SpecialNerve

Macdonald, Jacques, Duc De Tarente

2005-04-04T23:54:00.000-07:00

The son of a Scottish adherent of the exiled British Stuart dynasty, who had served in a Scots regiment in France, he joined the French army and was a colonel when the wars of the French Revolution broke out. He was promoted to general in 1793 and to general of division

Tariff

2005-04-03T03:35:00.000-07:00

Tariffs may be levied either to raise revenue or to protect domestic industries, but a tariff designed primarily to raise revenue may exercise a strong protective influence and a tariff

Pietersburg

2005-04-03T03:22:00.000-07:00

Town and capital of Northern province, South Africa. It is located about midway between Pretoria and the Zimbabwe border, at an elevation of 4,199 feet (1,280 m). The town was founded by Voortrekkers (Afrikaans: “Pioneers”) in 1886 on land purchased in 1884 from a local farmer and was named after Petrus (Piet) Joubert, a Boer general. It was the temporary capital in 1900 of both the Transvaal and the Orange

Mufulira

2005-04-01T19:02:00.000-08:00

Town, north-central Zambia. Mufulira is situated just southwest of the Congo (Kinshasa) frontier. One of the country's chief copper-mining centres, the rich local deposits have been exploited for many years. Smelting and refining of copper and an explosives-manufacturing plant are surface industries in the town. Pop. (1990) 152,944.

France, History Of, The abolition of feudalism

2005-04-01T16:35:00.000-08:00

Of course the violence of peasant insurgency worried the deputies of the National Assembly; to some it seemed as if the countryside were being engulfed by anarchy that threatened all property. But the majority was unwilling to turn against the rebellious peasants. Instead of denouncing their violence, they tried to appease peasant opinion. Liberal nobles and

O Canada

2005-04-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

The music, written by Calixa Lavallée (1842–91), a concert pianist and native of Verchères, Que., was commissioned in 1880 on the occasion of a visit to Quebec by Lord Lorne (later Duke of Argyll), then governor-general of Canada, and his wife, Queen Victoria's

Kildare

2005-03-31T18:32:00.000-08:00

Irish Cill Dara market town, County Kildare, Ireland. The Protestant cathedral church (1229) is dedicated to St. Brigit of Ireland, who founded a community there in the 5th century. Restoration of the church was begun in 1875. Near the church are an ancient cross and round tower, and there are remains of a 13th-century castle and monastery. The town was incorporated by James II. Pop. (1986) 4,268.

Berezina River

2005-03-31T09:03:00.000-08:00

River in Belarus, a tributary of the Dnieper, which it joins near Rechitsa. Its 381-mile (613-kilometre) length drains 9,450 square miles (24,500 square km). Rising north of the Minsk Elevation, it flows to the south-southeast in a meandering course through a swampy, forested basin. It is navigable only by small craft. During Napoleon's retreat from Moscow in 1812, a bitter engagement was fought on

Gaspé Current

2005-03-30T09:27:00.000-08:00

Outflow from the St. Lawrence River, which moves around the Gaspé Peninsula and along the southern shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It merges with a cold branch of the Labrador (Cabot) Current before flowing through the Cabot Strait and into the North Atlantic Ocean. The current responds to the river's flow, being strong and warm in the summer and cold and weak in the winter.

Cohan, George M.

2005-03-29T14:24:00.000-08:00

At an early age he performed with his parents and sister, subsequently taking comedy roles in vaudeville and on the legitimate stage. By 1893 he was writing vaudeville skits and popular songs. His

Demosthenes

2005-03-29T09:56:00.000-08:00

Athenian statesman, recognized as the greatest of ancient Greek orators, who roused Athens to oppose Philip of Macedon and, later, his son Alexander the Great. His speeches provide valuable information on the political, social, and economic life of 4th-century Athens.

French Literature, Secular drama

2005-03-29T08:39:00.000-08:00

The earliest comic plays extant date from the second half of the 13th century. Le Garçon et

Demosthenes

2005-03-27T17:05:00.000-08:00

Any member of the egg-laying mammalian order Monotremata, which includes the amphibious platypus (family Ornithorhynchidae) and the terrestrial echidnas (family Tachyglossidae) of Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea.

