Here are some interesting Mauritius Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.
Population: roughly 1.2 million people live in the country (2015)
Capital: Port Louis with 150,000 inhabitants
Name: Republique de Maurice (Republic of Mauritius)
Motto: 'Star and Key of the Indian Ocean'
Government: Democracy
Language: English, French, Creole
Religion: mainly Hindus (49%)
Currency: 1 Rupee=100cents
History: The first settlements were established by the Dutch in 1638. Later the French and British arrived on the island. Mauritius became independent from Britain only in 1968.
National Animal: The legendary extinct 'dodo'
Mauritius Island
Dream Island in the Indian Ocean
Mauritius Map and Geography
Mauritius is a small island situated in the Indian Ocean to the east of the African continent.
To reach Mauritius, it take a 4 hours flight from Johannesburg/South Africa, 12 hours flight from Paris/France or 13 hours from London/UK.
Mauritius Map: Mauritius and Rodrigues belong to the Mascarene islands in the Indian Ocean
Mauritius is the second biggest island belonging to the group of islands called the Mascarenes or 'Mascareignes' as they are called in French. Rodrigues island and some other smaller islands belong to Mauritius too.
The biggest island of the Mascarenes islands group is La Reunion (which belongs to France).
Mauritius has a coastline of about 150km/93miles in length.
The island was created by volcanic activity more than 8 million years ago. There are many scenic waterfalls especially in the south west of the island.
The island's highest mountain is the 'Peak of the Little Black River', Piton de la Petite Riviere Noire, with 828m or 2,717ft.
Port Louis - the capital city of Mauritius
Port Louis is the capital city of Mauritius. It is the most populous city with roughly 150,000 inhabitants.
Mauritius is the most densely populated country on the African continent and also one of the most prosperous and rich countries on the continent.
Mauritius Facts:
Tourist Attractions in Mauritius
Visit Port Louis: Caudan Waterfront as the main shopping and entertainment centre. A visit to the Post Office Museum is highly recommended. There you can see the famous 'Blue Mauritius' stamp, which is the first stamp issued. It shows Queen Victoria on a blue background.
Admire the 'Seven Coloured Earths' in the Chamarel plains
Coloured Earths
Le Morne Brabant: Climb the mountain in the southwest of the island
Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens: Explore the tropical gardens and see the giant waterlillies in the pond and stroke the giant tortoises
Giant Turtles
Go swimming with dolphins in Tamarin Bay
Cap Malheureux: Explore the fishing village in the north
Visit the Hindu temples: Hinduism is the main religion on the island with almost half of the population of Mauritians belonging to this religion
Mauritius temple by Evgenia Bolyukh/Shutterstock.com
Mauritius Hindu Temple
There are so many exciting places, amazing white sandy beaches, picturesque towns and villages, ancient military ruins to visit, please make sure you come back to this site again, as we will add more information on places to visit here soon.
Interesting Mauritius Language Facts
French, English and Creole are the main languages in Mauritius. English is considered by many as the main business language, however newspapers and TV and radio news are mainly in French.
Mauritius Advertisement Board
Roadside Advertisement Board in Mauritius
In fact, most people speak Mauritian Creole at home. Further various Asian languages such as Tamil, Urdu, Hindi or Mandarin are spoken by the Indian and Chinese population.
Mauritius Facts:
Famous Mauritian People
Mauritians are friendly and welcoming people. The Mauritian people form a multiethnic society which means they are mainly of mixed races and have ancestors of Asian, Indian, French, British and Chinese origins. The majority are descendants from Indian people and are referred to as Indo-Mauritians.
Almost half of the population practise Hinduism, other dominant religions are Roman Catholicism and Islam. Mauritians love to celebrate their religious traditions and also are famous for their love of dancing the sega.
Mauritian segadancer
The Mauritian folk dance is the sega dance. It has many influences from the Indian dance style, where the whole body moves with the music, interestingly however, the feet never leave the ground. The sega dance is also popular on the Seychelles islands and La Reunion.
The most popular Mauritians are probably 'Paul et Virginie', in English 'Paul and Virginia'. These are characters in a French novel by Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre dating back to the late 18th century. The tragic love story of the two is very famous on the island.
Mauritius Facts: Food in Mauritius
Sugarcane is the main agricultural product in Mauritius. Pineapple plantations can also be seen all over the island.
Sugarcane field in Mauritius
Sugarcane field
Mauritian main dishes contain: fresh vegetables, fruits and fish. The cuisine is well known for its freshness and exotic spices.
Pineapples grow in bushes
Did you know pineapples grow in bushes?
Papaya fruits
The Mauritian cuisine has many influences. Asian, Indian, European specialties all can be found in the local cuisine. Here is some typical Mauritius food:
Curry: spicy stews made with chicken, fish, squid
Palm Hearts: expensive delicacy, using the inner parts of a palm tree trunk, quite tasteless, but often used in salads.
Coconuts: try a fresh coconut. Did you know that coconut 'milk' liquid looks transparent like water but has a sweet taste.
Dim Sum: steamed filled dumplings, originating from the Chinese cuisine
Sugar: for tasting the many different variations of sugar, go to 'L'Aventure du Sucre', a still working sugar factory with a wonderful museum with lots of interactive displays
Tea: There are several tea plantations on the island. Bois Cheri plantation has an amazing Vanilla Tea!
Read more about great Mauritian specialties here
Try to visit also the food markets in the major towns such as Port Louis or Flaqc. Here is a good picture of a farmer selling his colourful harvest at a typical market in Mauritius.
Market in Mauritius
Did you know?
Dodo - The extinct flightless bird
The Dodo, which is an extinct bird which was living on the island, is still used in many artefacts and souvenirs as it is the islands national animal!
Picture Credits on Mauritius Facts: All Pictures, own photos and if not otherwise mentioned from sxc.hu and shutterstock.com
We hope you enjoyed reading our Mauritius Facts. Please bookmark this page and spread the word. We will add more information in the near future.
http://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/mauritius-facts.html
Thursday, September 21, 2017
TRAVEL BLOG:Italy Facts - Interesting Facts for Kids
Here are some interesting Italy Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.
Population: 61.6 million people live in Italy (2016)
Capital: Roma (Rome), which is often called 'Eternal City', with 2.6 mio inhabitants and Italy’s biggest city.
Name: Repubblica Italiana (Italian Republic) or simply: Italia, Nickname: 'Bel Paese' which means beautiful country
Government: Democracy, Republic
Language: Italian as well as German, French and Ladin in some regions in Northern Italy.
Literacy: More than 98% can read and write.
Religion: mainly Christians (Roman Catholics 90%)
Currency: 1 Euro=100 cents, before 2001 Italian Lira
History: The country has a long history, as Rome its capital city today was founded in 753BC. After the Roman Empire broke down in 395AD, there were many separate kingdoms and city states. However, Italy became one nation only in 1861 and since then includes the islands of Sicily and Sardegna. It was a kingdom until 1946 after the second World War, where Italy sided with the German Nazis. Italy is founding member of the European Union (EU) and the NATO.
Flag: The colors represent these virtues: hope (green), faith (white), and charity (red).
Where is Italy? - Italia Map
Italy lies in Southern Europe, a flight to Rome take roughly 2.5 hours from London/England, 8 hours from New York/USA
Italy 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. It looks like the boot is kicking a ball, which is the island of Sicily, don’t you think?
Italy Facts: Geography
Beautiful Cavoli on the island of Elba
Italy has more than 7,600km (4,722miles) of coast line as the peninsula is located for a large part in the Mediterranean sea. Italy has two bigger islands Sicily and Sardegna and many smaller ones such as Capri, Elba and Ischia. In the North, the mountain range of the Alps separates Italy from the other European countries France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia.
Italy has many hills and mountains and the highest mountain of Italy can be found in the Italian Alps which are the mountain range in Italy's north. It is the Monte Bianco, better known as Mont Blanc, which is 4,807m or 15,776ft. There are many long and deep lakes in the North of Italy, bevor the country flattens in the Po Valley. The river Po is Italys longest river.
The Apennines are another big mountain range which go all along the boot and separate the East and the West of the country. And in Italy, there are volcanos!
Eruption of Etna - See the lava flowing down the slopes
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 is subdivided in 20 regions, like Tuscany, Veneto (around Venice) and Lazio (around Rome).
Did you know that Italy surrounds two of the world’s smallest countries? These are San Marino in Northern Italy, the oldest republic in the world and Vatican City in Rome, the smallest country in the world. Vatican City is led by the Pope and is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, led by the Pope.
Italy Attractions for Kids
Rialto Bridge in Venice Italy
Rialto Bridge in Venice/Italy
Florence: Home of many of the Italian artists such as Michelangelo with many famous museums
Pisa: 'Hold' the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Quite a sight!
Venice: Lagoon City build on islands and known for its Carnival
Foro Romano in Rome
Rome: Great place to learn about Romans and ancient history
Ravenna: See stunning mosaics and splendid churches
Tuscany: great place to chill in the countryside with lovely towns and villages
Alps: Great for skiing, hiking and relaxed holidays and Bolzano’s Natural History Museum with Oetzi, the mummy from the Ice-age is great for kids too.
There are so many great places in Italy to visit, just to many to mention here. We will show you more places on a special page here soon.
Italy Facts: Animals in Italy
Sheep are held mainly in Southern Italy and the donkeys still help farmers in remote villages to carry heavy loads over steep terrain.
Some years ago there was a big scare in Italy about brown bear, which attacked farm animals in Northern Italy. Brown bears are protected in Italy, as there are only few bears left in the wild now.
In the Alps you will very likely see the marmots, which make a very high pitched calling sound. And if you are very lucky you might even spot a lynx - see the little hair tuffs on the ears?
