TightCurtain

Finland, Education

2005-04-04T23:18:00.000-07:00

School attendance in Finland is compulsory beginning at the age of seven. The national and local governments support the schools, and tuition is free. The introduction of a new nine-year comprehensive school system, consisting of a six-year primary stage and a three-year secondary stage, was completed during the 1970s. The English language is taught beginning in the third

Dzhezkazgan

2005-04-02T19:56:00.000-08:00

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

Burgomaster

2005-04-01T05:23:00.000-08:00

German Bürgermeister (“town master”), mayor or chief magistrate of a German town, city, or rural commune. The title is also used in such countries as Belgium (bourgmeistre) and The Netherlands (burgemeester). Most German towns have a burgomaster, but larger cities may have several, one being the chief burgomaster (oberbürgermeister). Burgomasters may be elected by the voters or by a council, and

China, Drainage

2005-03-29T22:58:00.000-08:00

The three principal rivers of

Gobi, Geology

2005-03-27T03:32:00.000-08:00

The Gobi's various chalky plains are chiefly Cenozoic in age (i.e., up to 66.4 million years old), though some of the low, isolated hills are older. The terrain contains small masses of shifting sands. In the central Gobi the remains of dinosaurs from the Mesozoic Era (245 to 66.4 million years ago) and fossils of Cenozoic mammals have been found. The desert also contains Paleolithic and

Floodgate

2005-03-25T14:27:00.000-08:00

Gate for shutting out or releasing the flow of water over spillways, in connection with the operation of a dam. Vertical lift, or radial, gates rise to permit flow under the gate but over the spillway crest. Drum gates rotate backward, lowering their tops and permitting a measured flow over the top of the gate. Drum gates present the fewest problems in the passage of ice

Degas, (hilaire-germain-)edgar

2005-03-24T03:24:00.000-08:00

Degas came of the powerful upper bourgeoisie, his family having banking

Caran D'ache

2005-03-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

He was educated in Moscow but settled in Paris, where he gained great popularity as a contributor to several periodicals. He was an early exponent of the episodic strip cartoon

Ay

2005-03-22T13:08:00.000-08:00

Ay began his career either owing to his prestige as a son of the parents of Queen Tiy, wife of Amenhotep III, or else with the aid of his own wife, who was the nurse of Nefertiti, Akhenaton's queen. As Akhenaton's

Ansongo

2005-03-21T03:04:00.000-08:00

Town, southeastern Mali, West Africa, on the Niger River. It is a mining (antimony) and agricultural (grains, livestock) marketing centre. Prospecting for uranium began in the late 1970s. The Niger is navigable for about 1,000 mi (1,600 km) above Ansongo. Directly to the east is the Ansongo-Ménaka animal reserve, which covers an area of more than 4,300,000 ac (1,750,000 ha). Pop. (1976) 3,483.

Szent-györgyi, Albert

2005-03-20T04:02:00.000-08:00

Szent-Györgyi earned a medical degree from the University of Budapest in 1917. He became interested

Arabian Sea

2005-03-17T13:47:00.000-08:00

Northwestern part of the Indian Ocean, covering a total area of about 1,491,000 square miles (3,862,000 square kilometres) and forming part of the principal sea route between Europe and India. It is bounded to the west by the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, to the north by Iran and Pakistan, to the east by India, and to the south by the remainder of the Indian Ocean. To the north the Gulf

Quadrature

2005-03-17T01:39:00.000-08:00

In mathematics, process of determining the area of a plane geometric figure by dividing it into a collection of shapes of known area (usually rectangles) and then finding the sum of these areas. When this process is performed with solid figures to find volume, the process is called cubature. A similar process called rectification is used in determining the length

Palate

2005-03-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

The hard palate, which composes two-thirds of the total palate area, is a plate of bone covered by a moist,

Paraguarí

2005-03-15T22:45:00.000-08:00

City, southern Paraguay. It lies on the southern slopes of the forested extension of the Brazilian Highlands, including the Cordillera de los Altos, a mountainous chain that reaches westward to Asunción. Originally a Jesuit mission, the city was formally organized in 1775. In 1811, when Paraguay stood aside from the Argentine colonies in their revolt against Spain,

