TightPluto

Quantum

2005-03-23T18:09:00.000-08:00

In physics, discrete natural unit, or packet, of energy, charge, angular momentum, or other physical property. Light, for example, appearing in some respects as a continuous electromagnetic wave, on the submicroscopic level is emitted and absorbed in discrete amounts, or quanta; and for light of a given wavelength, the magnitude of all the quanta emitted or absorbed is

Yamantaka

2005-03-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

In northern Buddhism, one of the eight fierce protective deities. See dharmapala.

Atacama

2005-03-20T09:57:00.000-08:00

In their widely scattered settlements the Atacama cultivated crops such as corn (maize), beans, quinoa, and squash with the aid of irrigation. They herded llama

Kahanamoku, Duke Paoa

2005-03-18T02:22:00.000-08:00

Kahanamoku set

Karakum Canal

2005-03-16T22:05:00.000-08:00

Waterway in Turkmenistan. The main section, begun in 1954 and completed in 1967, runs some 520 miles (840 km) from the Amu Darya (river) to Gökdepe, west of Ashgabat, skirting the Karakum Desert. In the 1970s and '80s the canal was extended to the Caspian Sea coast, making the total length 870 miles (1,400 km). Water from the canal, which is navigable for 280 miles (450 km), is used principally for irrigation, and fishing has

Seleucus Iv Philopator

2005-03-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

Although the empire that Seleucus inherited was not so great as the one over which his father had ruled before the war with Rome (190–189), it was still large, consisting of Syria (including Cilicia and Palestine), Mesopotamia, Babylonia, and nearer Iran (Media and Persia). Because of financial difficulties,

Colemanite

2005-03-12T03:18:00.000-08:00

Borate mineral, hydrated calcium borate (Ca2B6O11×5H2O) that was the principal source of borax until the 1930s. It typically occurs as colourless, brilliant crystals and masses in Tertiary sediments (those formed 66.4 to 1.6 million years ago), where it has been derived from ulexite and borax. The chief localities are the Kramer district, Death Valley, and Daggett, Calif. Colemanite is an

Hackett, James Henry

2005-03-09T00:59:00.000-08:00

Hackett left Columbia University because of ill health and tried various businesses. In 1825, after Hackett had lost his money in speculation, his wife, a former actress, returned to the stage; and the following year Hackett, who had achieved a social reputation

Smith, Emmitt

2005-03-07T19:21:00.000-08:00

Smith excelled early in football, starring in youth leagues and,

Alabama, Plant and animal life

2005-03-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

The warm climate of Alabama has nurtured a rich plant cover, including more than 125 tree varieties. Most of the thick forests are in the north and northeast. Pine trees predominate, and live oaks are also found statewide, lending grace to the streets of the older towns and cities. Sweet gum and black walnut are also common, while the colourful red cedar is most abundant in

Chan Ii

2005-03-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

When Chan's father, King Eng, died in 1796, the Thais had superiority. In 1802 Chan was recognized as the king of Cambodia by the Thais, and he was crowned in the Thai capital of Bangkok in 1806. The advisers to the

Miner, Myrtilla

2005-03-01T03:28:00.000-08:00

Miner was educated at the Clover Street Seminary in Rochester, New York (1840-44), and taught at various schools, including the Newton Female Institute (1846-47) in Whitesville,

Minatitlán

2005-02-27T10:59:00.000-08:00

City and river port, southeastern Veracruz state, south central Mexico. It is on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec on the Río Coatzacoalcos, 20 mi (32 km) from its mouth on the Gulf of Mexico and 210 ft (64 m) above sea level. When founded in 1822 as Paso de la Fabrica, the settlement's inhabitants included North Americans, French, and Germans. The colony did not prosper until oil was discovered in the

Claesz, Pieter

2005-02-26T06:53:00.000-08:00

Also called Pieter Claesz Van Haarlem Dutch painter who achieved a striking simplicity and atmospheric quality in still-life representations. Avoiding the crowded compositions and strong local colouring of the Mannerist tradition, he concentrated on the monochrome “breakfast piece,” the depiction of a simple meal

