SeparateMars

West Indies, History Of

2005-04-05T06:04:00.000-07:00

Hispanic control of the West Indies began in 1492 with Christopher Columbus' first landing in the New World and was followed by the partitioning of the region by the Spanish, French, British, Dutch, and Danish during the 17th and 18th centuries. U.S. intervention in the Greater Antilles started in the early 19th

Ha Giang

2005-04-02T19:22:00.000-08:00

Town, northern Vietnam. The town lies along the Lo River about 215 miles (350 km) northwest of Hanoi. It is a market centre in a forested mountainous region about 13 miles (20 km) southeast of the China–Vietnam border. The area in which Ha Giang is situated produces much of the tea grown in northern Vietnam and also produces some paddy rice, together with corn (maize). The dense forests in

Saxophone

2005-04-01T14:51:00.000-08:00

A saxophone has a conical metal (originally brass) tube with about 24 openings controlled by padded

Otfrid

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

Otfrid was trained in the monastery school of Fulda under Rabanus Maurus, who directed the school from 802 to 824. His fame rests on his Evangelienbuch (c. 870; “Book of the Gospels”), a poem of 7,416 lines, which is extant in three good contemporary manuscripts. It is an exceptionally valuable document,

Kwara

2005-03-28T17:44:00.000-08:00

Kwara state consists mostly of wooded savanna, but there are forested regions in the south. Almost all of its savanna area was conquered by the Fulani in the early 19th century, and the region remained part

Kuala Terengganu

2005-03-26T07:34:00.000-08:00

Formerly Kuala Trengganu, town, northeastern West Malaysia (Malaya), at the mouth of the Sungai (River) Terengganu, on the South China Sea. A sprawling town with wooden houses set on stilts amid trees, it is a collecting centre for the agricultural products of the river's delta. It is also a port engaged in coastwise trade, with extensive road facilities and an airport at Seberang; and it is the residence

Leaf Fibre

2005-03-23T11:29:00.000-08:00

Hard, coarse fibre obtained from leaves of monocotyledonous plants (flowering plants that usually have parallel-veined leaves, such as grasses, lilies, orchids, and palms), used mainly for cordage. Such fibres, usually long and stiff, are also called “hard” fibres, distinguishing them from the generally softer and more flexible fibres of the bast, or “soft,” fibre group. Commercially

Sports Medicine

2005-03-21T14:55:00.000-08:00

There are

Yang Hsiu-ch'ing

2005-03-19T13:51:00.000-08:00

A dealer in firewood, Yang joined the Taiping band shortly before the rebellion broke out and quickly rose to a high position. In 1851, when the supreme Taiping leader, Hung Hsiu-ch'üan (1814–64), proclaimed his own dynasty and gave

Teamsters Union

2005-03-18T17:47:00.000-08:00

Byname of International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America , formerly (until 1940) International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Stablemen and Helpers of America (IBT) largest labour union in the United States, representing truck drivers and workers in related industries (such as aviation). The union was formed in 1903 when the Team Drivers International Union (1899) merged with the Teamsters National Union (1902). Local deliverymen using horse-drawn vehicles remained the core membership until the 1930s, when intercity truck drivers rose to predominance.

Mesopotamia, History Of, The Hurrians

2005-03-18T15:45:00.000-08:00

The Hurrians enter the orbit of ancient Middle Eastern civilization toward the end of the 3rd millennium BC. They arrived in Mesopotamia from the north or the east, but it is not known how long they had lived in the peripheral regions. There is a brief inscription in Hurrian language from the end of the period of Akkad, while that of King Arishen (or Atalshen) of Urkish and

Performing Arts, Nontheatrical Films.

