PoorMars

Wicksell, (johan Gustaf) Knut

2005-04-05T15:29:00.000-07:00

In Geldzins und Güterpreise (1898; Interest and Prices, 1936) he propounded an explanation of price-level movements by an aggregate demand–supply analysis focussed on the relations between prospective profit and

Downpatrick

2005-04-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

Irish Dún Pádraig town and seat, Down district (established 1973), formerly in County Down, Northern Ireland. Downpatrick is located where the River Quoilé broadens into its estuary in Strangford Lough (inlet of the sea). The town takes its name from dún (fortress) and from its association with St. Patrick. It is the Dun-da-leth-glas (Fortress of the Two Broken Fetters) of Irish chroniclers. Formerly

Lodge, Thomas

2005-04-04T02:58:00.000-07:00

He was the son of Sir Thomas Lodge, who was lord mayor of London in 1562. The younger Lodge was educated at Merchant Taylors' School and at Trinity

Theatre, Western, Commedia dell'arte

2005-04-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

Around the mid-16th century, there emerged in Italy a lively tradition of popular theatre that fused many disparate elements into a vigorous style, which profoundly influenced the development of European theatre. This was the legendary commedia dell'arte (“theatre of the professionals”), a nonliterary tradition that centred on the actor, as distinguished from the

Staffordshire Terrier

2005-04-03T06:21:00.000-07:00

Breed of terrier developed in 19th-century England for fighting other dogs in pits. The breed was created by crossing the bulldog, then a longer legged and more agile dog, with a terrier, possibly the fox terrier or one of the old breeds known as the white English and the black-and-tan terriers. Once known by such names as bull-and-terrier, half and half, and pit bull terrier,

Sinkiang, Uygur Autonomous Region Of, Education

2005-04-02T07:34:00.000-08:00

Before World War II the educational system was minimal. Since 1949, educational facilities have been broadened and the literacy rate is better than the national average. Institutions of higher learning, concentrated in Wu-lu-mu-ch'i, include the Sinkiang University; the Sinkiang “August First” Institute of Agriculture, which offers a course on water conservation; the

Motion Picture, History Of The, Great Britain

2005-04-01T14:32:00.000-08:00

In Great Britain the post-World War II cinema was even more literary than in France, relying heavily on the adaptation of classics in the work of such directors as Laurence Olivier (Henry V, 1944; Hamlet, 1948; Richard III, 1955), David Lean (Great Expectations, 1946; Oliver Twist, 1948), and Anthony Asquith (The Importance of Being Earnest, 1952). Even less-conventional films had literary sources (Carol

Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway

2005-03-31T09:09:00.000-08:00

Shipping route paralleling the eastern coast of the United States, serving ports from Boston to Key West, Fla. It is part of the Intracoastal Waterway (q.v.).

Dubrovnik

2005-03-31T08:51:00.000-08:00

Italian Ragusa, port of Dalmatia in Croatia. Situated on the southern Adriatic coast, it is usually regarded as the most picturesque city on the Dalmatian coast. It occupies a promontory jutting into the sea under the bare limestone mass of Mount Srdj. The port's sea fortifications rise directly from the water's edge, and a massive round tower dominates the city on the landward

Cyrillic Alphabet

2005-03-30T21:50:00.000-08:00

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

Saarland

2005-03-30T18:55:00.000-08:00

The Celts and Germanic Franks were the earliest known inhabitants of the area, which subsequently became part of the Carolingian empire and the eastern Frankish empire. By the Middle Ages the Saar consisted of several small territories, the largest of which was centred on the city of Saarbrücken. From 1381 to 1793 Saarbrücken was ruled by the counts of Nassau-Saarbrücken.

Orange Free State

2005-03-29T10:59:00.000-08:00

Afrikaans Oranje Vry Staat, Boer state in southern Africa that became a province of the Republic of South Africa in 1910. One of the four traditional provinces of South Africa, it was bordered by the Transvaal to the north, Natal and the independent state of Lesotho to the east, and Cape Province to the south and west. The first postapartheid South African government renamed the province Free

Encyclopaedia, The Arab world

2005-03-28T00:15:00.000-08:00

The early encyclopaedias written in Arabic can be roughly divided into two classes: those designed for people who wished to be well informed and to make full use of their cultural heritage, and those for the rapidly growing number of official administrators. The latter type of encyclopaedia originated when the Arabs established their rule through so many parts

