The Greek Alphabet and Fascinating Facts About Greece

The Greek alphabet has been in use since about 750 B.C., making it one of the oldest writing systems still in existence. It was developed from the Canaanite or Phoenician alphabet. While the original Phoenician letter names referred to objects—like aleph meaning ox and beth meaning house—these meanings were dropped when adapted into Greek. What remained were the names and the sounds.

One of the most groundbreaking features of the Greek alphabet is that it was the first to include vowels. Around 500 B.C., the writing direction changed from right-to-left to the familiar left-to-right format that we use today.

The Greek alphabet consists of 24 letters, each with a unique symbol, pronunciation, and name. This system laid the foundation for many modern alphabets, including Latin and Cyrillic.

Interesting Facts About Greece

Greece is full of surprising details—historical, geographical, and cultural. Here are some fascinating facts children will love to learn:

• Greece is about the size of Alabama, with an area of 50,949 square miles.

• While Alabama has about 4.5 million people, Greece’s population exceeds 10 million.

• Voting is not optional in Greece. It is legally required for all citizens over 18.

• Nearly 80% of Greece is mountainous, and the country has no navigable rivers due to its terrain.

• A charming Greek legend claims that when God created the world, he tossed leftover stones from a strainer over his shoulder—and that formed Greece.

• With over 250 days of sunshine each year, Greece is one of the sunniest places in Europe.

• In ancient Greece, life expectancy was quite low—36 for women and 45 for men. Today, it is 82 for women and 77 for men, placing Greece among the top 30 countries in global life expectancy.

• Football (soccer) is the national sport and deeply loved across the country.

• Feta, made from goat’s milk, is considered the national cheese of Greece.

• The phrase “taking the bull by its horns” comes from the Greek myth of Hercules, who saved Crete by wrestling a raging bull.

• The first Olympic Games were held in 776 B.C. The very first Olympic champion was a cook named Coroebus, who won a sprint race.

Language and Culture in One Place: Learn Greek with Dinolingo

The Greek alphabet isn’t just a historical artifact—it’s still used today by over 10 million people in Greece and Cyprus. If your child is curious about Greek letters, myths, or culture, Dinolingo’s interactive Greek language program is a great way to get started. With games, videos, songs, and printable activities, Dinolingo helps children ages 2 to 14 learn Greek in a fun and engaging way.