Eurasian Lynx
More Italy Facts: Italian Language
Italian is a language which is coming from Latin and you still can recognize the roots.
However not all people in Italy speak proper Italian, but one of its many Italian dialects. Some of the older people, can neither speak Italian, but only the local dialect or will speak only German when living in the Northern Region of Alto Adige, a French dialect in the Valle d’Aosta or Ladino in the Trentino.
The pronunciation is soft and very melodic and so is still used in opera and is popular by young musicians. So even German composers used the language in opera as it sounds much softer than German.
Try to say football (soccer) in Italian? - Calcio
Click here to listen to the pronunciation
Most young people in Italy learn to speak English, French or German as well in school.
Some Italy Facts about Italian People
Italians love sports. Cycling, Skiing, Soccer and Motor Racing are just some of the sports Italians have very strong interest in and good teams of sportsmen and -women. 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.
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 the “Mama”, but more and more men love to cook and break away from the typical image of the Italian "macho" and nowadays help in the household or stay at home with the kids while the women goes to work.
Christopher Columbus
Italians are famous for their inventions and discoveries. The Italian explorers Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci discovered the Americas while Marco Polo explored the East.
Leonardo da Vinci was a scientist and artist who was the first to prove the world is round and not flat and Alessandro Volta, was the prioneer who did studies in electricity, hence the name 'Volt' describing a unit of electricity.
Did you know that Italians also invented the piano and the thermometer?
More Italy Facts about Famous Italians for Kids: Explorers, Inventors and more
Italian Food
The Italian main dishes contain: pork and beef, seafood as well as potatoes, rice and pasta (wheat and egg noodles) products and of course, tomatoes.
Typical Italian food - which ingredients can you name?
Pizza is surely one of the most famous exports and in Italy it is usually baked in a wood-fired oven and very thin, but loaded with fresh vegetables or thinly sliced ham, salami, artichokes or olives.The Italian pasta is renowned worldwide and there are more than 200 different shapes.
Italians love their food and many dishes are based on fresh vegetables and seafood too. There are delicious sweet cakes in Italy, like the Panettone (a yeast cake with raisins), Panforte (a hard and flat fruit cake) and almond pastries like amaretti.
Here is some typical Italian food:
Pizza: probably the most famous Italian dish, it was invented in Napoli/Naples around 1860
Calzone: folded up pizza bread filled with tomatoes, ham, cheese and all kinds of filling
Pesto: thick green sauce with olives, herbs and olive oil, pine kernels and parmiggiano cheese. Healthy and mmmmh!
Gelato: ice-cream is an Italian invention
Lasagna: layered pasta dish with tomato, mozzarella cheese and mince meat filling.
Mozzarella: Italian cheese balls, originally made from buffalo milk
Did you know that Italians eat spaghetti only with a fork not using a spoon?
Please bookmark this page if you are interested in Italy Facts for Kids as my Italy Facts will be updated regularily.
http://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/italy-facts.html
Population: 61.6 million people live in Italy (2016)
Capital: Roma (Rome), which is often called 'Eternal City', with 2.6 mio inhabitants and Italy’s biggest city.
Name: Repubblica Italiana (Italian Republic) or simply: Italia, Nickname: 'Bel Paese' which means beautiful country
Government: Democracy, Republic
Language: Italian as well as German, French and Ladin in some regions in Northern Italy.
Literacy: More than 98% can read and write.
Religion: mainly Christians (Roman Catholics 90%)
Currency: 1 Euro=100 cents, before 2001 Italian Lira
History: The country has a long history, as Rome its capital city today was founded in 753BC. After the Roman Empire broke down in 395AD, there were many separate kingdoms and city states. However, Italy became one nation only in 1861 and since then includes the islands of Sicily and Sardegna. It was a kingdom until 1946 after the second World War, where Italy sided with the German Nazis. Italy is founding member of the European Union (EU) and the NATO.
Flag: The colors represent these virtues: hope (green), faith (white), and charity (red).
Where is Italy? - Italia Map
Italy lies in Southern Europe, a flight to Rome take roughly 2.5 hours from London/England, 8 hours from New York/USA
Italy 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. It looks like the boot is kicking a ball, which is the island of Sicily, don’t you think?
Italy Facts: Geography
Beautiful Cavoli on the island of Elba
Italy has more than 7,600km (4,722miles) of coast line as the peninsula is located for a large part in the Mediterranean sea. Italy has two bigger islands Sicily and Sardegna and many smaller ones such as Capri, Elba and Ischia. In the North, the mountain range of the Alps separates Italy from the other European countries France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia.
Italy has many hills and mountains and the highest mountain of Italy can be found in the Italian Alps which are the mountain range in Italy's north. It is the Monte Bianco, better known as Mont Blanc, which is 4,807m or 15,776ft. There are many long and deep lakes in the North of Italy, bevor the country flattens in the Po Valley. The river Po is Italys longest river.
The Apennines are another big mountain range which go all along the boot and separate the East and the West of the country. And in Italy, there are volcanos!
Eruption of Etna - See the lava flowing down the slopes
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 is subdivided in 20 regions, like Tuscany, Veneto (around Venice) and Lazio (around Rome).
Did you know that Italy surrounds two of the world’s smallest countries? These are San Marino in Northern Italy, the oldest republic in the world and Vatican City in Rome, the smallest country in the world. Vatican City is led by the Pope and is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, led by the Pope.
Italy Attractions for Kids
Rialto Bridge in Venice Italy
Rialto Bridge in Venice/Italy
Florence: Home of many of the Italian artists such as Michelangelo with many famous museums
Pisa: 'Hold' the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Quite a sight!
Venice: Lagoon City build on islands and known for its Carnival
Foro Romano in Rome
Rome: Great place to learn about Romans and ancient history
Ravenna: See stunning mosaics and splendid churches
Tuscany: great place to chill in the countryside with lovely towns and villages
Alps: Great for skiing, hiking and relaxed holidays and Bolzano’s Natural History Museum with Oetzi, the mummy from the Ice-age is great for kids too.
There are so many great places in Italy to visit, just to many to mention here. We will show you more places on a special page here soon.
Italy Facts: Animals in Italy
Sheep are held mainly in Southern Italy and the donkeys still help farmers in remote villages to carry heavy loads over steep terrain.
Some years ago there was a big scare in Italy about brown bear, which attacked farm animals in Northern Italy. Brown bears are protected in Italy, as there are only few bears left in the wild now.
In the Alps you will very likely see the marmots, which make a very high pitched calling sound. And if you are very lucky you might even spot a lynx - see the little hair tuffs on the ears?
Eurasian Lynx
More Italy Facts: Italian Language
Italian is a language which is coming from Latin and you still can recognize the roots.
However not all people in Italy speak proper Italian, but one of its many Italian dialects. Some of the older people, can neither speak Italian, but only the local dialect or will speak only German when living in the Northern Region of Alto Adige, a French dialect in the Valle d’Aosta or Ladino in the Trentino.
The pronunciation is soft and very melodic and so is still used in opera and is popular by young musicians. So even German composers used the language in opera as it sounds much softer than German.
Try to say football (soccer) in Italian? - Calcio
Click here to listen to the pronunciation
Most young people in Italy learn to speak English, French or German as well in school.
Some Italy Facts about Italian People
Italians love sports. Cycling, Skiing, Soccer and Motor Racing are just some of the sports Italians have very strong interest in and good teams of sportsmen and -women. 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.
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 the “Mama”, but more and more men love to cook and break away from the typical image of the Italian "macho" and nowadays help in the household or stay at home with the kids while the women goes to work.
Christopher Columbus
Italians are famous for their inventions and discoveries. The Italian explorers Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci discovered the Americas while Marco Polo explored the East.
Leonardo da Vinci was a scientist and artist who was the first to prove the world is round and not flat and Alessandro Volta, was the prioneer who did studies in electricity, hence the name 'Volt' describing a unit of electricity.
Did you know that Italians also invented the piano and the thermometer?
More Italy Facts about Famous Italians for Kids: Explorers, Inventors and more
Italian Food
The Italian main dishes contain: pork and beef, seafood as well as potatoes, rice and pasta (wheat and egg noodles) products and of course, tomatoes.
Typical Italian food - which ingredients can you name?
Pizza is surely one of the most famous exports and in Italy it is usually baked in a wood-fired oven and very thin, but loaded with fresh vegetables or thinly sliced ham, salami, artichokes or olives.The Italian pasta is renowned worldwide and there are more than 200 different shapes.
Italians love their food and many dishes are based on fresh vegetables and seafood too. There are delicious sweet cakes in Italy, like the Panettone (a yeast cake with raisins), Panforte (a hard and flat fruit cake) and almond pastries like amaretti.
Here is some typical Italian food:
Pizza: probably the most famous Italian dish, it was invented in Napoli/Naples around 1860
Calzone: folded up pizza bread filled with tomatoes, ham, cheese and all kinds of filling
Pesto: thick green sauce with olives, herbs and olive oil, pine kernels and parmiggiano cheese. Healthy and mmmmh!
Gelato: ice-cream is an Italian invention
Lasagna: layered pasta dish with tomato, mozzarella cheese and mince meat filling.
Mozzarella: Italian cheese balls, originally made from buffalo milk
Did you know that Italians eat spaghetti only with a fork not using a spoon?
Please bookmark this page if you are interested in Italy Facts for Kids as my Italy Facts will be updated regularily.
http://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/italy-facts.html
TRAVEL BLOG:Iceland Facts - Interesting Iceland Facts for Kids
Here are some interesting Iceland Facts which were choosen and reseached by kids especially for kids.