Olaf I Tryggvason

2005-03-27T15:18:00.000-08:00

Olaf, the great-grandson of the Norwegian king Harald I Fairhair and the son of Tryggvi Olafsson, a chieftain in southeastern Norway, was born soon after his father was killed by the Norwegian ruler Harald II Graycloak. According to legend,

Augustus, Caesar

2005-03-27T07:13:00.000-08:00

Returning to Italy, he was told that in his will Caesar had adopted him as his son and had made him his chief personal heir. He was only 18 when, against the advice of his stepfather and others, he decided to take up this perilous inheritance and proceeded to Rome. Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius), Caesar's chief lieutenant, who had taken possession of his papers and assets and had

Hywel Dda

2005-03-26T07:42:00.000-08:00

Hywel became ruler of Seisyllwg (roughly the area of Dyfed and the Towy Valley) jointly with his brother Clydog after the death of their father, Cadell (c. 910), but after Clydog's death in 920 he ruled alone. Sovereignty

Gaetulia

2005-03-25T16:28:00.000-08:00

Ancient district of interior North Africa that in Roman times, at least, was inhabited by wandering tribes, the Gaetuli. The area, not clearly defined, included the southern slopes of the Atlas Mountains, from the Aurès Massif westward as far as the Atlantic; southward it extended to the oases in the northern part of the Sahara. Distinguished from the Negro tribes to

France, History Of, Institutions

2005-03-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

The organization of the secular church took its final form under the Merovingian and Carolingian kings. The administrative bodies and the hierarchy of the early Christian church were derived from institutions existing during the late Roman Empire. In principle, a bishop was responsible for the clergy and faithful in each district (civitas). The bishop whose seat

Sforza, Carlo, Conte (count)

2005-03-24T13:58:00.000-08:00

Sforza entered the diplomatic service in 1896 and served in Cairo, Paris, Constantinople, Beijing, Bucharest, Madrid, London, and Belgrade. He was undersecretary of state for foreign affairs

Pacific Ocean, Bottom deposits

2005-03-23T20:32:00.000-08:00

Apart from the narrow coastal zone of the eastern region and the broad continental seas of the western region, the Pacific is floored with pelagic (i.e., oceanic) material derived from the remains of marine plants and animals that once inhabited the waters lying above. Red or brown radiolarian ooze is found along the zone of the Pacific North Equatorial Current, east

Jing Hao

2005-03-23T16:03:00.000-08:00

Jing spent much of his life in retirement as a farmer in the Taihang Mountains of Shanxi province. In his art, Jing followed the court painters of the Tang dynasty (618–907) in emphasizing the singular grandeur of the landscape. There are two paintings attributed to him: Mount

Space Perception, Visual cues

2005-03-23T06:49:00.000-08:00

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

Kaduna

2005-03-22T22:20:00.000-08:00

Town, capital of Kaduna state, north-central Nigeria. It lies along the Kaduna River, which is a major tributary of the Niger River. Sir Frederick (later Lord) Lugard, the first British governor of Northern Nigeria, selected the present site along the Lagos-Kano Railway for a town, and building began in 1913. In 1917 Kaduna (a Hausa word for “crocodiles”) replaced Zungeru, 100 miles (160 km) west-southwest,

Ayacucho

2005-03-22T17:28:00.000-08:00

Capital of Ayacucho departamento, Los Libertadores-Wari región, south-central Peru. It lies in a fertile valley on the eastern slopes of the Andean Cordillera Occidental at an elevation of 9,007 feet (2,746 m) above sea level and has a pleasant and invigorating climate. Ayacucho was founded in 1539 by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro and called Huamanga until 1825. Its present name

Nabisco

2005-03-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

In full National Biscuit Company former U.S. snack food and bakery product company. The National Biscuit Company was formed in 1898 when the American Biscuit Company merged with the New York Biscuit Company. Better known as Nabisco, it went on to introduce a number of popular consumer brands such as Oreo cookies (1912) and Ritz crackers (1934). After being acquired by R.J. Reynolds in 1985 and becoming part of RJR Nabisco, Nabisco

Africa, Languages

2005-03-21T01:40:00.000-08:00

The knowledge of most of the individual languages of Africa is still very incomplete, but there are known to be in excess of 1,500 distinct languages. Many attempts to classify them have been inadequate because of the great complexity of the languages and because of a confusion relating language, “race,” and economy; for example, there was once a spurious view of pastoralism

Iron Meteorite

2005-03-19T05:51:00.000-08:00

Any meteorite consisting mainly of iron, usually combined with small amounts of nickel. When such meteorites, called irons, fall through the atmosphere, a thin, black crust of iron oxide may form that quickly weathers to rust. Though irons constitute only about 5 percent of meteorite falls, they are relatively easy to distinguish from terrestrial rock and last longer

Rye Whiskey

2005-03-19T02:31:00.000-08:00

Whiskey that is distilled from a mash in which rye grain predominates. See whiskey.