Visconti, Louis-tullius-joachim

2005-03-14T09:09:00.000-08:00

Visconti's father, a celebrated Italian archaeologist, fled Rome with the boy in 1798. Visconti studied architecture with Charles Percier at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He was awarded a second grand prix d'architecture and the prix départemental by the Academy and in 1825 was appointed architect

Cranbrook

2005-03-14T00:42:00.000-08:00

City, southeastern corner of British Columbia, Canada. It lies in the Kootenay River valley on the western edge of the Rocky Mountain Trench. The region was first settled about 1863 by gold prospectors. Cranbrook was probably named for a town near the farm home in Kent, Eng., of one of the settlers, Colonel James Baker. The Canadian Pacific Railroad's Crowsnest branch line reached

Water Table

2005-03-12T14:01:00.000-08:00

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

Mason, James

2005-03-12T02:19:00.000-08:00

Mason studied architecture before trying for a theatrical career. Following four years as a stage actor, his first film was Late Extra (1935). From then on he became one of the busiest of

Florence

2005-03-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

Lynches River State Park is located in the county, as is the Florence National Cemetery, which contains the graves of Union soldiers and a small group

China, Reconstruction and consolidation, 194952

2005-03-09T07:57:00.000-08:00

During this period, the CCP made great strides toward bringing the country through three critical transitions: from economic prostration to economic growth, from political disintegration to political strength, and from military rule to civilian rule. The determination and capabilities demonstrated during these first years—and the respectable showing (after

Wright, Sir Almroth Edward

2005-03-08T04:52:00.000-08:00

Wright received his medical degree at

Overbeck, Johann Friedrich

2005-03-07T10:27:00.000-08:00

In 1806 Overbeck entered the Academy of Vienna, where, disappointed in the academic approach to teaching, he and Franz Pforr in 1809 founded the Lucas Brotherhood. They sought to revive

Pinar Del Río

2005-03-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

Provincia, western Cuba, bounded on the north by the Gulf of Mexico, on the west by the Yucatán Channel, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, on the southeast by the Gulf of Batabanó, and on the east by La Habana province. Low mountain ranges, including the Sierra de los Órganos and the Sierra del Rosario, form the backbone of the territory, which has an area of 4,218 square miles (10,925 square

Anouilh, Jean(-marie-lucien-pierre)

2005-03-06T03:10:00.000-08:00

Playwright who became one of the strongest personalities of the French theatre and achieved an international reputation. His plays are intensely personal messages; often they express his love of the theatre as well as his grudges against actors, wives, mistresses, critics, academicians, bureaucrats, and others. Anouilh's characteristic

Domicile

2005-03-04T22:17:00.000-08:00

In law, a person's dwelling place as it is defined for purposes of judicial jurisdiction and governmental burdens and benefits. Certain aspects of a person's legal existence do not vary with the state he happens to be in at any given moment but are governed by a personal law that follows him at all times. In Anglo-American countries applying the common law, one's personal

Ovid

2005-03-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

Latin in full Publius Ovidius Naso Roman poet noted especially for his Ars amatoria and Metamorphoses. His verse had immense influence both by its imaginative interpretations of classical myth and as an example of supreme technical accomplishment.

Minai Ware

2005-03-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

In Islamic ceramics, bowls, beakers, tankards, and bottles with enamel painting and gilding on a white ground, often with rich figure compositions in bands. Similar vessels in animal and human form were also produced. In the 13th and 14th centuries Sultanabad (now Soltanabad, Iran) and Varamin turned out minai ware.