Iceland Flag
Population: 332,000 people live on Iceland (2016)
Capital: Reykjavik, which means 'smoky bay', with 184,000 inhabitants.
Name: Island, Nickname: Land of Fire and Ice
Government: Democracy
Language: Icelandic, English (Nordic Languages and German are widely spoken)
Religion: mainly Christians (Evangelical Lutheran Church 74%)
Currency: 1 Islandic Krona (ISK)=100ore
Where is Iceland? - Iceland Map
Iceland lies in the Arctic Region of Northern Europe, 3hrs flight from London/England, 5.5 hrs from New York/USA.
On this map you can see where Iceland is in Northern Europe.
You can click on the plus sign and move with the arrows to the left and make the island bigger, then you see the major cities and if you click satellite on the top right, then you can see the volcanos clearer too.
Iceland is in size about as big as Kentucky/USA and has roughly 5,000km of coastline.
The highest peak on Iceland is the Hvannadalshnukur 2,110m/6922ft. (at Vatnajokull Glacier).
Iceland History
Iceland was founded by the Vikings. The Scandinavians were the first to settle in Iceland in 870.
Iceland Facts Viking boat from Pamela E. Mack at www.clemson.edu
Later Iceland was ruled also by the Norwegians and the Danes. Iceland became independent from the Kingdom of Denmark in 1918 and is a republic since 1944.
Iceland Geography
Iceland Active Volcano, image by robbieboy1 at sxc.hu
Active Volcano
Iceland is covered by ice, glaciers and geysers and has got more than 20 active volcanoes. Grimsvoetn and Hekla are Iceland's most active volcanoes. In 2010, the latest major eruption of on of the island's glaciers took place on the Eyjafjallajokull. The largest volcano is called Vatnajokull and covers 8% of the country.
The country lies on two tectonic plates along which the volcanoes are located: the Eurasian and North American plates. The lava which came from the volcanoes on the plate borders formed the island. The last addition of islands to Iceland was formed in 1963. This island is called Surtsey and is located 30km off the main island.
iceland waterfalls by mwolfe at sxc.hu
Icy waterfalls
There are also many waterfalls, hot springs, mud pools and geothermal vents, where the heat of the earth comes out from the earth surface. The energy of the Iceland volcanoes and vents is used by geothermal power stations and supplies the heating to around 85% of all households.
And did you know that the ice of the glaciers is 1,000m thick! Have a look at the thick icy waterfall in the picture above, which was taken by MWolfe.
Iceland Facts: Iceland Animals
Iceland has got some farmland where you will see many sheep as they are the most common farm animals in Iceland.
Sheep on Iceland by gregi at sxc.hu
Sheep on Iceland
You will also see many seabirds like puffins. Puffins are black and white birds with large orange beaks that breed in large colonies on cliffs.
Puffin at Latrabjarg by gregi at sxc.hu
Puffin bird
Whale Watching is very popular in Iceland too, you will encounter an enormous sea life in Iceland too.
And have you heard of the Iceland horses, known also as Iceland ponies, they are really big and strong. They are so robust they can stay on the fields during wintertime. Here is a cute picture of two Iceland horses by Sigridur Kristinsdottir.
Icelandic horse by siggakr at sxc.hu
Icelandic Horses
Iceland People
Most people in Iceland live in the Southwestern Iceland near the capital Reykjavik which is the northernmost capital in Europe. Here is a picture of the Iceland's capital city Reykjavik.
Rykevik by akiernan at sxc.hu
The Icelanders do not have to pay school fees as all education is free of charge.
One of the most famous persons is Björk, singer and actress, who also played the leading role in 'Dancers in the Dark'. In 2009 Iceland took second place in the European Song Contest with singer Yohanna.
Did you know, that the world's first female president, was an Icelander? Her name is Vigdis Finbogadottir and she was elected in Iceland in 1980.
Interesting Iceland Language Facts
Icelandic is a Nordic language which is similar to Norwegian which was spoken over 1000 years ago.
Most people speak English as a second language in Iceland. There are also many people speaking Danish or Norwegian.
Most Icelanders do not have a family name or surname, they take on their father’s name. So if the father is called Jakob, the daughter is given a first name for example Eva and then the father’s name with an added –sdottir and is then called Jakobsdottir (Jakob’s daughter), so we would call her: Eva Jakobsdottir. For sons they just add –sson: which would make the boy called Adam Jakobsson.
Iceland Food
The Icelandic main dishes contain: lamb, seafood and dairy products.
The bread you will get in Iceland is mostly dark rye bread or rye flat bread, which is very tasty too and you definitely should try the delicious 'Kleina' pastries.
Icelandic Bread from www.icecook.blogspot.com
Reindeer meat is also available in Iceland, but is quite expensive.
Other interesting Island facts regarding typical Icelandic food:
One specialty in Iceland which takes a bit to get used to is "Hakarl" which is rotten shark meat and it smells quite strongly.
Skyr: yogurt like white cheese a bit like low fat cream cheese or quark
Dried fish: usually haddock, cod or catfish
Porrablot: mid winter feast
Lax: salmon
Pickled herring
Typical Icelandic food
Typical Icelandic Dishes
Iceland Attractions: What is great to visit in Iceland
Among the most popular attractions in Iceland and great activities to enjoy are:
Blue Lagoon by SurangaSL/Shutterstock.com
Blue Lagoon near Reykjavik, Iceland
Take a bath at the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa
See the spectacular Gullfoss waterfall which erupt every few minutes
Hike the trails in the Skaftafell National Park
Admire the many geysers and volcanoes
Reykjavik: Visit the Hallgrimskirkja (church) and the National Museum
Spot the Northern Lights between November and March (best when the moon is small!)
Go whale watching. Take a trip from Reykjavik harbot and see the huge humpback whales - only between May to September
Interesting Iceland Facts: Did you know…?
The water of the geysers have a temperature of around 100 Celsius which is 212 Fahrenheit!
Sources for our Iceland Facts:
CIA World Fact Book
Icelandic cooking and recipes
Iheartreykjavik.net
Image credits on Iceland Facts to: clemson.edu and sxc.hu: antoniocrp, peturjos, robbieboy1, siggakr, gregi, mwolfe, akiernan, stefan madder
http://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/iceland-facts.html
Iceland Flag
Population: 332,000 people live on Iceland (2016)
Capital: Reykjavik, which means 'smoky bay', with 184,000 inhabitants.
Name: Island, Nickname: Land of Fire and Ice
Government: Democracy
Language: Icelandic, English (Nordic Languages and German are widely spoken)
Religion: mainly Christians (Evangelical Lutheran Church 74%)
Currency: 1 Islandic Krona (ISK)=100ore
Where is Iceland? - Iceland Map
Iceland lies in the Arctic Region of Northern Europe, 3hrs flight from London/England, 5.5 hrs from New York/USA.
On this map you can see where Iceland is in Northern Europe.
You can click on the plus sign and move with the arrows to the left and make the island bigger, then you see the major cities and if you click satellite on the top right, then you can see the volcanos clearer too.
Iceland is in size about as big as Kentucky/USA and has roughly 5,000km of coastline.
The highest peak on Iceland is the Hvannadalshnukur 2,110m/6922ft. (at Vatnajokull Glacier).
Iceland History
Iceland was founded by the Vikings. The Scandinavians were the first to settle in Iceland in 870.
Iceland Facts Viking boat from Pamela E. Mack at www.clemson.edu
Later Iceland was ruled also by the Norwegians and the Danes. Iceland became independent from the Kingdom of Denmark in 1918 and is a republic since 1944.
Iceland Geography
Iceland Active Volcano, image by robbieboy1 at sxc.hu
Active Volcano
Iceland is covered by ice, glaciers and geysers and has got more than 20 active volcanoes. Grimsvoetn and Hekla are Iceland's most active volcanoes. In 2010, the latest major eruption of on of the island's glaciers took place on the Eyjafjallajokull. The largest volcano is called Vatnajokull and covers 8% of the country.
The country lies on two tectonic plates along which the volcanoes are located: the Eurasian and North American plates. The lava which came from the volcanoes on the plate borders formed the island. The last addition of islands to Iceland was formed in 1963. This island is called Surtsey and is located 30km off the main island.
iceland waterfalls by mwolfe at sxc.hu
Icy waterfalls
There are also many waterfalls, hot springs, mud pools and geothermal vents, where the heat of the earth comes out from the earth surface. The energy of the Iceland volcanoes and vents is used by geothermal power stations and supplies the heating to around 85% of all households.
And did you know that the ice of the glaciers is 1,000m thick! Have a look at the thick icy waterfall in the picture above, which was taken by MWolfe.
Iceland Facts: Iceland Animals
Iceland has got some farmland where you will see many sheep as they are the most common farm animals in Iceland.
Sheep on Iceland by gregi at sxc.hu
Sheep on Iceland
You will also see many seabirds like puffins. Puffins are black and white birds with large orange beaks that breed in large colonies on cliffs.
Puffin at Latrabjarg by gregi at sxc.hu
Puffin bird
Whale Watching is very popular in Iceland too, you will encounter an enormous sea life in Iceland too.
And have you heard of the Iceland horses, known also as Iceland ponies, they are really big and strong. They are so robust they can stay on the fields during wintertime. Here is a cute picture of two Iceland horses by Sigridur Kristinsdottir.
Icelandic horse by siggakr at sxc.hu
Icelandic Horses
Iceland People
Most people in Iceland live in the Southwestern Iceland near the capital Reykjavik which is the northernmost capital in Europe. Here is a picture of the Iceland's capital city Reykjavik.
Rykevik by akiernan at sxc.hu
The Icelanders do not have to pay school fees as all education is free of charge.
