SlowDrawer

Bothnia, Gulf Of

2005-03-18T00:21:00.000-08:00

Swedish Bottniska Viken, Finnish Pohjan Lahti, northern arm of the Baltic Sea, between Sweden (west) and Finland (east). Covering an area of about 45,200 square miles (117,000 square km), the gulf extends for 450 miles (725 km) from north to south but only 50 to 150 miles (80 to 240 km) from east to west; it is nearly closed off by the Åland (Ahvenanmaa) Islands (south). Its maximum depth is 965 feet (295 m) in the west-central portion; its average depth is only about 200 feet (60 m). Because

Kaden-bandrowski, Juliusz

2005-03-17T09:03:00.000-08:00

After working as a foreign correspondent and studying music in Brussels, Kaden-Bandrowski joined the military in 1914 in order to serve under Józef Pilsudski, the

Computer Security

2005-03-14T08:54:00.000-08:00

The protection of computer systems and information from harm, theft, and unauthorized use. Computer hardware is typically protected by the same means used to protect other valuable or sensitive equipment, namely, serial numbers, doors and locks, and alarms. The protection of information and system access, on the other hand, is achieved through other tactics, some

Pyrazole

2005-03-12T05:52:00.000-08:00

The pyrazole compounds are not known to occur in nature; they are usually prepared by the

Paddington

2005-03-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

The area has been inhabited since ancient times, and it was crossed by the Roman highways now roughly

Quaking Grass

2005-03-08T15:33:00.000-08:00

The various species are native to Eurasia. Briza maxima, B. media, and B. minor (shivery grass) are cultivated as ornamentals and have become naturalized in temperate

Aurresku

2005-03-06T09:43:00.000-08:00

Basque folk dance of courtship, in which the men perform spirited acrobatic displays for their partners; it is one of the most elaborate European folk dances of this type. It begins as a chain dance for men, in which the leader and last man break off, dance competitively, and rejoin the chain. Each later dances before his partner, and finally all bring their partners

Kachemak Culture

2005-03-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

The Kachemak people lived in coastal settlements

Architecture, History Of Western, 18th century

2005-03-03T02:29:00.000-08:00

Urban design in the 18th century placed greater emphasis on unity and direction through the subordination of lesser parts to the whole. Entire cities were laid out on regularized multiaxial schemes (e.g., Washington, D.C., 1792, by Pierre L'Enfant); the spaces between the radiating avenues were subdivided either geometrically or on a gridiron pattern. New principles calling

Nabulus

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

Shechem, a Canaanite city, was important in ancient Palestine because of its position in an east–west pass between

Francis, Sam

2005-02-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

Francis studied medicine at the University of California at Berkeley in 1941–43 and began painting while in a hospital after being wounded in World War II. He painted his first abstract compositions in 1947. From 1950 to 1957 he lived and worked in Paris,

Acceptance

2005-02-24T22:20:00.000-08:00

An exporter of goods, for

Alka

2005-02-23T15:30:00.000-08:00

Also called Alkas, in Baltic religion, an open-air religious site, a natural sanctuary—forest, hill, river—that was sacred and inviolate. Trees could not be cut in such forests, sacred fields could not be plowed, and fishing was not allowed in the holy waters. The rituals of various religious cults, involving animal sacrifice and human cremation, took place at the alkas. The sense of the ancient

Chancellor, Richard

2005-02-21T05:59:00.000-08:00

In 1553 Chancellor was appointed pilot general of Sir Hugh Willoughby's expedition in search of a northeast passage from England to China. The three-vessel fleet was to rendezvous at Vardø, Nor., but because of stormy weather Chancellor's was the only

Tasmanian Languages

2005-02-18T23:15:00.000-08:00

Extinct languages spoken before 1877 by the indigenous people of Tasmania, who are also now extinct. No relationship between the Tasmanian languages and any other languages of the world has been discovered. Scholars originally divided the Tasmanian languages, all of which were related to each other, into two groups, a western group, spoken in western Tasmania and northern

Gaugamela, Battle Of

2005-02-17T19:15:00.000-08:00

Also called Battle of Arbela (Oct. 1, 331 BC) clash between the forces of Alexander the Great of Macedonia and Darius III of Persia that decided the fate of the Persian empire. Attempting to stop Alexander's incursion into the Persian empire, Darius prepared a battleground on the Plain of Gaugamela, near Arbela (present-day Irbil in northern Iraq), and posted his troops to await Alexander's advance. Darius had