Belinsky, Vissarion Grigoryevich

2005-03-01T05:01:00.000-08:00

The son of a provincial doctor, Belinsky was expelled from the University of Moscow (1832) and earned his living thereafter as a journalist. His first substantial critical articles were part

Densmore, Frances

2005-02-27T15:30:00.000-08:00

After studying at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Densmore conducted research in Indian music for the Bureau of American Ethnology in 1907. She subsequently worked

Kwangsi, Resources

2005-02-27T14:02:00.000-08:00

The region has sufficient coal and iron deposits to support moderate industrial development. Coal is mined north of Kuei-lin and south of Liu-chou. Iron is mined in the area near the Kwangtung–Hunan border as well as in southeastern Kwangsi. Other exploited mineral resources include tin (of which Kwangsi is a major producer), tungsten, manganese, and antimony. Moderate

Peru, Drainage

2005-02-26T23:29:00.000-08:00

Distinctive drainage patterns dissect the Costa, Sierra, and Montaña. Of the more than 50 rivers that flow west from the Andes across the Costa, most are short (usually less than 200 miles long) and precipitous, with highly seasonal rates of flow. Most have a period of peak flow (usually during the December to March rainy season) followed by a long dry period; only the largest of

Gananoque

2005-02-25T18:43:00.000-08:00

Town, southeastern Ontario, Canada. It lies along the St. Lawrence River, at the mouth of the Gananoque River. The town was founded by Charles McDonald, who built a mill there in 1812 and later laid out the townsite. Its name is said to mean “rocks rising out of the water.” The town is located 18 miles (29 km) northeast of Kingston and near St. Lawrence Islands National Park. Gananoque has

Biblical Literature, Astrology

2005-02-24T22:53:00.000-08:00

There were elements in the Greek world that may have come from the East, partly Egyptian and Babylonian, which gave rise to astrology. The basic conviction of astrology was that the heavenly bodies were deities that in a direct way control life and events on earth. An older idea of tyche, or “fate,” originally signified the chance element in the universe, a capriciousness

Mcgwire, Mark

2005-02-22T20:53:00.000-08:00

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

Absaroka Range

2005-02-21T11:05:00.000-08:00

Mountain segment of the northern Rocky Mountains, in northwestern Wyoming and southern Montana, U.S. Extending in a northwest-southeast direction, the range is 170 miles (270 km) long and 50 miles wide. A large plateau, the result of volcanic action, was uplifted in the area, and stream and glacial erosion have produced spectacular features. Eight summits exceed 12,000 feet (3,700 m), including

Small Arm, Single shot

2005-02-19T17:34:00.000-08:00

During World War I, most armies developed attachments for standard service rifles that permitted the launching of “rifle” grenades. However, although range was increased with these devices, accuracy remained poor. An effective answer was a shoulder-fired grenade launcher developed in the 1950s by the Springfield Armory. Resembling a single-shot, break-open, sawed-off

Charles

2005-02-19T14:53:00.000-08:00

Charles's claim to Brittany through his marriage to Joan the Lame of Penthièvre, niece of Duke John III of Brittany, led to a conflict with the other claimants, John of Montfort and later his son Duke John IV of Brittany, in the 20-year War of the Breton Succession, which also involved the

Euclidean Geometry, To find a circle touching three given circles

2005-02-18T06:16:00.000-08:00

The problem of finding a circle touching three given circles K1, K2, K3 may be considered. For simplicity the circles may be mutually external. The radical axes of each pair can be constructed by methods that are described in the section Construction of radical axis of two nonconcentric circles. These axes, which are assumed distinct and no two parallel, all meet in a point

Calama

2005-02-17T01:38:00.000-08:00

Capital of El Loa province, Antofagasta region, northern Chile, on the Río Loa in an extremely arid region. It lies on the western slope of the Andes at an altitude of 7,435 ft (2,266 m) and is linked to Antofagasta city, 125 mi (200 km) southwest, by aqueduct. The oasis town is a mining and agricultural marketing centre and a receiving station for cattle brought across the mountains from Argentina.