2005-03-16T17:40:00.000-08:00

Austrian filmmaker Kurt Mundl (Power of the Earth Productions) in 1998 created an amazing film about butterflies and moths, The Messengers of the Gods--Butterflies. The 49-minute gem was made from 18,000 minutes of film patiently photographed using special lenses. New findings about behaviour were brought to life. It won many awards, including Best of Festival at Chicago's U.S. International

Najd

2005-03-16T16:35:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Nejd, region, central Saudi Arabia, comprising a mainly rocky plateau sloping eastward from the mountains of the Hejaz. On the northern, eastern, and southern sides, it is bounded by the sand deserts of an-Nafud, ad-Dahna', and the Rub' al-Khali. It is sparsely settled, except for the fertile oases strung along the escarpment of Jabal (mountains) Tuwayq and the al-'Aramah plateau. The arid

Ligand Field Theory

2005-03-15T07:45:00.000-08:00

In chemistry, one of several theories that describe the electronic structure of coordination or complex compounds, notably transition metal complexes, which consist of a central metal atom surrounded by a group of electron-rich atoms or molecules called ligands. The ligand field theory deals with the origins and consequences of metal– ligand interactions as

Dante

2005-03-13T02:49:00.000-08:00

Dante's years of exile were years of difficult peregrinations from one place to another—as he himself repeatedly says, most effectively in Paradiso [XVII], in Cacciaguida's moving lamentation that “bitter is the taste of another man's bread and . . . heavy the way up and down another man's stair.” Throughout his exile Dante nevertheless was sustained by work on his great poem,

Great Britain

2005-03-12T18:53:00.000-08:00

First Atlantic ocean liner that was built of iron and had screw propulsion. It was the world's largest ship at the time of its launching (1843) and was 322 feet (98 m) long with a tonnage of 3,270. Designed by the British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel originally as a paddle steamer and built at Bristol, it was equipped with screw machinery that was supplemented by sails on six (later five)

Dowland, John

2005-03-12T16:26:00.000-08:00

Nothing is known of Dowland's childhood, but in 1580 he went to Paris as a “servant” to Sir Henry Cobham, the ambassador to the French court. In 1588 he received a bachelor of music degree from the University of Oxford. His conversion to

Kafzeh

2005-03-10T19:53:00.000-08:00

The remains,

Quantum Mechanics, Electron spin and antiparticles

2005-03-10T17:26:00.000-08:00

In 1928 the English physicist Paul A.M. Dirac produced a wave equation for the electron that combined relativity with quantum mechanics. Schrödinger's wave equation does not satisfy the requirements of the special theory of relativity because it is based on a nonrelativistic expression for the kinetic energy (p2/2me). Dirac showed that an electron has an additional quantum

Disc Jockey

2005-03-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

Also spelled disk jockey person who conducts a program of recorded music on radio, on television, or at discotheques or other dance halls. Disc jockey programs became the economic base of many radio stations in the United States after World War II. The format generally involves one person, the disc jockey, introducing and playing phonograph records and chatting informally and usually extemporaneously

Earth Sciences, Seismology and the structure of the Earth

2005-03-08T06:09:00.000-08:00

Earthquake study was institutionalized in 1880 with the formation of the Seismological Society of Japan under the leadership of the English geologist John Milne. Milne and his associates invented the first accurate seismographs, including the instrument later known as the Milne seismograph. Seismology has revealed much about the structure of the Earth's core,

Forbes, James David

2005-03-07T16:34:00.000-08:00

Educated at the University of Edinburgh, Forbes became a professor there in 1833. Between 1836 and 1844 he published four series of “Researches on Heat” in which he described the polarization (alignment of waves to vibrate in a plane) of radiant infrared heat by the mineral

Bracknell Forest

2005-03-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

Old Bracknell town was unimportant until the 19th century, when its cattle market replaced one at Wokingham that dated from the early 13th century. The population was about 5,000 when the new town of Bracknell

Arts, Native American, Wind instruments: aerophones

2005-03-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

In North America, flutes are limited to courtship, except for a whistle in an Iroquois medicine rite and in a gens (kinship-group) ceremony of the Meskwaki. In Mexico and southward, wind instruments provide colour and symbolic significance. At least two dances feature a one-man drummer-flutist who holds a flute in his left hand and plays a drum with his right. These are

Châteauguay

2005-03-02T22:55:00.000-08:00

Town, Montérégie region, southern Quebec province, Canada. It lies at the mouth of the Châteauguay River, just south of its confluence with the St. Lawrence. The site of a Jesuit mission established in 1736, it served as a trading centre during the settlement of the surrounding region. On Oct. 26, 1813, the Battle of Châteauguay, a decisive engagement of the War of 1812, took place there; a small

