StraightMuscle

Amphora

2005-03-19T01:18:00.000-08:00

One of the principal vessel shapes in Greek pottery, a two-handled pot with a neck narrower than the body. There are two types of amphora: the neck amphora, in which the neck meets the body at a sharp angle; and the one-piece amphora, in which the neck and body form a continuous curve. The first is common from the Geometric period (c. 900 BC) to the decline of Greek pottery; the second appeared

Medicine, Military practice

2005-03-16T06:21:00.000-08:00

The main means of preventing

Muhammad Ibn Al-hanafiyah

2005-03-14T01:56:00.000-08:00

Muslim religious figure who many thought was the legitimate caliph. He was a son of 'Ali, the fourth caliph, but not by his wife, Fatimah, who was the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. By nature, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyah was retiring and inclined to avoid partisan strife; he acted with much caution despite the support of various factions that would

Dye-transfer Process

2005-03-12T10:18:00.000-08:00

In photography, technique for preparing coloured photographic prints in which the colours of the subject are resolved by optical filters into three components, each of which is recorded on a separate gelatin negative. The three negatives are converted into relief positives in which the depth of the gelatin is related to the intensity of the colour component;

Benedict Biscop, Saint

2005-03-10T01:08:00.000-08:00

Of noble birth, he was a thane of King

Melrhir, Chott

2005-03-09T23:41:00.000-08:00

Lake in northeastern Algeria. Lying almost entirely below sea level, the Chott Melrhir is a marshy, saline lake that fluctuates in area with the seasons; usually, it is more than 80 miles (130 km) wide east–west. The Melrhir occupies the westernmost of a series of depressions extending into the Sahara from the Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia. The lowest point in Algeria, 131 feet (40 m) below sea

Cloisonné

2005-03-07T20:38:00.000-08:00

In the decorative arts, an enameling technique or any product of that technique, which consists of soldering to a metal surface delicate metal strips bent to the outline of a design and filling the resulting cellular spaces, called cloisons (French: “partitions,” or “compartments”), with vitreous enamel paste. The object then is fired, ground smooth, and polished. Sometimes

Tlemcen

2005-03-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

Also spelled (after 1981) Tilimsen, town, northwestern Algeria. It lies near the Moroccan border. Tlemcen is backed by the cliffs of the well-watered Tlemcen Mountains and overlooks the fertile Hennaya and Maghnia plains. Lying at an elevation of 2,648 feet (807 m), Tlemcen is located sufficiently inland to avoid the humidity of the Mediterranean coast but is near enough to receive cooling sea breezes in summer.

Zapolska, Gabriela

2005-03-03T03:11:00.000-08:00

Having tried unsuccessfully to pursue an acting career in Paris, Zapolska started writing cheap, sensationalist novels full of bitterness toward middle-class values, morality, and hypocrisy. Of her several novels written

Biblical Literature, Ecclesiastes

2005-02-28T07:43:00.000-08:00

The book of Ecclesiastes is a work of the Hebrew wisdom movement, associated by its title and by tradition with King Solomon. It is evident, however, that the book is of much later composition; the author may have identified himself with the famous king and wise man of the past to give greater authority to his work. The language of the book, including the relatively large

Spa

2005-02-27T17:33:00.000-08:00

The practice of “taking the waters” for therapeutic purposes reached its heyday in the 19th century, but springs have been considered places of healing at many

Metamorphosis

2005-02-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

In biology, striking change of form or structure in an individual after hatching or birth. Hormones called molting and juvenile hormones, which are not species specific, apparently regulate the changes. These physical changes as well as those involving growth and differentiation are accompanied by alterations of the organism's physiology, biochemistry, and

Saanen

2005-02-23T08:28:00.000-08:00

Popular breed of dairy goat originating in the Saanen Valley of Switzerland. The coat of the Saanen is fine and light-coloured, with white being generally preferred. In build it is similar to the Toggenburg, with smallish frame, straight or dished face, and erect ears. As is that of other goats, milk of the Saanen is whiter and more easily digestible than cow's milk. The breed

Roland (de La Platière), Jean-marie

2005-02-20T05:29:00.000-08:00

The son of a royal official, Roland became inspector of manufactures in Amiens (1780) and then in Lyon (1784). In February 1780 he married Jeanne-Marie Phlipon, who was 20 years

Middle American Indian

2005-02-18T17:41:00.000-08:00

The physical spine of Middle America is the broad mountain chain extending from the southern end of the Rockies to the northern tip of the Andes, with Middle America in the area from northern Mexico to Nicaragua. The mountain chain marks off the area into four major regions.