Amda Tseyon

2005-02-16T01:12:00.000-08:00

The earliest Ethiopian chronicle tends to support this hypothesis, for it concerns Amda Tseyon's reign. Moreover, the earliest known examples of the written Amharic language are hymns praising

Arts, Central Asian, Folk dance

2005-02-15T16:50:00.000-08:00

Formalized

Cyrillic Alphabet

2005-02-13T17:36:00.000-08:00

Writing system developed in the 9th–10th century AD for Slavic-speaking peoples of the Eastern Orthodox faith; it is the alphabet currently used for Russian and other languages of the republics that once formed the Soviet Union and for Bulgarian and Serbian. Based on the medieval Greek uncial script, the Cyrillic alphabet was probably invented by later followers of

Abdülhamid I

2005-02-13T09:54:00.000-08:00

Ottoman sultan from 1774 to 1789 who concluded the war with Russia by signing the humiliating Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca. By the terms of the treaty, Russia obtained the fortresses on the coast of the Sea of Azov, the area between the Dnieper and Bug rivers, and navigation and commercial privileges in the Ottoman Empire. Bukovina was ceded to Austria in 1775. Russia annexed

Latreille, Pierre-andré

2005-02-12T05:36:00.000-08:00

Although he was a devoted student of natural history, Latreille was educated for the priesthood and was ordained in Paris in 1786. Publication of his Précis des caractères géné

Wilberforce, William

2005-02-11T14:26:00.000-08:00

At Cambridge, where he became a close friend of the future prime minister William Pitt the Younger, Wilberforce was known as an amiable companion rather

Clifford, Sir Hugh Charles

2005-02-10T07:38:00.000-08:00

A descendant of Clifford of the Cabal under Charles II, and a grandson of the 7th Baron Clifford of Chudleigh, Hugh Clifford was expected to follow his father, a distinguished general, into the British Army but decided instead to join

Sapru, Sir Tej Bahadur

2005-02-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

Educated at Agra College, Allahabad, Sapru practiced law before the High Court at Allahabad from 1896. He was a member of

Hydrosphere, Distribution of precipitation

2005-02-07T04:07:00.000-08:00

Precipitation falling toward the Earth's surface may suffer several fates. It may be evaporated during its fall or after it reaches the ground surface. If the surface is covered with dense vegetation, much of the precipitation may be held on leaves and plant limbs and stems. This process is termed interception and may result in little water reaching the ground because

Isodrin

2005-02-06T00:35:00.000-08:00

Chlorine-containing organic compound used as an insecticide; see aldrin.

Axis

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

In crystallography, any of a set of lines used to describe the orderly arrangement of atoms in a crystal. If each atom or group of atoms is represented by a dot, or lattice point, and these points are connected, the resulting lattice may be divided into a number of identical blocks, or unit cells. The intersecting edges of one of these unit cells are chosen as the crystallographic

Mercara

2005-02-04T14:41:00.000-08:00

Also called Madhu-keri town, southern Karnataka (formerly Mysore) state, southern India, in the Western Ghats, at an elevation of 3,800 feet (1,160 m), on the national highway from Mysore city to Mangalore. In 1681 Mudda Raja selected the central but inaccessible site for the capital of the independent Hindu dynasty of Coorg. A fort built in 1812 by Linge Raja and the hilltop Onkeshwara Temple overlook the quiet town.

Sierra Leone

2005-02-03T04:39:00.000-08:00

There are about 18 ethnic groups that exhibit similar cultural features, such as secret societies, chieftaincy, patrilineal descent, and farming methods. The Mende, found in the east and south, and the Temne in the north form the two largest groups. Other major groups include the Limba, Kuranko, Susu, Yalunka, and Loko, in the north; the Kono and Kissi, in the east; and the Sherbro,

Berakah

2005-02-01T22:54:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Berakha, or Berachah (Hebrew: “blessing”), plural Berakoth, Berakot, Berachoth, or Berachot, in Judaism, a benediction (expression of praise or thanks directed to God) that is recited at specific points of the synagogue liturgy, during private prayer, or on other occasions (e.g., before performing a commandment or for being spared from harm in the face of danger). Most berakoth begin with the words Barukh Attah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha-Olam (“Blessed art Thou, O Lord