Breakwater

2005-03-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

Artificial offshore structure protecting a harbour, anchorage, or marina basin from water waves. Breakwaters intercept longshore currents and tend to prevent beach erosion. Over the long term, however, the processes of erosion and sedimentation cannot be effectively overcome by interfering with currents and the supply of sediment. Deposition of sediment at

Robert Iii

2005-02-27T05:13:00.000-08:00

The eldest son of Robert the Steward (the future Robert II) and Elizabeth Mure, he was legitimated by their marriage several years after

Yaka

2005-02-25T03:10:00.000-08:00

Rural Yaka are subsistence farmers of cassava and corn

Yaka

2005-02-23T07:15:00.000-08:00

For a discussion of the properties and applications of mercury, see Chemical Elements: Zinc group elements. For treatment of the mining, recovery, and refining of mercury, see Industries,

Cactus

2005-02-20T01:19:00.000-08:00

The Cactaceae are native through most of the length

Yenisey River

2005-02-19T23:43:00.000-08:00

The peoples of the Yenisey valley are diverse. Around the western headwaters (Great and Little Yenisey) Tuvans predominate in the rural areas, but they are joined by significant numbers of Russians in Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva. To the north of Tuva the Krasnoyarsk kray (territory) of Russia extends down the entire valley northward to the Kara Sea; its population comprises

Papantla

2005-02-16T09:19:00.000-08:00

In full Papantla De Olarte, city, north-central Veracruz estado (“state”), east-central Mexico. Formerly known as Papantla de Hidalgo, the city lies in the hills dividing the Cazones and Tecolutla river basins. Corn (maize), beans, tobacco, and fruits flourish in the hot, humid climate. The city is the centre of Mexico's most important vanilla-producing region; almost all the vanilla is exported. Cattle

Smith, Bessie

2005-02-15T23:25:00.000-08:00

Smith grew up in poverty and obscurity. She may have made a first public appearance at the age of eight or nine at the Ivory Theatre in her hometown. About 1919 she was discovered by Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, one of the first of the great blues singers, from whom she received some

Gulmarg

2005-02-12T22:53:00.000-08:00

Resort town situated in the Indian-held sector of Jammu and Kashmir state, in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. Located at an elevation of 8,500 feet (2,600 m), Gulmarg (meaning “meadow of flowers”) displays a breathtaking panoramic view of the whole Vale of Kashmir and of Nanga Parbat, one of the highest peaks (26,660 feet [8,126 m]) of the Himalayas. The valley and mountains may be viewed

Schaffhausen

2005-02-11T23:04:00.000-08:00

French Schaffhouse, most northerly canton of Switzerland. It lies north of the Rhine River and west of Lake Constance (Bodensee) and has an area of 115 square miles (299 square km), of which about 90 percent is classed as productive. It is virtually surrounded on the north, east, and west by Germany, portions of which divide the canton into three detached parts: a large region including the capital city

Carlota

2005-02-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

The only daughter of Leopold I, king of the Belgians, and Princess Louise of Orléans, Carlota married at age 17 the archduke Maximilian, brother of the emperor Francis Joseph of Austria. They lived as the Austrian regents in Milan until 1859, when Austria lost control of Lombardy. In 1864 she accompanied

Rose Of Lima, Saint

2005-02-06T19:26:00.000-08:00

Born into a wealthy family, Rosa (the name by which she was always known) was drawn to penitential practices and a spiritual

Hughes, Charles Evans

2005-02-05T00:48:00.000-08:00

A member of a major New York City

Brown, Charles

2005-02-03T04:15:00.000-08:00

One of the most influential singers of his day, Brown was an accomplished classical pianist whose career began in 1943 after he moved to Los Angeles. He played with the Bardu Ali band before joining Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, a piano-guitar-bass

Dislocation

2005-02-01T01:38:00.000-08:00

Dislocations are caused by stresses forceful enough to overcome the resistance of the ligaments, muscles, and capsule that hold the joint in place. A dislocation is called simple when the joint surfaces are not exposed to the air; it is called compound when