Korsakoff Syndrome

2005-02-24T21:02:00.000-08:00

Also called Korsakoff psychosis , or Korsakoff disease neurological disorder characterized by severe amnesia (memory loss). Many cases result from severe chronic alcoholism, while others are due to a variety of brain disorders, severe head injury, or a thiamine deficiency. Patients with Korsakoff syndrome typically are unable to remember events in the recent or even the immediate past, and some can store information

Bhaktapur

2005-02-22T23:47:00.000-08:00

Also called Bhatgaon , or Bhadgaon town, central Nepal, in the Nepal Valley, southeast of Kathmandu. Said to have been founded by Raja Ananda Malla in 865, it was for 200 years the most important settlement in the valley. The old palace in Durbar Square, built in 1700, is well preserved and has beautifully carved woodwork and a finely worked gilt gateway. Opposite, on a stone pillar, is the copper-gilt figure of King Bhupatindra

Ze'evi, Rechavam

2005-02-20T18:56:00.000-08:00

Israeli soldier and politician (b. Aug. 20, 1926, Jerusalem, Palestine—d. Oct. 17, 2001, Jerusalem, Israel), pursued hard-line ultranationalist policies, most notably in support of his outspoken belief that all Palestinians should be removed from the Israel-occupied territories in Gaza and the West Bank and transferred to Arab countries and his claim that the kingdom of Jordan should

Kikwit

2005-02-17T23:52:00.000-08:00

Town and river port, southwestern Congo (Kinshasa). It lies along the Kwilu River, which is a tributary of the Kasai River. European settlement of the site began in 1901, and the town became a colonial administrative centre about 1910. Kikwit is now the largest community in the area. The production of palm oil and kernels, cassava, peanuts (groundnuts), and corn (maize) has replaced rubber

Yang-ch'in

2005-02-16T19:25:00.000-08:00

The yang-ch'in has four or five bridges with sets of strings on each bridge pitched whole steps apart and neighbouring

Ogun

2005-02-12T19:15:00.000-08:00

State, western Nigeria, created in 1976 and comprising former Abeokuta and Ijebu provinces of former Western state, the latter carved out of former Western region in 1967. Ogun is bounded by Oyo and Osun states to the north, Lagos state to the south, Ondo state to the east, and the Republic of Benin to the west. It is covered predominantly by tropical rain forest and has wooded savanna

Abu Hanifah

2005-02-10T21:42:00.000-08:00

Muhammad Shibli Numani, Imam Abu Hanifah: Life and Work (1972), provides an introduction. Discussions of his work in its larger context can be found in Joseph Schacht, An Introduction to Islamic Law (1964, reprinted 1982); A.J. Wensinck, The Muslim Creed: Its Genesis and Historical Development, 2nd ed. (1979); and John Alden Williams (ed.), Islam (1961).

Calabar

2005-02-08T11:09:00.000-08:00

Formerly Old Calabar town and port, capital of Cross River State, southeastern Nigeria. It lies along the Calabar River, 5 miles (8 km) upstream from that river's entrance into the Cross River estuary. Settled in the early 17th century by the Efik branch of the Ibibio people, the town became a centre for trade between white traders on the coast and natives farther inland. Fish, cassava, bananas, palm

Permafrost, Agriculture

2005-02-05T07:56:00.000-08:00

Permafrost affects agricultural developments in many parts of the discontinuous permafrost zone. Its destructive effect on cultivated fields in both Russia and North America results from the thawing of large masses of ice in the permafrost. If care is not exercised in selecting areas to be cleared for cultivation, thawing of the permafrost may necessitate

Don Pacifico Affair

2005-02-04T13:54:00.000-08:00

David Pacifico (known as Don Pacifico) was a Portuguese Jew who, having been born in Gibraltar in 1784, was a British subject. After serving as Portuguese consul in Morocco (1835–37) and then as consul-general in Greece, he settled in Athens as a merchant. In