Neoorthodoxy

2005-03-19T02:24:00.000-08:00

Influential 20th-century Protestant theological movement in Europe and America, known in Europe as crisis theology and dialectical theology. The phrase crisis theology referred to the intellectual crisis of Christendom that occurred when the carnage of World War I belied the exuberant optimism of liberal Christianity. Dialectical theology referred to the

Zizka, Jan, Count

2005-03-18T09:03:00.000-08:00

Zizka grew up at the court of the German king Wenceslas (King Wenceslas

Don Pacifico Affair

2005-03-17T03:42:00.000-08:00

David Pacifico (known as Don Pacifico) was a Portuguese Jew who, having been born in Gibraltar in 1784, was a British subject. After serving as Portuguese consul in Morocco (1835–37) and then as consul-general in Greece, he settled in Athens as a merchant. In

Luzon

2005-03-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

Gisborne

2005-03-16T21:37:00.000-08:00

City (“district”) and port on Poverty Bay, Gisborne unitary authority, east coast of North Island, New Zealand. The city is located where the Waimata and Taruheru rivers join to form the Turanganui. It was the first area in New Zealand visited (1769) by Captain James Cook. It received its first permanent European settlers in 1852 and was surveyed in 1870 and given the name Gisborne for then

Beinum, Eduard (alexander) Van

2005-03-16T01:28:00.000-08:00

At 17 van Beinum entered the Amsterdam Conservatory after a year of playing in the string section of the Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra. A series of minor appointments led to conductorships of the Haarlem Orchestra and Haarlem Roman Catholic

Smith, Seba

2005-03-15T21:55:00.000-08:00

A graduate of Bowdoin College, Smith founded (1829) the Portland Courier, in which the Major's fictional letters first appeared in January 1830, continuing later in the National Intelligencer until July 1853. Major Jack was a common man magnified as oracle, a Yankee

Fuel Injection

2005-03-15T15:37:00.000-08:00

In an internal-combustion engine, introduction of fuel into the cylinders by means of a pump rather than by the suction created by the movement of the pistons. On diesel engines, which have no spark plugs, the heat created by compressing air in the cylinders ignites the fuel, which has been pumped as a spray into the heated air. In engines with spark ignition, fuel-injection

Nurmi, Paavo

2005-03-14T02:11:00.000-08:00

Along with numerous other Finns who gained Olympic

Switzerland, The growth of confederation

2005-03-13T17:29:00.000-08:00

The threatened communities of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden were populated by a large number of free peasants. Although the origin of their freedom is not exactly known, it can be attributed in part to their need to cooperate in order to maintain an agrarian economy in the severe environmental conditions of the Alpine valleys. Problems relating to the use of pasturelands,

Nigeria, Relief

2005-03-13T06:38:00.000-08:00

In general, the topography of Nigeria consists of plains in the north and south interrupted by plateaus and hills in the centre of the country. The Sokoto Plains are in the northwestern corner of the country, while the Borno Plains in the northeastern corner surround the Lake Chad region. The Lake Chad basin and the coastal areas, including the Niger River delta and

France, History Of, Political tensions

2005-03-12T06:07:00.000-08:00

The political life of the new regime was also proving more contentious than the revolutionaries had anticipated. With courage and consistency, the Assembly had provided that officials of all kinds be elected. But it was uncertain whether these officials, once the ballots were cast, could do their duty free from public pressure and agitation. Nor was it clear what

Arundel, Thomas

2005-03-11T23:01:00.000-08:00

English statesman and archbishop of Canterbury who aided the opponents of King Richard II; during the reign of King Henry IV, Arundel vigorously suppressed the Lollards. His father was Richard Fitzalan, 3rd earl of Arundel, and his mother was a member of the powerful House of Lancaster. He became bishop of Ely in 1374, and during the early years of the reign of Richard