Ear, Human, Hearing tests

2005-02-14T15:57:00.000-08:00

Before the development of electroacoustic equipment for generating and measuring sound, the available tests of hearing gave approximate answers at best. A person's hearing could be specified in terms of the ability to distinguish the ticking of a watch or the clicking of coins or the distance at which conversational speech or a whispered voice could be understood.

Adams, John Coolidge

2005-02-13T17:58:00.000-08:00

Adams was

Cooper, Cynthia

2005-02-11T19:02:00.000-08:00

Cooper was raised

Bithynia

2005-02-09T01:21:00.000-08:00

Ancient district in northwestern Anatolia, adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea, thus occupying an important and precarious position between East and West. Late in the 2nd millennium BC, Bithynia was occupied by warlike tribes of Thracian origin who harried Greek settlers and Persian envoys alike. Their remarkable pugnacity kept them from

Nördlingen

2005-02-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

City, Bavaria Land (state), southern Germany, on the Eger River. A seat of the bishop of Regensburg in 898, it became a free imperial city in 1215. Several battles in the Thirty Years' War (17th century) and the French Revolutionary Wars (18th century) were fought outside the medieval walls that still surround the old city. Notable buildings include the late-Gothic town hall, the Church of

West Bank

2005-02-03T23:36:00.000-08:00

The approximately 2,270-square-mile (5,900-square-kilometre) area is the centre of contending

Scallop

2005-02-01T16:10:00.000-08:00

The two valves of the shell are usually fan-shaped,

Orange River

2005-01-29T11:36:00.000-08:00

River in southern Africa, one of the longest rivers on the continent and one of the longest south of the Tropic of Capricorn. After rising in the Lesotho Highlands, less than 125 miles (200 kilometres) from the Indian Ocean, the river flows to the Atlantic Ocean in a generally westerly direction for some 1,300 miles. The Orange traverses the veld region of South Africa, after which

Aquarium

2005-01-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

The earliest known aquarists were the Sumerians, who kept fishes in artificial ponds at least 4,500 years ago; records of fish keeping also date from ancient Egypt and Assyria. The Chinese, who raised carp for food as early as 1000 BC, were probably the first to breed fish with any degree of success. Their selective breeding of ornamental goldfish was later introduced to Japan, where

Wolsey, Thomas, Cardinal

2005-01-25T06:23:00.000-08:00

The son of a butcher of Ipswich, Wolsey was educated at the University of Oxford. In 1498 he was ordained

Toastmaster's Glass

2005-01-23T22:42:00.000-08:00

English glass about the size of an ordinary drinking glass but with only about one-quarter of its capacity; the glass creates the illusion of being full by means of a depression in its bowl, which in fact is almost solid. It owed its origin to the clubs of 18th-century England, where the toastmaster had to remain sober enough to carry out his office.

Mars

2005-01-21T01:45:00.000-08:00

Blood-red in colour and sometimes called the Red Planet, Mars has long been associated with warfare and slaughter. It is named for the Roman god of war. As

Cinque Ports

2005-01-19T18:44:00.000-08:00

Medieval confederation of English Channel ports in southeastern England, formed to furnish ships and men for the king's service. To the original five ports—Sandwich, Dover, Hythe, New Romney, and Hastings—were later added the “ancient towns” of Winchelsea and Rye with the privileges of “head ports.” More than 30 other towns in the counties of Kent and Sussex were also attached.

