LastSpring

Catapult

2005-04-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

Mechanism for forcefully propelling stones, spears, or other projectiles, in use since ancient times. The Romans used the word ballista to designate an engine used to hurl stones and catapulta for one that shot arrows and darts, although the larger catapults mounted a single long arm, which hurled stones and other objects. Nearly all catapults employed in ancient

Romania, Flag Of

2005-04-04T07:35:00.000-07:00

In 1834 the Ottoman government recognized local flags for use in Moldavia and Walachia, two principalities that later joined to form Romania. Their local flags were based on ancient heraldic banners—blue with an ox head (Moldavia) and yellow with an eagle (Walachia). Walachia also chose a naval ensign with horizontal stripes of red, blue, and yellow, colours later selected

Aurochs

2005-04-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

Also spelled Auroch (species Bos primigenius), extinct wild ox of Europe, family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla), from which cattle are probably descended. The aurochs survived in central Poland until 1627. The aurochs was black, stood 1.8 m (6 feet) high at the shoulder, and had spreading, forward-curving horns. Some German breeders claim that since 1945 they have re-created this race by crossing Spanish fighting

Condor

2005-04-03T22:29:00.000-07:00

The Andean condor has slightly longer wings, reaching 3 m (10 feet)

New Brunswick, Flag Of

2005-04-03T04:41:00.000-07:00

Following the establishment of the Dominion of Canada, Queen Victoria signed a royal warrant on May 26, 1868, designating coats of arms for the four original provinces—Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. The golden lion on red in the New Brunswick coat of arms may refer to the arms of England (a red shield with three golden lions) or to the arms of the duchy of Brunswick

Adams, Abigail

2005-04-01T22:53:00.000-08:00

Biographies include Edith B. Gelles, Portia: The World of Abigail Adams (1992, reissued 1995), focusing on the people whom she influenced and who influenced her; and Phyllis Lee Levin, Abigail Adams (1987). A concise version of the latter is Phyllis Lee Levin, “Abigail (Smith) Adams,” in Lewis L. Gould (ed.), American First Ladies (1996), pp. 16–44.

Andijon

2005-04-01T22:22:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Andizhan, or Andizan, city, extreme eastern Uzbekistan. Andijon lies in the southeastern part of the Fergana Valley. The city, which stands on ancient deposits of the Andijon River, dates back at least to the 9th century. In the 15th century it became the capital of the Fergana Valley and, being on the Silk Road caravan route to China, its chief centre of trade and handicrafts. In the 18th century it

Tasmania, Flag Of

2005-04-01T00:37:00.000-08:00

The first official local flags of Tasmania, ordered by Governor Frederick Aloysius Weld, were published in the colony's gazette on November 9, 1875. The usual British Blue Ensign and Red Ensign (for use respectively by government vessels and by those privately owned) were to have a white cross added. At the fly end of each flag a Southern Cross was to be formed of white stars

Furniture, Other materials

2005-03-30T03:15:00.000-08:00

Among other secondary materials in furniture making, glass has been used in the form of mirrorglass or as a purely decorative, illusionistic element in cabinets and writing desks. Italian craftsmen have made glass furniture; that is, wooden furniture covered with silvered glass in various colours. Ivory and other forms of bone were used as inlay material in Egyptian

Henderson

2005-03-29T04:13:00.000-08:00

Dairying, livestock raising, and feed are important to the economy, and tobacco is the major crop in the area.

Morecambe Bay

2005-03-29T01:59:00.000-08:00

Bay of the Irish Sea deeply indenting the northwest coast of England between the port of Barrow-in-Furness to the north and the seaside resorts of Morecambe and Heysham to the south. The bay separates the Furness region of the historic county of Lancashire (now in the administrative county of Cumbria) from the remainder of Lancashire. Much of the Lake District massif,

Petasos

2005-03-27T16:45:00.000-08:00

A hat used for traveling, the petasos was made of felt or straw and had a chin strap, so that when not in use it could be hung down the back. The winged hat of the god Hermes (or Mercury) was also called a petasos.