One of the most famous persons is Björk, singer and actress, who also played the leading role in 'Dancers in the Dark'. In 2009 Iceland took second place in the European Song Contest with singer Yohanna.
Did you know, that the world's first female president, was an Icelander? Her name is Vigdis Finbogadottir and she was elected in Iceland in 1980.
Interesting Iceland Language Facts
Icelandic is a Nordic language which is similar to Norwegian which was spoken over 1000 years ago.
Most people speak English as a second language in Iceland. There are also many people speaking Danish or Norwegian.
Most Icelanders do not have a family name or surname, they take on their father’s name. So if the father is called Jakob, the daughter is given a first name for example Eva and then the father’s name with an added –sdottir and is then called Jakobsdottir (Jakob’s daughter), so we would call her: Eva Jakobsdottir. For sons they just add –sson: which would make the boy called Adam Jakobsson.
Iceland Food
The Icelandic main dishes contain: lamb, seafood and dairy products.
The bread you will get in Iceland is mostly dark rye bread or rye flat bread, which is very tasty too and you definitely should try the delicious 'Kleina' pastries.
Icelandic Bread from www.icecook.blogspot.com
Reindeer meat is also available in Iceland, but is quite expensive.
Other interesting Island facts regarding typical Icelandic food:
One specialty in Iceland which takes a bit to get used to is "Hakarl" which is rotten shark meat and it smells quite strongly.
Skyr: yogurt like white cheese a bit like low fat cream cheese or quark
Dried fish: usually haddock, cod or catfish
Porrablot: mid winter feast
Lax: salmon
Pickled herring
Typical Icelandic food
Typical Icelandic Dishes
Iceland Attractions: What is great to visit in Iceland
Among the most popular attractions in Iceland and great activities to enjoy are:
Blue Lagoon by SurangaSL/Shutterstock.com
Blue Lagoon near Reykjavik, Iceland
Take a bath at the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa
See the spectacular Gullfoss waterfall which erupt every few minutes
Hike the trails in the Skaftafell National Park
Admire the many geysers and volcanoes
Reykjavik: Visit the Hallgrimskirkja (church) and the National Museum
Spot the Northern Lights between November and March (best when the moon is small!)
Go whale watching. Take a trip from Reykjavik harbot and see the huge humpback whales - only between May to September
Interesting Iceland Facts: Did you know…?
The water of the geysers have a temperature of around 100 Celsius which is 212 Fahrenheit!
Sources for our Iceland Facts:
CIA World Fact Book
Icelandic cooking and recipes
Iheartreykjavik.net
Image credits on Iceland Facts to: clemson.edu and sxc.hu: antoniocrp, peturjos, robbieboy1, siggakr, gregi, mwolfe, akiernan, stefan madder
http://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/iceland-facts.html
TRAVEL BLOG:Bolivia Facts - Interesting Bolivia Facts for Kids
Here are some interesting Bolivia Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.
Bolivia for Kids; Bolivia flag
Population: roughly 11 million people live in Bolivia (2017)
Capital: Bolivia has two capitals, La Paz and Sucre. La Paz is the capital, where the seat of government is and Sucre is the capital as described in the Bolivian constitution. La Paz has a population of about 3 million people and Sucre about 400,000 inhabitants
Name: Bolivia
Government: Democracy, Republic
Bolivia Coat of Arms
Coat of Arms
Official Languages: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, Guarani. There are also 33 indigenous languages spoken in Bolivia!
Literacy: 95% of all over 15 years can read and write
Religion: mainly Christians (Roman Catholics 77%)
Currency: 1 Bolivian boliviano = 100 centavos/cents
History: Before the Spanish started colonising the region, the area around today's Bolivia belonged to the Inca Empire. The conquistadores from Spain took control of the region in the 16th century. Bolivia gained independence (from Spain) in 1825.
Independence Day: 6 August
Flag: blue and white, with a yellow sun on the white band
National Symbols: Llama, Andean Condor
National Colours: Red, yellow, green
Where is Bolivia? - Bolivia Map
Bolivia is on the South American continent and located to the west of Brazil. Bolivia shares borders with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile and Peru. A flight to La Paz takes about 17 hours from London, and about 12.5 hours from New York.
Bolivia Facts: Geography
Bolivia is a landlocked country. This means it does not share any border with an ocean. Bolivia, however, claims part of Lake Titicaca, which is the world's highest navigable lake at 3,805m/12,483ft. There are regular border disputes over access to lake Titicaca with Peru, which also claims territory.
The country has many different landscapes. There are the highlands with rough and icy mountainous areas even volcanoes and then there are dense rainforests in the Amazon basin. Thus also the climate is very diverse. Western Bolivia is generally cold as it is in the Andes highlands.
Yungas Valley in eastern Bolivia
The eastern side of Bolivia is warmer, and it can get very hot in the plains and humid in the rainforest region of the Amazon basin.
The biggest cities in Bolivia are Santa Cruz, La Paz and Cochabamba. Did you know that La Paz is the highest city in the world at 3,650m/11,975ft.
La Paz - the capital city of Bolivia
The highest point in Bolivia is the Nevado Sajama with 6,542m/21,463ft. There are several active volcanos in the Andes Mountains on the border with Chile. The last volcanic eruption was in 1995 at the Irruputuncu.
Bolivia Attractions for Kids
La Paz: The capital city has a scenic location in the Andes mountains and offers many attractions such as the Old Town and Murillo Square or take the cable car which connects La Paz with El Alto or visit the famous Witches' Market.
Place Murillo in La Paz
Sucre: beautiful historic city and 'the other' national capital. Here the independence from Spain was proclaimed.
Salar de Uyuni: The world's highest flat salt pan is located at 3,656m/11,995ft.
Santa Cruz: The most important business centre in the country has many cultural attractions such as churches, museums and art galleries.
Lake Titicaca: Visit the 'Isla del Sol' ('Sun Island' in English) which is the biggest island in the lake for exploring ruins, amazing views and great hikes.
Amboro National Park: This national park in central Bolivia is famous for its wildlife.
Bolivia Amboro National Park
Bolivia Facts: Animals in Bolivia
The national animals are the Andean condor and the llama.
Below see a llama on the Altiplano, the Bolivian highlands. Llamas grow up to 1.8m/5.8ft. tall. They weigh up to 200kg/440lbs and grow around 20 years old. The llamas live in herds and have wonderfully soft wool.
Llama in the Bolivian Highlands
Sometimes people mistake alpacas for llamas. This is how you can distinguish between llama and alpaca:
Llamas are much bigger and heavier than alpacas, they have long curved (often referred to as banana-shaped) ears and have a straight back. They have a very coarse outer coat but the wool is not as fine and silky as the alpaca's wool. Alpacas have more hair in the face and on the top of the head. Llamas are often kept as guard animals and for packing and carrying loads. Below see an alpaca with baby.
Alpaca with baby - see the tuffs of hair on their heads and the short ears, typical for alpacas!
In Bolivia, there are jaguars, pumas, capybaras, chinchillas and the Andean flamingoes. Did you know that the Andean flamingoes are the rarest flamingo species in the world?
Andean Flamingo in Bolivia
Some Bolivia Facts about Bolivian People
Bolivian watching over a herd of alpacas
Half of all Bolivians are very poor. Most of the Bolivians are 'mestizo' which means they are of mixed race with indigenous white ancestors. One in five Bolivians belong to the indigenous people, mostly to the Quechua and Aymara people.
Bolivia is the country in Latin America which has the highest inequality of its people. There are some very rich people while the majority of the country is extremely poor. The educational standards are said to be very low especially in rural areas.
Bolivian woman with baby
Some Bolivians have moved out to Argentina and Brazil, even as far away as the USA and Spain. This has happened in recent years as people flee poverty to have better chances in life.
Many people work either in the cities, in the mines or in the agricultural sector. Bolivia produces many agricultural products, such as soybeans, quinoa, Brazil nuts, sugarcane, coffee and corn.
There is compulsory military service for all Bolivian citizens. Boys and girls have to join the military for a one-year-training when they turn 18 years of age. But some boys join the army already when only 14 years old.
The sports that are the most popular in Bolivia are soccer (called fútbol), tennis, swimming, horse riding and cycling. Soccer is the most popular sports activity.
Bolivia Facts: Bolivian Food
Typical Bolivian food consists of a variety of fruits and vegetables. However, meat such as beef, pork and chicken is also part of the traditional dishes.
These are some typical Bolivian snacks and dishes:
Choclo: corn on the cob
Sopa de Mani: soup made with creamed peanuts, vegetables and pasta
Fried Yuca: typical side dish similar to potato chips, but made with fried cassava (yucca or yuca) sticks.
Saltenas: traditional Bolivian savoury pastries usually filled with meaty stew but often also containing eggs, olives or even raisins.
Bolivian saltenas are a popular snack
Asado: food prepared on a grill or over open fire as part of a barbecue (BBQ) as is popular in Argentina
Fried Fish: Especially fried trout and kingfish is popular in the region around Lake Titicaca.
Fried trout dish in Bolivia
Recommended Reading
Sources for our Bolivia Facts page:
Great information on Bolivia on Boliviabella. Accessed on 18 September 2017
Bolivian Culture: Accessed on 18 September 2017
The Children’s Visual World Atlas (2004). Sydney: Fog City Press
Earth Condensed (2010). The World Atlas. Elanora Heights: Millennium House
Image Credits on Bolivia Facts page: Shutterstock.com and own images.
http://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/bolivia-facts.html
Bolivia for Kids; Bolivia flag
Population: roughly 11 million people live in Bolivia (2017)
Capital: Bolivia has two capitals, La Paz and Sucre. La Paz is the capital, where the seat of government is and Sucre is the capital as described in the Bolivian constitution. La Paz has a population of about 3 million people and Sucre about 400,000 inhabitants
Name: Bolivia
Government: Democracy, Republic
Bolivia Coat of Arms
Coat of Arms
Official Languages: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, Guarani. There are also 33 indigenous languages spoken in Bolivia!