Earplug

2005-01-29T21:18:00.000-08:00

The Ainu of northern Japan have used plugs of fabric; in the New World, Mayan earplugs have been found made of thin jade, stone, bone, shell, wood, and metal in many sizes. The Berawan people

Bohemond Iv

2005-01-28T19:04:00.000-08:00

The younger son of Bohemond III and Orguilleuse, he became count of Tripoli in 1187 and succeeded his father in the principality of Antioch to the exclusion of his nephew Raymond Ruben in 1201. In 1216 Raymond seized control while Bohemond was off in Tripoli, but he was deposed in 1219 and died the following year. Bohemond reigned in Antioch and

Uyuni Salt Flat

2005-01-26T15:17:00.000-08:00

Spanish Salar De Uyuni, arid, windswept salt flat in southwestern Bolivia. It lies on the Altiplano, at 11,995 feet (3,656 m) above sea level. The Uyuni Salt Flat is Bolivia's largest salt-encrusted waste area (approximately 4,085 square miles [10,582 square km]) and is separated from the Coipasa Salt Flat, a similar but smaller feature to the north, by a range of hills. On its shores are saltworks at Salinas de Garci Mendoza

Ukemochi No Kami

2005-01-23T00:49:00.000-08:00

According to the legend recounted in the Nihon shoki (“Chronicles of

Bahr Al-'arab

2005-01-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Bahr el-Arab intermittent river of southwestern Sudan, rising northeast of the Tondou (Bongo) Massif, near the border with the Central African Republic. The river flows 500 miles (800 km) east-southeast to join the Bahr al-Ghazal, a tributary of the Nile River, at Ghabat al-'Arab. It is not navigable and is subject to floods in summer.

Saiki

2005-01-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Saeki, city, Oita ken (prefecture), Kyushu, Japan, facing Saiki Bay. It developed as a castle town on the small delta of the Banjo River during the Muromachi era (1338–1573) and came into the possession of the Mori daimyo family in 1601. Because of its good harbour, Saiki was selected for a base of the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1933. After World War II most of the military facilities were converted to industrial

Sea Hen

2005-01-18T06:10:00.000-08:00

Fish, a species of lumpsucker (q.v.).

Holbein, Hans, The Younger

2005-01-15T15:21:00.000-08:00

Holbein was a member of a family of important artists. His father, Hans Holbein

Western Africa, Geology

2005-01-13T16:33:00.000-08:00

The crystalline rocks, collectively referred to as the West African shield or craton, comprise three main types of rock assemblage. The basement

Waddington, William Henry

2005-01-11T14:37:00.000-08:00

The son of an English manufacturer living in France

Madagascar, Plant and animal life

2005-01-10T03:53:00.000-08:00

Much of the island was once covered with evergreen and deciduous forest, but little now remains except on the eastern escarpment and in scattered pockets in the west. The plateau is particularly denuded and suffers seriously from erosion. The forest has been cut in order to clear rice fields, to obtain fuel and building materials, and to export valuable timber, such

Cromarty

2005-01-07T00:13:00.000-08:00

Small burgh (town) and seaport, Highland council area, historic county of Cromartyshire, historic region of Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, on a landlocked harbour. During the 17th century Cromarty became the chief burgh of the patchwork county of Cromartyshire, comprising the amalgamated estates of the earls of Cromarty, which included enclaves surrounded by Ross-shire

Submarine Mine

2005-01-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

Underwater weapon designed to explode when a target presents itself. See mine.

Allende, Isabel

2005-01-03T01:54:00.000-08:00

Allende worked as a journalist in Chile until she was forced to flee to Venezuela after the assassination (1973) of her uncle, Chilean president Salvador Allende Gossens. In 1981 she began writing a letter to her terminally ill grandfather

Conscientious Objector

2005-01-02T05:27:00.000-08:00

Conscientious

Typology

2004-12-30T01:26:00.000-08:00

System of groupings (such as “landed gentry” or “rain forests”), usually called types, the members of which are identified by postulating specified attributes that are mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive—groupings set up to aid demonstration or inquiry by establishing a limited relationship among phenomena. A type may represent one kind of attribute