Arabia, History Of, Oman

2005-03-27T04:13:00.000-08:00

In the last decades of the 7th century the Ibadites (Ibadiyah), regarded as a moderate Kharijite sect, conquered southern Arabia, established a Kindite imam in Hadhramaut, occupied San'a', and took Mecca and Medina, before the Umayyads drove them back to Hadhramaut. Oman had early become Kharijite; the first Ibadite imam, al-Julanda ibn Mas'ud, was elected at about the beginning of the 'Abb

Stephen F. Austin State University

2005-03-26T14:05:00.000-08:00

Public, coeducational institution of higher education in Nacogdoches, Texas, U.S. It comprises the Graduate School, the Arthur Temple College of Forestry, and colleges of applied arts and sciences, business, education, fine arts, liberal arts, and sciences and mathematics. Bachelor's and master's degrees are offered in a range of fields, and doctoral degrees are available

Agulhas, Cape

2005-03-25T22:59:00.000-08:00

Cape that is the southernmost point of the African continent, located 109 miles (176 km) southeast of Cape Town, S.Af. Its name, Portuguese for “needles,” refers to the rocks and reefs that have wrecked many ships. A lighthouse was established there in 1849. The Agulhas Banks are excellent for trawling. The cape's meridian (20° E) is the official boundary between the Indian and Atlantic

Jowett, Benjamin

2005-03-24T17:37:00.000-08:00

Jowett was educated at St. Paul's School, London, and Balliol. He was made a fellow at Balliol in

La Línea

2005-03-24T11:26:00.000-08:00

In full La Línea de la Concepción town, Cadiz provincia, in the comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) of Andalusia, southwestern Spain. It lies along the Bay of Gibraltar, between San Roque and the British colony of Gibraltar. The name is derived from the línea, or boundary, dividing Spanish territory from the district of Gibraltar. The town processes fruit and vegetables for sale in Gibraltar,

Leaf-nosed Bat

2005-03-23T23:14:00.000-08:00

Any of the bats belonging to the families Phyllostomatidae and Hipposideridae (qq.v.).

San Fernando

2005-03-23T02:10:00.000-08:00

Town, west-central Luzon, Philippines. Located on a bay of the South China Sea formed by a peninsula that ends in San Fernando Point, it served a tobacco- and rice-growing region as the northern terminus of the Philippine National Railway until the line was extended to Bacnotan in 1955. The town is on Luzon's main western coastal highway. Its outport, Poro, is the only national

San Diego

2005-03-22T11:47:00.000-08:00

Port, city, and important U.S. military and naval base, seat (1850) of San Diego county, southern California, U.S. It lies along the Pacific Ocean at San Diego Bay (there bridged to Coronado). Sighted in 1542 and named San Miguel by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the area was renamed San Diego de Alcalá de Henares in 1602 by Sebastián Vizcaíno. Gaspar de Portolá founded a presidio (military post) there

Ethiopic Alphabet

2005-03-20T20:58:00.000-08:00

Writing system used to write the Ge'ez literary and ecclesiastical language and the Amharic, Tigre, and Tigrinya languages of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Apparently derived from Sabaean, a South Semitic script, the Ethiopic script probably originated in the early 4th century AD; it is unclear whether Ethiopic resulted from a gradual evolution of the Sabaean script or whether

Windsor

2005-03-20T11:45:00.000-08:00

Town, Windsor and Maidenhead unitary authority, historic county of Berkshire, England. Windsor is situated on the south bank of the River Thames and lies to the west of London. The modern town is dominated by Windsor Castle, standing on the outcrop of chalk on which William I the Conqueror (reigned 1066–87) built the original fortress. The castle is in regular occupation as a

Cat Snake

2005-03-20T06:56:00.000-08:00

Most cat snakes are about 70 cm (28 inches) long. Cat snakes occur in Africa and southwestern Asia; one, T. fallax, ranges to Europe. A number of snakes of other genera have vertical pupils and are sometimes called