Benin, Bight Of

2005-03-11T22:38:00.000-08:00

Also called Bight Of Bonny, bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the western African coast that extends eastward for about 400 miles (640 km) from Cape St. Paul (Ghana) to the Nun outlet of the Niger River (Nigeria). It lies within the Gulf of Guinea and is bordered by southeastern Ghana, Togo, Benin, and southwestern Nigeria. The bay receives a portion of the Niger River delta and also the Sio, Haho, Mono, Couffo, Ouémé, Benin,

Camp, Walter

2005-03-11T03:56:00.000-08:00

As an undergraduate and then as a medical student at Yale (1876–81), Camp played halfback,

Mountain, The western segment of the system

2005-03-10T11:27:00.000-08:00

The evolution of the western segment of the Tethyan System is the most complicated, involving more than just a collision of the African continent with parts of Europe. In Early Jurassic time (about 180,000,000 years ago), Africa, which then lay close to Europe, moved southeastward away from it. In doing so, it caused new ocean floor (Tethys) and new continental margins to form. Much of

Huygens, Christiaan

2005-03-09T21:17:00.000-08:00

Huygens was from a wealthy and distinguished middle-class family. His father, Constantijn Huygens,

Beirut

2005-03-09T13:37:00.000-08:00

Beirut is a city of baffling contradictions whose character blends the sophisticated and cosmopolitan with the provincial and parochial. Before 1975 Beirut was widely considered the most thoroughly Westernized city in the Arab Middle East;

Botany Bay

2005-03-09T00:05:00.000-08:00

The bay was the site in 1770 of Captain James Cook's first landing in Australia. He named it Stingray Harbour but later changed the name because

Jammu And Kashmir, Settlement patterns

2005-03-08T13:06:00.000-08:00

The state's physiographic diversity is matched by a considerable variety of human occupation. In the plains and foothills, colonization movements from the Punjab region over a long period of time have produced numerous agricultural settlements; both the people and their culture are similar to those of adjacent parts of the Punjab and other lowlands to the west.

Karaism

2005-03-08T02:45:00.000-08:00

The movement began in

Lapse, Doctrine Of

2005-03-08T00:26:00.000-08:00

In Indian history, formula devised by Lord Dalhousie, governor-general of India (1848–56), to deal with questions of succession to Hindu Indian states. It was a corollary to the doctrine of paramountcy, by which Great Britain, as the ruling power of the Indian subcontinent, claimed the superintendence of the subordinate Indian states and so also the regulation of their

O'brien, Edna

2005-03-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

O'Brien began to produce sketches and tales during childhood. She received

Dzerzhinsky, Feliks Edmundovich

2005-03-06T13:50:00.000-08:00

Son of a Polish nobleman, Dzerzhinsky joined the Kaunas (Kovno) organization of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party in 1895. He became a party organizer, and, although he was arrested by

Düsseldorf

2005-03-05T22:18:00.000-08:00

Regierungsbezirk (administrative district), west-central North Rhine–Westphalia Land (state), western Germany. Düsseldorf is bordered by The Netherlands to the west and the Regierungsbezirke of Münster to the northeast, Arnsberg to the east, and Köln to the south. The district occupies an area of 2,042 square miles (5,288 square km) and consists of the northern portion of the larger

Tonga

2005-03-05T13:07:00.000-08:00

Officially Kingdom of Tonga, Tongan Pule'anga Fakatu'i 'o Tonga, also called Friendly Islands, country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of 169 islands divided into three main island groups: Tongatapu in the south, Ha'apai in the centre, and Vava'u in the north. Isolated islands include Niuafo'ou, Niuatoputapu, and Tafahi in the far north and 'Ata in the far south. Tonga's total land area of 290 square miles (750 square kilometres) is dispersed between latitudes 15° to

U2

2005-03-05T02:20:00.000-08:00

Irish postpunk band that by the end of the 1980s had established itself not only as one of the world's most popular bands but also as one of the most innovative. The members are Bono (byname of Paul Hewson; b. May 10, 1960, Dublin, Ireland), the Edge (byname of David Evans; b. August 8, 1961, Barking, Essex [now in Greater London], England), Adam Clayton (b. March 13, 1960, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England), and Larry Mullen,

Andrew Ii

2005-03-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

The son of Béla III, Andrew succeeded László III, his elder brother's son, on the throne in 1205. Powerful landed interests forced Andrew to spend royal funds so recklessly that the crown