Shansi, The people

2004-12-29T08:10:00.000-08:00

Most of the province's people are of Han (Chinese) origin and speak the Northern Mandarin dialect of Chinese. The small minority populations include the Hui (Chinese Muslims), in the T'ai-yüan–Yü-tz'u region, and some Mongols and Manchu around Ta-t'ung. Most of the populace lives in agricultural villages. The highest rural densities occur in the T'ai-yüan Basin, in the southeast

Jewfish

2004-12-27T06:32:00.000-08:00

Any of several large fishes of the sea bass (q.v.) family (Serranidae), especially Epinephelus itajara, found on the Atlantic coast of tropical America. This species sometimes attains a length of 2.5 metres (8 feet) and a weight of about 320 kilograms (700 pounds). The adult is dull olive-brown with faint spots and bands. Adult jewfish are usually solitary and typically remain in the same

Hard-boiled Fiction

2004-12-24T00:52:00.000-08:00

A tough, unsentimental style of American crime writing that brought a new tone of earthy realism or naturalism to the field of detective fiction. Hard-boiled fiction used graphic sex and violence, vivid but often sordid urban backgrounds, and fast-paced, slangy dialogue. Credit for the invention of the genre belongs to Dashiell Hammett (1894–1961), a former Pinkerton detective

Vuillard, (jean-)édouard

2004-12-22T09:59:00.000-08:00

Vuillard met Bonnard, Paul Sérusier, and Félix Vallotton while studying at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and, along with his old friends Maurice Denis and Ker-Xavier Roussel, they formed an association called the

Star, Classification

2004-12-21T00:15:00.000-08:00

(1) Pulsating variables—i.e., stars whose variations in light and colour are thought to arise

Louvet, Jean

2004-12-18T04:31:00.000-08:00

Louvet was the son of a miner. As a young man, he was influenced by Existentialism, and left-wing politics led him into work in the theatre. Strongly autobiographical, his work goes beyond ideology to embrace the history of the Walloon people of southern

United Nations

2004-12-17T01:07:00.000-08:00

Under an agreement signed on July 3 on Governors Island, N.Y., by Lieut. Gen. Raoul Cédras, the Haitian army commander, and the Rev. Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the president deposed in September 1991, UN personnel were supposed to help the transition to democratic government by separating the police force from the army. On October 11, however, 40 or 50 "toughs" protected by police prevented

Folengo, Teofilo

2004-12-15T09:53:00.000-08:00

Folengo entered the Benedictine order as a young man, taking the name Teofilo by which he is known. He lived in the monasteries of Brescia, Mantua,

Muar

2004-12-12T21:11:00.000-08:00

Also called Bandar Maharani, town and port on the southwestern coast of West Malaysia (Malaya). It lies along the strait of Malacca, at the mouth of the Muar River. An old town, it was occupied by the end of the 14th century AD by Parameswara, founder of the Malay kingdom of Malacca (Melaka). Naval battles involving neighbouring sultanates and kingdoms were fought at Muar in 1517, 1615, and 1616. The present town of Muar was

Parks, Rosa

2004-12-11T19:50:00.000-08:00

Parks attended Alabama State College (now Alabama State University) and made her living as a seamstress. In 1943 she became

Spanish Literature, Poetry

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

Modernism heralded

Abbate, Niccolò Dell'

2004-12-07T02:08:00.000-08:00

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

Metal Fatigue

2004-12-05T11:57:00.000-08:00

Though the term dates back to the 19th century and though considerable observation of the phenomenon was made then and in the first

Classical Scholarship, The 18th century: the age of Bentley

2004-12-02T03:30:00.000-08:00

Since the late 16th century little had been heard of English scholarship; once the study of Greek had been established by Linacre, Grocyn, Sir John Cheke, and their contemporaries, the English preoccupation with education had set in. John Selden is the most notable of few exceptions, and he was a jurist and antiquary, not an academic, though his De Diis Syris (1617) laid the foundations

Alban, Saint

2004-12-01T18:09:00.000-08:00

According to the historian Bede, he served in the Roman army and was converted to Christianity by a fugitive priest whom he sheltered and with whom he exchanged clothes, so that he was martyred in the priest's place (c. 304; other dates suggested by scholars are c. 254 or c. 209). His feast day is commemorated

Coral

2004-11-28T13:43:00.000-08:00

Stony corals (order Madreporaria or Scleractinia) number

Caribou

2004-11-27T07:33:00.000-08:00

City, Aroostook county, northeastern Maine, U.S. It lies along the Aroostook River, near the New Brunswick border, 13 miles (21 km) north of Presque Isle. Settled in 1824, it developed as a lumbering centre and was incorporated in 1859 as Lyndon. It was renamed Caribou in 1877 for the woodland caribou once plentiful in the region. The city is the shipping point for a large potato-growing region.