Medicine, China

2005-03-19T21:38:00.000-08:00

Health services in China since the Cultural Revolution have been characterized by decentralization and dependence on personnel chosen locally and trained for short periods. Emphasis is given to selfless motivation, self-reliance, and to the involvement of everyone in the community. Campaigns stressing the importance of preventive measures and their implementation

Tyson, Mike

2005-03-19T19:40:00.000-08:00

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,

Disa

2005-03-19T01:24:00.000-08:00

Most species bear flowers ranging in colour from white to purple and in diameter from about 0.5 to 10 centimetres (about 0.2 to 4 inches). The upper sepal of each flower usually has a spur and stands upright,

Maazel, Lorin

2005-03-17T01:31:00.000-08:00

Maazel grew up in Los Angeles and began his first musical instruction at age five. Although he began conducting as early as age nine, he made his adult debut in 1953 in Italy,

Wycombe

2005-03-16T17:14:00.000-08:00

District, administrative and historic county of Buckinghamshire, England, in the southern part of the wooded Chiltern Hills. The River Thames forms its southern boundary. The predominantly rural district overlaps the designated Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Prehistoric burial mounds and earthworks are visible. Towns include High Wycombe,

China, Yüan's attempts to become emperor

2005-03-16T02:20:00.000-08:00

In the wake of the humiliation of these forced concessions, Yüan launched a movement to revive the monarchy, with some modernized features, and to place himself on the throne. The Japanese government began to “advise” against this move in October and induced its allies to join in opposing Yüan's plan. Additional opposition came from the leaders of the Nationalist and

Appian Way

2005-03-15T22:57:00.000-08:00

Latin Via Appia, the first and most famous of the ancient Roman roads, running from Rome to Campania and southern Italy. (See Roman road system.) The Appian Way was begun in 312 BC by the censor Appius Claudius Caecus. At first it ran only 132 miles (212 km) from Rome south-southeastward to ancient Capua, in Campania, but by about 244 BC it had been extended another 230 miles (370 km) southeastward to reach the port of Brundisium

Cat Shark

2005-03-15T03:39:00.000-08:00

(family Scyliorhinidae), any of more than 80 species of small, mottled sharks (order Lamniformes). Although many bottom-dwelling species are rare and poorly known ecologically, representatives have been found in all major marine environments of the tropical and temperate regions. Most cat sharks are small (less than 90 cm [3 feet]), and many have bold body markings. They have

Aerospace Industry, Mergers and divestitures

2005-03-14T07:22:00.000-08:00

With a decline in defense funding and a narrowing of commercial markets in the decades following World War II, the number of business opportunities shrank, and competition for each project became more intense. In response, aerospace companies sought mergers as a way to integrate strengths, to combine talent and other resources, and to reduce costs by eliminating

Kordofanian Languages

2005-03-13T02:09:00.000-08:00

A branch of the Niger-Congo language family that is geographically separated from the rest of the Niger-Congo languages and is believed to represent the oldest layer of languages in the region. The Kordofanian branch consists of some 20 languages spoken by 250,000 to 500,000 people, mainly in the Nuba Hills of central Sudan. Kordofanian is divided into four main groups of languages:

Morris

2005-03-12T02:56:00.000-08:00

County, northern New Jersey, U.S., bounded by the Musconetcong River and Lake Hopatcong to the west, the Pequannock and Pompton rivers to the north, and the Passaic River to the east. It consists largely of a piedmont and upland region, with swampy lowlands in the southeast, and is drained by the Black, Rockaway, and Raritan (south branch) rivers. Among its numerous lakes are

Tyr

2005-03-12T02:31:00.000-08:00

Old Norse Týr , Old English Tiw , or Tiu one of the oldest gods of the Germanic peoples and a somewhat enigmatic figure. He was apparently the god concerned with the formalities of war—especially treaties—and also, appropriately, of justice. It is in his character as guarantor of contracts, guardian of oaths, that the most famous myth about him may be understood: as a guarantee of good faith, he placed his hand

