nadia Comăneci - the gymnast
George Enescu - the composer

Facts:

Political system: Republic

Capital city: Bucharest

Language: Romanian

National day: 1 December - anniversary of all Romanian states into a single state (1918)

Total area: 237 500 km²

Population: 21.5 million

Currency: Romanian leu

How to say Hello:

Buna

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Where in the World? Romania - Fun Kids - the UK's children's radio station

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Romania, in southeast Europe, is mountainous in the north while the main feature in the south is the vast Danube valley. The river forms a delta as it approaches the Black Sea, which is a wildlife reserve for countless native and migratory birds.

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Ukraine

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Kids learn about the Geography of Ukraine. The history, capital, flag, climate, terrain, people, economy, and population.

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Ukraine

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Find out some interesting snippets of history, geography and culture about Ukraine, Europe's second largest country, and enjoy our collection of Ukrainian flag printables.

Independence Square, Kiev, capital city of Ukraine

Learn about Ukraine

Geography of Ukraine:

Europe's second largest country, Ukraine means "Land on the edge". It is an apt name for a country on the eastern fringe of the European steppe.

Known as the biggest European wheat producer, Ukraine is also a major steel exporter using coal and iron ore from its eastern industrial belt.

The capital city is Kiev.

The country has a population of around 46m people.

The main language is Ukrainian, and Russian is also widely spoken.

It's northern forests contain an abundance of mammals such as wild boar, deer and brown bears.

The horse was first domesticated in Ukraine!

History:

Ukraine was settled in ancient times, with colonies of Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece and the Byzantine empire all in teh vicinity.

The origins of modern Ukraine can be traced to the Rus people, who settled in an area centred around Kiev known as Kievan Rus. During the 10th and 11th centuries, Kievan Rus - ruled by Vladimir the Great and then his sone Yaroslav the Wise, was arguably the largest and most powerful state in Europe.

Many tumultuous centuries followed - far too complicated to write about here!

The modern history of Ukraine begins in 1922 when it became a founding member of the Soviet Union. It remained under Soviet control until the USSR broke up in 1991.

More about Ukraine

Ukrainians eat a hearty diet including soups such as borscht, dumplings and cakes.

Ironically, Chicken Kiev was invented in Moscow, not Kiev!

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Find out some interesting snippets of history, geography and culture about Ukraine, Europe's second largest country, and enjoy our collection of Ukrainian flag printables. Independence Square, Kiev, capital city of Ukraine Learn about Ukraine Geography of Ukraine: Europe's second largest country, Ukraine means "Land on the edge".

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Russia

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pirate activites for school age children

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A to Z Kids Stuff | Russia Facts for Children

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Information, history, facts, and activities on Russia for school-age children.

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Russia

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FAST FACTS
Official Name: Russian Federation
Form of Government: Federation
Capital: Moscow
Population: 142,470,272
Official Language: Russian
Money: Ruble
Area: 6,592,772 square miles (17,075,200 square kilometers)
Major Mountain Ranges: Ural, Altay
Major Rivers: Amur, Irtysh, Lena, Ob, Volga, Yenisey

GEOGRAPHY
Russia, the largest country in the world, occupies one-tenth of all the land on Earth. It spans 11 time zones across two continents (Europe and Asia) and has coasts on three oceans (the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic).

The Russian landscape varies from desert to frozen coastline, tall mountains to giant marshes. Much of Russia is made up of rolling, treeless plains called steppes. Siberia, which occupies three-quarters of Russia, is dominated by sprawling pine forests called taigas.

Russia has about 100,000 rivers, including some of the longest and most powerful in the world. It also has many lakes, including Europe's two largest: Ladoga and Onega. Lake Baikal in Siberia contains more water than any other lake on Earth.

PEOPLE AND CULTURE
There are about 120 ethnic groups in Russia who speak more than a hundred languages. Roughly 80 percent of Russians trace their ancestry to the Slavs who settled in the country 1,500 years ago. Other major groups include Tatars, who came with the Mongol invaders, and Ukrainians.

Russia is known all over the world for its thinkers and artists, including writers like Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky, composers such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and ballet dancers including Rudolf Nureyev.

NATURE
As big as Russia is, it's no surprise that it is home to a large number of ecosystems and species. Its forests, steppes, and tundras provide habitat for many rare animals, including Asiatic black bears, snow leopards, polar bears, and small, rabbit-like mammals called pikas.

Russia's first national parks were set up in the 19th century, but decades of unregulated pollution have taken a toll on many of the country's wild places. Currently, about one percent of Russia's land area is protected in preserves, known as zapovedniks.

