SimpleStem

Interior Design, Japan

2005-04-05T04:36:00.000-07:00

Interior decoration in Japan was much influenced by Chinese ideas, especially between the 8th and 12th centuries, but it developed along lighter, more austere and elegant lines. It has altered little since medieval days. The most important differences in modern design are that the matting has been extended to cover the whole of the wooden floor, and sliding doors have

Naga Hills

2005-04-05T00:40:00.000-07:00

Part of the complex mountain barrier on the border of India and Myanmar (Burma). A northern extension of the Arakan Yoma system, the Naga Hills reach a height of 12,552 feet (3,826 m) in Mount Saramati on the India-Myanmar frontier. The part of the range within India constituted the Naga Hills district of Assam until 1961 and since 1963 has been part of Nagaland. The hills receive a heavy monsoon rainfall

Mascarene Islands

2005-04-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

French Îles Mascareignes, collectively, the islands of Réunion, Mauritius, and Rodrigues, which are situated in a line along a submarine ridge, the Seychelles–Mauritius Plateau, 400 to 500 miles (640 to 800 km) northeast from southern Madagascar in the western Indian Ocean. All are volcanic in origin. The name Mascarene is taken from the 16th-century Portuguese explorer Pedro de Mascarenhas. The islands now form

Nyaya

2005-04-03T23:38:00.000-07:00

Like the other systems, Nyaya is both a philosophy and a religion; its ultimate concern is to bring an

Igneous Rock, Classification of volcanic and hypabyssal rocks

2005-04-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

Owing to the aphanitic texture of volcanic and hypabyssal rocks, their modes cannot be readily determined; consequently, a chemical classification is widely accepted and employed by most petrologists. One popular scheme is based on the use of both chemical components and normative mineralogy. Because most lay people have little access to analytic facilities

Sacra Rappresentazione

2005-04-03T00:23:00.000-08:00

(Italian: “holy performance”), in theatre, 15th-century Italian ecclesiastical drama similar to the mystery plays of France and England and the auto sacramental of Spain. Originating and flourishing in Florence, these religious dramas represented scenes from the Old and New Testaments, from pious legends, and from the lives of the saints. The plays were didactic, using

Marga

2005-04-01T19:48:00.000-08:00

(Sanskrit: “path”), in Hinduism, the path, or way, of reaching salvation. In Hindu tradition three means are enumerated: jñana-marga, the way of knowledge, involving the study of philosophic texts and contemplation; karma-marga, the way of action, the proper performance of one's religious and ethical duties; and bhakti-marga, the way of devotion and self-surrender to God. (The three

Quantum Mechanics

2005-04-01T15:39:00.000-08:00

Science dealing with the behaviour of matter and light on the atomic and subatomic scale. It attempts to describe and account for the properties of molecules and atoms and their constituents—electrons, protons, neutrons, and other more esoteric particles such as quarks and gluons. These properties include the interactions of the particles with one another and

Wen-wang

2005-04-01T02:34:00.000-08:00

Wen was the ruler of Chou, one of the semibarbaric states on the western frontier of China, long a battleground between the civilized Chinese and nomadic invaders. By 1144 he had assumed the title Hsi Po (King of the West) and had begun

Taliesin And Taliesin West

2005-03-30T01:39:00.000-08:00

The two homes, as well as architectural schools, of the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Originally built in 1911, Taliesin, located near Spring Green, Wisconsin, U.S., was rebuilt after fires in 1914 and 1925. Taliesin West, near Scottsdale, Arizona, was begun in 1937 as a winter home for Wright and his students. Wright was of Welsh descent and named his homes after the Welsh bard Taliesin.