Hermes

2005-03-11T22:12:00.000-08:00

Greek god, son of Zeus and Maia; often identified with the Roman Mercury (q.v.) and with Casmilus or Cadmilus, one of the Cabeiri (q.v.). His name is probably derived from herma (see herm), the Greek word for a heap of stones, such as was used in the country to indicate boundaries or as a landmark. The earliest centre of his cult was probably Arcadia, where Mt. Cyllene was reputed to be

Mcgwire, Mark

2005-03-11T01:08:00.000-08:00

As a senior in high school, McGwire attracted more attention with his

France, History Of, The conversion of Clovis

2005-03-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

Clovis came to believe that his victory at Tolbiacum in 496 was due to the help of the Christian God, whom his wife Clotilda had been encouraging him to accept. With the support of Bishop Remigius of Reims, a leader of the Gallo-Roman aristocracy, Clovis converted with some 3,000 of his army. Clovis' conversion assured the Frankish king of the support not only of the ecclesiastical

O.b.e.

2005-03-10T07:20:00.000-08:00

Officer of the British Empire, member of a British order of knighthood, although this rank does not confer knighthood. See British Empire, The Most Excellent Order of the.

Theatre, The

2005-03-09T22:22:00.000-08:00

First public playhouse of London, located in the parish of St. Leonard's, Shoreditch. Designed and built by James Burbage (the father of actor Richard Burbage), The Theatre was a roofless, circular building with three galleries surrounding a yard. It opened in 1576, and several companies performed there, including Leicester's Men (1576–78), the Admiral's Men (1590–91), and Chamberlain's Men (1594–96), who

Saarinen, Eero

2005-03-09T16:27:00.000-08:00

Eero was the son of the noted architect Eliel Saarinen and Loja Gesellius, a sculptor. The Saarinen family of four, including a sister, Eva-Lisa, moved to the United States in 1923. Eero attended public schools in Michigan. In 1929 he studied sculpture at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris but, as he recounted years later, “it never occurred to me to do anything but follow

Pitt, William, The Elder

2005-03-09T04:19:00.000-08:00

Also called (from 1766) 1st Earl of Chatham, Viscount Pitt of Burton-Pynsent , byname The Great Commoner British statesman, twice virtual prime minister (1756–61, 1766–68), who secured the transformation of his country into an imperial power.

Guadalcanal, Battle Of

2005-03-09T03:40:00.000-08:00

(August 1942–February 1943), series of World War II land and sea clashes between Allied and Japanese forces on and around Guadalcanal, one of the southern Solomon Islands, in the South Pacific. Japanese troops had landed on Guadalcanal on July 6, 1942, and had begun constructing an airfield there. On August 7, in the Allies' first major offensive in the Pacific, 6,000 U.S. Marines landed on Guadalcanal

Earth Satellite

2005-03-07T22:40:00.000-08:00

The idea of an artificial satellite in orbital flight was first suggested by Sir Isaac Newton in his book Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (1687). He pointed out that a cannonball shot at

Moscow

2005-03-07T00:05:00.000-08:00

Russian Moskva oblast (province), western Russia. The oblast surrounds and includes the city of Moscow, the capital of Russia. Moscow oblast was formed in 1929. The main feature of its relief is the Klin-Dmitrov Ridge, which stretches roughly east-west across the oblast, north of Moscow city. The ridge, a line of terminal moraines, reaches a height of 1,000 feet (300 metres) with a steep northern slope to

Masolino

2005-03-06T18:06:00.000-08:00

Masolino came from the same district of Tuscany

Maathai, Wangari

2005-03-06T17:10:00.000-08:00

Maathai was educated in the United States at Mount St. Scholastica College (now Benedictine College; B.S. in biology, 1964) and at the University of Pittsburgh (M.S., 1966). In 1971 she received a Ph.D. at the University of Nairobi, where

Chauk

2005-03-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

Town and port, north-central Myanmar (Burma). Situated in the Irrawaddy River basin, it is a petroleum port for the Singu-Chauk oil fields. Traditionally, people of the Mon group gathered asphalt in the area to weatherproof houses. In 1902 the British discovered the Chauk-Lonywa oil field. Later, crude oil from Chauk was sent by a 350-mile (563-kilometre) pipeline to Syriam for refining.