Russia's most famous animal species is the Siberian tiger, the largest cat in the world. Indigenous to the forests of eastern Russia, these endangered giants can be 10 feet (3 meters) long, not including their tail, and weigh up to 600 pounds (300 kilograms).

Ruble

Photograph by Shutterstock

GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMY
Russia's history as a democracy is short. The country's first election, in 1917, was quickly reversed by the Bolsheviks, and it wasn't until the 1991 election of Boris Yeltsin that democracy took hold.

Russia is a federation of 86 republics, provinces, territories, and districts, all controlled by the government in Moscow. The head of state is a president elected by the people. The economy is based on a vast supply of natural resources, including oil, coal, iron ore, gold, and aluminum.

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FAST FACTS Official Name: Russian Federation Form of Government: Federation Capital: Moscow Population: 142,470,272 Official Language: Russian Money: Ruble Area: 6,592,772 square miles (17,075,200 square kilometers) Major Mountain Ranges: Ural, Altay Major Rivers: Amur, Irtysh, Lena, Ob, Volga, Yenisey GEOGRAPHY Russia, the largest country in the world, occupies one-tenth of all the land on Earth.

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Germany

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Here are some interesting Germany Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.

Population: 83 million people live in Germany (2023). The majority of the people live in cities and towns.

Capital: Berlin with 3.5 million inhabitants is not only Germany's capital city but also the biggest city.

Name: Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Federal Republic of Germany)

Government: Democracy, Republic

Language: German

Literacy: More than 99% can read and write.

Religion: mainly Christians (Protestants 34%, Roman Catholics 34%), Muslims about 4%

Currency: 1 Euro = 100 cents, before 2001 German Mark/Deutsche Mark (DM)

Flag colors: black, red and gold

Where is Germany? - Germany Map

Germany is located in the center of Europe and shares borders with 9 countries: Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France , Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands (clockwise from the top/north).

Germany is the second most populous country in Central Europe after Russia and many immigrants live and study in Germany.

The Baltic Sea (in German: Ostsee), the North Sea (in German: Nordsee) and the lowlands form the natural borders in the North of Germany and the Southern Germany borders are formed by the Alps mountains and Lake Constance (in German: Bodensee).

The highest mountain in Germany is the ' Zugspitze' (which means 'windy peak') with 2,963 metres/ 9,721 ft. Germany's highest mountain is one of Germany's top attractions and many tourists visit the mountain top every year. You can take a cablecar up to the top of the mountain and have spectacular views of the Alps and the scenic countryside from there.

See the amazing panoramic 360° views from the Zugspitz mountain top, to view click here. (It will take about 10 seconds to load this amazing panorama page. Please be patient the view is really worth the wait :-)

Germany Facts:
Attractions for Kids

Berlin: learn about German history and re-unification, visit the Reichstag building and parliament, and see remnants of the wall that separated the western and eastern parts of the city

Cologne and the Rhine Valley: Cologne Cathedral, Lorelei and annual Carnival festivities

Black Forest: great for nature lovers and hikers with many picturesque villages, turquoise lakes and great forest walks.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber: The medieval town is a bit touristy but very scenic and boasts a huge Christmas shop which is open all-year round.

Northern Germany: Explore Germany's biggest island Rügen and the historic Hanse towns Stralsund und Rostock or further off Lübeck and Hamburg

Munich: for its science and arts museums, experiencing the famous Oktoberfest and the typical Bavarian Gemütlichkeit (which means feeling home and being comfortable)

Bavaria and the German Alps: great for skiing, hiking and relaxed holidays. You just have to see these awe-inspiring castles such as Neuschwanstein or Herrenchiemsee

Castles: There are more than 25,000 castles in Germany, make sure to visit at least one of our top ten castles. Below you see Hohenzollern Castle.

Read more about our favourite castles in Germany here.
Germany Facts about German People

Germany is well known for great poets, such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (you see him in the pictured above in the famous painting by Tischbein) and Friedrich Schiller, and many other writers, such as the Grimm brothers (remember the tale of Hansel and Gretel) or Thomas Mann. Because of these splendid writers as well as scientists and inventors such as Albert Einstein, Robert Koch or Gottlieb Daimler, the country is often referred to be the "Land der Dichter und Denker"(country of poets and thinkers).

Germans love going to the museums, concerts and theatres. These places which are well maintained and supported, so you will find many interesting places you can visit.