Argentia

2005-03-29T08:53:00.000-08:00

Formerly a herring- and salmon-fishing port known as Little Placentia, it was renamed Argentia (derived from argentum, Latin for “silver”) when silver was discovered in the vicinity. Most

Racibórz

2005-03-29T01:38:00.000-08:00

According to tradition, Racibórz was founded by a Slavic tribal ruler, Prince Racibor, in the 9th century and was united with Poland in the 10th. It was granted municipal rights in the 13th century and became the seat of a trade fair and handicrafts industry. It passed to the Habsburgs

Habad

2005-03-28T18:51:00.000-08:00

Jewish movement and its doctrine, an offshoot of the religious and social movement known as Hasidism; its name derives from the initial letters of three Hebrew words that distinguish and characterize the movement: hokhma (“wisdom”), bina (“intelligence”), and da'at (“knowledge”). Habad follows the common Hasidic themes of devequt (“attachment”), hitlahavut (“enthusiasm”), and kawwana

Indigo

2005-03-28T06:51:00.000-08:00

Some species, particularly

Colenso, John

2005-03-28T06:06:00.000-08:00

Colenso became rector of Forncett St. Mary's Church, Norfolk, in 1846 and in 1853 bishop of Natal, where he served until his death.

Baikalsky Nature Reserve

2005-03-26T21:57:00.000-08:00

Natural area set aside for research in the natural sciences, on the southern shore of Lake Baikal, southeastern Russia. The reserve was established in 1969 and has an area of 640 square miles (1,657 square km). It includes part of the Khamar-Daban mountain range. The park's vegetation includes poplar forests in the lowlands; taiga of spruce, fir, and larch on the mountain slopes; and thickets

Morales, Luis De

2005-03-26T11:43:00.000-08:00

Morales may have studied with the Flemish painter Hernando

Nurmi, Paavo

2005-03-26T02:56:00.000-08:00

Along with numerous other Finns who gained Olympic

Melville (of Melville), Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount, Baron Dunira

2005-03-24T15:20:00.000-08:00

British careerist politician who held various ministerial offices under William Pitt the Younger and whose adroit control of Scottish politics earned him the nickname “King Harry the Ninth.” Educated at the University of Edinburgh, he became a member of the faculty of advocates in 1763 and soon acquired a leading

Colour Centre

2005-03-22T06:20:00.000-08:00

Defect in the regular spacing of atoms within a solid that absorbs visible light of a particular colour or infrared or ultraviolet radiation. Each colour centre involves the absence of an atom from the place it would normally occupy in the solid and the relation of an electron with such an empty place, or vacancy (q.v.). Solids without colour centres may still have colour

Biblical Literature, Canonical standards of the 3rd and 4th centuries

2005-03-21T11:29:00.000-08:00

Clement of Alexandria, a theologian who flourished in the late 2nd century, seemed to be practically unconcerned about canonicity. To him, inspiration is what mattered, and he made use of the Gospel of the Hebrews, the Gospel of the Egyptians, the Letter of Barnabas, the Didache, and other extracanonical works. Origen (died c. 254), Clement's pupil and one of the greatest thinkers

Mammal, Skeleton

2005-03-19T16:31:00.000-08:00

The mammalian skeletal system shows a number of advances over that of lower vertebrates. The mode of ossification of the long bones is characteristic. In lower vertebrates each long bone has a single center of ossification, the diaphysis, and replacement of cartilage by bone proceeds from the center toward the ends, which may remain cartilaginous, even in adults.

Journal

2005-03-19T11:20:00.000-08:00

An account of day-to-day events or a record of experiences, ideas, or reflections kept regularly for private use that is similar to, but sometimes less personal than, a diary.

Irene Ducas

2005-03-18T03:56:00.000-08:00

When Alexius became emperor in April 1081 he reportedly planned to repudiate Irene and wed Mary, who had been married to the former emperors Michael VII

Alcobaça

2005-03-17T22:30:00.000-08:00

Town and concelho (township), Leiria distrito (“district”), west-central Portugal. It lies at the confluence of the Alcoa and Baça rivers, just south-southwest of the city of Leiria. Alcobaça is notable for its Cistercian monastery (Mosteiro de Santa Maria), founded in 1152 by King Afonso I in thanksgiving for the reconquest of Santarém from the Moors and rebuilt in the 13th century.