Davidovic, Ljubomir

2005-01-18T15:24:00.000-08:00

Entering the Serbian Parliament in 1901, Davidovic helped found the Independent Radical Party in the same year. He was elected leader of his party in 1912 and served as minister of education (1914–17) in Nikola Pašic's coalition Cabinet and in the

Wagner, Robert F(erdinand)

2005-01-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

Wagner arrived in the United States at the age of eight and settled with his parents in a New York tenement neighborhood. After graduating from the City College of New York in 1898, he went on to obtain a law degree from New York Law School in 1900. Later that year he was

Manchester Terrier

2005-01-14T17:07:00.000-08:00

Breed of dog developed in England from the whippet, a racing dog, and the black-and-tan terrier, a valued ratter, to combine the gaming talents of each. In 1860 the breed was named after the city of Manchester, a breeding centre, but it was often called the black-and-tan terrier until the 1920s. A sleek, short-haired dog, the Manchester has a long, narrow head, small bright eyes, and a glossy

Carlos De Austria

2005-01-12T15:06:00.000-08:00

Don Carlos spent his first years at Alcalá de Henares with his

Apple, Max

2005-01-09T02:37:00.000-08:00

Apple's satire is distinguished by its

Earth, The Earth's magnetic field

2005-01-08T04:55:00.000-08:00

Brief surveys are Sydney Chapman, The Earth's Magnetism, 2nd ed. rev. (1951, reprinted 1961); and J.A. Jacobs, The Earth's Core and Geomagnetism (1963), and Reversals of the Earth's Magnetic Field (1984). For more in-depth coverage, consult Sydney Chapman and Julius Bartels, Geomagnetism, vol. 1, Geomagnetic and Related Phenomena (1940, reprinted 1962); George D. Garland, Introduction to Geophysics: Mantle, Core and Crust, 2nd ed. (1979), an informative overview; S. Matsushita, “Solar Quiet and Lunar Daily Variation Fields,” ch. III-1 in S. Matsushita and Wallace H. Campbell, Physics of Geomagnetic Phenomena, vol. 1 (1967), pp. 301–424, an extensive treatment; Ronald T. Merrill and Michael W. McElhinny, The Earth's Magnetic Field: Its History, Origin, and Planetary Perspective (1983), an attempt to bridge the gap between dynamo theory and paleomagnetology; W.D. Parkinson, Introduction to Geomagnetism (1983), a logical, systematic, and highly readable treatment; and S.K. Runcorn, K.M. Creer, and J.A. Jacobs (eds.), The Earth's Core: Its Structure, Evolution, and Magnetic Field (1982), an excellent introduction to the modern literature on the topic. See also S.J. Peale, “Consequences of Tidal Evolution,” ch. 12 in Margaret G. Kivelson (ed.), The Solar System: Observations and Interpretations (1986), pp. 275–288; and K.A. Wienert, Notes on Geomagnetic Observatory and Survey Practice (1970), an explanation of the basic principles of geomagnetic survey techniques.

Nile, Battle Of The

2005-01-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

The French Revolutionary general Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798 made plans for an invasion of Egypt in order to constrict Britain's trade routes and threaten its possession of India. The British government

La Révellière-lépeaux, Louis-marie De

2005-01-04T02:10:00.000-08:00

In 1789 La Révellière-Lépeaux was elected as a representative of the Third Estate (the unprivileged order) to the States General, which converted itself into the revolutionary National Assembly. In 1792 he became a member of the Convention, the new national assembly that governed

Fukien, Education

2005-01-02T15:04:00.000-08:00

One of the most notable institutions of higher learning in Fukien is Amoy University. Fu-chou, famous since the Sung dynasty as a cultural centre, is the site of Fu-chou University, Fukien Medical College, Fukien Agricultural Institute, Fukien Normal College, and the Fukien Institute of Epidemiology of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Illiteracy has generally

Iri

2004-12-30T04:36:00.000-08:00

City, Cholla-pukto (North Cholla Province), western South Korea, 16 mi (26 km) east of the port city of Kunsan. In the northern part of the Honam-p'yongya (plain), the largest granary of South Korea, it is the market centre for the agricultural products, particularly rice, of the area. The city is also the transportation junction of rail lines leading to Mokp'o, Mok'o, Taejon, and Kunsan. Despite

Conseil D'état

2004-12-29T07:30:00.000-08:00

(French: “Council of State”), highest court in France for issues and cases involving public administration. Its origin dates back to 1302, though it was extensively reorganized under Napoleon and was given further powers in 1872. It has long had the responsibility of deciding or advising on state issues and legislative measures submitted to it by the sovereign or, later, by the

Teresópolis

2004-12-27T03:58:00.000-08:00

City, central Rio de Janeiro estado (“state”), Brazil. It lies in the Serra dos Órgãos at 2,959 feet (902 m) above sea level. Named after the Brazilian empress Teresa Cristina in 1890 and originally spelled Therezópolis, it was given city status in 1893. A cool climate and picturesque setting amid mountain peaks such as the Dedo de Deus (“Finger of God”) make the city a popular summer resort. Flowers

Adams, John

2004-12-25T06:44:00.000-08:00

(For additional writings by Adams, see The Meaning of the American Revolution; On the Importance of Property for the Suffrage; and Party Divisions in America.)