Lena River, Plant and animal life

2005-03-05T07:54:00.000-08:00

The vegetation of the Lena valley corresponds to the natural zones across which the river flows. The main part of the river basin is covered with taiga (swampy northern coniferous forest); in the lower reaches are found tundra and scattered forest. Spruce, cedar, birch, and poplar predominate in the moister regions. In the central valley there are some expanses of steppe

Altona

2005-03-05T04:13:00.000-08:00

Northwest district of the city and Land (state) of Hamburg, northwestern Germany. It lies on cliffs above the right bank of the Elbe River. The name may have come originally from allzu-nah (“all too near”), which was the Hamburgers' designation for an inn that lay too close to their territory and was for long the only building. As a small fishing village called Altwasser, it fell

Moréas, Jean

2005-03-04T22:42:00.000-08:00

Early inspired by a French governess who instilled in him a passion for French poetry, Moréas moved to Paris in 1879, becoming a familiar figure in the literary circles frequenting the cafés and in the literary pages of newspapers and reviews. He published

Craig, James

2005-03-03T02:35:00.000-08:00

American ice hockey goaltender who was part of the U.S. hockey team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, U.S. The American victory in the hockey tournament, known as the “miracle on ice,” was one of the greatest surprises in the history of the Olympics, and Craig, who started every game in goal, was a leading figure in the

Military Aircraft, Reconnaissance

2005-03-02T20:48:00.000-08:00

Reconnaissance aircraft also carried ECM devices and relied heavily on electronic and infrared sensors to supplement their film cameras. Their tasks were to locate and photograph targets, using radar and conventional photographic techniques, and to probe enemy electronic defense systems to discover and evaluate the types of radio and radar equipment that

Man Orchid

2005-03-02T16:44:00.000-08:00

The flower spike, about 10 to 45 cm (4 to 18 inches) tall, may bear up to 90 greenish or yellowish flowers, which have an unpleasant odour.

Submarine, World War I

2005-03-02T07:06:00.000-08:00

By the eve of World War I all of the major navies included submarines in their fleets, but these craft were relatively small, were considered of questionable military value, and generally were intended for coastal operations. The most significant exception to the concept of coastal activity was the German Deutschland class of merchant U-boats, each 315 feet long with

Beagle

2005-03-01T15:16:00.000-08:00

Small hound-dog breed popular as both a pet and a hunter. It looks like a small foxhound and has large brown eyes, hanging ears, and a short coat, usually a combination of black, tan, and white. The beagle is a solidly built dog, heavy for its height. It generally excels as a rabbit hunter and is typically an alert, affectionate dog. There are two sizes recognized in the breed: beagles

Theatre, Developments in staging

2005-03-01T04:24:00.000-08:00

In the latter half of the 16th century, intermezzi became a popular element of theatrical production. These entertainments, inserted between the acts of a play and totally unrelated to it, were generally on classical themes and were originally mounted during masked balls and banquets. The need to change settings rapidly for the alternating segments of plays and

Tuam

2005-02-28T18:24:00.000-08:00

Irish Tuaim chief market town of the northern part of eastern County Galway, Ireland. It is the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishop, the see having been founded by St. Jarlath (c. 550), and the seat of a Protestant bishop. The Protestant cathedral incorporates part of an ancient church built about 1130 with the help of Turloch O'Connor, king of Connaught. The chancel is all that remains of the original

Mahavira

2005-02-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

All that is known about Mahavira's life is that he was a Jain (he perhaps took his name to honour the great Jainism reformer Mahavira [c. 599–527 BCE]) and that he wrote Ganitasarasangraha (“Compendium of the Essence of Mathematics”) during the reign of Amoghavarsha (c. 814–878) of the Rashtrakuta

Koch, Frederick Henry

2005-02-27T18:13:00.000-08:00

Koch received his B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1900 and his M.A. from Harvard University in 1909. In 1905 he began teaching at the University of North Dakota, forming the Dakota Playmakers in 1910. Called to the University

Anchieta, José De

2005-02-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

Anchieta came from a prominent Portuguese family and was even thought to be related to the founder of the Jesuit