Berg, Gertrude

2005-03-16T11:15:00.000-08:00

In December 1918, while enrolled in a playwriting extension course at Columbia University, Gertrude Edelstein met and married Lewis Berg. Having begun

Chechaouene

2005-03-15T14:47:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Chechaouen or Chefchaouen , French Chaouen , Spanish Xauen , Arabic Shafshawan Muslim holy city, northern Morocco, situated in the Rif mountain range. Founded in 1471 by the warrior Abu Youma and later moved by Sidi Ali ibn Rachid to its present site at the base of Mount El-Chaouene, the city became a refuge for Moors expelled from Spain. A holy city long closed to non-Muslims, it was occupied in 1920 by the Spanish, who restored it to the Moroccan kingdom in 1956. Chechaouene

Babergh

2005-03-14T14:13:00.000-08:00

District, administrative and historic county of Suffolk, England. Babergh extends across the southern part of Suffolk. Babergh includes much of the area made familiar by the paintings of John Constable (1776–1837), who was born within the district at East Bergholt and whose family owned mills there and at Flatford. It also includes a group of small towns—Lavenham, Lindsey, and

Hojo Masako

2005-03-13T04:49:00.000-08:00

Masako fell in love with Yoritomo when he was exiled from the capital by his family's rivals, the Taira clan, and put under the watch of Masako's father.

Brackley, Thomas Egerton, Viscount, Baron Ellesmere

2005-03-12T17:54:00.000-08:00

Educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, and called to the bar by Lincoln's Inn in 1572, Egerton was promoted rapidly under Queen Elizabeth I, becoming lord keeper of the great seal in

Zomba Massif

2005-03-12T01:37:00.000-08:00

Isolated mass of syenite (igneous rock composed chiefly of feldspar) rising from the Shire Highlands, southern Malawi. Occupying an area of about 50 square miles (130 square km), it reaches an elevation of 6,846 feet (2,087 m) in Zomba Peak. Sheer scarps to the east and south drop 2,500 feet (750 m) to the surrounding plains, and the western wall (4,000 feet [1,200 m]) bounds part of the Shire rift valley. The massif is divided

Saint Albans

2005-03-11T20:57:00.000-08:00

A British town was established on the west bank of the Ver in the 1st century BCE, and subsequently the Romans built their town of Verulamium on the site. In 61 CE the town was sacked by Queen Boudicca. Sections of the town wall dating

Ascii-type Printing Telegraphs

2005-03-11T07:02:00.000-08:00

As embodied in the AT&T Teletype model 37 of 1968, the seven-level ASCII code was signaled by holes punched in an eight-level tape, as illustrated in the Figure. The circles in the Figure represent the holes, which were punched when the operator depressed keys located on a four-row keyboard. The top row of the keyboard consisted of control keys;

Uccello, Paolo

2005-03-10T09:53:00.000-08:00

The standard and most readable and complete work on Uccello (and his followers) in English is John Pope-Hennessy, Paolo Uccello, 2nd ed. (1969). Eve Borsook discusses Uccello's Florentine frescoes in The Mural Painters of Tuscany, from Cimabue to Andrea del Sarto (1960). Uccello's role in the investigation of perspective is mentioned by John White in The Birth and Rebirth of Pictorial Space, 2nd ed. (1967); and this subject is treated more fully by Alessandro Parronchi in Studi su la dolce prospettiva (1964).

Argentina, Colonial centres

2005-03-09T15:32:00.000-08:00

San Miguel de Tucumán's leadership lasted from the latter

Canary Creeper

2005-03-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

Also called Canarybird Flower, Canarybird Vine, or Canary Nasturtium (species Tropaeolum peregrinum), annual climbing herb, of the family Tropaeolaceae, native to northwestern South America and introduced to other regions as a cultivated garden plant. It grows to a height of 1.8–3 m (6–10 feet). The leaves are round and deeply five-lobed. The flowers, about 2.5 cm (1 inch) across, are pale yellow and have a long, green spur.

Carlos María Isidro De Borbón, Conde De Molina

2005-03-07T02:05:00.000-08:00

Don Carlos was imprisoned in Napoleonic France from 1808 to 1814. During the period of liberal rule (1820–23) he was involved in a number of conspiracies against the regime, and in the decade that followed

World War I, The Serbian campaign, 1914

2005-03-07T00:33:00.000-08:00

The first Austrian invasion of Serbia was launched with numerical inferiority (part of one of the armies originally destined for the Balkan front having been diverted to the Eastern Front on August 18); and the able Serbian commander, Radomir Putnik, brought the invasion to an early end by his victories on the Cer Mountain (August 15–20) and at Šabac (August 21–24). In early September,