Settling

2005-01-30T20:13:00.000-08:00

Settling also refers to movement of structures located above deep beds of soft

Outcaste

2005-01-29T18:47:00.000-08:00

In the Hindu caste system, an individual or group that has been thrown out of caste, usually for some ritual offense. The outcasting may be temporary or permanent. In the 19th century, a Hindu faced excommunication for going abroad, where it was presumed he would be forced to break caste restrictions and, as a result, become polluted. Such an offender would be reinstated

Ambato

2005-01-27T01:53:00.000-08:00

City, central Ecuador. It lies along the Ambato River in an intermontane basin near the northeastern foot of Mount Chimborazo, at an elevation of about 8,500 feet (2,600 m) above sea level. It was the scene of a decisive victory in 1821 by Antonio José de Sucre, lieutenant of the liberator Simón Bolívar, against the Spanish during the wars for Latin-American independence. Ambato has frequently

Gamut

2005-01-24T08:54:00.000-08:00

In music, the full range of pitches in a musical system; also, the compass of a particular instrument or voice. The word originated with the medieval monk Guido of Arezzo (d. 1050) to identify his system of solmization, i.e., of using syllables to denote musical tones in a scale. Thus, to render in syllables the six tones of the hexatonic scale that prevailed, Guido started with the

Kerry

2005-01-23T22:38:00.000-08:00

Irish Ciarraí county in the province of Munster, southwestern Ireland. With an area of 1,815 square miles (4,701 square km), it is bounded by Counties Limerick and Cork to the east and by the Atlantic Ocean or its inlets to the south, west, and north. Tralee is the county seat. The principal highlands of Kerry, among which are the highest mountains in Ireland, are of sandstone. Three, and part of a fourth,

Papyrus Column

2005-01-21T00:28:00.000-08:00

In Egyptian religion, amulet that conveyed freshness, youth, vigour, and the continuance of life to its wearer. The amulet, made of glazed ware or various types of stone, was shaped like a papyrus stem and bud. Its significance was perhaps derived from its ideographic value (Egyptian wadj, “green, fresh, vigorous”); for, just as the plant itself was vigorous and growing, so also

Yoshiyuki, Junnosuke

2005-01-18T06:14:00.000-08:00

Japanese novelist and short-story writer (b. April 1, 1923, Okayama, Japan--d. July 26, 1994, Tokyo, Japan), explored human sexuality and prostitution as a means of understanding human relationships. His prize-winning works include the short story "Shuu" (1954; "Sudden Shower," 1972), and the novels Anshitsu (1969: The Dark Room, 1975) and Yugure made (1978: "Until Evening"), the latter of which won the Noma Literary Prize. Yoshiyuki,

Cohong

2005-01-16T22:15:00.000-08:00

Wade–Giles romanization kung-hung , also called hong , or cong-hong the guild of Chinese merchants authorized by the central government to trade with Western merchants at Canton prior to the first Opium War (1839–42). Such firms often were called “foreign-trade firms” (yang-hang) and the merchants who directed them “hong merchants” (hang-shang). In existence by the mid-17th century, these merchants theoretically numbered 13 but frequently totalled

Providence, Personal and impersonal forms

2005-01-14T18:24:00.000-08:00

The cosmic order can appear in a personalized form, as, for example, the Egyptian goddess Maat; but this personification of the cosmic order is not general: the Iranian Asha, the Indian rta, and the Chinese Tao are all to a high degree impersonal. Maat represents truth and order; her domain includes not only the order of the nature, but also the social and ethical orders. She

Italy, The end of the Roman world

2005-01-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

The Eastern emperors in Constantinople regarded themselves as the legitimate rulers of the West, including Italy, after 476; both Odoacer and, for a time, Theoderic had recognized them, and they had strong links with the Roman Senate. In 533–534 Belisarius, general for the Eastern emperor, Justinian (527–565), conquered Vandal Africa; Amalasuntha's death was the necessary excuse to invade

Nicholas Of Flüe, Saint

2005-01-10T04:54:00.000-08:00

Byname Brother Klaus, German Sankt Niklaus von Flüe, or Bruder Klaus hermit, popular saint, and Swiss folk hero. His intervention in a conflict between cantonal factions over the admission of Fribourg and Solothurn to the Swiss Confederation led to the agreement of Stans (Dec. 22, 1481), which forestalled civil war and strengthened

