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List of walls facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Walls are tall, strong structures that have been built for thousands of years. People build walls for many reasons. Some walls are for protection, like keeping enemies out of a city or castle. Others mark boundaries, showing where one area ends and another begins. Some walls are even built to remember important events or people. From ancient times to today, walls have played a big part in human history and how we live.

The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling
The Great Wall of China is the world's longest wall

Walls from Long Ago: Fortifications

Long ago, people built strong walls called fortifications to protect their cities and lands. These walls helped defend against attacks and keep people safe.

Chester's City Walls - Bridgegate to Eastgate ^2 - geograph.org.uk - 372176
Part of the ancient Chester city walls in England
STON00167
The Walls of Ston in Croatia were once over 7 kilometers long!

Walls in Africa

  • AlgeriaTunisia Fossatum Africae: An ancient Roman defensive line.
  • Nigeria Sungbo's Eredo: A large system of walls and moats built in Nigeria between 800 and 1000 AD.

Walls in the Americas

  • Mexico Great Wall of Tlaxcala: A historic wall mentioned in old stories from Mexico.
  • Puerto Rico Walls of Old San Juan: Old defensive walls around the historic city of San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Walls in Asia

  • China Great Wall of China: This famous wall is actually many walls built over different times. The most well-known part, the Ming Great Wall, was built from 1368 to 1644 and is about 8,850 kilometers long. It was built to protect China from invaders.
  • China Great Wall of Qi: The oldest of China's Great Walls.
  • China Great Wall of Yan (state)
  • China Great Wall of Zhongshan (state)
  • China Great Wall of Zhao (state)
  • China Great Wall of Qin dynasty
  • China Great Wall of Han dynasty: Built from 206 BC to 220 AD, this was the longest Great Wall in history.
  • China Great Wall of Northern Wei dynasty
  • China Great Wall of Northern Qi dynasty
  • China Great Wall of the Jurchen Jin Dynasty: Built between 1115 and 1234 to defend against northern tribes, it was over 2,500 kilometers long.
  • ChinaMongolia Great Wall of Western Xia
  • ChinaMongolia Great Wall of the Khitan Liao dynasty
  • Pakistan Ranikot Fort: Also called 'The Great Wall of Pakistan', it's the second largest wall in South Asia.
  • North KoreaChina Cheolli Jangseong: A long defensive wall in North Korea and China.
  • Iran Great Wall of Gorgan: Located in Iran, it's the world's second-longest wall.
  • Vietnam Long Wall of Quảng Ngãi: A historic wall in Vietnam.
  • India Kumbhalgarh: A large fort wall in Rajasthan, India.

Walls in Europe

  • Turkey Walls of Constantinople: Famous ancient walls that protected the city of Constantinople (now Istanbul).
  • Turkey Anastasian Wall: Another ancient wall in Turkey.
  • United Kingdom Antonine Wall: A Roman wall in Scotland, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
  • Italy Aurelian Walls: Ancient walls that surrounded Rome.
  • Croatia Walls of Ston: A series of defensive stone walls in Croatia.
  • Germany Danevirke: An ancient wall system in Germany.
  • Germany Roman limes in Upper Germania, Lower Germania and Rhaetia: Roman border defenses in Germany, part of a UNESCO site.
  • United Kingdom Hadrian's Wall: A famous Roman wall in England, also part of a UNESCO site.
  • Turkey Long Wall (Thracian Chersonese)
  • United Kingdom Offa's Dyke: An ancient earthwork wall between England and Wales.
  • Ukraine Serpent's Wall: Ancient walls found in Ukraine.
  • United Kingdom Wall of Severus: A Roman wall in Britain.
  • Poland Silesia Walls: Walls in Poland.
  • Romania Trajan's Wall: A Roman wall in Romania.
  • Romania Athanaric's Wall: Another ancient wall in Romania.
  • United Kingdom Wat's Dyke: An earthwork wall in England and Wales, similar to Offa's Dyke.

Modern Walls and Borders

Today, walls are still built, often to mark borders between countries or to control who can enter certain areas.