Staircase

2005-03-06T23:20:00.000-08:00

The origin of the staircase is uncertain. On the road up Tai Shan (mountain) in China there are many great flights of ancient granite steps; the earliest staircases seem to have been built with walls on both

Insurance, RDC clause

2005-03-06T00:52:00.000-08:00

The RDC, or “running down” clause, provides coverage for legal liability of either the shipper or the common carrier for claims arising out of collisions. (Collision loss to the vessel itself is part of the hull coverage.) The RDC clause covers negligence of the carrier or shipper that results in damage to the property of others. A companion clause, the protection and indemnity

United States, Animal life

2005-03-05T01:45:00.000-08:00

The mammals of the two coasts are strikingly different, though true seals (the harbour seal and the harp seal) are found on both. The sea lions, with longer necks and with projecting ears, are found only in the Pacific—the California sea lion, the more northern Steller's sea lion, and the fur seal. On the East Coast the larger rivers of Florida are inhabited by the Florida manatee, or sea cow, a close relative of the more widespread and more distinctively marine West Indian species.

Mollisol

2005-03-04T04:56:00.000-08:00

One of the 12 soil orders in the U.S. Soil Taxonomy. Mollisols are characterized by a significant accumulation of humus in the surface horizon, or uppermost layer, which is almost always formed under native grass vegetation. They are highly arable soils used principally for growing grain and cereal crops, often inspiring the name “breadbasket” for the regions where they

Bassano, Jacopo

2005-03-03T08:01:00.000-08:00

His early works, such as the “Susannah and the

Durham

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

Administrative, geographic, and historic county of northeastern England, on the North Sea coast. The administrative, geographic, and historic counties cover somewhat different areas. The administrative county comprises seven districts: Chester-le-Street, Derwentside, the city of Durham, Easington, the borough of Sedgefield, Teesdale, and Wear Valley. The geographic

Ribbonfish

2005-03-02T05:14:00.000-08:00

Any of several species of deep-sea, marine fishes constituting the family Trachipteridae (order Lampridiformes). The family contains three genera: Trachipteras, Desmodema, and Zu. These slender-bodied fishes occur in all the major oceans. The name ribbonfish comes from the long, stringlike dorsal fin that originates behind the head and waves like a ribbon as the fish

Disaccharide

2005-03-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

Also called Double Sugar, any substance that is composed of two molecules of simple sugars (monosaccharides) linked to each other. Sucrose, which is formed following photosynthesis in green plants, consists of one molecule of glucose and one of fructose; lactose (milk sugar), found in the milk of all mammals, consists of glucose and galactose; and maltose, a product of the breakdown of starches

Hisham Ibn 'abd Al-malik

2005-03-01T06:32:00.000-08:00

Before his accession to the throne in 724, Hisham led a quiet life in the Umayyad court, holding no important public offices. He reigned during a time of relative calm. Hisham easily maintained internal security but was forced to mount a number

Craiova

2005-02-28T07:21:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Dolj judet (county), southwestern Romania. It is situated near the Jiu River, 115 miles (185 km) west of Bucharest. Settlement there is of long standing. Close to the city archaeologists have discovered the remains of a Roman fortress built under Trajan. From the late 15th to the 18th century Craiova was the residence of the military governors of the region. The city prospered

Jefferson, Thomas, Life at Monticello

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

The domestic context at Monticello is the subject of several important books. Sarah N. Randolph, The Domestic Life of Thomas Jefferson (1871, reprinted 1978), provides an affectionate portrait by his descendants. Jack McLaughlin, Jefferson and Monticello: The Biography of a Builder (1988, reissued 1990), goes beyond architectural issues to explore the daily lives of all the residents on the mountain. Elizabeth Langhorne, Monticello: A Family Story (1987, reissued 1989), focuses on the white residents. Edwin Morris Betts (ed.), Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book (1953, reprinted 1987), reproduces Jefferson's plantation records. Susan R. Stein, The Worlds of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello (1993), recovers the material objects Jefferson gathered inside the mansion. Merrill D. Peterson (ed.), Visitors to Monticello (1989), reproduces the accounts of firsthand observers.