Robbins, Jerome

2005-02-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

Original surname Rabinowitz one of the most popular and imaginative American choreographers of the 20th century. Robbins was first known for his skillful use of contemporary American themes in ballets and Broadway and Hollywood musicals. He won acclaim for highly innovative ballets structured within the traditional framework of classical

Jan Mayen

2005-01-31T08:45:00.000-08:00

Island, part of the Kingdom of Norway, in the Greenland Sea of the Arctic Ocean, about 300 mi (500 km) east of Greenland. It is approximately 35 mi long and 9 mi across at its widest point, with an area of 144 sq mi (373 sq km). It is the peak of a submarine volcanic ridge, and Beerenberg volcano (7,470 ft [2,277 m]), the last major eruption of which was in 1732, forms the Nord-Jan, the northeastern region of the island. The remainder,

Perseus

2005-01-30T07:50:00.000-08:00

The elder son of King Philip V of Macedonia, Perseus commanded troops in his father's wars against Rome (199) and Aetolia (189). After three years of intriguing against his brother Demetrius, accusing

Mithradates Vi Eupator

2005-01-29T21:06:00.000-08:00

Byname Mithradates The Great king of Pontus in northern Anatolia (120–63 BC). Under his energetic leadership, Pontus expanded to absorb several of its small neighbours and, briefly, contested Rome's hegemony in Asia Minor.

Arend-roland, Comet

2005-01-29T02:35:00.000-08:00

Comet remarkable for its anomalous second tail, which projects toward rather than away from the Sun. It was discovered on the night of Nov. 8–9, 1956, by S. Arend and P. Roland in Belgium. Its perihelion passage (i.e., its closest approach to the Sun) occurred on April 20, 1957. Because it was discovered months before perihelion, lengthy observations could be carried out. The anomalous tail appeared

Hull

2005-01-26T17:06:00.000-08:00

City, seat of Outaouais region, southwestern Quebec province, Canada. It lies on the north bank of the Ottawa River, opposite Ottawa, Ont. Originating in the early 19th century as a lumbering settlement named for Hull, Yorkshire, Eng., the city grew to become the chief business and administrative centre for southwestern Quebec and the industrial centre for metropolitan

Accesi, Compagnia Degli

2005-01-26T11:12:00.000-08:00

Company that performed commedia dell'arte (improvised popular Italian comedy) in the early 1600s. The name means “the stimulated.” Leadership was provided by Tristano Martinelli (famous for his portrayal of Arlecchino, the mischievous servant) and Pier Maria Cecchini (known as the leading interpreter of the character Fritellino, as well as the author of valuable texts

Nicholas Iv

2005-01-25T00:10:00.000-08:00

He joined the Franciscans when young and became their minister for Dalmatia. In 1272 Pope Gregory X sent him to Constantinople, where he took part in effecting a brief reunion with the Greeks. From 1274 to 1279 he was minister general of the Franciscans, and in 1281 Pope Martin IV made him cardinal

Bracton, Henry De

2005-01-24T02:58:00.000-08:00

Bracton also spelled Bratton or Bretton leading medieval English jurist and author of De legibus et consuetudinibus Angliae (c. 1235; “On the Laws and Customs of England”), one of the oldest systematic treatises on the common law. While depending chiefly on English judicial decisions and the methods of pleading required by English judges, Bracton enlarged the common law with principles

Greville, Fulke, 1st Baron Brooke

2005-01-22T06:44:00.000-08:00

Greville's Life of the Renowned Sir Philip Sidney (1652) is a valuable commentary

Southampton, William Fitzwilliam, Earl Of

2005-01-22T00:11:00.000-08:00

A son of Sir William Fitzwilliam of Aldwarke, near Rotherham, Fitzwilliam was a companion in boyhood of Henry VIII and was knighted for his services at the siege of Tournai in 1513. Later he was treasurer of Thomas, Cardinal Wolsey's household and was sent several times to France

Merchandising

2005-01-20T15:50:00.000-08:00

Element of marketing that is concerned specifically with promoting the sale of goods and services to consumers. See marketing.