Blanqui, (louis-)auguste

2005-03-27T03:13:00.000-08:00

Blanqui's father was a subprefect in the little town of Puget-Théniers in the French Maritime Alps. In 1818 Blanqui

Monagas

2005-03-27T00:58:00.000-08:00

State, northeastern Venezuela, bounded northeast by the Gulf of Paria, southeast by the Orinoco River, and north and west by the states of Sucre and Anzoátegui. It has an area of 11,158 sq mi (28,900 sq km). Except for a coastal range in the north and the marshes of the Orinoco Delta, Monagas is a land of savannas and is typical Llanos (plains) country. Cattle raising is dominant, although corn

Spode Porcelain

2005-03-26T03:01:00.000-08:00

Porcelain introduced about 1800 in the factory of Josiah Spode and Josiah Spode II at Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, Eng. This hybrid porcelain—combining the ingredients of hard-paste porcelain (china clay and china stone) and bone ash—became the standard English bone china. Early Spode porcelain consists of elaborate services and outsize vases, lavishly decorated

Parallel Bars

2005-03-25T14:07:00.000-08:00

In gymnastics

Murad Ii

2005-03-25T10:21:00.000-08:00

Early in his reign, Murad had to overcome several claimants to the Ottoman throne who were supported by the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaeologus and by many of the Turkmen principalities

France, History Of, Charles Martel

2005-03-24T19:19:00.000-08:00

The situation was rectified by Pepin's illegitimate son, Charles Martel. Defeating the Neustrians at Amblève (716), Vincy (717), and Soissons (719), he made himself master of northern Francia. He then re-established Frankish authority in southern Gaul, where the local authorities could not cope with the Islamic threat; he stopped the Muslims near Poitiers (Battle of Tours; 732) and used this

Padilla, Juan

2005-03-24T15:22:00.000-08:00

After serving as a soldier, Padilla joined the Franciscans in Andalusia. He went to Spanish Mexico in 1528 and in the following year accompanied an expedition to Nueva Galicia (northwestern Mexico). There he spent most of his remaining

Cost Of Living

2005-03-24T08:03:00.000-08:00

Monetary cost of maintaining a particular standard of living, usually measured by calculating the average cost of a number of specific goods and services required by a particular group. The goods and services used as indexes may be the minimum necessary to preserve health or may be what is considered average for a given income group, depending on the purposes of

Yamantaka

2005-03-23T01:22:00.000-08:00

In northern Buddhism, one of the eight fierce protective deities. See dharmapala.

Andrew Of Caesarea

2005-03-22T22:57:00.000-08:00

Andrew's exposition of the book of Revelation is marked by a specific Christian interpretation of history which

Barry, Philip

2005-03-21T19:40:00.000-08:00

Barry was educated at Yale and in 1919 entered George Pierce Baker's 47 Workshop at Harvard. His A Punch for Judy was produced by the workshop in 1920. You and I, also written while Barry was a student, played 170 performances on Broadway in 1923. Over the next 20 years

Wolverhampton

2005-03-21T01:32:00.000-08:00

Metropolitan borough, metropolitan county of West Midlands, historic county of Staffordshire, England. It lies in the northwestern part of the industrial Black Country, near the farmlands of Shropshire and Staffordshire. The early town was mainly an agricultural centre. With the development of the Staffordshire coal and ironstone deposits, Wolverhampton became

Metanephros

2005-03-19T20:34:00.000-08:00

Permanent kidney in reptiles, birds, and mammals, developing by the 10th week in human embryos from the lower part of the Wolffian duct, and replacing the embryonic structure called the mesonephros. It consists of a compact, paired organ containing many nephrons; a ureter separate from the Wolffian duct leads from the metanephros to the bladder.