Straight-rail Billiards

2004-12-23T18:01:00.000-08:00

Billiard game played with three balls (one red and two white) on a table without pockets. The object is to score caroms by hitting both object balls with a cue ball. A player may use either white ball as cue ball but not one that has been placed on one of the small spots marked on the table, as at the start of the game or after one is knocked off the table. Only three caroms may be

Biblical Literature, Nature and significance

2004-12-20T06:31:00.000-08:00

General articles and notes in The Oxford Annotated Bible (1962), The Jerusalem Bible (1966), and the Genesis volume of The Anchor Bible, by E.A. Speiser (1964); E. H. Gombrich, The Story of Art, 12th rev. ed. (1972); Abraham J. Heschel, Man Is Not Alone (1951), a classic statement of modern Judaism; Erich Auerbach, Mimesis: Dargestellte Wirklichkeit in der abendländischen Literatur (1946; Eng. trans., Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature, 1953), a classic work; William R. Mueller, The Prophetic Voice in Modern Fiction (1959), religious themes interpreting Joyce, Camus, Kafka, Faulkner, Greene, and Silone; Nathan A. Scott, Jr. (ed.), The Tragic Vision and the Christian Faith (1957), essays by 12 writers on faith and the tragic dimension of existence; James Barr, The Scope and Authority of the Bible (1981), questions the divine inspiration of biblical texts.

Benavente Y Martínez, Jacinto

2004-12-19T19:29:00.000-08:00

One of the foremost Spanish dramatists of the 20th century, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1922. He returned drama to reality by way of social criticism: declamatory verse giving way to prose, melodrama to comedy, formula to experience, impulsive action to dialogue and the play of minds. Benavente showed a preoccupation with

Priapea

2004-12-15T23:08:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Priapeia poems in honour of the the god of fertility Priapus. Although there are ancient Greek poems addressed to him, the name Priapea is mainly applied to a collection of 85 or 86 short Latin poems composed in various metres and dealing with the fertility god who, with his sickle, protected gardens and vineyards against thieves and from whose axe-hewn image of figwood or willow

Shamanism

2004-12-12T07:46:00.000-08:00

Although the classic model and most complete expression of shamanism is found in the Arctic and Central Asian regions, the phenomenon must not be considered as limited to those countries. It is encountered, for example, in Southeast Asia, Oceania, and among many North American aboriginal tribes (shamanism does not play a role of the first order in Africa). A distinction

Nordic Skiing

2004-12-10T01:43:00.000-08:00

Also called classic skiing techniques and events that evolved in the hilly terrain of Norway and the other Scandinavian countries. The modern Nordic events are the cross-country races (including a relay race) and ski-jumping events. The Nordic combined is a separate test consisting of a 15-km cross-country race and special ski-jumping contest, with the winner determined on the basis of points