Saint Charles

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

City, seat of St. Charles county, eastern Missouri, U.S., on bluffs overlooking the Missouri River, there bridged to St. Louis, 22 miles (35 km) southeast. One of the earliest white settlements on the Missouri, it was founded in 1769 by Louis Blanchette as Les Petites Côtes (“The Little Hills”). The site, transferred to Spain in 1770, was dedicated in 1771 as the village of San Carlos Borromeo after a church

Halang Language

2005-03-03T17:37:00.000-08:00

Also called Haleng, Alang, Koyong, or Selong, language spoken chiefly in the central highlands of south-central Vietnam near Kon Tum. The number of speakers in Vietnam is estimated at some 10,000. Halang is a member of the North Bahnaric subbranch of the Mon-Khmer language family, which is a part of the Austroasiatic stock. Other North Bahnaric languages spoken in the region are Sedang, Rengao, Kayong, Monom, and Jeh.

Clone

2005-03-03T01:33:00.000-08:00

Also spelled clon population of genetically identical cells or organisms that are derived originally from a single original cell or organism by asexual methods. Cloning is fundamental to most living things, since the body cells of plants and animals are clones ultimately derived from the mitosis of a single fertilized egg. More narrowly, a clone can be defined as an individual

Esterhazy, Ferdinand Walsin

2005-03-02T20:24:00.000-08:00

Having fallen deeply into debt, Esterhazy apparently sold French military secrets

China, The chariot

2005-03-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

The light chariot, with 18 to 26 spokes per wheel, first appeared, according to the archaeological and inscriptional record, around 1200 BC. Glistening with bronze, it was initially a prestigious command car used primarily in hunting. The 16 chariot burials found at Hsiao-t'un raise the possibility of some form of Indo-European contact with China, and there is little doubt that the

Usuki

2005-03-01T21:16:00.000-08:00

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

Ehrenburg, Ilya Grigoryevich

2005-03-01T03:38:00.000-08:00

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

Ashrawi, Hanan

2005-02-28T03:57:00.000-08:00

The youngest daughter of a prominent physician, who was a founder of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), she grew up in an Anglican family. In the late 1960s Ashrawi joined the General Union of Palestinian

China, Economic development

2005-02-28T01:34:00.000-08:00

In the 1640s and '50s the Manchu abolished all late Ming surtaxes and granted tax exemptions to areas ravaged by war. Tax remissions were limited, however, by the urgent need for revenues to carry on the conquest of China. It was not until the 1680s, after the consolidation of military victory, that the Ch'ing began to permit tax remissions on a large scale. The permanent freezing of

Tien Lake

2005-02-27T21:18:00.000-08:00

Wade-Giles Tien Ch'ih , also called K'un-ming Ch'ih , Pinyin Dian Chi , or Kunming Chi lake lying to the south of K'un-ming in Yunnan sheng (province), China. Tien Lake lies in the largest group of Yunnanese lake basins, in the eastern part of the province, to the south of the Liang-wang Mountain Range, which reaches an elevation of some 8,740 feet (2,664 m). The lake is some 25 miles (40 km) from north to south, 8 miles (13 km) wide, and about 25 feet (8 m) deep. The mountains rise steeply from the eastern

Lusatian Mountains

2005-02-27T18:58:00.000-08:00

Czech Luzické Hory , German Lausitzer Gebirge mountain group, situated in extreme northern Bohemia, Czech Republic; it is part of the Sudeten mountains (Czech: Sudety). The group extends from the Ješted ridge in the east (3,320 feet [1,012 m]) to the gorge of the Elbe (Labe) River at Decín in the west and also into Poland and Germany. Sandstone is the group's most common constituent rock, but there are also volcanic rock formations in conical

Ibuprofen

2005-02-26T23:15:00.000-08:00

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used in the treatment of minor pain, fever, and inflammation. Like aspirin, ibuprofen works by inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins, body chemicals that sensitize nerve endings. The drug may irritate the gastrointestinal tract. Marketed under trade names such as Advil and Nuprin, ibuprofen is not recommended for use

English Literature, Drama

2005-02-26T01:55:00.000-08:00

Apart from the short-lived attempt by T.S. Eliot and Christopher Fry to bring about a renaissance of verse drama, theatre in the late 1940s and early 1950s was most notable for the continuing supremacy of the “well-made” play, which focused upon, and mainly attracted as its audience, the comfortable middle class. The most interesting playwright working within this mode was Terence