Caledonian Orogenic Belt

2005-01-08T17:28:00.000-08:00

Range of mountains situated in northwestern Europe, developed as a result of the opening, closure, and destruction of the Iapetus Ocean in the period from the start of the Cambrian (540 million years ago) to the end of the Silurian (about 408 million years ago). The final collision was between a northwestern European and a North American–Greenland continent, and it gave rise

Athens

2005-01-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1871) of Clarke county (with which it was consolidated in 1990), northeastern Georgia, U.S., on the Oconee River. Founded in 1801 as the seat of the University of Georgia (chartered 1785), it was probably named for Athens, Greece. The city grew with the university, was spared the destruction that accompanied Union General William Tecumseh Sherman's march through Georgia in 1864, and became

Hwicce

2005-01-05T13:23:00.000-08:00

The inhabitants of one of the subkingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England that coincided with the medieval diocese of Worcester, a territory that then encompassed present Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and southwest Warwickshire. The southern part had been wrested from the Britons by the West Saxons sometime after 577, and the northern part was probably settled by Anglian

Romanian Literature

2005-01-03T19:56:00.000-08:00

Several famous writers continued to write after World War II. Arghezi reached new lyric heights in 1907 and in a hymn praising humanity's will to live and struggle for freedom. Geo Bogza joined the Social Realist movement. Mihail Beniuc became (as he said) “the drummer of the new age” and, in stirring lyrics, celebrated achievements of the postwar period. Demostene Botez, whose

Earth, Types of seismic waves

2004-12-31T17:30:00.000-08:00

Three types of seismic waves are commonly identified: body waves, free oscillations, and surface waves. Body waves are those passing through the interior, as illustrated in Figure 16 . For large earthquakes, standing waves of the entire planet—free oscillations—are also excited. Intermediate between these types of seismic waves are surface waves, which travel around

Animal

2004-12-29T00:57:00.000-08:00

At the cellular level, the most obvious distinction

Osaka-kobe Metropolitan Area, Industry

2004-12-28T22:36:00.000-08:00

Osaka was once known as the Manchester of the Orient because of its great textile industry; now, however, its leading industries are the manufacture of electrical and other machinery, iron and steel, fabricated metals, and chemicals. Between Osaka and Kobe are several other industrial cities. The largest, Amagasaki, is a centre of machinery, metallurgy, chemicals, cement,

Girodias, Maurice

2004-12-25T04:18:00.000-08:00

As a young man Girodias worked closely with his father, Jack Kahane, whose Obelisk Press published such classics of erotica as Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer (1934) and Frank Harris's My Life and Loves, 3 vol. (1923–27). Girodias, who took his mother's non-Jewish maiden name during

Margaret Of Valois

2004-12-24T23:24:00.000-08:00

The daughter of Henry II of France and Catherine de Médicis, she played a secondary part in the Wars of Religion (1562–98) from the moment she took her place at court in 1569. Her relations with her brothers Charles IX

Pacific Islands, High oceanic islands

2004-12-21T00:44:00.000-08:00

Extensive volcanic mountain ranges in the central and eastern Pacific rise abruptly from the ocean deep, their cores of dense black basalt built up from lava flows from the fractured seafloor. Where summits stand in high relief above sea level, they represent most of the islands that constitute Polynesia and Micronesia. Small to intermediate in land area, nowhere

Johansson, Ingemar

2004-12-20T00:40:00.000-08:00

As an amateur boxer Johansson was a member of the European Golden Gloves team in 1951 and the Swedish Olympic Games team in 1952. He won the European

Varthema, Lodovico De

2004-12-18T06:01:00.000-08:00

De Varthema also spelled Di Barthema, Latin Vartomanus, or Vertomannus, intrepid Italian traveler and adventurer whose account of his Middle Eastern and Asiatic wanderings was widely circulated throughout Europe and earned him high fame in his own lifetime. He made significant discoveries (especially in Arabia) and made many valuable observations of the peoples he visited; his ready wit enabled