Literacy: 95% of all over 15 years can read and write
Religion: mainly Christians (Roman Catholics 77%)
Currency: 1 Bolivian boliviano = 100 centavos/cents
History: Before the Spanish started colonising the region, the area around today's Bolivia belonged to the Inca Empire. The conquistadores from Spain took control of the region in the 16th century. Bolivia gained independence (from Spain) in 1825.
Independence Day: 6 August
Flag: blue and white, with a yellow sun on the white band
National Symbols: Llama, Andean Condor
National Colours: Red, yellow, green
Where is Bolivia? - Bolivia Map
Bolivia is on the South American continent and located to the west of Brazil. Bolivia shares borders with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile and Peru. A flight to La Paz takes about 17 hours from London, and about 12.5 hours from New York.
Bolivia Facts: Geography
Bolivia is a landlocked country. This means it does not share any border with an ocean. Bolivia, however, claims part of Lake Titicaca, which is the world's highest navigable lake at 3,805m/12,483ft. There are regular border disputes over access to lake Titicaca with Peru, which also claims territory.
The country has many different landscapes. There are the highlands with rough and icy mountainous areas even volcanoes and then there are dense rainforests in the Amazon basin. Thus also the climate is very diverse. Western Bolivia is generally cold as it is in the Andes highlands.
Yungas Valley in eastern Bolivia
The eastern side of Bolivia is warmer, and it can get very hot in the plains and humid in the rainforest region of the Amazon basin.
The biggest cities in Bolivia are Santa Cruz, La Paz and Cochabamba. Did you know that La Paz is the highest city in the world at 3,650m/11,975ft.
La Paz - the capital city of Bolivia
The highest point in Bolivia is the Nevado Sajama with 6,542m/21,463ft. There are several active volcanos in the Andes Mountains on the border with Chile. The last volcanic eruption was in 1995 at the Irruputuncu.
Bolivia Attractions for Kids
La Paz: The capital city has a scenic location in the Andes mountains and offers many attractions such as the Old Town and Murillo Square or take the cable car which connects La Paz with El Alto or visit the famous Witches' Market.
Place Murillo in La Paz
Sucre: beautiful historic city and 'the other' national capital. Here the independence from Spain was proclaimed.
Salar de Uyuni: The world's highest flat salt pan is located at 3,656m/11,995ft.
Santa Cruz: The most important business centre in the country has many cultural attractions such as churches, museums and art galleries.
Lake Titicaca: Visit the 'Isla del Sol' ('Sun Island' in English) which is the biggest island in the lake for exploring ruins, amazing views and great hikes.
Amboro National Park: This national park in central Bolivia is famous for its wildlife.
Bolivia Amboro National Park
Bolivia Facts: Animals in Bolivia
The national animals are the Andean condor and the llama.
Below see a llama on the Altiplano, the Bolivian highlands. Llamas grow up to 1.8m/5.8ft. tall. They weigh up to 200kg/440lbs and grow around 20 years old. The llamas live in herds and have wonderfully soft wool.
Llama in the Bolivian Highlands
Sometimes people mistake alpacas for llamas. This is how you can distinguish between llama and alpaca:
Llamas are much bigger and heavier than alpacas, they have long curved (often referred to as banana-shaped) ears and have a straight back. They have a very coarse outer coat but the wool is not as fine and silky as the alpaca's wool. Alpacas have more hair in the face and on the top of the head. Llamas are often kept as guard animals and for packing and carrying loads. Below see an alpaca with baby.
Alpaca with baby - see the tuffs of hair on their heads and the short ears, typical for alpacas!
In Bolivia, there are jaguars, pumas, capybaras, chinchillas and the Andean flamingoes. Did you know that the Andean flamingoes are the rarest flamingo species in the world?
Andean Flamingo in Bolivia
Some Bolivia Facts about Bolivian People
Bolivian watching over a herd of alpacas
Half of all Bolivians are very poor. Most of the Bolivians are 'mestizo' which means they are of mixed race with indigenous white ancestors. One in five Bolivians belong to the indigenous people, mostly to the Quechua and Aymara people.
Bolivia is the country in Latin America which has the highest inequality of its people. There are some very rich people while the majority of the country is extremely poor. The educational standards are said to be very low especially in rural areas.
Bolivian woman with baby
Some Bolivians have moved out to Argentina and Brazil, even as far away as the USA and Spain. This has happened in recent years as people flee poverty to have better chances in life.
Many people work either in the cities, in the mines or in the agricultural sector. Bolivia produces many agricultural products, such as soybeans, quinoa, Brazil nuts, sugarcane, coffee and corn.
There is compulsory military service for all Bolivian citizens. Boys and girls have to join the military for a one-year-training when they turn 18 years of age. But some boys join the army already when only 14 years old.
The sports that are the most popular in Bolivia are soccer (called fútbol), tennis, swimming, horse riding and cycling. Soccer is the most popular sports activity.
Bolivia Facts: Bolivian Food
Typical Bolivian food consists of a variety of fruits and vegetables. However, meat such as beef, pork and chicken is also part of the traditional dishes.
These are some typical Bolivian snacks and dishes:
Choclo: corn on the cob
Sopa de Mani: soup made with creamed peanuts, vegetables and pasta
Fried Yuca: typical side dish similar to potato chips, but made with fried cassava (yucca or yuca) sticks.
Saltenas: traditional Bolivian savoury pastries usually filled with meaty stew but often also containing eggs, olives or even raisins.
Bolivian saltenas are a popular snack
Asado: food prepared on a grill or over open fire as part of a barbecue (BBQ) as is popular in Argentina
Fried Fish: Especially fried trout and kingfish is popular in the region around Lake Titicaca.
Fried trout dish in Bolivia
Recommended Reading
Sources for our Bolivia Facts page:
Great information on Bolivia on Boliviabella. Accessed on 18 September 2017
Bolivian Culture: Accessed on 18 September 2017
The Children’s Visual World Atlas (2004). Sydney: Fog City Press
Earth Condensed (2010). The World Atlas. Elanora Heights: Millennium House
Image Credits on Bolivia Facts page: Shutterstock.com and own images.
http://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/bolivia-facts.html
TRAVEL BLOG:Germany Facts - Interesting Facts for Kids
Here are some interesting Germany Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.
Population: 82.5 million people live in Germany (2014). 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), Nickname: 'Land der Dichter und Denker'
Government: Democracy, Republic
Language: German
Literacy: More than 99% can read and write.
Religion: mainly Christians (Protestants 34%, Roman Catholics 34%)
Currency: 1 Euro=100 cents, before 2001 German Mark/Deutsche Mark (DM)
Flag colors: black, red and gold
Where is Germany? - Germany Map
Germany lies in the center of Europe and shares borders with 9 countries: Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France , Luxemburg, Belgium and the Netherlands (clockwise from the top/north).
Germany is the second most populous country in Central Europe after Russia and many immigrants from the European countries 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 (roughly 10,000 feet). 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 Bavarian countryside from there.
Zugspitze - highest Mountain in Germany
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 Wall
Berlin: learn about German history and re-unification
Cologne and the Rhine Valley: Cathedrals, Lorelei and Carnival
Black Forest: great for nature lovers
Rothenburg ob der Tauber: medial town with huge Christmas shop which is open all-year round
Northern Germany: See Germany's biggest island 'Ruegen' and stunning Hanse towns
Munich: for studying the arts, experiencing the famous Oktoberfest and the typical Bavarian "Gemütlichkeit"
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.
Read more about the 10 Best castles in Germany here.
Some Germany Facts about German People
Famous Goethe Painting by Tischbein
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 narrators and authors, such as the Grimm brothers (remember the tale of Hansel and Gretel) or Thomas Mann. Because of these splendid writers and scientists and inventors like 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! Many 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 Maria Hoefl-Riesch (skiing) are supported by most Germans proudly.
Die nation's soccer league, called Bundesliga, is followed closely by soccer fans and Bayern Munich or Dortmund are firm favourites of many Germans. The most popular sports in Germany are soccer, tennis, swimming and skiing (although the latter mainly in the southern and eastern parts of the country, where there are high enough mountains with skiing facilities).
German Food
Germany Brezeln
Most of the German main dishes contain either meats, such as 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 bakeries 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 (roast pork knuckles) is very popular in Southern Germany while Rinderbraten (beef roast) is more popular in Northern Germany.
German Food: Roast pork with dumplings and red cabbage
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 with fish!
Rotkraut: red cabbage, see in image above
Knoedel, either as Semmelknoedel: bread dumplings, eaten either with mushrooms in a creamy sauce or with meat dishes or Kartoffelknoedel: 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 in the morning, before noon.
Stollen and Lebkuchen: Delicious cakes and ginger biscuits are eaten at Christmas time in Germany.
Wine and Beer: Did you know that Germans do produce lovely wine as well as beer? The Rhine-and Mosel-valleys are well known for their wines where as especially Bavaria is known for its many micro breweries.
Please bookmark this page if you are interested in Germany Facts for Kids as my Germany Facts will be updated regularly.
http://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/germany-facts.html
Population: 82.5 million people live in Germany (2014). 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), Nickname: 'Land der Dichter und Denker'
Government: Democracy, Republic
Language: German
Literacy: More than 99% can read and write.