Balchin, Nigel

2005-03-19T17:26:00.000-08:00

After studying natural science at the University of Cambridge, Balchin divided his time between research work in science and industry (as an industrial psychologist) and writing. During World War II he was deputy scientific adviser to the Army

Wollongong

2005-03-19T16:01:00.000-08:00

City, coastal New South Wales, Australia, in the Illawara district. The village of Wollongong (founded 1816) became a town in 1843, a municipality in 1859, and a city in 1942. It was amalgamated with other municipalities and shires in 1947 to form the City of Wollongong, which extends for 30 miles (48 km) along the coast and occupies 276 square miles (715 square km). Originally dependent upon grazing and lumbering,

Lisboa

2005-03-18T15:51:00.000-08:00

Administrative district, west central Portugal, bounded by the Atlantic Ocean (west and south) and by the Tagus River and its estuary (southeast). Principal occupations outside Lisbon, the district and national capital, are agriculture and fishing, ironworking, and tourism. A disastrous flood in November 1967 caused over 450 deaths and much damage in the district. Area 1,065 square

Metanephros

2005-03-17T22:27:00.000-08:00

Any of 53 species of small rodents found in a variety of habitats from Alaska and northern Canada southward to western Panama. They have bulging eyes and large ears, weigh from 15 to 110 grams (0.5 to 3.9 ounces), and are 8 to 17 cm (3.1 to 6.7 inches) long. The tail may be shorter than the head and body or strikingly longer, depending on the species. All deer mice have soft fur, but colour varies

Novello, Antonia

2005-03-17T17:15:00.000-08:00

Antonia Coello suffered from a painful colon condition from birth until she underwent corrective surgery at age 18. This experience influenced her to train as a physician in order to help minimize suffering in others. After

Azov

2005-03-16T09:26:00.000-08:00

Formerly Azak, or Tana, town, Rostov oblast (province), southwestern Russia. It lies on the left bank of the Don River, 4 miles (7 km) east of the Sea of Azov. The Greek colony of Tanais, the first known major city in the region, was founded there in the 6th century BC. It changed hands and was renamed several times over the ensuing centuries. It became the Genoese colony of Tana (established 1316–22), which in 1471 was captured

Scandinavian Literature, Romances

2005-03-15T16:20:00.000-08:00

Romances were also translated or adapted from continental romances. Interest in romance began in Norway and soon took root in Iceland. The earliest romance was probably the Tristrams saga (1226), derived from the Anglo-Norman poet Thomas. This was followed by the Karlamagnús saga (“Saga of Charlemagne”), a collection of prose renderings of French chansons de geste, including

Sorb

2005-03-15T03:37:00.000-08:00

German Sorben, any member of a Slavic minority living in eastern Germany. The Sorbs are concentrated in the Spree River valley, in the area of Bautzen (Budyšin) and Cottbus. This area was part of the traditional region of Lusatia (q.v.), whose history is intimately bound up with the Sorbs. The Sorbs are descendants of two small Slavic tribes, the Luzici and the Milcani, who were subgroups of the

Philadelphia Zoological Gardens

2005-03-14T04:17:00.000-08:00

First zoo in the United States, opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1874 with an animal inventory of several hundred native and exotic specimens. It was begun and continues to be operated by the Zoological Society of Philadelphia, founded in 1859. In 1868, three years after the end of the American Civil War, a 42-acre (17-hectare) site was selected in Fairmount Park, an architect was sent

Digestive System, Vertebrate, Endorphins and enkephalins

2005-03-13T08:58:00.000-08:00

Endorphins and enkephalins, each comprising five amino acids in the molecule, are present in the vagus nerves and the myenteric plexus. They have the properties of opiate (opium-derived) substances such as morphine; they bind to the same receptors and are neutralized by the opiate antagonist naloxone. There is no evidence that endorphins and enkephalins are circulating

R.j. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings

2005-03-13T06:24:00.000-08:00

American manufacturer of tobacco products. The origins of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company date to the post-Civil War era, when Richard Joshua Reynolds (1850–1918) began trading in tobacco, first in his native Virginia and then in Winston, North Carolina, where in 1875 he established his first plug factory. In 1899 the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company was incorporated, with Reynolds as president.

Niuatoputapu

2005-03-12T07:23:00.000-08:00

Also called Keppel Island one of the northernmost islands of Tonga, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Of volcanic origin, the island has an area of 7 square miles (19 square km) and rises to 350 feet (110 m). Although the island lacks an adequate anchorage, it serves as a regular port of call for interisland shipping between Tonga and Samoa. Copra and breadfruit are produced. Pop. (1986) 1,616.