Plock

2005-02-26T09:38:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Plock województwo (province), central Poland, on the Vistula River. First chronicled in the 10th century, Plock is the oldest community in Mazowsze (Mazovia), having served as the seat of Polish rulers from 1079 to 1138. It received town privileges in 1237 and prospered as a trading centre through the 17th century. In 1793 Plock passed to Prussia; it was returned to Poland in 1918. The town

Los Alamos

2005-02-26T00:41:00.000-08:00

The first white settlers arrived in the 1880s, and the county, named for its seat, was established out of parts of Santa Fe and Sandoval counties in 1949; in 1969 the Los Alamos county and city governments were integrated into one government.

Czartoryski, Michal Fryderyk, Prince (ksiaze)

2005-02-24T13:50:00.000-08:00

Educated at Paris, Florence, and Rome, Czartoryski attached himself to the Saxon court and obtained the vice chancellorship of Lithuania. He was one of the nobles who, on the illness of King Augustus II of Poland in 1727, signed the secret

Soka-gakkai

2005-02-24T03:06:00.000-08:00

(Japanese: “Value-Creation Society”), a lay religious group associated with the Japanese Buddhist sect Nichiren-sho-shu. Soka-gakkai has had rapid growth since the 1950s and is the most successful of the new religious movements that have sprung up in the 20th century in Japan; but in following the teachings of the Buddhist saint Nichiren, it belongs to a tradition dating from the

Plock

2005-02-23T04:04:00.000-08:00

The United

Halicarnassus, Mausoleum Of

2005-02-22T13:25:00.000-08:00

According

La Follette, Robert M

2005-02-22T08:25:00.000-08:00

Resigning as governor in 1906, he was elected to the Senate at a time when that institution was widely believed to be a refuge for millionaires. La Follette acquired instant fame as a new type of senator, one who was not controlled by “the interests,” and in his first three years there La Follette achieved the passage of laws aimed against the freight rates, labour policies,

Insurance, Settlement options

2005-02-21T17:54:00.000-08:00

The death proceeds or cash values of insurance may be settled in various ways. The insured may take the cash value and lapse the policy. A beneficiary may take a lump sum settlement of the face amount upon the death of the insured. The beneficiary may, instead, elect to receive the proceeds over a given number of years or in some fixed amount, such as $100 a month, for as long as

Biblical Literature, Haggai

2005-02-20T14:51:00.000-08:00

The Book of Haggai, the 10th book of the Twelve (Minor) Prophets, is a brief work of only two chapters. Written about 520 BCE by the prophet Haggai, the book contains four oracles. The first oracle calls for Zerubbabel, the governor of Judaea, and Joshua, the high priest, to rebuild the Temple (chapter 1, verses 1–11). A drought and poor harvests, according to Haggai, had been caused because the

Turing, Alan M.

2005-02-20T07:44:00.000-08:00

In full Alan Mathison Turing British mathematician and logician who made major contributions to mathematics, cryptanalysis, logic, philosophy, and biology and to the new areas later named computer science, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and artificial life.

Shadbolt, Maurice

2005-02-19T00:39:00.000-08:00

As a young man, Shadbolt worked as a documentary-film scriptwriter and a director and then turned to journalism. He became a full-time freelance journalist and writer in 1957. His

Space Perception, Visual cues

2005-02-18T21:07:00.000-08:00

Perhaps the most important perceptual cues of distance and depth depend on so-called binocular disparity; that is, since the eyes are imbedded at different points in the skull, they receive slightly different (disparate) images of any given object. The two retinal images of the same object seem to be combined perceptually in the brain into one three-dimensional experience.