Cojedes

2005-02-13T00:54:00.000-08:00

Inland state, northwestern Venezuela, surrounded by the states of Yaracuy and Carabobo on the north, Guárico on the east, Barinas on the south, and Portuguesa on the west. Since colonial days cattle raising has dominated the local economy. The state, which has an area of 5,714 sq mi (14,800 sq km), lies mainly in the Llanos (plains), with no elevation above 700 ft (210 m). Drained by secondary tributaries

France, History Of, The formative years (18711905)

2005-02-10T13:58:00.000-08:00

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,

Baruch, Bernard

2005-02-06T06:27:00.000-08:00

After graduating from the College of the City of New York in 1889, Baruch worked as an office boy in a linen business and later in Wall Street brokerage houses. Over the years he amassed a fortune as a stock market speculator. In 1916 he was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson to the Advisory

Pyrrhus

2005-02-05T03:17:00.000-08:00

Upon becoming ruler at the age of 12, Pyrrhus allied himself with Demetrius, son of Antigonus I Monophthalmus of Macedonia.

Bourne, Francis

2005-02-02T23:40:00.000-08:00

Educated at St. Sulpice, Paris, and Louvain University, Bourne was ordained in 1884 and was appointed (1889) rector of St. John's Seminary, Wonersh, Surrey. In 1895 he became a monsignor

Extratropical Cyclone

2005-02-01T14:32:00.000-08:00

According to the polar-front theory, extratropical cyclones develop when

Nitti, Francesco Saverio

2005-01-29T08:22:00.000-08:00

After a career as a journalist and professor of economics, Nitti was elected deputy in 1904. A Left Liberal, he served as minister of agriculture, industry, and commerce in 1911–14 and as minister of the treasury in 1917–19. He succeeded Vittorio Emanuele Orlando, the wartime prime minister,

Korean Language

2005-01-28T02:09:00.000-08:00

Language spoken by more than 72 million people, of whom 45 million live in South Korea and 24 million in North Korea. There are more than 2 million speakers in China, more than 700,000 in the United States, and somewhat fewer in Japan. More than 200,000 Koreans live in Kazakstan and Uzbekistan. Korean is the official language of both South Korea (Republic of Korea) and North Korea (Democratic People's

Ansonia

2005-01-25T05:19:00.000-08:00

City, coextensive with the town (township) of Ansonia, New Haven county, southwestern Connecticut, U.S., on the Naugatuck River. The area was a part of the township of Derby until it was incorporated as a separate township in 1889. Ansonia's separate identity had been established in 1843, when Anson Greene Phelps of New York City refused to pay an exorbitant price for land in the village

Acculturation

2005-01-23T11:52:00.000-08:00

Two major types of acculturation may be distinguished based on two classes of conditions under which changes take place. A free “borrowing” and modification of cultural

Lipid Storage Disease

2005-01-22T06:16:00.000-08:00

Any of a group of relatively rare hereditary disorders of fat metabolism, characterized by the accumulation of distinctive types of lipids, notably cerebrosides, gangliosides, or sphingomyelins, in various body structures. Each type of lipid accumulates as a result of a defect in one of the several organic catalysts or enzymes that normally metabolize it inside

Carnivore, Natural history

2005-01-19T10:28:00.000-08:00

The family Procyonidae includes raccoons (see photograph), coatis or coatimundis, olingos, and the ringtailed cat, kinkajou, and lesser panda. Procyonids, like bears, are omnivorous, eating numerous types of insects, crayfish, crabs, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, small mammals, and a variety of fruits, nuts, roots, and young plants. A characteristic of

Garden And Landscape Design, Rhythm and balance

2005-01-17T07:57:00.000-08:00

Rhythm and balance result from the three-dimensional arrangement of elements and materials on the site. Rhythm is a sequence or repetition of similar elements—as a double row of trees. It tends to emphasize direction and movement, as along an allée toward a viewpoint or terminus. Balance is the sense one gets, looking in any direction, that the elements to one's left

Piura

2005-01-16T17:41:00.000-08:00

Department (formed 1861) of northern Peru, consisting of coastal desert, particularly in the west and south, and low, forested Andean mountains in the east. It is drained by the Chira River in the north and the Piura River in the south. The irrigated valleys of these two rivers are used chiefly for the production of cotton. Upstream on the Piura River, sugarcane, rice, tobacco,