Mclachlan, Alexander

2005-03-12T05:01:00.000-08:00

Scottish-born poet, called by some the Burns of Canada for his Scots dialect poetry, much of which deals with the homesickness of Scots immigrants. McLachlan was the foremost among a number of such Scottish bards, whose themes of nostalgia for Scotland appear to be literary conventions rather than original

Great Artesian Basin

2005-03-11T20:36:00.000-08:00

Also called Great Australian Basin, one of the largest areas of artesian water in the world, underlying about one-fifth of Australia. It includes most of the Darling and Lake Eyre catchments and extends northward to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Most of its 676,250 square miles (1,750,000 square km) underlies Queensland, with smaller segments extending under New South Wales, South Australia, and Northern Territory. Its floor

Bithynia

2005-03-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

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

Françaix, Jean

2005-03-09T19:31:00.000-08:00

The son of the director of the Le Mans Conservatory, Françaix began to compose very early, publishing a piano composition at age nine. He later studied at the Paris Conservatory and became a pupil

Moses, Assumption Of

2005-03-09T03:22:00.000-08:00

A pseudepigraphal work (not in any biblical canon), a prophecy of the future relating to Israel, put into the mouth of Moses and addressed to Joshua just before the great lawgiver died. Using Moses' predictions and instructions to Joshua as a framework, the book's unknown author sets forth a brief history of Israel from Moses to the messianic age as viewed in apocalyptic

Sacchetti, Franco

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

Sacchetti was born of a noble Florentine family. Both as merchant and as public official he traveled widely. In his letters, in some of his verses, and in the Sposizioni di Vangeli (“Expositions on the Gospels”) he expressed

Monkey

2005-03-08T10:30:00.000-08:00

9 species.

Scandinavian Literature, Swedish literature

2005-03-06T09:16:00.000-08:00

Swedish literature proper began in the late Middle Ages when, after a long period of linguistic change, Old Swedish emerged as a separate language. The foundations of a native literature were established in the 13th century. The oldest extant manuscript in Old Swedish was the Västgötalagan (“Law of West Gotland”), part of a legal code compiled in the 1220s. These legal documents

Stage Wagon

2005-03-06T05:34:00.000-08:00

Early, four-wheeled, American vehicle, used to carry both passengers and cargo. It was a precursor of the stagecoach. The first stage wagons had no springs, backless wooden benches, sides of wood, and canvas tops. Later improvements were roll-up leather curtains, solid flat tops, backrests, and springs or straps for the seats. A stage wagon of 1771, whose owner called it “The Flying

Alaska Peninsula

2005-03-06T00:59:00.000-08:00

Stretch of land extending southwest from mainland Alaska, U.S., for 500 miles (800 km) between the Pacific (southeast) and Bristol Bay, an arm of the Bering Sea. The volcanic Aleutian Range runs along its entire length. It is the site of the Katmai National Park and Preserve, the Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve (qq.v.), and the Becharof, Alaska Peninsula, and Izembek National

Stainer, Sir John

2005-03-04T19:26:00.000-08:00

As a boy Stainer sang in the choir of St. Paul's Cathedral (1847–56). At the age of 16 he was appointed organist at the newly opened St. Michael's College, Tenbury, a school for church musicians. Named organist at St. Paul's in 1872, Stainer served in that prestigious position until 1888, when

Earth, Secular variation of the main field

2005-03-04T02:59:00.000-08:00

The main magnetic field of the Earth, as observed at the surface, changes continuously with time. Changes of very short duration compared with geologic processes are called secular variation. Observations of declination made in London since 1540, for example, show that the direction of the field at that site has nearly completed a full cycle with a peak-to-peak amplitude

Anthophyllite

2005-03-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

An amphibole mineral, a magnesium and iron silicate that occurs in altered rocks, such as the crystalline schists of Kongsberg, Nor., southern Greenland, and Pennsylvania. Anthophyllite is commonly produced by regional metamorphism of ultrabasic rocks. Because its fibres have a low tensile strength, anthophyllite asbestos is not as important as crocidolite or