Doris

2005-01-20T10:27:00.000-08:00

The alleged mother country of the Dorian conquerors of the Peloponnese. It was a small district in central Greece, lying between Mounts Oeta (modern Oiti) and Parnassus and consisting of a narrow valley nowhere exceeding 4 miles (6 km) in breadth, with only four small townships. Doris had some importance because it commanded the road from Heraclea in Trachis to Amphissa,

Masina, Giulietta

2005-01-19T11:06:00.000-08:00

Masina began acting in student theatre productions when she was in her teens. Although she enrolled as a student

Sayan Mountains

2005-01-19T00:51:00.000-08:00

The Sayans form a rough arc, convex to the north, and stretch from the Altai Mountains in the west to Lake Baikal in the

Middle Rhine Highlands

2005-01-17T11:54:00.000-08:00

Also called Rhenish Slate Mountains , German Rheinisches Schiefergebirge mountainous highlands lying mainly in northwestern Germany but also extending westward as the Ardennes through southeastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg, with an overlap into eastern France beyond the Meuse River. The Highlands form a greatly varied plateau with areas of rugged relief, as in the Eifel and the Rothaargebirge in the region of Sauerland, though

1945--a Watershed Year

2005-01-16T10:42:00.000-08:00

The Test.--The first atomic bomb in the history of mankind was exploded at 5:30 A.M. on July 16, 1945, at the Alamogordo air base in the desert 120 mi. southeast of Albuquerque, N.M. The bomb had been placed on a tall steel tower while scientists and military experts occupied

Ehrenburg, Ilya Grigoryevich

2005-01-15T21:03:00.000-08:00

Born into a middle-class Jewish family that later moved to Moscow, Ehrenburg became involved as a youth in revolutionary activity and was arrested in his early teens. He emigrated to Paris, where he began publishing

Clan

2005-01-14T10:52:00.000-08:00

Kinship group of fundamental importance in the structure of many societies. Membership of a clan is socially defined in terms of actual or purported descent from a common ancestor. This descent is unilineal—i.e., derived only through the male (patriclan) or the female (matriclan). Normally, but not always, the clans are exogamous, marriage within the clan being forbidden

Boulemane

2005-01-13T09:55:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Boulman, town, north-central Morocco. The town, located at an elevation of about 5,500 feet (1,700 m) above sea level in the Middle (Moyen) Atlas mountains, is a market centre serving Berber seminomads and is connected by road with Fès city (northwest) and er-Rachidia town (south). Pop. (1982) 3,295.

Anastasius The Librarian

2005-01-13T05:40:00.000-08:00

Related to an Italian bishop, Anastasius became cardinal priest of the Church of St. Marcellus, Rome, about 848, after gaining prominence as a Greek scholar. Deposed in 853 because of political activity, he stood for a short time as antipope to Benedict III (855–858). After

Earth, Force

2005-01-11T05:21:00.000-08:00

This is a vector quantity that changes or tends to produce a change in the motion of a body. It is a push or pull and must be specified as to its direction and magnitude. If there is no acceleration of a body, the forces that act on it are balanced. There are four types: compression, tension (or extension), shear, and torsion. During compression, rocks are squeezed together by two

Field Trial

2005-01-10T01:57:00.000-08:00

Any of the competitions among individual sporting dogs, under conditions that approximate or simulate those found in the hunting field. Competing dogs need not necessarily be of the same breed. In the United States many of the field trials in the bird-dog (pointing dog) category are staged under the sanction of the American Kennel Club, the official governing body

Abbate, Niccolò Dell'

2005-01-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

He began his career in Modena as a student of the sculptor Antonio Begarelli. His “Martyrdom of St. Peter and

Quinone

2005-01-08T02:40:00.000-08:00

Any member of a class of cyclic organic compounds containing two carbonyl groups, > C = O, either adjacent or separated by a vinylene group, -CH = CH-, in a six-membered unsaturated ring. In a few quinones, the carbonyl groups are located in different rings. The term quinone also denotes the specific compound para- (p-)benzoquinone (C6H4O2). The quinone structure