Thought, Artistic versus scientific creativity

2005-01-13T01:08:00.000-08:00

While the processes of creative thinking in artistic and scientific pursuits have much in common, there are also distinctive differences. The artist places more importance on feeling and individual expression, often going to extremes to divorce himself from environmental constraints. The scientist relies more on disciplined, logical thinking to lead him

Naracoorte

2005-01-11T02:15:00.000-08:00

Town and rail junction, southeastern South Australia. It lies 190 miles (310 km) southeast of Adelaide, near the Victoria border. Founded as Kincraig in 1845, it took its present name in 1869 from an Aboriginal word meaning “large waterhole.” During the 1850s Naracoorte was an important stopping place along the route to the Victorian goldfields. Created a municipality in 1924, it now serves as a

Auckland

2005-01-10T05:33:00.000-08:00

When Europeans arrived in the early 19th century, the region was densely populated by Maoris. European settlements were

Alba Fucens

2005-01-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

Modern Albe ancient fortified town at the foot of Mount Velino, Italy. It was originally a town of the ancient Marsi people but was occupied by a Latin colony about 303 BC. It was situated on a hill with three distinct summits, all of which were enclosed within the walls. Its strong position made it important in the Social War and in the civil wars of the 1st century BC; state prisoners of the Romans

A'sha, Al-

2005-01-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

Al-A'sha spent his youth in travels through Mesopotamia,

Pampa

2005-01-03T02:31:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1902) of Gray county, northern Texas, U.S., 55 miles (88 km) northeast of Amarillo. It was founded in 1888 on the Santa Fe Railroad; it was known first as Glasgow, then Sutton, and finally, in 1892 it was named for the resemblance of the surrounding prairie lands to the Argentine Pampas. Located in the Texas Panhandle, the city serves as the centre of an oil-producing, wheat-growing, and cattle-raising

Italic

2004-12-31T05:42:00.000-08:00

In printing, a sloping, light-bodied, compact, and almost cursive letter form, which, with roman and black letter shapes, has been one of the three major typefaces in the history of Western printing. Used today almost exclusively as a special function adjunct of roman letters, italic types were used first as body texts in small volumes in which their space-saving, humanistic

Catalonia

2004-12-29T02:45:00.000-08:00

Spanish Cataluña , Catalan Catalunya comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) and historic region of Spain encompassing the northeastern Spanish provincias of Gerona, Barcelona, Tarragona, and Lérida and established by the statute of autonomy of Dec. 18, 1979. The autonomous community of Catalonia, which has an area of 12,328 square miles (31,930 square km), is the richest and most highly industrialized part of Spain. The

Pyrenees, Peace Of The

2004-12-27T11:15:00.000-08:00

During the years from the end of the Thirty Years' War until 1659 Spain and France engaged in almost continuous warfare. During the struggle Spain found itself also involved in hostilities with England,

Diels, Otto Paul Hermann

2004-12-25T15:39:00.000-08:00

Diels studied chemistry at the University of Berlin under Emil Fischer and after various appointments was made professor of chemistry at the University of Kiel

Essex

2004-12-22T00:55:00.000-08:00

County, northeastern Vermont, U.S., bordered to the north by Quebec, Can., and to the east by New Hampshire, the Connecticut River constituting that boundary. It is a mountainous region, with several peaks above 3,000 feet (915 metres). The Connecticut River watershed includes the Moose and Nulhegan rivers as well as Paul Stream. Maidstone Lake and Great Averill and Island ponds are

Main River

2004-12-20T09:32:00.000-08:00

Latin Moenus, river, an important right- (east-) bank tributary of the Rhine in Germany. It is formed, near Kulmbach, by the confluence of the Weisser (White) Main, which rises in the Fichtel Mountains, and the Roter (Red) Main, which rises on the eastern slope of the Fränkische Mountains (Franconian Jura). The Main River flows southwesterly around the northern end of the Fränkische Mountains

Arreola, Juan José

2004-12-18T03:27:00.000-08:00

Mexican short-fiction writer and humorist who was a master of brief subgenres, such as the short story, the epigram, and the sketch. He published only one novel, La feria (1963; The Fair). His collection of stories Confabulario (1952) has been reprinted in several expanded editions and was translated into English as Confabulario