Bonaire

2004-12-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

Second largest island of the Netherlands Antilles, the westernmost group of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. It is 111 square miles (288 square km) in area and lies 50 miles (80 km) north of the Venezuelan coast and 20 miles east of Curaçao. The northern part is hilly, with a peak, Mount Brandaris, 787 feet (240 m) high, while the southern part is flat with desert-like vegetation. The adjacent

Multinational And Regional Organizations

2004-12-14T04:52:00.000-08:00

At the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) conference, which opened July 22, 1994, in Bangkok, Thailand's prime minister asked the members (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) to avert armed confrontation over resources and territory, especially in the Spratly Islands. Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam

Kirchhoff's Circuit Rules

2004-12-11T08:34:00.000-08:00

The first rule, the junction theorem, states that the sum of the currents into a specific junction in the circuit equals the sum of the currents out of the

Rehan, Ada

2004-12-09T01:04:00.000-08:00

Ada Crehan grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where her family settled shortly after the Civil War. She followed her older sisters onto the stage, making her debut at

Christianity, The schism of 1054

2004-12-07T01:43:00.000-08:00

The greatest schism in church history occurred between the church of Constantinople and the church of Rome. While 1054 is the symbolic date of the separation, the agonizing division was six centuries in the making. The friction was ignited by several issues. The Eastern Church sharply disagreed when the Western Church introduced into the Nicene Creed the doctrine

Hawes, Harriet Ann Boyd

2004-12-06T14:21:00.000-08:00

Harriet Boyd graduated from Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1892; thereafter she taught ancient and modern languages for four years, first as a private tutor in Henderson, North Carolina, and then at a girls' school in Wilmington,

Arias (madrid), Arnulfo

2004-12-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

The younger brother of Harmodio Arias (Panamanian president, 1932–36), Arias was educated at the University of Chicago and Harvard Medical School (to become a surgeon) and was minister of agriculture and public works in the 1930s during the presidency

Antenna

2004-12-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

Also called Aerial, component of radio, television, and radar systems that directs incoming and outgoing radio waves. Antennas are usually metal and have a wide variety of configurations, from the mastlike devices employed for radio and television broadcasting to the large parabolic reflectors used to receive satellite signals and the radio waves generated by distant astronomical

Dowry

2004-11-29T22:08:00.000-08:00

One of the basic functions of a dowry has been to serve as a form of protection for the wife against ill treatment by her husband. A dowry used in this way was actually a conditional gift to the husband that would be

Tyson, Mike

2004-11-28T17:10:00.000-08:00

A member of various street gangs at an early age, Tyson was sent to reform school in upstate New York in 1978. At the reform school, social worker and boxing aficionado Bobby Stewart recognized his boxing potential and directed him to renowned trainer Cus D'Amato,

Hooton, Earnest A(lbert)

2004-11-26T14:55:00.000-08:00

American physical anthropologist who investigated human evolution and racial differentiation, classified and described human populations, and examined the relationship between personality and physical type, particularly with respect to criminal behaviour. He established Harvard University as a principal

Pereyaslav Agreement

2004-11-23T19:13:00.000-08:00

The hetman of the Zaporozhian Cossacks, Bohdan Khmelnytsky, had been leading a revolt against Polish rule in Ukraine

Intelligence

2004-11-21T01:24:00.000-08:00

Much of the excitement among investigators in the field of intelligence derives from their trying to determine exactly what intelligence is. Different investigators have emphasized different aspects of intelligence in

Spain, Flag Of

2004-11-19T13:20:00.000-08:00

Many symbols used today by Spain have origins that, according to tradition, stretch back for centuries. Even when not documented, the myths associated with these symbols are powerful forces for national pride. For example, the lion symbol of León is supposed to have been used by a Roman legion in the 1st century AD, and the gold shield with four red bars of the kingdom of Aragon

Shi'ah

2004-11-18T01:21:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Shi'a , singular Shi'i the Muslims who constitute the smaller of the two major branches of Islam, distinguished from the majority Sunnites. The Arabic term Shi'ah also denotes the system or doctrine of such Muslims. See Shi'ite.

Grace & Co.