Eliot, Sir Charles

2005-02-18T02:14:00.001-08:00

A scholar and linguist, Eliot served in diplomatic posts in Russia (1885), Morocco (1892), Turkey (1893), and Washington, D.C. (1899). In 1900 he was knighted and appointed commissioner and consul

Ascoli, Graziadio Isaia

2005-02-18T02:14:00.000-08:00

Ascoli did not receive any formal higher education, but he wrote his first major work, on Oriental languages, in 1854. While serving as a professor

Lenthall, William

2005-02-16T09:23:00.000-08:00

Trained in law, Lenthall

Handlin, Oscar

2005-02-16T07:40:00.000-08:00

The son of Jewish immigrant parents, Handlin graduated from Brooklyn College in 1934 and earned his M.A. degree from Harvard University in 1935. He then taught history at Brooklyn College (1936–38) and joined the history faculty at Harvard in

Kikuyu

2005-02-16T06:25:00.000-08:00

The Kikuyu moved into their modern territory from the northeast in the 17th–19th

Classical Scholarship, The early Middle Ages

2005-02-13T22:50:00.000-08:00

The period during which the Merovingian dynasty founded by Clovis (c. 466–511) was in power was a dark age for learning, but there was no complete breach with the past. Under the influence of the church the barbarian invaders wished to base their civilization on the Latin model, and since it was the language of the church, Latin continued to be the language of literature. Although

Brac

2005-02-13T19:39:00.000-08:00

Italian Brazza, rugged, mountainous island in the Adriatic Sea that is part of Croatia. With an area of 149 square miles (395 square km), Brac is one of the larger islands in the Adriatic; it lies southeast of the mainland city of Split. Its maximum elevation, 2,559 feet (780 m), is reached at Vidova Mountain, the highest point in the Adriatic islands. The main occupations of the inhabitants are fishing and agriculture;

Multinational And Regional Organizations

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

Nontraditional threats to security and terrorism dominated the agendas of many multinational and regional organizations in 2002. At a special ministerial meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in May, members focused on enhancing law enforcement and other cooperation. In August they pledged to work with the United States in combating terrorism.

Dzhezkazgan

2005-02-11T23:33:00.000-08:00

Kazak Zhezqazghan , also spelled Dzezkazgan city, central Kazakstan, on a reservoir of the Kara-Kengir River. The city was created in 1938 in connection with the exploitation of the rich local copper deposits. In 1973 a large mining and metallurgical complex was constructed to the southeast to smelt the copper that until then had been sent elsewhere for processing. The city has a rail link with Qaraghandy. Its urban area

Dahlgren, John Adolphus Bernard

2005-02-11T21:48:00.000-08:00

American inventor of the smooth-bore cannon that was, from its shape, familiarly known as the “soda-water bottle.” The shape resulted from a design in which the thickness of metal was varied to match the differences in internal pressure occurring when the cannon was fired. The pressures were determined by boring holes in the

Spain, The Almohads

2005-02-11T19:09:00.000-08:00

In Africa the Almohad dynasty finally triumphed, and 'Abd al-Mu'min (1130–63), successor to Ibn Tumart, was able to turn his attention to Spain and to undertake the integration of all the Muslim states—the second ta'ifas—formed under the shield of the latest internecine wars caused by the Almoravid decline. Of these states, there stood out especially that under Ibn Mardanish (1147–72), who, with

Neotropical Region

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

Also called Neogaean Realm, or South American Region, one of the six major biogeographic areas of the world defined on the basis of its characteristic animal life. It extends south from the Mexican desert into South America as far as the subantarctic zone. It includes such animals as the llama, tapir, deer, pig, jaguar, puma, a variety of opossums, many rodents and fishes, and extremely rich insect and bird populations. The

Quicklime

2005-02-09T13:27:00.000-08:00

Calcium oxide, an alkaline inorganic compound of calcium (q.v.).

China, A race for territory

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

As soon as Japan's impending surrender was known, the commander of the Communist armies, Gen. Zhu De, ordered his men, on August 11, to move into Japanese-held territory and take over Japanese arms, despite Chiang's order that they stand where they were. The United States aided the Chinese government by flying many divisions from the southwest to occupy the main eastern cities,

Puffer

2005-02-07T18:39:00.000-08:00

Also called swellfish, or blowfish, any of about 90 species of fishes of the family Tetraodontidae, noted for their ability when disturbed to inflate themselves so greatly with air or water that they become globular in form. Puffers are found in warm and temperate regions around the world, primarily in the sea but also, in some instances, in brackish or fresh water. They have tough, usually prickly skins

Chang Ping-lin

2005-02-07T05:46:00.000-08:00

Chang received a traditional education during which he was influenced by Ming dynasty (1368–1644) loyalist writers who had refused to serve the foreign Ch'ing dynasty (1644–1911/12) established by the Manchu tribes of Manchuria.