Arabia, Yemen

2004-12-16T03:09:00.000-08:00

Arabia's highest mountains occur in Yemen: An-Nabi Shu'ayb, northwest of San'a', reaches 12,008 feet. The Tihamah in Yemen, broader and more habitable than the Tihamah farther north in Saudi Arabia, supports some towns. Monsoon rains make the mountains and high plateaus of Yemen the most fruitful region in Arabia. The easy slope from the highlands to the southwestern corner of the

Barcelona, Archaeological Museum Of

2004-12-15T03:36:00.000-08:00

In full Archaeological Museum Of Barcelona And Institute Of Prehistory And Archaeology, Spanish Museo Arqueológica De Barcelona E Instituto De Prehistoria Y Arqueología, institution in Barcelona, Spain, notable for its collection of prehistoric objects and for its collection of ancient Greek and Roman art and examples illustrating Iberian archaeology. Exhibits include a scale model of a part of the excavation at Ampurias (Emporiae) and displays of Greek vases, glass, and sculpture. There is a fine statue of Asclepius of the 4th century

Epirrhema

2004-12-13T13:16:00.000-08:00

In ancient Greek Old Comedy, an address usually about public affairs. It was spoken by the leader of one-half of the chorus after that half of the chorus had sung an ode. It was part of the parabasis, or performance by the chorus, during an interlude in the action of the play.

Dowding, Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron

2004-12-10T04:07:00.000-08:00

A squadron commander in the Royal Flying Corps

Uzziah

2004-12-09T10:37:00.000-08:00

During the period of Uzziah's

Itelmen

2004-12-06T02:45:00.000-08:00

Their Luorawetlan language of

Tu Fu

2004-12-05T00:58:00.000-08:00

Born into a scholarly family, Tu Fu received a traditional Confucian education but failed in the imperial examinations of 736. As a result, he spent much of his youth traveling, during which he won renown as a poet and met the other poets of the period,

Maurienne

2004-12-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

High Alpine valley, about 80 miles (130 km) long, in southeastern France. Drained by the Arc River, a tributary of the Isère, it consists of a succession of large basins and narrow, wild gorges that are cut through outcrops of heavily folded and overthrust rocks. Twenty-four hydroelectric stations in the valley generate power for electrochemical plants, aluminum refining,

Bharuch

2004-12-01T14:04:00.000-08:00

Bharuch was one of the most celebrated harbours in ancient India, being mentioned in the Periplus Maris Erythraei (c. AD 80) and by Ptolemy as Barygaza. It also occurs in the Hindu epic poem Mahabharata. Ruled in the 2nd century by the Ksatrapas and in the 7th

Valachi, Joseph

2004-11-28T09:22:00.000-08:00

Valachi held a rank in the Mafia equivalent to that of a sergeant, with interests chiefly in the numbers rackets and other gambling from the 1930s to the '50s. In 1959 he was convicted of narcotics violations and sentenced to 15 to

Shensi, The 19th and 20th centuries

2004-11-26T08:39:00.000-08:00

By the 19th century Shensi was seriously impoverished. Although only marginally affected by the Taiping Rebellion (1850–64) in its last stages, eastern and southern Shensi were slightly disturbed by the Nien Rebellion between 1853 and 1868. It then suffered the terrible Muslim rebellion of 1862 to 1878, which affected much of the western and northern parts of the province. Although the effects

China

2004-11-25T07:51:00.000-08:00

The People's Republic of China is situated in eastern Asia, with coastlines on the Yellow Sea and the East and South China seas. Area: 9,572,900 sq km (3,696,100 sq mi), including Tibet and excluding Taiwan. (See Taiwan, below.) Pop. (1994 est., excluding Taiwan): 1,192,300,000. Cap.: Beijing (Peking). Monetary unit: renminbi yuan, with (Oct. 7, 1994) an interbank rate of 8.53 yuan to U.S. $1 (13.57 yuan = £ 1 sterling). President in 1994, Jiang Zemin (Chiang Tse-min); premier,

Yamamoto Isoroku

2004-11-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

Yamamoto graduated from the naval academy in 1904 and fought as an ensign in the Russo-Japanese War. He was naval attaché at the Japanese embassy in Washington, D.C., during 1926–27. He became vice minister of the Japanese navy in 1936, commander