2004-11-16T18:18:00.000-08:00

The company grew out of a Peruvian land and resource enterprise formed by William R. Grace in 1854. In 1865 Grace moved the business headquarters to New York City, where the company expanded into shipping. The firm was incorporated

Felton, Rebecca Ann

2004-11-14T08:31:00.000-08:00

Rebecca Latimer was graduated first in her class from the Madison Female College, Madison, Georgia, in 1852 and the following year married William H. Felton, a local physician active in liberal Democratic politics. She assisted her husband in

China, The Chou and Ch'in dynasties

2004-11-11T03:51:00.000-08:00

This transitional period is examined in Chi Li, The Formation of the Chinese People (1928, reprinted 1967), useful for information on the ethnic history of ancient China; Herlee Glessner Creel, The Birth of China (1937, reprinted 1954), still regarded as one of the standard references, and The Origins of Statecraft in China, vol. 1 (1970), the first Western book to include extensive materials from bronze inscriptions—especially significant on the activities of non-Chou peoples; Cho-yun Hsu, Ancient China in Transition (1965), a standard work on social structure and social mobility in the Chou period; Derk Bodde, China's First Unifier (1938, reprinted 1967), and Statesman, Patriot, and General in Ancient China (1940, reprinted 1967), works covering the effort of the first emperors and their courts to accomplish unification; Arthur Cotterell, The First Emperor of China (1981), a popular history that includes a description and historical analysis of 7,000 terra-cotta life-size figures buried in 210 BC; Yu-ning Li, The First Emperor of China (1975), Yu-lan Fung, A History of Chinese Philosophy, 2nd ed., 2 vol., trans. from the Chinese (1952–53, reprinted 1983), coverage of the thought of different schools in ancient China; and Xueqin Li, Eastern Zhou and Qin Civilizations (1986), an account of archaeological findings of the period from the 8th to the 3rd century BC.

Turberville, George

2004-11-09T17:38:00.000-08:00

After attending the University of Oxford, Turberville went to Russia (1568–69) as secretary to Thomas Randolph, the first English ambassador there, and later settled at Shapwick, Dorset. In Epitaphes, Epigrams, Songs and

Anaya, Rudolfo A.

2004-11-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

Anaya graduated from the University of New Mexico (B.A., 1963; M.A., 1968; M.A. 1972). He worked as a public school teacher in Albuquerque (1963–1970) before becoming director of counseling

Prodi, Romano

2004-11-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

Prodi graduated from Catholic University in Milan in 1961 and did postdoctoral work at the London School of Economics. After serving as a professor of economics at the University of Bologna, he entered government as minister of industry in 1978. In 1996, after two productive stints

Ombre

2004-11-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

Card game for three players, fashionable in Europe in the 17th century and into the 18th but now practically obsolete. It was similar to Whist, involving bidding, trump suit, and taking tricks. Originally played with the Spanish packs of 40 or 48 cards, it was adapted to the French pack of 52. In the course of time it acquired terms from Spanish, French, Italian, and English, as well as a

Differential Geometry

2004-11-01T15:46:00.000-08:00

Differential geometry has its origin in the discovery in the 17th century of the infinitesimal calculus, one part of mathematics that deals with limits. The concept of the derivative of a function is essentially identical with that of the tangent line or slope of a curve, and the integral of a function

Degema

2004-10-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

Town and river port, Rivers state, southern Nigeria, on the Sambreiro River (an outlet of the Niger). A traditional market centre (fish, cassava, taro, palm produce, plantains, and yams) of the Ijo (Ijaw) people, it became a major exporter of palm oil and kernels after the decline of the slave trade in the early 19th century. The Degema-Abonnema port (boats now anchor near the palm oil

Mugwump

2004-10-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

In U.S. politics, member of a reform-oriented faction of the Republican Party that refused to support the candidacy of James G. Blaine for the presidency in 1884. Instead, the Mugwumps supported the Democratic nominee, Grover Cleveland. Their leaders included Theodore Roosevelt, George Curtis, and Henry Cabot Lodge; all returned to Republican ranks after the defeat of Blaine.