Good Shepherd Sister

2005-03-02T06:18:00.000-08:00

Member of The Religious of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd (R.G.S.) , also called Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd a Roman Catholic order of religious devoted particularly to the care, rehabilitation, and education of girls and young women who have demonstrated delinquent behaviour. The congregation traces its history to an order founded by St. John Eudes in 1641 at Caen, Fr. This order, known as the Religious of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge, was virtually destroyed during the French

Ramanuja

2005-03-01T15:42:00.000-08:00

Ramanuja's chief contribution to philosophy was his emphasis that discursive thought is necessary in man's search for the ultimate verities, that the phenomenal world is real and provides real knowledge, and that the exigencies of daily life are not detrimental or even contrary to the life of the spirit. In this emphasis he is the antithesis of Sankara, of whom he was sharply

Pacheco, José Emilio

2005-03-01T10:23:00.000-08:00

Pacheco was educated at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He wrote several plays there that were never produced, and he edited the literary supplement of the review Estaciones (1957–58). His first published

Calais

2005-02-28T05:22:00.000-08:00

Industrial seaport on the Strait of Dover, Pas-de-Calais département, Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, northern France, 21 mi (34 km) by sea from Dover (the shortest crossing from England). On an island, now bordered by canals and harbour basins, Calais originated as a fishing village. It was improved by the Count of Flanders in 997 and was fortified by the Count of Boulogne in 1224. After the Battle

Peru, The War of the Pacific (187983)

2005-02-28T03:53:00.000-08:00

At the Battle of Iquique (then in Peru, now in Chile), on May 21, 1879, the Peruvians suffered

English Literature, The Edwardians

2005-02-27T05:54:00.000-08:00

The 20th century opened with great hope but also with some apprehension, for the new century marked the onset of a new millennium. For many, mankind was entering upon an unprecedented era. H.G. Wells's utopian studies, the aptly titled Anticipations of the Reaction of Mechanical and Scientific Progress upon Human Life and Thought (1901) and A Modern Utopia (1905), both captured and

Yusuf Ibn Tashufin

2005-02-25T18:27:00.000-08:00

Tashufin also spelled Tashfin Almoravid ruler who, during his reign from 1061 to 1106, expanded Almoravid land holdings from a small, insecurely held area in the Maghrib into a huge empire that included major portions of present-day Morocco and Algeria, Muslim Spain as far north as Fraga, and the islands of Majorca, Minorca, and Ibiza. A Berber by origin, Ibn Tashufin was an excellent general and a devoutly religious

China, Constitutional movements after 1905

2005-02-25T16:27:00.000-08:00

Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–05) aroused a cry for constitutionalism in China. Unable to resist the intensifying demand, the court decided in September 1906 to adopt a constitution, and in November it reorganized the traditional six boards into 11 ministries in an attempt to modernize the central government. It promised to open consultative provincial assemblies

Alderman

2005-02-25T06:43:00.000-08:00

Member of the legislative body of a municipal corporation in England and the United States. In Anglo-Saxon England, ealdormen, or aldermen, were high-ranking officials of the crown who exercised judicial, administrative, or military functions. Earls, the governors of shires (counties), and other persons of distinction were among those who received the title of alderman.

Narrator

2005-02-24T10:41:00.000-08:00

A work may have more than one narrator, as in an epistolary novel such as Samuel Richardson's

Hinduism, Folk and tribal myths

2005-02-24T10:35:00.000-08:00

There is a great diversity in folk mythology throughout the entire Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, but these myths have neither been fully collected nor systematically studied. Among locally important deities, Manasa, a snake goddess, worshiped in Assam and Bengal to ward off snakebites and secure prosperity, has an enormous mythology of her own. In South India one

Bin Laden, Osama

2005-02-24T04:11:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Usamah ibn Ladin mastermind of numerous terrorist attacks against the United States and other Western powers, including the 1993 bombing of New York City's World Trade Center, the 2000 suicide bombing of the U.S. warship Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden, and the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon near Washington, D.C. (see September 11

Episcopacy

2005-02-22T17:43:00.000-08:00

In some Christian churches, the office of a bishop and the system of church government based on the three orders, or offices, of the ministry: bishops, priests, and deacons. The origins of episcopacy are obscure, but by the 2nd century AD it was becoming established in the main centres of Christianity. It was closely tied to the idea of apostolic succession, the belief that

Hindu Kush, Animal life

2005-02-22T06:16:00.000-08:00

Well-adapted species of wildlife are found throughout the mountains. The Siberian ibex and the markhor (both wild goats) negotiate the high crags, while Marco Polo sheep and urial (another wild sheep) occasionally are found in the high pamir. Black and brown bears still exist in isolated valleys, and the Chitral valley wildlife preserve is a domain of the rare snow leopard.