Children's Game

2004-11-20T01:28:00.000-08:00

Some children's games have been played for centuries. Swings existed on the island of Crete in

Frey, Adolf

2004-11-16T09:56:00.000-08:00

As a biographer Frey showed a predilection for rich character studies in the manner of the 19th-century realists. Because he knew many writers and painters when he was a professor

Andaman And Nicobar Islands

2004-11-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

Linked administratively by the British in 1872, the two groups became a union territory of the Republic of India in 1956. The territory

Uji

2004-11-13T01:01:00.000-08:00

Uji is best known as the place where tea was first cultivated in Japan in the Muromachi era (1338–1573). High-quality

Zambezi River, Hydrology

2004-11-11T13:54:00.000-08:00

The Zambezi, according to measurements taken at Maramba (formerly Livingstone), Zambia, experiences its maximum flow in March or April. In October or November the discharge diminishes to less than 10 percent of the maximum. The annual average flow reaches about 247,000 cubic feet (7,000 cubic metres) per second. Measurements taken at Kariba Dam reflect the same seasonal pattern; the

Milles, Carl

2004-11-09T19:28:00.000-08:00

In 1902, during student years in Paris, Milles won recognition through the competition for

Sashimi

2004-11-06T03:12:00.000-08:00

Specialty of Japanese cuisine, fresh fish served raw. The fish, which must be utterly fresh, is sliced paper thin or alternately one-quarter to one-half inch (0.75–1.5 centimetres) thick, cubed, or cut in strips, according to the nature of the fish. The sashimi is accompanied by wasabi (green horseradish paste) and soy sauce. Sashimi is always part of a formal Japanese meal, served early

Luria, Isaac Ben Solomon

2004-11-04T09:03:00.000-08:00

Luria's youth was spent in Egypt, where he became versed in rabbinic studies, engaged in commerce, and eventually concentrated on study of the Zohar, the central work of Kabbala. In 1570 he went to Safed in Galilee, where

Computers, Analog calculators: From Napier's logarithms to the slide rule

2004-11-03T22:29:00.000-08:00

Calculating devices took a different turn when John Napier, a Scottish mathematician, published his discovery of logarithms in 1614. As any person can attest, adding two 10-digit numbers is much simpler than multiplying them together, and the transformation of a multiplication problem into an addition problem is exactly what logarithms enable. This simplification

Ikenobo

2004-11-01T13:29:00.000-08:00

Oldest school of floral art in Japan; the term Ikenobo later came to be used loosely to describe any classical Japanese flower arrangement. The Ikenobo (literally, “priest's residence by a pond”) school was founded in the early 7th century by Ono no Imoko, a former Japanese envoy to China. After becoming a Buddhist priest, Ono no Imoko took up residence at Rokkaku-do, a small temple

Glaucoma

2004-10-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

Disease caused by an increase in pressure within the eye as a result of blockage of the flow of aqueous humour, a watery fluid produced by the ciliary body. (The ciliary body is a ring of tissue directly behind the outer rim of the iris; besides being the source of aqueous humour, it contains the muscle that flattens the curvature of the lens for far vision.) The normal flow

Deggendorf

2004-10-27T01:32:00.000-07:00

City, Bavaria Land (state), southeastern Germany, on the Danube River, 2.5 miles (4 km) above its confluence with the Isar River. It lies at the western foot of the Bavarian and Bohemian forests, east of Straubing. Founded about 750, it passed to the dukes of Bavaria in 1242 and was chartered in 1316. The river and the forested mountains form a picturesque setting for the city, which retains its

Arts, Central Asian, Kushan

2004-10-25T02:02:00.000-07:00

The Kushans replaced the Greeks in Bactria about 130 BC. They are thought to have been of Yüeh-chih stock with a strong admixture of Hephthalites, Saka, and Tocharian. One branch of this group migrated to the Tarim Basin and founded a short-lived empire, while the other, under the name of Kushan, gained control of Central Asia. Capturing a section of the great trade route leading

Novomoskovsk

2004-10-24T15:58:00.000-07:00

Formerly (until 1934) Bobriki , or (1934–61) Stalinogorsk city, Tula oblast (province), western Russia, situated on the upper Don River. Founded in 1930 as Bobriki, the town developed as a major chemical centre, making fertilizers and plastics and mining lignite (brown coal). Pop. (1993 est.) 145,000.