Dietary Law

2004-10-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

This article surveys the variety of laws and customs pertaining to food materials and the art of eating in human societies from earliest times to the present. It

Holarctic Region

2004-10-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

One of the six major land areas of the world defined on the basis of its characteristic animal life. It is part of the Megagaean realm; it encompasses all the nontropical parts of Europe and Asia, Africa north of the Sahara, and North America south to the Mexican desert region. This vast region is often subdivided into the Palaearctic (Old World) and Nearctic (New World)

Oyo

2004-10-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

State, western Nigeria. Oyo was reduced in size when Osun state was created out of its eastern portion in 1991. Oyo is bounded by the states of Kwara on the north, Osun on the east, and Ogun on the south and by the Republic of Benin on the west. Oyo state is traversed by the Yoruba Hills in the north. The state has some tropical rain forest in the south around Ibadan, the state capital,

Mcqueen, Steve

2004-10-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

McQueen drifted through odd jobs and three years of service in the marines before he began performing at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse in 1952. He did occasional theatre work, making his screen

Salamanca

2004-10-19T03:26:00.000-07:00

Provincia, in the comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) of Castile-León, western Spain. Salamanca is bounded by Portugal (west) and the provinces of Zamora and Valladolid (north), Ávila (east), and Cáceres (south); its northwestern boundary with Portugal is marked by the Duero (Portuguese: Douro) River. More than half the province is situated in the Meseta Central, the central

Abasiyanik, Sait Faik

2004-10-16T02:33:00.000-07:00

Abasiyan

Qeqertarsuaq

2004-10-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

Formerly Disko Island, Disko also spelled Disco, island in Davis Strait off western Greenland, northwest of Qeqertarsuup (Disko) Bay and southwest of Vaigat Strait. It is 80 miles (130 km) long, 20–75 miles (32–120 km) wide, and 3,312 square miles (8,578 square km) in area and has a maximum elevation of 6,296 feet (1,919 m). There are coal and iron deposits, and some lignite is mined around Qullissat in the northeast. Qeqertarsuaq (Danish: Godhavn), the largest settlement,

Foreign Aid

2004-10-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

An international transfer of capital, goods, or services for the benefit of other nations and their citizens. Official foreign aid is offered in two major forms: (1) capital transfers, in cash or kind, either as grants or loans, and (2) technical assistance and training, usually as grants in the form of human resources and technical equipment. The rationale of economic aid

Orlov, Grigory Grigoryevich, Graf (count)

2004-10-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

Having entered the cadet corps in 1749, Orlov became an artillery officer and fought in the Battle of

Puerto De San José

2004-10-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

Port town, south-central Guatemala, situated along the Pacific Ocean. Opened in 1853 and now the nation's third largest port, it is a roadstead with a long wharf; passengers and cargo are transferred from ships anchored 1 mile (1.6 km) offshore. San José handles a considerable portion of Guatemala's imports, especially petroleum; the port's chief exports are molasses, coffee, cotton,

Aldrich, Nelson W.

2004-10-07T07:54:00.000-07:00

Aldrich rose from the Providence Common Council through the Rhode Island legislature to the U.S. Congress (representative 1879–81; senator 1881–1911). Meanwhile,

Macaulay (of Rothley), Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron

2004-10-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

English Whig politician, essayist, poet, and historian best known for his History of England, 5 vol. (1849–61); this work, which covers the period 1688–1702, secured his place as one of the founders of what has been called the Whig interpretation of history. He was raised to the peerage in 1857.

Athanasius I

2004-10-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

A monk who emigrated to a monastery in the hallowed region of Mt. Athos,

Obwalden

2004-09-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

Half canton, central Switzerland, formerly part of the canton of Unterwalden. The half canton is drained by the Sarner River and occupies the western part of former Unterwalden canton. Obwalden means “above the forest” and refers to the great forest of Kerns that divided the two half cantons in the Middle Ages. Obwalden acted independently of Nidwalden in its acquisition,

Tsinling Mountains

2004-09-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

Wade-Giles romanization Ch'in Ling, Pinyin Qin Ling, mountain range in North China, extending east-west from southeast Kansu province into Shensi and Honan provinces. It is considered to be an extension of the Kunlun Mountains. It constitutes a watershed between the Wei and Han rivers and reaches a height of 12,359 feet (3,767 m) at T'ai-pai (mount). The range forms a sharp physical divide, of climatic as well as topographic significance,