Racine, Jean

2004-12-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

The classic biography is Raymond Picard, La Carrière de Jean Racine, new ed. rev. and augmented (1961). Geoffrey Brereton, Jean Racine: A Critical Biography (1951, reprinted 1973), is also worth consulting. A popularized treatment is Alain Viala, Racine: la stratégie du caméléon (1990). Racine's central place in the history of French tragedy is discussed in Jacques Truchet, La Tragédie classique en France (1975). Critical studies accessible to the general reader include John C. Lapp, Aspects of Racinian Tragedy (1955, reissued 1978); Odette de Mourgues, Racine; or, The Triumph of Relevance (1967); Claude Abraham, Jean Racine (1977); David Maskell, Racine: A Theatrical Reading (1991); Edward Forman (ed.), Racine: Appraisal and Reappraisal (1991); Richard Parish, Racine: The Limits of Tragedy (1993); Henry Phillips, Racine: Language and Theatre (1994); and Derval Conroy and Edric Caldicott, Racine: The Power and the Pleasure (2001). The most controversial interpretations of Racine (anthropological by Roland Barthes, Marxist by Lucien Goldmann, and psychoanalytical by Charles Mauron) are reviewed with many others by Jean Rohou, Jean Racine: bilan critique, ed. by Alain Pagès (1994). Roy C. Knight, Racine et la Grèce, 2nd ed. (1974); and Ronald W. Tobin, Racine and Seneca (1971), elucidate Racine's vast knowledge of Greco-Roman antiquity. The rhetoric of the plays has been studied by Michael Hawcrowft, Word as Action: Racine, Rhetoric, and Theatrical Language (1992).

Ginsberg, (irwin) Allen

2004-12-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

American poet (b. June 3, 1926, Newark, N.J.--d. April 5, 1997, New York, N.Y.), was the poet laureate of the cultural movement in the 1950s whose members were known as the Beat Generation, disaffected antiestablishment writers whose lifestyle embraced alienation, nonconformity, and, often, drug use. His influence on art, music, and politics lasted throughout the following four decades, and such varied

Camaieu

2004-12-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

Plural Camaieux, painting technique by which an image is executed either entirely in shades of a single colour or in several tints unnatural to the object, figure, or scene represented. When a picture is monochromatically rendered in gray, it is called grisaille; when in yellow, cirage. Originating in the ancient world, camaieu was used in miniature painting to simulate cameos and

Parallelism

2004-12-03T21:40:00.000-08:00

In rhetoric, component of literary style in both prose and poetry, in which coordinate ideas are arranged in phrases, sentences, and paragraphs that balance one element with another of equal importance and similar wording. The repetition of sounds, meanings, and structures serves to order, emphasize, and point out relations. In its simplest form parallelism consists

Kirkintilloch

2004-11-30T18:02:00.000-08:00

Burgh (town), East Dunbartonshire council area, historic county of Dunbartonshire, west-central Scotland, on the northeastern periphery of the metropolitan area of Glasgow. It is situated on the Forth and Clyde Canal, and the River Kelvin flows past the town. There was a Roman fort on the site, part of the defensive Antonine Wall built in AD 142. The town was granted its charter

Agapetus I, Saint

2004-11-29T04:32:00.000-08:00

Pope from 535 to 536. Of noble birth, he was an archdeacon at the time of his election (May 13, 535). At the urging of the Ostrogothic king Theodahad, he headed an unsuccessful mission to Constantinople to deter the emperor Justinian I from his plans to reconquer Italy. While there he secured the election of, and consecrated,

Smyrna

2004-11-26T15:54:00.000-08:00

Town, Kent county, central Delaware, U.S., near the Smyrna River. Established about 1755, it was known as Duck Creek Cross Roads (for its location on the creek, which flows into the Smyrna River) until 1806, when it was renamed for the biblical seaport of Asia Minor. In 1792 a piqued state assembly, barred from the State House at Dover by a sheriff, met in the village tavern and named Duck Creek

Black Letter

2004-11-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

Also called Gothic Script, or Old English Script, in calligraphy, style of alphabet that was used for handwriting throughout Latin Christendom for about 500 years, from the decline of the literary reforms under Charlemagne in the early 9th century to the humanistic revival of the Renaissance. It is distinguished by a uniform treatment of vertical strokes that end on the baseline, the use of angular lines instead of

Actinomyxidian

2004-11-22T19:34:00.000-08:00

Also called Actinosporean, any parasitic microorganism of the class Actinomyxidia (Actinosporea), phylum Myxosporidia (Myxospora). It inhabits the alimentary canal of certain aquatic worms. The characteristic spores develop in the host's gut after the union of large and small gametes. The spores contain three polar filaments (possibly anchoring devices) enclosed in capsules and one to many

Braddock, Edward

2004-11-21T03:49:00.000-08:00

Braddock, the son of Major General Edward Braddock (d. 1725), joined the Coldstream Guards in 1710 and served in the Netherlands during the siege of Bergen op Zoom in 1747. He was appointed major general in 1754 and arrived in Virginia the following

Ka

2004-11-18T23:48:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Koi, in ancient Egyptian religion, with ba and akh, a principal aspect of the soul of a human being or of a god. The exact significance of ka remains a matter of controversy, chiefly for lack of an Egyptian definition; the usual translation “double” is incorrect. Written by a hieroglyph of uplifted arms, it seemed originally to have designated the protecting divine spirit of

K-capture

2004-11-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

Also called Electron Capture, one of three beta decay processes that affect atomic nuclei. See beta decay.