Adolf

2005-02-26T09:08:00.000-08:00

The son of Duke William of Nassau-Weilburg and Charlotte of Saxony, Adolf became duke of Nassau upon his father's death (1839). Educated in Vienna and a military supporter of the Habsburgs, he sided with Austria

Amnesty International

2005-02-26T01:04:00.000-08:00

(AI), international organization headquartered in London that seeks to inform public opinion about violations of human rights, especially the abridgments of freedom of speech and of religion and the imprisonment and torture of political dissidents, and which actively seeks the release of political prisoners and the relief, when necessary, of their families. In

Alice

2005-02-25T17:36:00.000-08:00

Town, Eastern province, South Africa. It lies on the southwestern bank of the Tyume River, west-northwest of East London, at an elevation of 1,720 feet (524 m). Alice began as a mission station established by the Glasgow Missionary Society for the Xhosa people in 1824. It was named after Princess Alice (a daughter of Queen Victoria) and became the seat of a magistracy in 1847 and a town in 1852. Livestock,

Bingerville

2005-02-25T16:29:00.000-08:00

Town, southeastern Côte d'Ivoire, on the Ébrié Lagoon. Named for Captain Louis-Gustave Binger, first governor of the French Ivory Coast colony, the town was the colonial capital from 1900 to 1934. Formerly a trade centre among the Ebrie (Kyama) people, it is now the site of agricultural research stations for oil palm, coffee and cacao, and livestock. Pineapples and avocados are among

Cereal Processing, Semolina

2005-02-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

Semolina, not flour, is the form of cereal used, and various plain macaroni products are made by combining the correct form of semolina, from durum wheat, with water. Richer alimentary pastes are made with the addition of eggs in fresh, dried, or frozen form, and egg noodles are popular. In low-income families, alimentary pastes often provide the bulk of the calories in the

Induction

2005-02-24T19:54:00.000-08:00

In logic, method of reasoning from a part to a whole, from particulars to generals, or from the individual to the universal. As it applies to logic in systems of the 20th century, the term is obsolete. Traditionally, logicians distinguished between deductive logic (inference in which the conclusion follows necessarily from the premise, or drawing new propositions out

Ch'i-ying

2005-02-23T19:26:00.000-08:00

A member of the Imperial family of the Ch'ing dynasty (1644–1912), Ch'i-ying served in various high governmental positions before being sent to the east-central Chinese city of Nanking in 1842 to negotiate a treaty with the

Italic Languages

2005-02-23T18:58:00.000-08:00

Certain Indo-European languages that were once spoken in the Apennine Peninsula (modern Italy) and in the eastern part of the Po valley. These include the Latin, Faliscan, Osco-Umbrian, South Picene, and Venetic languages, which have in common a considerable number of features that separate them from the other languages of the same area—e.g., from Greek and Etruscan. (In

Crommelynck, Fernand

2005-02-23T11:48:00.000-08:00

Crommelynck, who was the child of a French mother and a Belgian father, came from a family connected with the theatre and was himself trained as an actor. After some early successes in Belgium, including such

Vigo, Jean

2005-02-23T04:53:00.000-08:00

French film director whose blending of lyricism with realism and Surrealism, the whole underlined with a cynical, anarchic approach to life, distinguished him as an original talent. Although he completed only three feature films and one short, Taris (1931), before his early death, his films produced great public reaction. A Jean Vigo Prize is

Adam, Robert

2005-02-21T22:45:00.000-08:00

As a designer of furniture, too, Adam played a leading role and was prolific, turning his hand to everything from organ cases and sedan chairs to saltcellars and door fittings. The furniture style he evolved, popularized by the cabinetmaker George Hepplewhite, was always meant to harmonize with the rest of the home. It is one of the outstanding features of an Adam interior

Kamba

2005-02-21T18:35:00.000-08:00

Though primarily agriculturists, the Kamba keep considerable numbers of cattle, sheep, and goats. Their main staple crops are millet, sorghum, and corn (maize). Overcrowding and soil erosion in the Machakos district have driven many to work in Nairobi. The Kamba have long been known

Campeche

2005-02-21T13:40:00.000-08:00

Estado (“state”), southeastern Mexico, on the Yucatán Peninsula. It is bounded north and east by the state of Yucatán, from which it seceded in 1857; northwest by the Gulf of Mexico; east by the state of Quintana Roo; south by Guatemala; and southwest by the state of Tabasco. Named after the ancient Mayan province of Kimpech (Campech), it comprises much of the western part of the peninsula.