Mcmaster, John Bach

2005-02-21T08:48:00.000-08:00

The son of a former Mississippi plantation owner, McMaster grew up in New York City and worked his way through the City College of New York. Although he obtained a degree in civil engineering in 1873, he was deeply

Palau

2005-02-20T03:31:00.000-08:00

A republic in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, Palau comprises a 640-km (400-mi)-long chain of some 340 volcanic and coralline islands. The main islands of Babelthuap and Koror are situated about 900 km east of the Philippines. Area: 488 sq km (188 sq mi). Pop. (1995 est.): 16,900. Provisional cap.: Koror, on Koror; a site on Babelthuap was designated to be the eventual permanent capital. Monetary unit:

Ovonramwen

2005-02-19T18:50:00.000-08:00

He was called Idugbowa

Puffin

2005-02-18T20:04:00.000-08:00

Also called Bottlenose, or Sea Parrot, any of three species of diving birds that belong to the auk family, Alcidae (order Charadriiformes). They are distinguished by their large, brightly coloured, triangular beaks. Puffins nest in large colonies on seaside and island cliffs, usually laying only one egg, in a burrow dug one or two metres (three to six feet) deep. Hatched in about six weeks,

Shensi, Transportation

2005-02-18T14:10:00.000-08:00

The Wei Valley since prehistoric times has formed part of the main east–west route running from the North China Plain in the east to the Kansu Corridor and the steppelands in the west. Sian is a natural centre, where the great route east to west meets the routes that cross the Tsinling Mountains to the south and southeast, an alternative route to the northwest via the

Guinea-bissau, Relief

2005-02-17T02:52:00.000-08:00

The coastal area is demarcated by a dense

Amaravati Sculpture

2005-02-16T20:24:00.000-08:00

In addition to the ruins of the great stupa, or relic mound, at Amaravati, the style is also seen

Arts, Islamic, Early Islamic literature

2005-02-16T00:20:00.000-08:00

With the coming of Islam the attitude of the Arabs toward poetry seems to have changed. The new Muslims, despite their long-standing admiration for powerful language, often shunned poetry as reminiscent of pagan ideals now overthrown. For the Qur'an, in surah 26:225 ff., condemned the poets “who err in every valley, and say what they do not do. Only the perverse follow them!” The Qur'an,

Sea-urchin Cactus

2005-02-15T03:10:00.000-08:00

Any of the genus Echinopsis, family Cactaceae, about 30 species native to South America at medium elevations in desert shrublands or grasslands. Several species, but most especially the Easter lily cactus (E. multiplex), are valued for their ease of growth and large flowers on tubes up to 25 centimetres (10 inches) long. Most are hardy outdoors in Mediterranean

Teesdale

2005-02-14T22:02:00.000-08:00

District, administrative county of Durham, northeastern England, in the southwestern part of the county. The district lies on both sides of the River Tees. The area north of the river belongs to the historic county of Durham, and the area to the south lies in the historic county of Yorkshire. Teesdale is mostly an upland area within the northern Pennines. Its bleak basalt

Kerrier

2005-02-13T15:47:00.000-08:00

The Lizard Peninsula, a heather-covered

Swartberg

2005-02-12T11:01:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Swartberge, mountain range in Western Cape province, South Africa, extending east-west for 150 mi (240 km) from near the town of Willowmore to the edge of the Witteberge, roughly parallel with the Indian Ocean coast. The Swartberg is the barrier dividing the semiarid Great Karoo (north) and Little Karoo (south) plateaus. Highest elevations range from between 5,500 and 7,500 ft (1,650 and 2,300 m). Small reservoirs

Bach, Johann Sebastian

2005-02-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

Composer of the Baroque era, the most celebrated member of a large family of northern German musicians. Although he was admired by his contemporaries primarily as an outstanding harpsichordist, organist, and expert on organ building, Bach is now generally regarded as one of the greatest composers

Vairagin

2005-02-11T03:21:00.000-08:00

Most vairagins, when not wandering or on pilgrimage,

Auscultation

2005-02-10T14:24:00.000-08:00

The technique

Literature, United Kingdom.