Medicine, Levels of health care

2004-11-15T22:20:00.000-08:00

In the curative domain there are various forms of medical practice. They may be thought of generally as forming a pyramidal structure, with three tiers representing increasing degrees of specialization and technical sophistication but catering to diminishing numbers of patients as they are filtered out of the system at a lower level. Only those patients who

Agnihotri, Shiv Narayan

2004-11-13T17:49:00.000-08:00

At the age of 16 Agnihotri entered the government-sponsored Thompson Engineering College in Roorkee and in 1873 took a position as a drawing master in the Government School of Lahore. He and his wife became active members of the Brahmo Samaj (literally, “Society

Gastronomy, Japanese

2004-11-10T09:55:00.000-08:00

Traditionally the Japanese bride received as many as 50 different kinds of dishes as wedding gifts, and she might use a dozen at one meal. She would

Oak Moss

2004-11-10T01:49:00.000-08:00

(Evernia prunastri), species of fruticose (branched, bushy) lichen valued in perfumery for its heavy, oriental fragrance and as a fixative base. It grows in mountainous areas throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere. The pale greenish gray thallus, 3 to 8 cm (1.2 to 3 inches) long, is palmately branched, ending in pointed tips. The upper surface is green and warty with pale gray

Jabir Ibn Hayyan, Abu Musa

2004-11-08T23:50:00.000-08:00

Shortly after Jabir was born, his father was beheaded for the part he played in a plot by the 'Abbasids to depose the Umayyad dynasty. Jabir was sent to Arabia, where he became a member of the Shi'ite sect. Apparently, he studied most branches of learning, including medicine. After the 'Abbasids defeated the Umayyads,

Paradoxes Of Zeno

2004-11-07T08:37:00.000-08:00

Statements made by the Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea, a 5th-century-BC disciple of Parmenides, a fellow Eleatic, designed to show that any assertion opposite to the monistic teaching of Parmenides leads to contradiction and absurdity. Parmenides had argued from reason alone that the assertion that only Being is leads to the conclusions that Being (or all that there

Tibet, Food and drink

2004-11-07T03:18:00.000-08:00

The staple Tibetan food is barley flour (rtsam-pa), which is consumed daily. Other major foods include wheat flour, yak meat, mutton, and pork. Dairy products such as butter, milk, and cheese are also popular. The people in the higher altitudes generally consume more meat than those of the lower regions, where a variety of vegetables is available. Rice is generally restricted

Yiddish Language

2004-11-06T00:25:00.000-08:00

The earliest

Rayleigh (of Terling Place), John William Strutt, 3rd Baron

2004-11-05T21:32:00.000-08:00

Strutt suffered from poor health

Tiffany, Louis Comfort

2004-11-03T03:58:00.000-08:00

The son of the famous jeweler Charles Lewis Tiffany, Louis studied under the American painters George Inness and Samuel

Rayleigh (of Terling Place), John William Strutt, 3rd Baron

2004-11-02T21:15:00.000-08:00

French Organisation De L'unité Africaine (OUA) labour organization founded in 1973 at Addis Ababa, Eth., on the initiative of the Organization of African Unity and replacing the former All-African Trade Union Federation (AATUF; founded in 1961) and the African Trade Union Confederation (ATUC; founded in 1962). The ATUC from its founding had encouraged member affiliation with other international union organizations, while the

Kabbala

2004-11-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

Spain also

Switzerland, Industry

2004-11-01T04:40:00.000-08:00

Switzerland's transformation into an industrial state began during the second half of the 19th century. Today the major exports are machinery and equipment, chemicals and drugs, watches, and textiles and apparel. Lacking mineral and agricultural raw materials, Switzerland is forced to import raw materials, foodstuffs, and manufactured goods by rail, truck, and barge;