Carletonville

2005-02-05T10:28:00.000-08:00

Town, principal mining centre of the Far West Witwatersrand goldfields, Gauteng province, South Africa, west of Johannesburg. Carletonville was originally an unplanned settlement established between 1937 and 1957 as various companies developed their gold-mining claims. In 1959 it was officially designated a town, being named for Guy Carleton Jones, a local mining director.

Vermuyden, Sir Cornelius

2005-02-05T09:49:00.000-08:00

An experienced embankment engineer, Vermuyden was employed in 1626 by King Charles I of England to drain Hatfield Chase on the isle of Axholme, Yorkshire. Jointly financed by Dutch and English capitalists,

Devil Ray

2005-02-05T08:48:00.000-08:00

Also called Manta Ray, any of several genera of marine rays comprising the family Mobulidae (class Selachii). Flattened, and wider than they are long, devil rays have fleshy, enlarged pectoral fins that look like wings; extensions of these fins, looking like devils' horns, project as the cephalic fins from the front of the head. Devil rays have long, whiplike tails provided, in some species, with

Ngaoundéré

2005-02-04T19:41:00.000-08:00

Also spelled N'gaoundéré, or N'gaundéré, town, north-central Cameroon, on the Adamawa Plateau. It is the northern terminus of the Trans-Cameroon Railway to Yaoundé and Douala and lies on the major north-south road from Garoua to Bertoua and Yaoundé; by these routes it exports livestock and peanuts (groundnuts) to southern Cameroon. Local development projects focus on animal husbandry. The town's industries

Xai-xai

2005-02-04T10:29:00.000-08:00

Formerly João Belo, port town, southern Mozambique. Located on the eastern bank of the Limpopo River near its mouth, the town is a market centre for cashew nuts, rice, corn (maize), cassava, and sorghum raised in the surrounding area, which is irrigated by the lower Limpopo irrigation project; dairy cattle also are raised. A light railway system runs inland and provides access to the port, which

Latin America

2005-02-03T01:48:00.000-08:00

The countries of South America and North America (including Central America and the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants speak a Romance language. Most frequently the term Latin America is restricted to countries whose inhabitants speak either Spanish or Portuguese, but the French-speaking areas of Haiti, French Guiana, and the French West Indies may also

Korean War, Back to the 38th parallel

2005-02-01T16:14:00.000-08:00

As UNC troops crossed the 38th parallel, Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong received a plea for direct military aid from Kim Il-sung. The chairman was willing to intervene, but he needed assurances of Soviet air power. Stalin promised to extend China's air defenses (manned by Soviets) to a corridor above the Yalu, thus protecting air bases in Manchuria and hydroelectric

Nsukka

2005-02-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

University town, Enugu state, southern Nigeria. It lies in the Udi Hills at an elevation of 1,300 feet (396 m). Nsukka is an agricultural-trade centre for the yams, cassava, corn (maize), taro, pigeon peas, and palm oil and kernels produced by the local Igbo (Ibo) people. Weaving is a traditional local craft. Coal deposits have been discovered east of Nsukka around Obolo, a town on the main

Arran, James Hamilton, 2nd Earl Of, Duc (duke) De Châtelherault

2005-01-31T22:28:00.000-08:00

He negotiated for a marriage between Mary and Prince Edward (afterward Edward VI of England) but suddenly abandoned the project and joined the French party. He then agreed to the marriage of Mary with the

Aicard, Jean

2005-01-31T18:38:00.000-08:00

As a young man Aicard studied law but abandoned it to devote himself to literature. His first book of poetry, Jeunes croyances (1867; “Beliefs of a Youth”), showed the influence of the Romantic poet Alphonse de Lamartine and was well received upon its appearance. He went

Solar Calendar

2005-01-30T17:47:00.000-08:00

Any dating system based on the seasonal year of approximately 365 1/4 days, the time it takes the Earth to revolve once around the Sun. The Egyptians appear to have been the first to develop a solar calendar, using as a fixed point the annual sunrise reappearance of the Dog Star—Sirius, or Sothis—in the eastern sky, which coincided with the annual flooding of the Nile River. They