Uralic Languages

2005-01-07T02:53:00.000-08:00

The two major branches of Uralic are themselves composed of numerous subgroupings of member languages on the basis of closeness of linguistic relationship. Finno-Ugric can first be divided into the most distantly related Ugric and Finnic (sometimes called Volga-Finnic) groups, which may have separated as long ago as five millennia. Within these, three relatively

Bükk Mountains

2005-01-06T05:43:00.000-08:00

A southward-projecting spur of the Carpathian Mountains, in northeastern Hungary. It comprises a forested highland area extending some 30 miles (50 km) from the Tarna River on the west to the Sajó River in the east and 20 miles (32 km) from north to south. Maximum elevation is reached at Mount Istállósko (3,146 feet [959 m]). The central core of the Bükk is a 12.5-by-4.5-mile (20-by-7-kilometre) limestone plateau

Kazakhstan, Flag Of

2005-01-04T08:52:00.000-08:00

The Kazakhs are (in part) descended from the “Blue Horde”—Turkic-Mongol peoples who, centuries ago, flew the “Blue Banner” in Central Asia. The colour also stands for the great skies under which these traditionally nomadic peoples have lived. Light blue was chosen as the background for the national flag of Kazakhstan officially adopted in June 1992. The designer of the flag

France, History Of, The formative years (18711905)

2005-01-04T06:43:00.000-08:00

The repression of the Paris Commune left its mark on the emerging republic. The various socialist factions and the newly organized labour movement were left leaderless; the resultant vacuum eventually opened the way to Marxist activists in the 1880s. Much of the working class became more deeply alienated than before, but, to the moderate and conservative elements,

France, History Of, The central government

2005-01-03T07:24:00.000-08:00

By the time of Clovis, the ancient Germanic assembly of free men participated only in the conduct of local affairs and was consigned largely to a military role. Within each kingdom, the king's court, of Roman imperial origin but adapted and modified by the Frankish sovereigns, encompassed domestic services (treasury, provisioning, stables, clergy), a bureau of accounts,

Marseille

2005-01-02T16:56:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Marseilles, ancient Massilia, or Massalia, city, capital of Bouches-du-Rhône département, France, and also the administrative and commercial capital of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, one of France's fastest growing régions. Located west of the French Riviera, Marseille is one of the major ports of the Mediterranean Sea. It is situated on the Mediterranean's Gulf of Lion within a semicircle of limestone hills and

Lunda

2004-12-31T23:18:00.000-08:00

Any of several Bantu-speaking peoples scattered over wide areas of the southeastern part of Congo (Kinshasa), eastern Angola, and northern and northwestern Zambia. The various regional groups—the Lunda of Musokantanda in Congo, Kazembe, Shinje, Kanongesha, Ndembu, Luvale (Luena, Balovale), Chokwe, Luchazi, Songo, and Mbunda—are all of Congo origin and broke away from the

John I

2004-12-31T21:16:00.000-08:00

Byname The Prince of Fond Memory, or John of Aviz, John the Great, or John the Bastard, Portuguese O Principe de Boa Memória, or João de Aviz, João o Grande, or João o Bastardo king of Portugal from 1385 to 1433, who preserved his country's independence from Castile and initiated Portugal's overseas expansion. He was the founder of the Aviz, or Joanina (Johannine), dynasty.

Augier, émile

2004-12-30T06:44:00.000-08:00

Augier was an unbending moralist, and all of his plays are to some extent didactic in purpose. His verse play Gabrielle (1849) attacks the

Fibre

2004-12-29T10:15:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Fiber, in textile production, basic unit of raw material having suitable length, pliability, and strength for conversion into yarns and fabrics. A fibre of extreme length is a filament. Fibres can occur naturally or can be produced artificially. See Man-Made Fibres; natural fibre.