Religion: mainly Christians (Protestants 34%, Roman Catholics 34%)
Currency: 1 Euro=100 cents, before 2001 German Mark/Deutsche Mark (DM)
Flag colors: black, red and gold
Where is Germany? - Germany Map
Germany lies in the center of Europe and shares borders with 9 countries: Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France , Luxemburg, Belgium and the Netherlands (clockwise from the top/north).
Germany is the second most populous country in Central Europe after Russia and many immigrants from the European countries 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 (roughly 10,000 feet). 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 Bavarian countryside from there.
Zugspitze - highest Mountain in Germany
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 Wall
Berlin: learn about German history and re-unification
Cologne and the Rhine Valley: Cathedrals, Lorelei and Carnival
Black Forest: great for nature lovers
Rothenburg ob der Tauber: medial town with huge Christmas shop which is open all-year round
Northern Germany: See Germany's biggest island 'Ruegen' and stunning Hanse towns
Munich: for studying the arts, experiencing the famous Oktoberfest and the typical Bavarian "Gemütlichkeit"
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.
Read more about the 10 Best castles in Germany here.
Some Germany Facts about German People
Famous Goethe Painting by Tischbein
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 narrators and authors, such as the Grimm brothers (remember the tale of Hansel and Gretel) or Thomas Mann. Because of these splendid writers and scientists and inventors like 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! Many 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 Maria Hoefl-Riesch (skiing) are supported by most Germans proudly.
Die nation's soccer league, called Bundesliga, is followed closely by soccer fans and Bayern Munich or Dortmund are firm favourites of many Germans. The most popular sports in Germany are soccer, tennis, swimming and skiing (although the latter mainly in the southern and eastern parts of the country, where there are high enough mountains with skiing facilities).
German Food
Germany Brezeln
Most of the German main dishes contain either meats, such as 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 bakeries 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 (roast pork knuckles) is very popular in Southern Germany while Rinderbraten (beef roast) is more popular in Northern Germany.
German Food: Roast pork with dumplings and red cabbage
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 with fish!
Rotkraut: red cabbage, see in image above
Knoedel, either as Semmelknoedel: bread dumplings, eaten either with mushrooms in a creamy sauce or with meat dishes or Kartoffelknoedel: 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 in the morning, before noon.
Stollen and Lebkuchen: Delicious cakes and ginger biscuits are eaten at Christmas time in Germany.
Wine and Beer: Did you know that Germans do produce lovely wine as well as beer? The Rhine-and Mosel-valleys are well known for their wines where as especially Bavaria is known for its many micro breweries.
Please bookmark this page if you are interested in Germany Facts for Kids as my Germany Facts will be updated regularly.
http://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/germany-facts.html
TRAVEL BLOG:France Facts - Interesting Facts for Kids
Here are some interesting France Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.
Population: more than 67 million people live in the country (2017)
Capital: Paris, with 2,2 million inhabitants
Name: Republique Francaise (French Republic)
Motto: 'Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite' (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity)
Government: Democracy
Language: French
Religion: mainly Christians (Roman Catholics 64%)
Currency: 1 Euro=100cents, until 2002 French Franc
History: In 700-500BC the Celtic Gauls arrive in France. In 58-50BC Roman Emperor Julius Caesar defeats the Gauls and France becomes part of the Roman Empire until 476AD. French was ruled by kings for many centuries until the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution in 1789. Then Napoleon becomes Emperor of the French Republic until he is sent to exile.
Flag: blue, white and red. The French refer to the flag as 'Tricolore' (french for 'three colours')
Anthem: the French anthem is also called 'La Marseillaise' Listen to the text of the French national anthem here (link to YouTube)
France Map and Geography
- France is situated in Western Europe, 1 hr flight from London/England, 5.5 hrs from New York/USA. On the France outline you will see the little island of Corsica, which belongs to France, also in the French flag colors.
- The western-european country shares borders with Belgium to the North East, Germany and Luxemburg in the East as well as with Switzerland, Italy to the South East. The Pyrenees, a mountain range to the South of France, form a natural border between Spain and France. The highest mountain in France is the Mont Blanc, that is 4,810m high and stands at the border between France and Italy.
Mainland France is divided into 27 regions and these into 101 departments. The Mediterranean island of Corsica belongs to France too as you can see in the outline above. Of the 101 departments there are also 5 ROM ('regions d’outre mer' or overseas regions) also belonging to France: French Guyana in South America, Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean, La Reunion and Mayotte in Africa in the Indian Ocean.
France Facts:
Tourist Attractions in France
Louvre Paris by Sarita at SXC.hu
Louvre
Paris: Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Louvre (which you can see in the image to the right), Montmartre, Arc de Triomphe, river Seine and many other great attractions
Versailles : castle of French kings
Lasceaux Caves for 17,000year old rock paintings
Mont St Michel
Cote d’Azur for turquoise blue sea and great beaches
Corsica: in the Mediterranean sea
French Alps: great skiing and snowboarding
Mont St. Michel: Island with high tide
La Provence for lavender fields and old historic towns like Avignon
There are so many exciting places and landmarks, gorgeous beaches, historic cities and villages, ancient ruins and majestic castles to visit. Start with these France Attractions everybody should know about:
Click here for more attractions and landmarks in France
Interesting French Language Facts
French is the official language in France and it is also the second major language in Europe.
French is one of the Romance languages. These languages, including also Italian and Spanish, have their origins in the Latin language. Today, French is the second most studied language after English and spoken by more than 300million people around the world as first or second language.
Try these five useful expressions in French:
bonjour - good day
salut - hello
merci - thank you
je m'appelle... - my name is....
bon appétit! - enjoy your meal!
And here is the French Alphabet. Enjoy!
French alphabet with animals
France Facts:
Famous French People
Eiffel Tower by Gustave Eiffel
Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923), a French engineer who designed the famous Eiffel tower in Paris, which is named after him. He also worked together with Auguste Bartholdi, designer of the Statue of Liberty in New York.
France is famous for the 'beaux-arts' with many masters of the arts such as the many great painters, artisans and sculptors.
Famous French painters are:
Sculpture by Auguste Rodin
Claude Monet
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Edgar Degas
Paul Cezanne
and Auguste Rodin is certainly one of the most famous French sculptors.
French composers which are very famous are: Maurice Ravel (Bolero) and Georges Bizet (Carmen). Children all around the world love French literature, like the famous “The Three Musketeers” by Alexandre Dumas and “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
French political leader Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was born on Corsica. He reformed the French laws. He declared himself Emperor of the French in 1804. Napoleon’s army was defeated by the British in the Battle of Waterloo (now in Belgium) in 1815. He was exiled to the island St. Helena in the Mediterranean Sea where he died in 1821.
The current president of France is Emmanuel Macron who became the youngest president in the history of France, with 39 years of age.
France Facts: French Food
The French main dishes contain: fresh vegetables, meat and cheeses. French cuisine is well known for its freshness and high quality dishes. The French people enjoy their main meal in the evening and this meal often consists of three courses starting with a 'hors d’oeuvre', a starter dish which often is soup or a salad and bread, then the main course and afterwards some cheese or fruit.
Baguette - French Bread
The bread you will get in France in a typical French "boulangerie" (bakery) is mostly white wheat bread or bread sticks, called "baguette".
Make sure to read our separate article on 'Food in France', but let's quickly tell you some typical French food:
Baguette: long bread stick
Croque Monsieur/Croque Madame: ham and cheese grilled sandwich while Croque Madame is the more heavy version with ham, cheese and a fried egg on top
Escargots: snails
Foie Gras: goose liver pate
Ratatouille: vegetable stew
Pain au chocolat: similar to a croissant filled with chocolate
Crepes: very thin pancakes with filling
Click here to read more about 10 Typical French Dishes:
Food in France
Try to visit a patisserie for the wonderful sweet like cakes like the petit fours or pain au chocolat. Not to forget to eat some pancakes in the many creperies. In Paris, you will find the oldest café or coffee shop in the world which was opened in 1694. It is called 'Le Procope'.
Here is a good picture of a typical boulangerie (bakery) in Paris. You can see the white church of Sacre Coeur in Montmartre in the background.
Boulangerie - French Baker
A French Bakery
Did you know…?
Tour de France, which is the world’s most famous cycle race, was started already in 1903. The winning bike rider gets to wear a yellow shirt to show that he is the leader of the race.
Read more interesting facts on France and Europe here.
Picture Credits on France Facts: All Pictures, own and if not otherwise mentioned from sxc.hu and shutterstock.com
We hope you enjoyed reading our France Facts. Please bookmark this page and spread the word. We will add more information in the near future.
http://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/france-facts.html
Population: more than 67 million people live in the country (2017)
Capital: Paris, with 2,2 million inhabitants
Name: Republique Francaise (French Republic)
Motto: 'Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite' (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity)
Government: Democracy
Language: French
Religion: mainly Christians (Roman Catholics 64%)
Currency: 1 Euro=100cents, until 2002 French Franc
History: In 700-500BC the Celtic Gauls arrive in France. In 58-50BC Roman Emperor Julius Caesar defeats the Gauls and France becomes part of the Roman Empire until 476AD. French was ruled by kings for many centuries until the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution in 1789. Then Napoleon becomes Emperor of the French Republic until he is sent to exile.
Flag: blue, white and red. The French refer to the flag as 'Tricolore' (french for 'three colours')
Anthem: the French anthem is also called 'La Marseillaise' Listen to the text of the French national anthem here (link to YouTube)
France Map and Geography
- France is situated in Western Europe, 1 hr flight from London/England, 5.5 hrs from New York/USA. On the France outline you will see the little island of Corsica, which belongs to France, also in the French flag colors.