Pinski, David

2005-01-30T01:01:00.000-08:00

Reared in Moscow, Vitebsk, and Vienna, Pinski moved as a young man to Warsaw, where he became a friend of the leading Yiddish writer Isaac Peretz. It was also in Warsaw that Pinski began his lifelong associations with the Jewish workers' movement. His first short story, “Der Groyser

Wind Instrument, Reedpipes

2005-01-29T15:20:00.000-08:00

Egypt also made clarinets, instruments composed of two canes with three sides of a rectangle cut obliquely in the upper end of the two single reeds. The term idioglottic is used to describe a reed cut from the tube itself. From four to six equidistant finger holes are cut in each cane, and blowing with the entire reed engulfed in the mouth cavity produces a pungent, tremulous

Athaliah

2005-01-27T09:16:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Athalia, in the Old Testament, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel and wife of Jeham, king of Judah. After the death of Ahaziah, her son, Athaliah usurped the throne and reigned for seven years. She massacred all the members of the royal house of Judah (II Kings 11:1–3), except Joash. A successful revolution was organized in favour of Joash, and she was killed. The story of Athaliah forms the subject

Agnon, S.y.

2005-01-25T22:09:00.000-08:00

Born of a family of Polish Jewish merchants, rabbis, and scholars, Agnon wrote at first (1903–06) in Yiddish and Hebrew, under his own

Mitchell River

2005-01-24T23:53:00.000-08:00

River in northern Queensland, Australia. It rises near Rumula on the Atherton Plateau section of the Eastern Highlands, 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Cairns, and flows for 350 miles (560 km) northwest across Cape York Peninsula to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Although the stream, fed by the Palmer, Walsh, and Lynd rivers, has the state's largest discharge, it is intermittent and may be dry for

Viscometer

2005-01-24T11:12:00.000-08:00

Instrument for measuring the viscosity (resistance to internal flow) of a fluid. In one version, the time taken for a given volume of fluid to flow through an opening is recorded. In the capillary tube viscometer, the pressure needed to force the fluid to flow at a specified rate through a narrow tube is measured. Other types depend on measurements of the time taken for

'alavi, Buzurg

2005-01-24T09:41:00.000-08:00

'Alavi was educated in Iran, and in 1922 he was sent to Berlin, where he learned German and translated a number of German works into Persian. Upon returning to Iran, he taught at the Industrial College of Tehran and became involved with a group of Iranian socialists. He was imprisoned

Gabija

2005-01-23T01:47:00.000-08:00

Also spelled gabieta (Lithuanian) , Latvian uguns mate , Old Prussian panicke in Baltic religion, the domestic hearth fire. In pre-Christian times a holy fire (šventa ugnis) was kept in tribal sanctuaries on high hills and riverbanks, where priests guarded it constantly, extinguishing and rekindling it once a year at the midsummer festival. Eventually this tradition was moved into the home as the gabija, and its care became the responsibility

Vitamin A

2005-01-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

A fat-soluble alcohol, most abundant in fish and especially in fish-liver oils. Vitamin A is also found in butter and in the liver fat of various animals. Vitamin A is not present in plants, but many vegetables and fruits contain one or more of a class of pigments that can be converted to vitamin A in the body; of these pigments, b-carotene (provitamin A) is an excellent source

Kunlun Mountains

2005-01-21T11:59:00.000-08:00

The northern rim of the Kunlun Mountains, skirting the Tarim Basin, served for centuries as the southerly branch of the Silk Road that, until the 16th century, connected China with Central and West Asia. Wool and salt were the main products brought down from the heights of the Kunluns to the oases on the edge of the Takla Makan Desert. Small regional Buddhist monasteries

Hout, Jan Van

2005-01-20T16:24:00.000-08:00

His “modernity” is also seen in his intense interest

Athetosis

2005-01-20T10:35:00.000-08:00

Slow, purposeless, and involuntary movements of the hands, feet, face, tongue, and neck (as well as other muscle groups). The fingers are separately flexed and extended in an entirely irregular way. The hands as a whole are also moved, and the arms, toes, and feet may be affected. The condition is usually caused by malfunctioning of the basal ganglia of the cerebrum. The movements