Amphion And Zethus

2004-12-28T11:36:00.000-08:00

In Greek mythology, the twin sons of Zeus by Antiope. When children, they were left to die on Mount Cithaeron but were found and brought up by a shepherd. Amphion became a great singer and musician, Zethus a hunter and herdsman. After rejoining their mother, they built and fortified Thebes, huge blocks of stone forming themselves into walls at the sound of Amphion's lyre.

århus

2004-12-27T00:39:00.000-08:00

Amtskommune (county commune), eastern Jutland, Denmark, created in 1970 from the former county communes of Århus, Randers, and part of Skanderborg. It extends along Jutland's eastern coast between Mariager and Horsens fjords. The northern part of the county commune is dominated by the Djursland peninsula, an area of castles and estates, including Rosenholm Castle (home

San Francisco De Macorís

2004-12-26T20:52:00.000-08:00

City, north-central Dominican Republic, on a tributary of the Camú River. Founded in 1777, it is situated in the fertile La Vega Real region. The city is a commercial and processing centre for the cacao, coffee, fruits, rice, beeswax, and hides produced in the hinterland. It is served by a short local railroad and by several secondary highways. Pop. (1983 est.) 67,000.

Macdonald, George

2004-12-26T06:12:00.000-08:00

Novelist of Scottish life, poet, and writer of Christian allegories of man's pilgrimage back to God, who is remembered chiefly, however, for his allegorical fairy stories, which have continued to delight children and their elders. He became a Congregational minister, then a free-lance preacher and lecturer. In 1855 he published

Yield Point

2004-12-24T22:44:00.000-08:00

In mechanical engineering, load at which a solid material that is being stretched begins to flow, or change shape permanently, divided by its original cross-sectional area; or the amount of stress in a solid at the onset of permanent deformation. The yield point, alternatively called the elastic limit, marks the end of elastic behaviour and the beginning of plastic

Wakan

2004-12-24T13:22:00.000-08:00

Also called Wakonda, or Wakanda, among various American Indian groups, a great spiritual power of supernatural origin belonging to some natural objects. Wakan may be conceived of as a weak or strong power; the weak powers can be ignored, but the strong ones must be placated. Poisonous plants and reptiles can contain wakan, as can intoxicating drinks. Wakan beings are the immortal supernatural powers

Qanat

2004-12-22T01:05:00.000-08:00

Also spelled kanat (Arabic), Persian karez , Berber Arabic foggara ancient type of water-supply system developed and still used in arid regions of the world. A qanat taps underground mountain water sources trapped in and beneath the upper reaches of alluvial fans and channels the water downhill through a series of tunnels, often several kilometres long, to the places where it is needed for irrigation and domestic use. The development

Somalia, Religion

2004-12-22T00:58:00.000-08:00

Most Somali belong to the Shafi'i rite of the Sunnite sect of Islam. Various Muslim orders (tariqa) are important, especially the Qadiriyah, the Ahmadiyah, and the Salihiyah.

Pipe And Tabor

2004-12-20T22:20:00.000-08:00

Three-holed fipple, or whistle, flute played along with a small snare drum. The player holds the pipe with his left hand, stopping the holes with the thumb and the first and second fingers; the other two fingers support the instrument. A scale is obtained by overblowing, using the second to the fourth harmonics; the gaps between the harmonics are filled by uncovering the

Earth, Magnetospheric substormsunbalanced flux transfer

2004-12-20T22:16:00.000-08:00

Magnetospheric substorm is the name applied to the collection of processes that occur throughout the magnetosphere at the time of an auroral and magnetic disturbance. The term substorm was originally used to signify that the processes produce an event, localized in time and space, which is distinct from a magnetic storm. During a typical three-hour substorm, the

Northwest Spitsbergen National Park

2004-12-18T22:20:00.000-08:00

Norwegian Nordvest-spitsbergen Nasjonalpark, national park and bird sanctuary established in 1973 by Norway on the northwestern corner of the island of Spitsbergen, in the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. With an area of 1,268 square miles (3,283 square km), the park typifies a high-arctic-tundra biologic community. The glaciated uplands of Albert I Land and Haakon VII Land, together with offshore islands, constitute