Park Range

2004-10-31T17:37:00.000-08:00

Segment of the Rocky Mountains, extending south-southeastward for about 200 miles (320 km) from Carbon county, Wyo., to northwestern Park county, Colo., U.S. The range lies to a large extent within Medicine Bow, Pike, Arapaho, Routt, and White River national forests and includes the Mosquito (Colorado), Gore (Colorado), and Sierra Madre (Wyoming) subranges. Many peaks surpass 14,000 feet (4,300 m), with

Thomas, Audrey

2004-10-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

Thomas graduated from Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1957 and settled in Canada in 1959. After receiving an M.A. from the University of British Columbia in 1963, she lived in Ghana from 1964 to 1966 and then returned to British Columbia, where she divided

Dandakaranya

2004-10-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

Physical region in east-central India. Extending over an area of about 35,600 square miles (92,300 square km), it includes the Abujhmar Hills in the west and borders the Eastern Ghats in the east. The Dandakaranya includes parts of Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, and Andhra Pradesh states. It has dimensions of about 200 miles (320 km) from north to south and about 300 miles (480 km) from east to west. The region derives

Coho

2004-10-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

Also called Silver Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), species of salmon, family Salmonidae, prized for food and sport. The coho weighs about 4.5 kg (10 pounds) and is recognized by the small spots on the back and upper tail-fin lobe. Young coho stay in fresh water for about one year before entering North Pacific waters; they mature in about three years. Some populations, called landlocked,

Oakville

2004-10-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

Town, regional municipality of Halton, southeastern Ontario, Canada, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Toronto. Oakville is situated on Lake Ontario at the mouth of Oakville Creek. It was founded in 1830 by Colonel William K. Chisholm, who established shipbuilding yards there. It was originally incorporated in 1857, and in 1962 it amalgamated with Trafalgar Township to form the new town of Oakville,

Mckim, Charles Follen

2004-10-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

McKim was educated at Harvard and at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He was trained as a draftsman by the architect H.H. Richardson while the latter was completing Trinity Church, Boston. In 1879 he joined William Rutherford Mead

Penda

2004-10-24T05:49:00.000-07:00

In 628 Penda defeated a West Saxon people known as the Hwicce at the Battle of Cirencester (in present-day Gloucestershire) and annexed their territory. He and King Cadwallon of Gwynedd (in northern Wales) invaded

Raaff, Anton

2004-10-22T04:51:00.000-07:00

Raaff received some vocal experience while being trained for the priesthood as a young man, then in 1736 he began studying with Giovanni Battista Ferrandini in Munich and later with Antonio Bernacchi of Bologna. His career over the next several years took him to Florence, Venice, Bonn,

Water Table

2004-10-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

Also called Groundwater Table, upper level of an underground surface in which the soil or rocks are permanently saturated with water. The water table separates the groundwater zone that lies below it from the capillary fringe, or zone of aeration, that lies above it. The water table fluctuates both with the seasons and from year to year because it is affected by climatic variations and by the amount

Sint-niklaas

2004-10-20T18:38:00.000-07:00

French Saint-nicolas, municipality, East Flanders province, northern Belgium, southwest of Antwerp. The former capital of the Waasland region, it was granted independence by the counts of Flanders (1241) and chartered in 1513. A rail junction and the industrial and trade centre for the fertile Waasland (Pays de Waes), its marketplace is the largest in Belgium (7.5 acres [3 hectares]). It has textile industries

Giordano, Luca

2004-10-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

The most celebrated and prolific Neapolitan painter of the late 17th century. His nickname Luca fa presto (“Luca, work quickly”) is said to derive from his painter-copyist father's admonitions, which were certainly heeded. His other nickname, Proteus, was acquired as a result of his reputed skill in producing pastiches in the style of almost any artist.