Germans also love sports! M any Germans are active in sports clubs such as soccer, tennis or gymnastics clubs . In schools, the most popular sports activities are soccer, volleyball, basketball, ballet and dancing. Sports idols Sebastian Vettel (Formula 1), Bastian Schweinsteiger (soccer) or Anna Schaffelhuber and Felix Neureuther (skiing) are supported by most Germans proudly. Many of you will already have have heard the names of Boris Becker and Steffi Graf which are among the world's most known tennis stars.

The country's premier soccer league, called Bundesliga, is followed closely by many and Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund are firm favourites not only of Germans.

The most popular sports in Germany are soccer, tennis, swimming and skiing, although the latter is possible only in the southern and eastern parts of the country. Especially in the Bavarian Alps, the Mittelgebirge and the Erzgebirge, the mountains are high enough and warrant for enough snow to enjoy a multitude of wintersports facilities.

Germany Facts | German Food

Most of the German main dishes contain either meats, mainly pork, beef and veal or fish. Germans often eat potatoes, but pasta dishes are also very popular, especially with the younger generations. The Germans love their bread, which is mainly a mix of wheat and rye flour and is much darker and has a hard crust. Bread rolls are also eaten.

Sauerkraut, Sausages and Brezeln (Pretzels, see in the picture above) are surely the most famous German food exports and in Germany you will find fresh bread, bread rolls and pretzels as well as delicious cakes and pastry in the numerous bakery shops. Even little villages often have more than two or three bakers and you will have the choice of many different types of bread and rolls.

Germans love their meat, but you will find more and more vegetarian dishes on the menus in restaurants now too, although there are many more variations of dishes with meat available. Schweinebraten oder Schweinsbraten (roast pork knuckles) is very popular in Southern Germany while Rinderbraten (beef roast) is more popular in Northern Germany.
Germany Facts: More typical German food:

Sauerkraut: probably the most famous vegetable associated with German food. It is eaten in Germany with potatoes and meat, but traditionally not eaten with fish as in many other parts in the world.

Rotkraut: meaning red cabbage, see in image above

either as Semmelknödel: bread dumplings, eaten either with mushrooms in a creamy sauce or with meat dishes or Kartoffelknödel: potato dumplings

Spargel: white asparagus is harvested in late April and until 24 June. It has a very distinct flavour and is very healthy! Usually accompanied by ham and a white creamy sauce, this vegetable is really delicious.

Black Forest Cake: delicious dark chocolate cake filled with cherries and cream.

Weisswurst: very pale veal sausage, cooked and eaten in Bavaria - usually in midmorning, before noon.

Stollen and Lebkuchen: Delicious cakes, decorated biscuits and various gingerbread cookies are eaten at Christmas time in Germany.

Wine and Beer: Did you know that Germans do produce lovely wine as well as beer? The valleys along the Rhine and Mosel rivers are well known for their wines. Bavaria is known for its beer and the many micro breweries.

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Picture credits in main text: 1.Adriana Martins at sxc.hu, 2.Christa Riechert at sxc.hu, 3.at sxc.hu, others own or Return from Germany Facts to Kids-World-Travel-Guide Homepage shutterstock.com

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Germany Facts | Facts for Kids | Geography | Travel | Attractions

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Read our Germany Facts for Kids and learn the most important facts about Germany, attractions, food, animals, people and much more. Written by kids for kids.

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Germany

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Germany's central and southern regions have forested hills and mountains cut through by the Danube, Main, and Rhine river valleys.

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Kazakhstan

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Kids learn about the Geography of Kazakhstan. The history, capital, flag, climate, terrain, people, economy, and population.

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Kazakhstan

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Kazakhstan lies in Central Asia, bordering Russia, China, uzbekistan and the Caspian Sea. This huge country is the size of Western Europe and includes mountain areas, flat lowlands and fertile farmlands. Northern Kazakhstan is cold, while the southern areas have a milder climate.

Kazakhstan, a former member of the Soviet Union, was the last country to declare its independence from Russia in 1991. Since then, it has slowly emerged as an economic power. Kazakhstan has vast natural gas and mineral resources. Unfortunately, the country is dealing with toxic nuclear waste left from the Soviet era, as well as polluted water and increased problems with drug abuse and crime.

Fun Facts

16.2 million people live in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan has 1,049,155 square miles of land.

Islam is the main religion.

The official language is Kazakh, although many people speak Russian.

The life expectancy is 66 years.

Vocabulary

1. Fertile: rich, healthy and capable of producing life

2. Lowland: low-lying areas

3. Emerge: come forward

4. Toxic: poisonous

5. Polluted: contaminated, unclean

Visit the BBC to learn more Kazakhstan.
Extra Credit
Question: Who lives in Kazakhstan today?