2005-02-09T14:30:00.000-08:00

The Booker Prize chairman of judges, Lord Kenneth Baker, reported that the many entries he had read during 2001 proved that the novel was thriving and keeping abreast of developments within British life. Displacement, often depicted through the uprooted feelings of émigrés or refugees, was a strong presence

Ussachevsky, Vladimir (alexis)

2005-02-09T13:20:00.000-08:00

The son of Russian parents, Ussachevsky entered the United States in 1931 and thereupon studied at Pomona College, Claremont, Calif., and at the Eastman School of Music of the University of

Biblical Literature, Composition and authorship

2005-02-08T22:51:00.000-08:00

The Torah, or Pentateuch (Five Scrolls), traditionally the most revered portion of the Hebrew canon, comprises a series of narratives, interspersed with law codes, providing an account of events from the beginning of the world to the death of Moses. Modern critical scholarship tends to hold that there were originally four books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers)

Advisory Opinion

2005-02-07T11:13:00.000-08:00

In law, the opinion of a judge, a court, or a law official, such as an attorney general, upon a question of law raised by a public official or legislative body. Advisory opinions adjudicate nothing and are not binding, though courts sometimes cite them as evidence of the law. Federal courts in the United States will not issue advisory opinions, but such opinions are issued

Subsidy

2005-02-07T09:27:00.000-08:00

A direct or indirect payment, economic concession, or privilege granted by a government to private firms, households, or other governmental units in order to promote a public objective. Identification of a subsidy is often complicated because of the variety of subsidy instruments, the multiplicity of the objectives they are designed to serve, and the complexity

Hokinson, Helen

2005-02-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

Hokinson attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and began a career

Fraser Island

2005-02-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

Also called Great Sandy Island, island off the southeastern coast of Queensland, Australia, separated from the mainland and the port of Maryborough by Hervey Bay and Great Sandy Strait. About 75 miles (120 km) long, it has an area of 625 square miles (1,620 square km). Sand hills rise to nearly 800 feet (250 m), and there are many freshwater lakes stocked with fish. The southwestern part of the island is a tourist resort. Part of Fraser

Aldfrith

2005-02-06T02:34:00.000-08:00

King of Northumbria (685–704) and patron of literature. An illegitimate son of Oswiu, he succeeded to the throne when his brother Ecgfrith was killed at the Battle of Nechtansmere. Educated for the priesthood, he stimulated the growth of scholarship in Northumbria during his reign, producing conditions under which the historian Bede flourished.

álvarez, Juan

2005-02-04T06:25:00.000-08:00

A landowner of mestizo ancestry, Álvarez in 1811 joined José María Morelos in an unsuccessful campaign for independence from Spain. He was prominent in Antonio López de Santa Anna's revolt of 1822–23, which overthrew

Cumberland House

2005-02-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

Unincorporated settlement and historic site on the south shore of Cumberland Lake (formerly Pine Island Lake, part of the Saskatchewan River system), eastern Saskatchewan, Canada. It lies near the Manitoba boundary, 85 miles (137 km) northeast of Nipawin. The house, built in 1774 by Samuel Hearne of the Hudson's Bay Company, was the company's first major inland trading post and the

Lilar, Suzanne

2005-02-03T07:25:00.000-08:00

Lilar was of Flemish origins. She began her career as

Kerry, John

2005-02-02T21:26:00.000-08:00

Kerry wrote The New War: The Web of Crime That Threatens America's Security (1997) and A Call to Service (2003).