Ear Disease

2004-09-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

The labyrinth of the inner ear contains the nerve endings of the vestibular nerve—the nerve of equilibrium—and the auditory nerve, which are branches of the vestibulocochlear, or eighth cranial, nerve. The vestibular nerve ends supply the semicircular canals and the otolithic membranes in the vestibule. The auditory nerve supplies the cochlea. Diseases of the

Ibrahim

2004-09-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

Early in his reign under the guidance of the able but ambitious grand vizier Kemankes Kara Mustafa

Benedict (x)

2004-09-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

Original name Giovanni Mincio , Latin Johannes Mincius antipope from April 1058 to January 1059. His expulsion from the papal throne, on which he had been placed through the efforts of the powerful Tusculani family of Rome, was followed by a reform in the law governing papal elections. The new law, enacted in 1059, established an electoral body, which subsequently became the Sacred College of Cardinals, charged with

Blood River, Battle Of

2004-09-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

(Dec. 16, 1838), South African battle between the Zulu and the Voortrekkers (the Boers who made the Great Trek from Cape Colony to Transvaal). It was fought on the banks of a tributary of the Buffalo River, which became known as Blood River after its water reddened with the slaughter of about 3,000 Zulu. Four Boers were wounded. This battle turned Voortrekker fortunes in Natal, at a low ebb

Celestine (ii)

2004-09-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

After the death of Calixtus II, the rival houses of Frangipani and Pierleoni struggled for the papal throne. The Pierleonis' candidate, Theobald (who would have been Celestine II), was simultaneously elected pope with the Frangipanis' candidate,

Ariosto, Ludovico

2004-09-16T04:02:00.000-07:00

Ariosto's father, Count Niccolò, was commander of the citadel at Reggio Emilia. When Ludovico was 10, the family

Würm Glacial Stage

2004-09-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

Major division of late Pleistocene deposits and time in Alpine Europe (the Pleistocene epoch began about 1,600,000 years ago and ended about 10,000 years ago). The Würm glacial stage followed the Riss-Würm interglacial and is correlated with the Weichsel glacial stage of northern Europe and the Wisconsin glacial stage of North America. The Alpine glaciations of the Pleistocene

Meliaceae

2004-09-13T06:22:00.000-07:00

The mahogany family of flowering plants, of the order Sapindales, comprising 51 genera and about 575 species of trees and (rarely) shrubs, native to tropical and subtropical regions. Most members of the family have large compound leaves, with the leaflets arranged in the form of a feather, and branched flower clusters. The fruit is fleshy and coloured or a leathery capsule.

Philemon

2004-09-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

As a playwright Philemon was noted for his neatly contrived plots, vivid description, dramatic surprises, and platitudinous moralizing. By 328 he was producing plays in Athens, where he eventually became a citizen; he also worked in Alexandria for a time.

Karachi

2004-09-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

City and capital of Sindh province, southern Pakistan. It is the country's largest city and principal seaport and is a major commercial and industrial centre. Karachi is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea immediately northwest of the Indus River Delta. The city proper covers an area of 228 square miles (591 square km), while the metropolitan area of Greater Karachi spreads

East Australian Current

2004-09-06T01:16:00.000-07:00

Surface oceanic current, a section of the counterclockwise flow in the Tasman Sea, southwestern Pacific Ocean. It is formed by water masses from the Coral Sea—equatorial water driven by monsoonal winds from January to March and eastward subtropical flow from April to December—which pass southeast between the Great Barrier and Chesterfield reefs (20° S latitude), paralleling

Submarine Fan

2004-09-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

Accumulation of land-derived sediment on the deep seafloor; in configuration, a fan is like the section of a very low cone, with its apex at the lower mouth of a submarine canyon incised into a continental slope. Submarine canyons have steep courses with high walls and funnel occasional dense slurries of water and terrigenous sediment (turbidity currents) to the abyssal

Wagner, Otto

2004-09-03T02:29:00.000-07:00

As a teacher, Wagner