New England, Council For

2004-10-17T04:35:00.000-07:00

In British American colonial history, joint stock company organized in 1620 by a charter from the British crown with authority to colonize and govern the area now known as New England. Drawing from landed gentry rather than merchants, the company was dominated by its president, Sir Ferdinando Gorges, who intended to distribute the land as manors and fiefs among the council's

San Fernando De Apure

2004-10-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

City, capital of Apure estado (“state”), west-central Venezuela, on the Apure River. A Llanos (plains) port, it is vulnerable to flooding during the rainy season, despite its great distance from the sea, because it has an elevation of only 200 feet (60 m). Live cattle, beef, and cattle hides are the city's leading products. It is a port of call for small boats on both the Orinoco and the Apure

Ouro Prêto

2004-10-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

Within a decade of its founding in 1698 as a mining settlement, Ouro Prêto became the centre of the greatest gold and silver rush in the Americas to that date. It still resembled a

Seni Pramoj, Mom Rajawong

2004-10-14T17:17:00.000-07:00

Thai diplomat and politician whose refusal to honour Japanese demands that he deliver a Thai declaration of war against the U.S. and the U.K. during World War II kept the U.S. from attacking Thailand and gained U.S. aid in organizing resistance forces (b. May 26, 1905--d. July 28, 1997).

Ashmore And Cartier Islands

2004-10-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

Officially Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands external territory of Australia, in the Indian Ocean. The islands lie 200 miles (320 km) northwest of Western Australia. The Ashmore Islands, comprising Middle, East, and West islands, are coral islets within a reef. Cartier Island, also lying within a reef, is more sandy in composition. Created in 1934, the territory was administratively linked to the Northern Territory of Australia

Piedmont

2004-10-13T07:33:00.000-07:00

In geology, landform created at the foot of a mountain (Italian: ai piede della montagne) or mountains by debris deposited by shifting streams. Such an alluvial region in a humid climate is known as a piedmont for the Piedmont district of Italy; in arid climates such a feature is called a bajada (q.v.).

Constant

2004-10-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

A number, value, or object that has a fixed magnitude, physically or abstractly, as a part of a specific operation or discussion. In mathematics the term refers to a quantity (often represented by a symbol—e.g., p, the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter) that does not change in a certain discussion or operation, or to a variable that can assume only one value. In logic

Rome, Period of the Avignon papacy

2004-10-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

In spite of

Antibiotic

2004-10-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

Although antibiotics are released naturally into the soil by bacteria and fungi, they did not come into worldwide prominence until the introduction of penicillin in 1941. Since then they have revolutionized the treatment of bacterial infections

Pit Bull Terrier

2004-10-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

Fighting dog developed in 19th-century England out of the bulldog and a terrier. See Staffordshire terrier.

Egypt, The Kingdom of Egypt (192252)

2004-10-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

The new kingdom was in form a constitutional monarchy. The constitution, based on that of Belgium and promulgated in April 1923, defined the King's executive powers and established a bicameral legislature. An electoral law provided for universal male suffrage and the indirect election of deputies to the lower house: the Senate was half elected and half appointed. But

Apries

2004-10-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

Apries failed to help his ally King Zedekiah of Judah against Babylon, but after the fall of Jerusalem he received many Jewish refugees into Egypt. Later he took the Phoenician port of Sidon, but, because of his subsequent failure in an attack on Cyrene in Libya, the Egyptian army mutinied

Mcmullen, Curtis

2004-10-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

McMullen first

Atmospheric Sciences, Elements of cloud formation

2004-10-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

The formation of cloud droplets and cloud ice crystals occurs associated with suspended aerosols of natural and anthropogenic origin, which are ubiquitous in the Earth's atmosphere. In the absence of such aerosols, relative humidities much greater than 100 percent with respect to a flat surface are required for water vapour to condense spontaneously into liquid

Metal Point

2004-10-03T00:36:00.000-07:00

Descendant of the stylus of classical times and ancestor of the modern pencil, a small, sharpened metal rod used for drawing precise compositions on paper or parchment. The metal could be lead, silver, copper, or gold, but silverpoint was the most common choice because it is the most suited to permanent drawing, its stroke adhering unerasably. The silverpoint was of

Beaconsfield

2004-10-02T08:44:00.000-07:00

The wide main street of the old town of Beaconsfield, bordered by 18th-century houses, contrasts with the modern town, in which commuters to London—28 miles (39 km) to the southeast—reside. Beaconsfield was adopted by Benjamin Disraeli, the 19th-century British

Tseng-tzu

2004-10-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

Tseng-tzu was highly influential in reaffirming the Confucian emphasis on the virtue of hsiao