Berlinermauer
Graffiti art on the Berlin Wall in 1986. This wall separated West Berlin from East Germany.
  • Vichy France Nazi Germany Atlantic Wall: A long line of defenses built by Nazi Germany along the coast of Western Europe during World War II.
  • West Berlin East Germany Berlin Wall: A famous wall that separated West Berlin from East Germany from 1961 to 1989. It was a symbol of the Cold War.
  • India Inland Customs Line: A long customs barrier built in British India starting in 1843.
  • IndiaPakistan India–Pakistan barrier: A barrier along the border between India and Pakistan.
  • IndiaBangladesh Bangladesh–India border: A barrier along the border between Bangladesh and India.
  • IsraelWest Bank Israeli West Bank barrier: Sections of a barrier built in the West Bank.
  • IsraelLebanon Blue Line: Sections of a border barrier between Lebanon and Israel.
  • United Kingdom Belfast Peace Lines: Walls in Belfast, Northern Ireland, built to separate different communities.
  • North KoreaSouth Korea Korean Wall: A barrier in the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
  • CeutaMorocco Ceuta border fence: A fence around Ceuta, a Spanish city in North Africa.
  • MelillaMorocco Melilla border fence: A fence around Melilla, another Spanish city in North Africa.
  • MexicoUnited States US-Mexico Border: Sections of a wall along the border between the United States and Mexico.
  • Hong KongChina Frontier Closed Area: A restricted area along the Hong Kong-China border.
  • HungarySerbia Hungary-Serbia barrier: A barrier built between Hungary and Serbia.
  • TurkeySyria Turkey-Syria barrier: A barrier built between Turkey and Syria.
  • TurkeyIran Turkey-Iran barrier: A barrier built between Turkey and Iran.
  • SloveniaCroatia Slovenian border barrier: A barrier built between Slovenia and Croatia.
  • PakistanAfghanistan Pakistan–Afghanistan barrier: A barrier built between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
  • MyanmarBangladesh Myanmar-Bangladesh Border Fence: A fence along the border between Myanmar and Bangladesh.
  • MyanmarIndia India–Myanmar barrier: A barrier along the border between India and Myanmar.
  • MoroccoSahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Moroccan Western Sahara Wall: A long sand wall in Western Sahara.
  • PolandBelarus Poland–Belarus barrier: A barrier built between Poland and Belarus.

Walls That Remember

Some walls are built as memorials to honor people, events, or ideas. They help us remember important parts of history.

  • France Communards' Wall: A wall in Paris, France, that remembers those who died in the Paris Commune.
  • China Democracy Wall: A wall in Beijing, China, where people posted their opinions during a short period in 1978–1979.
  • Czech Republic Lennon Wall: A wall in Prague, Czech Republic, covered in graffiti and lyrics inspired by John Lennon.
  • United States Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Often called "the Wall," this memorial in Washington, D.C., lists the names of U.S. service members who died or went missing in the Vietnam War.
  • United States Pine Grove Cemetery: Home to the second-longest continuous stone wall in the world, in Lynn, Massachusetts.
  • Hong Kong Lennon Wall: A wall in Hong Kong where people post messages of support and protest.

Walls in Art and Fun

Walls can also be part of art, sports, or even music performances!

  • Die Gelbe Wand: Meaning "The Yellow Wall," this is the name for a famous standing terrace at a soccer stadium in Dortmund, Germany, known for its huge crowd of fans.
  • Green Monster: The nickname for the tall left-field wall at Fenway Park, a baseball stadium in Boston, USA.
  • Tsoi Wall: A wall in Moscow, Russia, covered in graffiti dedicated to the musician Viktor Tsoi.
  • The Wall: A specific wall in SoHo, New York City, known for its art.
  • The Wall In Concert: During concerts for the Pink Floyd album "The Wall," a giant wall of cardboard bricks was built between the band and the audience, then destroyed during the show.

See also

  • Gum Wall
  • Separation barrier
  • List of cities with defensive walls
  • List of town walls in England and Wales
  • List of fortifications
  • Great Wall (astronomy)
  • List of Egyptian castles, forts, fortifications and city walls
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