- The western-european country shares borders with Belgium to the North East, Germany and Luxemburg in the East as well as with Switzerland, Italy to the South East. The Pyrenees, a mountain range to the South of France, form a natural border between Spain and France. The highest mountain in France is the Mont Blanc, that is 4,810m high and stands at the border between France and Italy.
Mainland France is divided into 27 regions and these into 101 departments. The Mediterranean island of Corsica belongs to France too as you can see in the outline above. Of the 101 departments there are also 5 ROM ('regions d’outre mer' or overseas regions) also belonging to France: French Guyana in South America, Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean, La Reunion and Mayotte in Africa in the Indian Ocean.
France Facts:
Tourist Attractions in France
Louvre Paris by Sarita at SXC.hu
Louvre
Paris: Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Louvre (which you can see in the image to the right), Montmartre, Arc de Triomphe, river Seine and many other great attractions
Versailles : castle of French kings
Lasceaux Caves for 17,000year old rock paintings
Mont St Michel
Cote d’Azur for turquoise blue sea and great beaches
Corsica: in the Mediterranean sea
French Alps: great skiing and snowboarding
Mont St. Michel: Island with high tide
La Provence for lavender fields and old historic towns like Avignon
There are so many exciting places and landmarks, gorgeous beaches, historic cities and villages, ancient ruins and majestic castles to visit. Start with these France Attractions everybody should know about:
Click here for more attractions and landmarks in France
Interesting French Language Facts
French is the official language in France and it is also the second major language in Europe.
French is one of the Romance languages. These languages, including also Italian and Spanish, have their origins in the Latin language. Today, French is the second most studied language after English and spoken by more than 300million people around the world as first or second language.
Try these five useful expressions in French:
bonjour - good day
salut - hello
merci - thank you
je m'appelle... - my name is....
bon appétit! - enjoy your meal!
And here is the French Alphabet. Enjoy!
French alphabet with animals
France Facts:
Famous French People
Eiffel Tower by Gustave Eiffel
Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923), a French engineer who designed the famous Eiffel tower in Paris, which is named after him. He also worked together with Auguste Bartholdi, designer of the Statue of Liberty in New York.
France is famous for the 'beaux-arts' with many masters of the arts such as the many great painters, artisans and sculptors.
Famous French painters are:
Sculpture by Auguste Rodin
Claude Monet
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Edgar Degas
Paul Cezanne
and Auguste Rodin is certainly one of the most famous French sculptors.
French composers which are very famous are: Maurice Ravel (Bolero) and Georges Bizet (Carmen). Children all around the world love French literature, like the famous “The Three Musketeers” by Alexandre Dumas and “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
French political leader Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was born on Corsica. He reformed the French laws. He declared himself Emperor of the French in 1804. Napoleon’s army was defeated by the British in the Battle of Waterloo (now in Belgium) in 1815. He was exiled to the island St. Helena in the Mediterranean Sea where he died in 1821.
The current president of France is Emmanuel Macron who became the youngest president in the history of France, with 39 years of age.
France Facts: French Food
The French main dishes contain: fresh vegetables, meat and cheeses. French cuisine is well known for its freshness and high quality dishes. The French people enjoy their main meal in the evening and this meal often consists of three courses starting with a 'hors d’oeuvre', a starter dish which often is soup or a salad and bread, then the main course and afterwards some cheese or fruit.
Baguette - French Bread
The bread you will get in France in a typical French "boulangerie" (bakery) is mostly white wheat bread or bread sticks, called "baguette".
Make sure to read our separate article on 'Food in France', but let's quickly tell you some typical French food:
Baguette: long bread stick
Croque Monsieur/Croque Madame: ham and cheese grilled sandwich while Croque Madame is the more heavy version with ham, cheese and a fried egg on top
Escargots: snails
Foie Gras: goose liver pate
Ratatouille: vegetable stew
Pain au chocolat: similar to a croissant filled with chocolate
Crepes: very thin pancakes with filling
Click here to read more about 10 Typical French Dishes:
Food in France
Try to visit a patisserie for the wonderful sweet like cakes like the petit fours or pain au chocolat. Not to forget to eat some pancakes in the many creperies. In Paris, you will find the oldest café or coffee shop in the world which was opened in 1694. It is called 'Le Procope'.
Here is a good picture of a typical boulangerie (bakery) in Paris. You can see the white church of Sacre Coeur in Montmartre in the background.
Boulangerie - French Baker
A French Bakery
Did you know…?
Tour de France, which is the world’s most famous cycle race, was started already in 1903. The winning bike rider gets to wear a yellow shirt to show that he is the leader of the race.
Read more interesting facts on France and Europe here.
Picture Credits on France Facts: All Pictures, own and if not otherwise mentioned from sxc.hu and shutterstock.com
We hope you enjoyed reading our France Facts. Please bookmark this page and spread the word. We will add more information in the near future.
http://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/france-facts.html
TRAVEL BLOG:China Facts - Interesting Facts for Kids
Here are some interesting China Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.
Population: 1.4 billion people live in China (2016). The majority of the people live in cities and towns.
Capital: Beijing with 21 million inhabitants is not only China's capital city but also the second biggest city after Shanghai.
Name: People's Republic of China (PRC)
Government: Republic, communist state
Languages: Mandarin or Standard Chinese (official language), while Cantonese (Yue) and Shanghainese (Wu) are among other most spoken languages
Literacy: More than 95% can read and write.
Religion: No main religion, as religious memberships are not supported by the government. Main religions are Buddhist (18%), Christian 5%, Muslim 1.8%, Taoist, Hindu and Folk Religions (22%)
Currency: 1 Renmimbi (Yuan) equals 100 Jiao
China Flag
China Flag
Flag colors: red with five golden stars
History: For many centuries, China has been one of the most advanced civilisations accomplishing major scientific and artistic treasures. The Xia and Shang dynasties are considered as the oldest Chinese civilisations. Over the centuries many emporors ruled the country, the last emperor of China, the last ruler of the Qing dynasty, was Pu Yi who abdicted in 1912. In the 20th century the world was shaken by bloody wars and from 1937-1945 Japan occupied large industrial areas in China and took over the Chinese government. Since 1949 the Communist Party of China rules the country. The current president of the People's Republic of China is Xi Jinping.
Where is China? - China Map
China is located in the eastern parts of Asia and is the largest country that is entirely situated in Asia. China has the longest international land border and borders with 14 countries. The countries bordering China are: Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Burma (or Myanmar, which is the official name), Laos, Vietnam and North Korea (you will find them on the map below).
Map of China
China for Kids: China Geography
China is the most populous country in the world as it is home to almost one fifth of the world population. Did you know, that China is slightly smaller in size than the USA? Although China is so large, there is only one timezone!
The Pacific Ocean forms the natural border in the east and southeast and southwest of the country. In the west, there are the Himalayas Mountains, which is the highest mountain range in the world. Most of the western parts of the country lie on the Tibetan mountainous plateau and in fact, mountains make up the majority of the landscape, dominating over 70% of the landmass. In the north, there is the vast Gobi Desert. Deserts are making up about 20% of the country. The huge country has many different climate zones ranging from tropic zones to arctic zones.
The highest mountain on the border with China is the Mount Everest, the world's highest mountains, with 8,850 metres (29,000ft). The longest river in China is the Yangtze River with over 6,300km (3,914miles) in length.
China Facts:
Attractions for Kids
China's Great Wall
Great Wall of China: Walk along parts of the over 8,850km/5,500 miles long Great Wall which once was the border of the old Chinese empire. The wall stretches across China from the Korean border into the Gobi desert. This is the longest wall in the world and newer archeological findings report that the entire defence works including the Great Wall and all its branches stretches over 21,000km/13,000 miles! Did you know, that the name in ancient Chinese actually meant 'The 10,000-Mile Long Wall' or 'Incredibly Long Wall'?
Terracotta Warriors: See the over 5000 sculptures of life-size soldiers, made from terracotta, in Xian. The sculptures which are on one of the world's most famous archeological sites, are older than 2,000 years.
Forbidden City in Beijing: The Forbidden City houses the Palace museum with the Chinese Imperial Palace and the Summer Palace, that were still used until 1911.
Potala Palace in Lhasa/Tibet: This is where every Dalai Lama has held his official residence until the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950. Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve near Chengdu: See the pandas in their natural habitat and visit the breeding and research centre to learn more about the endangered pandas.
Guilin Yangshuo River
Guilin: The rough limestone karst mountains along the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo are very picturesque. People enjoy rafting on river.
'The Bund' in Shanghai: Shanghai is the largest and most populated Chinese city with the busiest port in the world. The Bund is the megacity's main shopping and business district.
Hongkong: Visit Victoria harbour. Enjoy the amazing views of the skyscrapers along the shoreline or get to the top of Victoria Peak and have a bird's eye view of the city and the harbour.
Do you want to know which are the ten largest cities in China? Read on here.
Some China Facts about Chinese People
Almost one in five people on our earth live in China, while the country is smaller than the USA.
Many Chinese live in the megacities (cities with more than 5 million inhabitants) of the country, in rural areas the living standard is still very poor and many people live there live in huts or along the rivers in stilt houses.
Chinese Opera Singer
The Chinese love music and opera plays, although the voices of the Chinese opera singers may sound strange to our ears.
Chinese New Year, also called the Lunar New Year, is the biggest celebration on the Chinese calendar. The Chinese calendar start at the end of January/early February each year and every year another animal sign symbolises the strength and the weaknesses. There are 12 zodiac/animal signs and thus every 12 years the animals signs start over again. 2016 is the year of the monkey and 2017 will be the year of the rooster. Which zodiac sign are you? Find out here.