Quintilian

2004-10-22T01:48:00.000-07:00

Quintilian was born in northern Spain, but he was probably educated in Rome, where he afterward received some practical training from the leading orator of the day, Domitius

Hyde, Charles Cheney

2004-10-19T02:30:00.000-07:00

Hyde taught at the law school of Northwestern University, Chicago (1907–25), and then became professor of international law and diplomacy at Columbia University (1925–45). He served as solicitor for the U.S.

Episcopius, Simon

2004-10-17T04:33:00.000-07:00

He studied theology at Leiden and in 1610 became a pastor at Bleiswyk. He was made a professor at Leiden in 1612, succeeding the strict Calvinist Franciscus Gomarus. Episcopius was one of

World War I, The Far East

2004-10-15T02:55:00.000-07:00

China's entry into the war in 1917 on the side of the Allies was motivated not by any grievance against the Central Powers but by the Peking government's fear lest Japan, a belligerent since 1914, should monopolize the sympathies of the Allies and of the United States when Far Eastern affairs came up for settlement after the war. Accordingly, in March 1917 the Peking government severed

Paulding, James Kirke

2004-10-14T06:03:00.000-07:00

At 18 he went to New York City, where he formed a lasting friendship with the Irving brothers. This association aroused his enthusiasm for literature, and he, with William and Washington Irving,

Rudolf, Archduke And Crown Prince Of Austria

2004-10-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

The only son of the emperor Francis Joseph and the empress Elizabeth, Rudolf received an extensive education and traveled widely. Politically,

Afanasev, Aleksandr Nikolayevich

2004-10-09T01:02:00.000-07:00

Afanasev studied law at Moscow University. His early work included a study of Russian satirical journals of the late 18th century (1859) and commentaries on contemporary Russian literature. During the period

Bridget Of Sweden, Saint

2004-10-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

The daughter of Birger Persson, governor of Uppland, she had from an early age remarkable religious visions that influenced her entire life and outlook. In

Earth, Mantle convection

2004-10-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

Convection of mantle material, at velocities of centimetres per year, has been suggested as the driving force for plate motions, and it is natural to look for some expression of a system of mantle convection currents in the gravitational field. In a thermally driven convecting system, heated mantle material of lower density rises, moves horizontally dragging the

Cohong

2004-10-04T04:50:00.000-07:00

Wade–Giles romanization kung-hung , also called hong , or cong-hong the guild of Chinese merchants authorized by the central government to trade with Western merchants at Canton prior to the first Opium War (1839–42). Such firms often were called “foreign-trade firms” (yang-hang) and the merchants who directed them “hong merchants” (hang-shang). In existence by the mid-17th century, these merchants theoretically numbered 13 but frequently totalled

Sabi River

2004-10-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

Also called Save River, river of southeastern Africa, flowing through Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The river rises as the Sabi about 50 miles (80 km) south of Harare (formerly Salisbury) and flows southeast from the Zimbabwean highveld to its confluence with the Odzi. It then turns south, drops over the Chivirira (“Place of Boiling”) Falls, and is joined by the Lundi at the Mozambique border. The river continues

Welland, River

2004-09-28T05:28:00.000-07:00

River in the eastern Midlands, England. The Welland River rises in the county of Leicestershire and flows eastward past Market Harborough and Stamford for about 70 miles (110 km) into Lincolnshire to enter the southwestern corner of the shallow North Sea inlet called The Wash. From Market Deeping past Spalding its course across the drained Fens has been embanked. It was

Khoisan Languages, Phonology

2004-09-25T05:13:00.000-07:00

Most characteristic of the Khoisan languages are the click sounds, which form a subsystem of the consonants. Clicks are produced by simultaneous closure of the tongue with two areas in the mouth, one at the soft palate (the velum), and the other at such prevelar locations as the teeth, alveolar ridge, or palate. After the closures are made, the body of the tongue is moved

Great Lakes

2004-09-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

Chain of lakes in east-central North America comprising Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. They are one of the great natural features of the continent and of the Earth. Although Lake Baikal in Russia has a larger volume of water, the combined area of the Great Lakes—some 94,850 square miles (245,660 square kilometres)—represents the largest surface of fresh water in