Kléber, Jean-baptiste

2004-11-24T04:31:00.000-08:00

The son of a mason, Kléber was an officer in the Austrian army from 1776 to 1782. He was an architect for a time in Paris, and, in

Indian Pipe

2004-11-23T22:56:00.000-08:00

The plant arises from a tangled mass of rootlets, grows 15–25 cm (6–10 inches) tall, and is white, pinkish, or (rarely) red; if it dries out, it turns black. A single,

Tragedy

2004-11-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

Although the word tragedy is often used loosely to describe any sort of disaster or misfortune, it more precisely refers to a work of art that probes

Menken, Adah Isaacs

2004-11-18T08:01:00.000-08:00

The facts concerning Menken's early life are obscured by later and confused publicity stories. On various occasions she claimed various original names, birthplaces, and histories. It seems likely that her

Macdiarmid, Alan G.

2004-11-17T23:52:00.000-08:00

MacDiarmid earned Ph.D.'s in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin at Madison (1953) and the

Gu

2004-11-14T07:33:00.000-08:00

The bronze gu was produced during

Rocky Mountains, Plant life

2004-11-13T15:55:00.000-08:00

The plant communities of the Rockies vary markedly according to elevation, latitude, and exposure. On the eastern slopes in Colorado and New Mexico, strong winter winds off the arid plains stunt and deform the scattered cedars and piñon pines. The lower elevations at this end of the system are predominantly treeless, except along watercourses, where cottonwoods

Astrology

2004-11-10T14:18:00.000-08:00

Type of divination that involves the forecasting of earthly and human events through the observation and interpretation of the fixed stars, the Sun, the Moon, and the planets. Devotees believe that an understanding of the influence of the planets and stars on earthly affairs allows them to both predict and affect the destinies of individuals, groups, and nations.

Porringer

2004-11-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

A shallow, round bowl with one or two flat, horizontal handles set on opposite sides of the rim and, usually, a shallow lid. In recent usage, the word has also been used to refer to late 16th- and early 17th-century English silver vessels of cylindrical form with two vertical scroll handles. The precise purpose of porringers, or écuelles, as they are known in France, is in dispute;

Abajo Mountains

2004-11-06T22:01:00.000-08:00

Volcanic segment of the Colorado Plateau, in San Juan county, southeastern Utah, U.S. Abajo Peak (11,362 feet [3,463 metres]) is the highest point in the mountains, which comprise eight summits and are embraced by the Manti-LaSal National Forest. The heavily forested range is locally called the Blue Mountains for its appearance. Mining and lumbering are the main economic activities

France, History Of, Monasticism

2004-11-04T05:32:00.000-08:00

Monasticism originated in the East. It was introduced in the West during the 4th century and was developed in Gaul, mainly in the west (St. Martin of Tours) and southeast (St. Honoratus and St. John Cassian). The earliest monasteries lacked a communal form of discipline; eremitism was widespread. In the 6th century, monasteries throughout Gaul increased, and efforts were made

Moray

2004-11-03T02:27:00.000-08:00

Any of 80 or more species of eels of the family Muraenidae. Moray eels occur in all tropical and subtropical seas, where they live in shallow water among reefs and rocks and hide in crevices. They differ from other eels in having small rounded gill openings and in generally lacking pectoral fins. Their skin is thick, smooth, and scaleless, while the mouth is wide and the jaws

Heir

2004-11-01T16:36:00.000-08:00

One who succeeds to the property of a person dying without a will or who is legally entitled to succeed by right of descent or relationship. In most jurisdictions, statutes of descent determine transfer of title to property if there is no will naming the legatee. In English common law, originally an heir was one who inherited real estate; next of kin inherited personal