Answer: Kazakhstan is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Central Asia. More than 50 percent are Kazakhs. One-third are Russians, although many Russians left the country after it declared independence.

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Kazakhstan lies in Central Asia, bordering Russia, China, uzbekistan and the Caspian Sea. This huge country is the size of Western Europe and includes mountain areas, flat lowlands and fertile farmlands. Northern Kazakhstan is cold, while the southern areas have a milder climate.

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Kazakhstan

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What do you know about Kazakhstan? It's part of both Europe and Asia, and has one of the world's coldest capital cities! These and more interesting information, and a complete set of flag printables, can be found below.

Bayterek Tower in Astana, capital city of Kazakhstan

Learn about Kazakhstan

Geography of Kazakhstan

The Republic of Kazakhstan is a vast landlocked country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, that dwarfs Western Europe.

The industrial north of Kazakhstan is covered by vast steppe plains, as are the central highlands, whilst deserts feature in the south.

The western region contain wealth producing oilfields and the resorts of the Caspian Sea coastline.

Charyn Canyon, at 80 km, is the second longest canyon in the world and is known as "The Little Brother of the Grand Canyon".

Cities of Kazakhstan

Almaty, the largest city, was the capital until 1998, due to its location on the Silk Road. Its name means 'place of apples', as the apple tree originated in Central Asia.

Medeo Ice Stadium above Almaty can host over 30,000 spectators. At 1691 metres it is the highest outdoor skating rink in the world and has hosted the 2012 Bandy World Championships.

The new capital Astana, located to the country's heart, is one of the world's coldest capitals. It is a modern city built with the profits from oil. Attractions include the Bayterek Tower, which resembles a giant 100 metre tall lollipop, and the Duman Aquarium, which is 3000 km from the nearest sea.

The small southern city of Turkestan was an ancient centre for religious scholars and contains the magnificent Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed built by Tamerlane. It boasts the largest dome in Central Asia, although it was never completed.

More Interesting Facts

Sputnik 1, the world's first satellite and Yuri Gagarin, the first astronaut, were launched into space from Kazakhstan during the Soviet period.

Wild tulips originated on the slopes of southern Kazakhstan and were taken to Holland by the Ottomans.

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What do you know about Kazakhstan? It's part of both Europe and Asia, and has one of the world's coldest capital cities! These and more interesting information, and a complete set of flag printables, can be found below.

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Read this for some great facts on Scotland!

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Find amazing facts about animals, science, history and geography, along with fun competitions, games and more. Visit National Geographic Kids today!

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More Facts on Scotland!

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Scotland Facts for Kids

Learn some interesting information about Scotland while enjoying a range of fun facts and trivia that's perfect for kids!

Read about Scotland's place in the United Kingdom, its unique culture, national symbols, population, major cities, landscapes and much more.

Scotland is located in Europe, at the northern end of Great Britain.

Scotland is a part on the United Kingdom, along with England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Scotland shares a border with England.

Scotland includes over 700 islands. These include groups called Orkney, Shetland and the Hebrides.

The population of Scotland in 2023 was around 5.5 million.

The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh while the largest city is Glasgow. Other major cities include Aberdeen and Dundee.

Aberdeen has become an important centre for the oil industry after the finding of oil in the North Sea.

The highest mountain in Scotland is Ben Nevis which stands at a height of 1344 metres (4409 feet).

The Scottish Highlands are a mountainous region of Scotland with historical importance and a low population density.

Most major cities are located in the Scottish Lowlands.

A variety of wildlife can be found in Scotland, including seals, mountain hare, ptarmigan, stoats and the golden eagle.

Scotland has over 300 railway stations.

Scottish drivers use the left-hand side of the road.

Scotland has a unique culture with traditions such as bagpipes, kilts and highland dancing.

In 1872, Scotland played England in the first international game of football (soccer). The result was a 0-0 draw.

The fictional detective Sherlock Holmes was created by Scottish writer Arthur Conan Doyle.

The thistle is a national symbol of Scotland.

For more information, check out maps of Scotland or take a closer look at the Scottish flag.

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Fun Scotland Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Scotland

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Scotland Facts for Kids Learn some interesting information about Scotland while enjoying a range of fun facts and trivia that's perfect for kids! Read about Scotland's place in the United Kingdom, its unique culture, national symbols, population, major cities, landscapes and much more. Scotland is located in Europe, at the northern end of Great Britain.