Accelerometer

2005-02-02T04:21:00.000-08:00

Instrument that measures the rate at which the velocity of an object is changing (i.e., its acceleration). Acceleration cannot be measured directly. An accelerometer, therefore, measures the force exerted by restraints that are placed on a reference mass to hold its position fixed in an accelerating body. Acceleration is computed using the relationship between restraint

Porringer

2005-02-02T01:13:00.000-08:00

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;

Christchurch

2005-01-31T20:46:00.000-08:00

Town and borough (district), administrative county of Dorset, historic county of Hampshire, England. It lies at the confluence of the Rivers Stour and Avon and adjoins the English Channel resort of Bournemouth. The site was significant during prehistoric times; Late Bronze–Early Iron Age trade with the European continent apparently focused on nearby Hengistbury

Pozzo Di Borgo, Charles-andré, Count

2005-01-29T14:14:00.000-08:00

A native of Corsica, Pozzo favoured its political incorporation into France and, after Corsica was declared a département

Factory Ship

2005-01-29T03:37:00.000-08:00

The present-day factory ship is an automated, greatly enlarged version of the

Heian Period

2005-01-28T04:04:00.000-08:00

In Japanese history, the period between 794 and 1185, named for the location of the Imperial capital, which was moved from Nara to Heian-kyo (Kyoto) in 794. The Chinese pattern of centralized government that was first adopted in the Nara period (710–784) gradually changed as the growth of private estates (shoen), exempt from taxation, encroached upon the public domain and reduced the substance

Arab Bank For Economic Development In Africa

2005-01-27T10:41:00.000-08:00

French Banque Arabe Pour Le Développement Économique En Afrique (BADEA) , Arabic Al-bank Al-'arabi Lil-tatawur Al-iqtisadi Fi Afriqiya bank created by the Arab League summit conference in Algiers, in November 1973, to finance development projects. In 1975 BADEA began operating by supplying African countries with technical assistance. All members of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) are eligible as recipients, except those countries belonging to the Arab League. BADEA includes all members of the Arab

Cartography

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

Cartography is an ancient discipline that dates from the prehistoric depiction of hunting and fishing

Angiolini, Gasparo

2005-01-25T20:25:00.000-08:00

In 1757 he became ballet master of the Vienna court opera house, where his first ballet dramas frequently relied upon gesture to convey plot. In 1761, however, Angiolini collaborated with the composer Cristoph Gluck to produce Don

LastSpring

Catapult

Romania, Flag Of

Aurochs

Condor

New Brunswick, Flag Of

Adams, Abigail

Andijon

Tasmania, Flag Of

Furniture, Other materials

Henderson

Morecambe Bay

Petasos

Blanqui, (louis-)auguste

Monagas

Spode Porcelain

Parallel Bars

Murad Ii

France, History Of, Charles Martel

Padilla, Juan

Cost Of Living

Yamantaka

Andrew Of Caesarea

Barry, Philip

Wolverhampton

Metanephros

Balchin, Nigel

Wollongong

Lisboa

Metanephros

Novello, Antonia

Azov

Scandinavian Literature, Romances

Sorb

Philadelphia Zoological Gardens

Digestive System, Vertebrate, Endorphins and enkephalins

R.j. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings

Niuatoputapu

Mclachlan, Alexander

Great Artesian Basin

Bithynia

Françaix, Jean

Moses, Assumption Of

Sacchetti, Franco

Monkey

Scandinavian Literature, Swedish literature

Stage Wagon

Alaska Peninsula

Stainer, Sir John

Earth, Secular variation of the main field

Anthophyllite

Good Shepherd Sister

Ramanuja

Pacheco, José Emilio

Calais

Peru, The War of the Pacific (187983)

English Literature, The Edwardians

Yusuf Ibn Tashufin

China, Constitutional movements after 1905

Alderman

Narrator

Hinduism, Folk and tribal myths

Bin Laden, Osama

Episcopacy

Hindu Kush, Animal life

Mcmaster, John Bach

Palau

Ovonramwen

Puffin

Shensi, Transportation

Guinea-bissau, Relief

Amaravati Sculpture

Arts, Islamic, Early Islamic literature

Sea-urchin Cactus

Teesdale

Kerrier

Swartberg

Bach, Johann Sebastian

Vairagin

Auscultation

Peru, The War of the Pacific (187983)