Gonda

2005-02-20T05:43:00.000-08:00

The area in which Gonda is situated is drained by the Rapti and other Ghaghara tributaries and

Palladio, Andrea

2005-02-19T22:19:00.000-08:00

Palladio was born in the northern Italian region of the Veneto, where, as a youth, he was apprenticed to a sculptor in Padua until, at the age of 16, he moved to nearby Vicenza and enrolled in the guild of the bricklayers and stonemasons. He was employed as a mason in workshops specializing in monuments and decorative sculpture in the style of the Mannerist architect Michele

Penderecki, Krzysztof

2005-02-18T23:47:00.000-08:00

Penderecki studied composition at the Superior School of Music in Kraków (graduated 1958), subsequently becoming a professor there. He first drew attention in 1959 at the third Warsaw Festival of Contemporary Music, where his Strophes

Eureka

2005-02-18T23:06:00.000-08:00

Gold and silver mining is the chief economic activity, although there is some agriculture. The county was created in 1873, and its seat is Eureka. Area 4,176 square miles (10,816 square

Liber And Libera

2005-02-18T15:34:00.000-08:00

In Roman religion, a pair of fertility and cultivation deities of uncertain origin. Liber, though an old and native Italian deity, came to be identified with Dionysus. The triad Ceres, Liber, and Libera (his female counterpart) represented in Rome, from early times and always under Greek influence, the Eleusinian Demeter, Iacchus-Dionysus, and Kore (Persephone). At the festival

Pacific Mountain System

2005-02-17T10:51:00.000-08:00

The Pacific mountain region had a large American Indian population before the arrival of white explorers and settlers. Hunting, the gathering of berries, roots, and nuts, and fishing were the major economic activities. Trade and barter were common among tribes, especially in the north, where peoples from the interior traded hides, meat, and roots for salmon caught

Chechnya

2005-02-16T18:42:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia republic in southwestern Russia, situated on the northern flank of the Greater Caucasus range. Chechnya is bordered by Russia proper on the north, Dagestan republic on the east and southeast, Georgia on the southwest, and Ingushetia republic on the west. Chechnya falls into three physical regions from south to north. In the south is the Greater Caucasus, the crest

Soil Organism

2005-02-16T17:05:00.000-08:00

Any organism inhabiting the soil during part or all of its life. Soil organisms, which range in size from microscopic cells that digest decaying organic material to small mammals that live primarily on other soil organisms, play an important role in maintaining fertility, structure, drainage, and aeration of soil. They also break down plant and animal tissues, releasing

Futabatei Shimei

2005-02-16T14:13:00.000-08:00

Although Futabatei wrote three novels and translated many stories,

Athamas

2005-02-14T17:56:00.000-08:00

In Greek mythology, king of the prehistoric Minyans in the ancient Boeotian city of Orchomenus. His first wife was Nephele, a cloud goddess. But later Athamas became enamoured of Ino, the daughter of Cadmus, and neglected Nephele, who disappeared in anger. Athamas and Ino incurred the wrath of the goddess Hera because Ino had nursed the god Dionysus (q.v.). Athamas went mad

Alcántara

2005-02-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

Town, Cáceres provincia, in the Extremadura comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”), western Spain, on a rock above the southern bank of the Tagus (Tajo) River just east of the Portuguese frontier. The walled town was named by the Moors after the six-arched Roman bridge Al-Qantarah (Arabic: “The Bridge”), which there spans the Tagus. Built in AD 105–106 in honour of the emperor Trajan,

Korda, Sir Alexander

2005-02-14T01:52:00.000-08:00

Before he was 20 years old he was working as a journalist in Budapest, and in 1914 he started the film periodical Pesti Mozi (“Budapest Cinema”). He made his first film in 1914, and by 1917 he had become the co-owner