Rocky Mountains, Water resources

2004-10-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

The Rocky Mountains in Canada and the United States are a region of water surplus, where precipitation exceeds losses from evaporation, runoff, and transpiration. The lands on either side of the mountain front, however, experience a water deficit. The people living in these areas have looked to water-storage projects in the Rockies for irrigation, domestic and industrial

Circulation, Amphibians

2004-10-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

Modern amphibians are characterized by the flexibility of their gaseous exchange mechanisms. Amphibian skin is moistened by mucous secretions and is well supplied with blood vessels. It is used for respiration to varying degrees. When lungs are present, carbon dioxide may pass out of the body across the skin, but in some salamanders there are no lungs and all respiratory

Venini, Paolo

2004-10-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

Italian glassmaker and designer and manufacturer of glassware, whose works are outstanding for their combination of traditional technique and modern form. His glass factory in Murano contributed to a revival of art-glass manufacture in the 1930s and '40s and employed some of the finest designers of the period, among them Gio Ponti and Tyra

Musical

2004-10-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

The antecedents of the musical can be traced to a number of 19th-century forms of entertainment including the music hall, comic opera, burlesque, vaudeville, variety shows, pantomime, and the minstrel show.

Hawes, Stephen

2004-10-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hawes's main work is a long allegorical poem, The Passetyme of Pleasure, the chief theme of which is the education and pilgrimage through life of the knight Graunde Amoure. Completed in 1506, it was printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 1509. Another allegory by Hawes, The Example

Barani, Ziya'-ud-din

2004-10-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

Using mainly hearsay evidence and his personal experiences at court, Barani in 1357 wrote the Tarikh-e Firuz Shahi (“History of Firuz Shah”), a didactic work setting down the duties of the Indian sultan toward Islam. In his Fatawa-ye jahandari (“Rulings

Cosimo I

2004-10-17T16:16:00.000-07:00

Cosimo was the great-great-grandson of Lorenzo the Elder, the son of Giovanni di Bicci and brother of Cosimo the Elder, and was thus a member of a branch of the Medici family that had taken an active part in Medici affairs but had played no political role. Nevertheless, when

Coraciiform, Similarities to birds of other orders

2004-10-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

The size of the birds of this order and their propensity to take rather large prey bring them into competition with many other species of other groups. It is perhaps instructive to compare certain Old World groups with representatives of different orders in the New World tropics (see above Natural history). The most striking parallel is seen between the toucans

Zanzibar

2004-10-13T02:30:00.000-07:00

City and port of the island of Zanzibar, Tanzania. The island's principal port and commercial centre, it is on the western side of the island behind a well-protected natural deepwater harbour. In 1824 Sultan Sa'id ibn Sultan of Oman established his capital there, shifting it from Muscat on the Arabian Peninsula. During the remainder of the 19th century, the city flourished as the

Northern Pacific Railway Company

2004-10-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

The Northern Pacific was chartered by Congress in 1864 to build a line from Lake Superior westward to a port on the Pacific coast and was given a land grant of 40,000,000 acres (16,200,000 hectares). It nevertheless encountered difficulty

Syrtos

2004-10-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

Ancient chain dance of Greece. It was described by Lucian (c. AD 125–190) and is still danced today in many varieties in the Greek islands. Traditionally, it was danced by segregated lines of men and women, a youth leading the line of girls; lines now are frequently mixed. The dancers in the chain maintain a simple fundamental step, but the leader improvises, often breaking away

Cheddar

2004-10-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

In the traditional method of cheddar manufacture, the firm curd is cut, or “cheddared,” into small bits to drain the whey and then

Silk Road

2004-10-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

Originating at Sian, the 4,000-mile (6,400-kilometre) road, actually a caravan tract, followed the Great Wall

Yün-lin

2004-10-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

Yün-lin slopes from the foothills of the A-li Mountains in the east to the fertile alluvial plains in the west. The Cho-shui and Pei-kang rivers run parallel to the northern and southern boundaries, respectively, and are sources of hydroelectricity.