Children look very much forward to the Chinese New Year celebrations which are two weeks long celebrations over the new year when they get gifts, often money wrapped in red envelopes or red packets, from family and friends. Popular 'Lion Dances' also take place during this time. The dragon is the most celebrated symbol of prosperity and strength.
Chinese Lion Dance - image by Windmoon
Chinese Language
Although Mandarin Chinese is the official language, in many regions other languages are spoken such as Shanghainese, Hainanese or Mongolian.
Ni Hao - Hello in Chinese Writing
The Chinese writing is done from top to bottom in little symbols or signs, called 'characters' of which an adult usually knows about 8,000 different characters. With 13 years most Chinese children can read and write 3,000 characters.
Some Chinese words good to know:
Ni hao! means Hello!
Xie Xie means Thank You
Gong Xi Fa Cai! means Happy Chinese New Year!
China Facts: Chinese Food
The traditional diet in China contains low amounts of protein such as meats or dairy products. Many Chinese dishes are vegetable and soya based. Chinese often eat/drink soup for breakfast and rice based dishes are eaten throughout the day.
Soy, vegetable and rice products are the most common ingrediences in Chinese dishes. Chinese mainly eat with chopsticks and drink their soups instead of eating them with a spoon as we do. Here is some typical Chinese food:
Springrolls
Springrolls: The fried rice paper rolls are surely the most famous food export
Chow Mein: stir-fried egg noodles with chicken strips
Tofu: soy bean curd used in many dishes
Sweet and sour pork: fried cubed pork and fried vegetables in a sweet and sour sauce often made with capsicum peppers and pineapple
Peking Duck: duck roast with crispy thin skin, often served with plum sauce
Dim Sum: Steamed dumplings filled with minced meat or vegetables
Chinese Dim Sum
China Facts: China Animals
Young Giant Panda
There are many endangered animal species living in China. Among them are the Giant Panda, the South Chinese Tiger and the Chinese Alligator.
Resources
China Family Adventure: Great resources to learn more about China can be found on this site. The informative and well laid out website is written and maintained by a Chinese expat and her children and gives comprehensive information and important China facts.
China Highlights: Another good site for China facts and information the main attractions of China is this one. Click here.
View some great images of the Great Wall on the page of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre here.
Also find good info on TravelChinaGuide on the Great Wall here.
Please bookmark our page if you are interested in China Facts for Kids as our China for Kids page will be updated regularly. Feel free to contact us if you or your school would like to join in our schools project. Looking forward to hearing from you!
http://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/china-facts.html
Population: 1.4 billion people live in China (2016). The majority of the people live in cities and towns.
Capital: Beijing with 21 million inhabitants is not only China's capital city but also the second biggest city after Shanghai.
Name: People's Republic of China (PRC)
Government: Republic, communist state
Languages: Mandarin or Standard Chinese (official language), while Cantonese (Yue) and Shanghainese (Wu) are among other most spoken languages
Literacy: More than 95% can read and write.
Religion: No main religion, as religious memberships are not supported by the government. Main religions are Buddhist (18%), Christian 5%, Muslim 1.8%, Taoist, Hindu and Folk Religions (22%)
Currency: 1 Renmimbi (Yuan) equals 100 Jiao
China Flag
China Flag
Flag colors: red with five golden stars
History: For many centuries, China has been one of the most advanced civilisations accomplishing major scientific and artistic treasures. The Xia and Shang dynasties are considered as the oldest Chinese civilisations. Over the centuries many emporors ruled the country, the last emperor of China, the last ruler of the Qing dynasty, was Pu Yi who abdicted in 1912. In the 20th century the world was shaken by bloody wars and from 1937-1945 Japan occupied large industrial areas in China and took over the Chinese government. Since 1949 the Communist Party of China rules the country. The current president of the People's Republic of China is Xi Jinping.
Where is China? - China Map
China is located in the eastern parts of Asia and is the largest country that is entirely situated in Asia. China has the longest international land border and borders with 14 countries. The countries bordering China are: Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Burma (or Myanmar, which is the official name), Laos, Vietnam and North Korea (you will find them on the map below).
Map of China
China for Kids: China Geography
China is the most populous country in the world as it is home to almost one fifth of the world population. Did you know, that China is slightly smaller in size than the USA? Although China is so large, there is only one timezone!
The Pacific Ocean forms the natural border in the east and southeast and southwest of the country. In the west, there are the Himalayas Mountains, which is the highest mountain range in the world. Most of the western parts of the country lie on the Tibetan mountainous plateau and in fact, mountains make up the majority of the landscape, dominating over 70% of the landmass. In the north, there is the vast Gobi Desert. Deserts are making up about 20% of the country. The huge country has many different climate zones ranging from tropic zones to arctic zones.
The highest mountain on the border with China is the Mount Everest, the world's highest mountains, with 8,850 metres (29,000ft). The longest river in China is the Yangtze River with over 6,300km (3,914miles) in length.
China Facts:
Attractions for Kids
China's Great Wall
Great Wall of China: Walk along parts of the over 8,850km/5,500 miles long Great Wall which once was the border of the old Chinese empire. The wall stretches across China from the Korean border into the Gobi desert. This is the longest wall in the world and newer archeological findings report that the entire defence works including the Great Wall and all its branches stretches over 21,000km/13,000 miles! Did you know, that the name in ancient Chinese actually meant 'The 10,000-Mile Long Wall' or 'Incredibly Long Wall'?
Terracotta Warriors: See the over 5000 sculptures of life-size soldiers, made from terracotta, in Xian. The sculptures which are on one of the world's most famous archeological sites, are older than 2,000 years.
Forbidden City in Beijing: The Forbidden City houses the Palace museum with the Chinese Imperial Palace and the Summer Palace, that were still used until 1911.
Potala Palace in Lhasa/Tibet: This is where every Dalai Lama has held his official residence until the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950. Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve near Chengdu: See the pandas in their natural habitat and visit the breeding and research centre to learn more about the endangered pandas.
Guilin Yangshuo River
Guilin: The rough limestone karst mountains along the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo are very picturesque. People enjoy rafting on river.
'The Bund' in Shanghai: Shanghai is the largest and most populated Chinese city with the busiest port in the world. The Bund is the megacity's main shopping and business district.
Hongkong: Visit Victoria harbour. Enjoy the amazing views of the skyscrapers along the shoreline or get to the top of Victoria Peak and have a bird's eye view of the city and the harbour.
Do you want to know which are the ten largest cities in China? Read on here.
Some China Facts about Chinese People
Almost one in five people on our earth live in China, while the country is smaller than the USA.
Many Chinese live in the megacities (cities with more than 5 million inhabitants) of the country, in rural areas the living standard is still very poor and many people live there live in huts or along the rivers in stilt houses.
Chinese Opera Singer
The Chinese love music and opera plays, although the voices of the Chinese opera singers may sound strange to our ears.
Chinese New Year, also called the Lunar New Year, is the biggest celebration on the Chinese calendar. The Chinese calendar start at the end of January/early February each year and every year another animal sign symbolises the strength and the weaknesses. There are 12 zodiac/animal signs and thus every 12 years the animals signs start over again. 2016 is the year of the monkey and 2017 will be the year of the rooster. Which zodiac sign are you? Find out here.
Children look very much forward to the Chinese New Year celebrations which are two weeks long celebrations over the new year when they get gifts, often money wrapped in red envelopes or red packets, from family and friends. Popular 'Lion Dances' also take place during this time. The dragon is the most celebrated symbol of prosperity and strength.
Chinese Lion Dance - image by Windmoon
Chinese Language
Although Mandarin Chinese is the official language, in many regions other languages are spoken such as Shanghainese, Hainanese or Mongolian.
Ni Hao - Hello in Chinese Writing
The Chinese writing is done from top to bottom in little symbols or signs, called 'characters' of which an adult usually knows about 8,000 different characters. With 13 years most Chinese children can read and write 3,000 characters.
Some Chinese words good to know:
Ni hao! means Hello!
Xie Xie means Thank You
Gong Xi Fa Cai! means Happy Chinese New Year!
China Facts: Chinese Food
The traditional diet in China contains low amounts of protein such as meats or dairy products. Many Chinese dishes are vegetable and soya based. Chinese often eat/drink soup for breakfast and rice based dishes are eaten throughout the day.
Soy, vegetable and rice products are the most common ingrediences in Chinese dishes. Chinese mainly eat with chopsticks and drink their soups instead of eating them with a spoon as we do. Here is some typical Chinese food:
Springrolls
Springrolls: The fried rice paper rolls are surely the most famous food export
Chow Mein: stir-fried egg noodles with chicken strips
Tofu: soy bean curd used in many dishes
Sweet and sour pork: fried cubed pork and fried vegetables in a sweet and sour sauce often made with capsicum peppers and pineapple
Peking Duck: duck roast with crispy thin skin, often served with plum sauce
Dim Sum: Steamed dumplings filled with minced meat or vegetables
Chinese Dim Sum
China Facts: China Animals
Young Giant Panda
There are many endangered animal species living in China. Among them are the Giant Panda, the South Chinese Tiger and the Chinese Alligator.
Resources
China Family Adventure: Great resources to learn more about China can be found on this site. The informative and well laid out website is written and maintained by a Chinese expat and her children and gives comprehensive information and important China facts.
China Highlights: Another good site for China facts and information the main attractions of China is this one. Click here.
View some great images of the Great Wall on the page of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre here.
Also find good info on TravelChinaGuide on the Great Wall here.
Please bookmark our page if you are interested in China Facts for Kids as our China for Kids page will be updated regularly. Feel free to contact us if you or your school would like to join in our schools project. Looking forward to hearing from you!
http://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/china-facts.html
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