Marquis, Don

2005-02-14T00:34:00.000-08:00

Educated at Knox College, Galesburg, Ill., Marquis worked as a reporter on The Atlanta Journal. When in 1907 Joel Chandler Harris established the Uncle Remus's Magazine, Marquis became

Neoevolutionism

2005-02-13T04:38:00.000-08:00

School of anthropological thought concerned with long-term, directional, “evolutionary” culture change and with the regular patterns of development that may be seen in unrelated, widely separated cultures. Neoevolutionist anthropology, a development of the mid-20th century, addresses the relation between the long-term “progressive” change (general evolution) characteristic

Syriac Language

2005-02-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

Semitic language belonging to the Northern Central, or Northwestern, group; it was an important Christian literary and liturgical language from the 3rd through the 7th century AD. Syriac was based on the East Aramaic dialect of Edessa, Osroëne (present-day Sanliurfa, in southeastern Turkey), which became one of the chief centres of Christianity in the Middle East at the end

Lapse, Doctrine Of

2005-02-12T06:51:00.000-08:00

In Indian history, formula devised by Lord Dalhousie, governor-general of India (1848–56), to deal with questions of succession to Hindu Indian states. It was a corollary to the doctrine of paramountcy, by which Great Britain, as the ruling power of the Indian subcontinent, claimed the superintendence of the subordinate Indian states and so also the regulation of their

Literature, Latin America.

2005-02-10T20:34:00.000-08:00

Carlos Fuentes

Cuza, Alexandru Ion

2005-02-10T17:09:00.000-08:00

The scion of an old boyar family, Cuza studied in Paris, Pavia, and Bologna, participated in revolutionary agitation against Russo-Turkish rule in his native Moldavia (1848), obtained the rank of colonel, and subsequently achieved prominence

V-2 Missile

2005-02-10T10:50:00.000-08:00

Developed in Germany from 1936 through the efforts of scientists led by Wernher von Braun, it was first successfully launched on October 3, 1942, and was fired against Paris on September 6, 1944. Two days later the first of more than 1,100 V-2s was fired against Great Britain (the last on March

Haldane, John Scott

2005-02-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Haldane developed several procedures for studying the physiology of breathing and the physiology of the blood and for the analysis of gases consumed or produced by the body. Among his most widely used devices were

Vanadzor

2005-02-09T04:49:00.000-08:00

Formerly (until 1935) Karaklis or (1935–93) Kirovakan city, northern Armenia. It lies at the confluence of the Pambak, Tandzut, and Vanadzoriget rivers. In 1826 the villages of Bolshoy and Maly Karaklis were merged into the town of Karaklis. Construction of the Tiflis-Karaklis-Alexandropol railway at the end of the 19th century speeded the town's development. In 1935 the name of Karaklis was officially changed to Kirovakan to

Jackrabbit

2005-02-08T17:45:00.000-08:00

Any of several North American species of hare (genus Lepus).

Pemba Island

2005-02-08T10:50:00.000-08:00

Arabic Jazirat Al-khudrah, island in the Indian Ocean, lying 35 miles (56 km) off the coast of East Africa, opposite the port of Tanga, Tanzania. The island embraces 380 square miles (984 square km) and is 42 miles (67 km) long and 14 miles (22 km) wide. As the Arabic name, which means “Green Island,” suggests, it is more fertile than its sister island, Zanzibar, which lies 30 miles (48 km) to the southwest. Pemba is the world's leading producer

Arts, Central Asian, Sculpture

2005-02-08T04:39:00.000-08:00

The art of casting images in bronze and other metals entered Tibet from Nepal and India. Having first followed foreign models, the Tibetans gradually developed their own styles

Catanzaro

2005-02-06T20:46:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Catanzaro provincia and of Calabria regione, southern Italy, at an elevation of 1,125 feet (343 m) overlooking the Gulf of Squillace, southeast of Cosenza. Founded about the 10th century as Catasarion, a Byzantine town, it was taken in 1059 by the Norman leader Robert Guiscard. Invading peoples from the Saracens to the Swiss, Normans, and Angevins (house of Anjou) recognized