Tyrwhitt, Thomas

2004-09-22T00:34:00.000-07:00

English scholar especially notable for his work on the medieval English poet Geoffrey Chaucer. In classical and English scholarship alike, Tyrwhitt showed the same qualities of balance, wide knowledge, and critical acumen. (He was the one man able, on linguistic grounds alone, to denounce as a forgery the poems by Thomas Chatterton purporting

Berenice Ii

2004-09-19T23:37:00.000-07:00

Magas' queen, who favoured an alliance with the Seleucid dynasty of Syria, tried to thwart the marriage by summoning Demetrius the Fair, a Macedonian prince, as a husband for Berenice. The princess, however, arranged Demetrius' murder and married

Davies, William Henry

2004-09-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

After serving as apprentice to a picture framer, Davies tramped through the United States, crossed the Atlantic many times on cattle boats, lost a foot while trying

Aleandro, Girolamo

2004-09-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

In 1520 Pope

Père David's Deer

2004-09-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

The deer is about 1.1 metres (43 inches) tall at the shoulder and is characterized

Armilus

2004-09-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

In Jewish legends, an enemy who will conquer Jerusalem and persecute Jews until his final defeat at the hands of God or the true Messiah. His inevitable destruction symbolizes the ultimate victory of good over evil in the messianic era. Some sources depict Armilus as partially deaf and partially maimed, the frightful offspring of Satan or evil creatures. Parallel

Vtol Airplane

2004-09-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

The first operational VTOL jet aircraft was the British Royal Air Force Harrier; its jet engines are

Gonda

2004-09-07T01:41:00.000-07:00

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

Gull, Sir William Withey, 1st Baronet

2004-09-05T00:41:00.000-07:00

Gull received his M.D. from the University of London in 1846 and became lecturer on physiology and anatomy and then physician, at Guy's, where he taught or served as consulting physician for the rest of his life. He

Usuki

2004-09-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

City, Oita ken (prefecture), Kyushu, Japan. The city faces Usuki Bay on the Bungo Channel between the Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean. An early castle town, Usuki once carried on trade with Portugal. It is now a fishing port and commercial centre; the main industrial activity is brewing. Usuki is perhaps most noted as the site of the former Buddhist Mangetsu Temple, with its

Epistemology, A priori versus a posteriori knowledge

2004-08-31T04:01:00.000-07:00

A sharp distinction has been drawn since at least the 17th century between two types of knowledge: a priori knowledge and a posteriori knowledge. The distinction plays an especially important role in the philosophies of David Hume (1711–76) and Immanuel Kant (1724–1804). It is also found in many contemporary, empirically oriented theories of knowledge, which typically hold that all knowledge

China, Cultural change

2004-08-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

These great political and socioeconomic changes were accompanied by intellectual ferment, as the people tried to adjust themselves to a rapidly changing world. Ideas about the proper relationships between members of society were naturally questioned when the old feudal order was shaken; and, in this period, the great teacher Confucius elaborated the social

China, China after the death of Mao

2004-08-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

Perhaps never before in human history had a political leader unleashed such massive forces against the system that he had created. The resulting damage to that system was profound, and the goals that Mao Zedong sought to achieve ultimately remained elusive. The agenda he left behind for his successors was extraordinarily challenging.

World Water Crisis: Is There A Way Out?

2004-08-22T03:19:00.000-07:00

Into the gloom of the future we should project a little light by considering some successes of the past. Over the past 40 years, water resources and water quality have been greatly improved in Europe and North America. Rivers in the United States no longer spontaneously burst into flame; gross pollution of lakes and rivers has been eliminated; wetlands are protected

Hadrumetum

2004-08-21T20:41:00.000-07:00

Modern Susah , also spelled Sousa, or Sousse ancient Phoenician colony some 100 miles (160 km) south of Carthage, on the east coast of the Al-Hammamat Gulf in what is now Tunisia. Hadrumetum was one of the most important communities within the Carthaginian territory in northern Africa because of its location on the sea at the edge of the fertile Sahel region. In the Third Punic War (149–146 BC) Hadrumetum sided with Rome, and its citizens

Episcopal Church In Scotland

2004-08-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

The development of Protestantism in Scotland went through confusing periods, with control alternating between the Presbyterian Party (those who believed in the presbyterian form of church government) and the Episcopal Party (those who