Lan Xang

2005-02-25T03:15:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Lan Chang, Laotian kingdom that flourished from the 14th century until it was split into two separate kingdoms, Vien Chang and Luang Prabang, in the 18th century. Conflict with its Myanmar (Burmese) and Thai (Siamese) neighbours forced the kingdom's rulers to transfer the capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane (1563), but the kingdom maintained its power and was at the height of its glory

Hoosac Tunnel

2005-02-25T00:54:00.000-08:00

The first major rock tunnel built in the United States. The tunnel runs through Hoosac Mountain of the Berkshire Hills, east of North Adams, Mass., and was built to provide a rail connection between Boston and upper New York state. Though only 4.75 miles (7.6 km) long, the tunnel took 24 years (1851–75) to complete, partly because of slow and laborious rock-tunneling techniques in use when construction

Aristotle

2005-02-24T14:50:00.000-08:00

Aristotle was born in the summer of 384 BC in the small Greek township of Stagira (or Stagirus, or Stageirus), on the Chalcidic peninsula of Macedonia, in northern Greece. (For this reason Aristotle is also known as the “Stagirite.”) His father, Nicomachus, was court physician to Amyntas III, king of Macedonia, father of Philip II, and grandfather of Alexander the Great. As a doctor's

Fagunwa, D.o.

2005-02-24T02:30:00.000-08:00

Fagunwa's first novel, Ogboju Ode Ninu Igbo Irunmale (1938; The Forest of a Thousand Daemons), was the first full-length novel published in the Yoruba language. His second

Pereyaslav Agreement

2005-02-23T23:41:00.000-08:00

The hetman of the Zaporozhian Cossacks, Bohdan Khmelnytsky, had been leading a revolt against Polish rule in Ukraine

Oran

2005-02-23T09:43:00.000-08:00

Oran was founded at the beginning of the 10th century

Cachoeira Do Sul

2005-02-22T11:58:00.000-08:00

City and river port, central Rio Grande do Sul estado (“state”), southern Brazil. It lies along the Jacuí River at 200 feet (60 m) above sea level. Founded in 1819 as São João de Cachoeira and given city status in 1859, Cachoeira do Sul is the centre of one of Brazil's major rice-growing areas. Rice, wool, wheat, and fruits are processed and shipped from the city, which is about 103 miles (165 km) west of Pôrto

Pereyaslav Agreement

2005-02-21T21:06:00.000-08:00

Byname European Liberal Democrats , formerly (1976–86) Federation of Liberal and Democratic Parties in the European Community , (1986–93) Federation of Liberal Democrat and Reform Parties transnational parliamentary group representing the interests of allied liberal and centrist parties in the European Parliament of the European Union (EU). The ELDR was formed in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1976 and coordinates the interests of its member parties. It is now composed of some 40 parties from EU countries, countries that have applied for EU membership, and other

Eritrea, Natural resources

2005-02-21T19:25:00.000-08:00

The area of cultivation is limited by climate and the uneven surface of the plateau, so that,

Biblical Literature, The translation of Symmachus

2005-02-21T04:25:00.000-08:00

Still another Greek translation was made toward the end of the same century by Symmachus, an otherwise unknown scholar, who made use of his predecessors. His influence was small despite the superior elegance of his work. Jerome did utilize Symmachus for his Vulgate, but other than that, his translation is known largely through fragments of the Hexapla.

Roman Religion

2005-02-20T19:01:00.000-08:00

Beliefs and practices of the inhabitants of the Italian peninsula from ancient times until the ascendancy of Christianity in the 4th century AD.

Crake

2005-02-20T09:52:00.000-08:00

Any of numerous marsh birds of the family Rallidae (order Gruiformes), generally any small rail (q.v.) in which the bill is short and conical. The name is chiefly European but can be extended to New World rails of this type. The most widespread genus is Porzana (13 species), typified by the spotted crake (P. porzana) found in Europe and eastward to Mongolia; in winter

Ito Hirobumi

2005-02-20T07:33:00.000-08:00

In full (from 1907) Koshaku (Duke [or Prince]) Ito Hirobumi , original name Toshisuke Japanese elder statesman (genro) and premier (1885–88, 1892–96, 1898, 1900–01), who played a crucial role in building modern Japan. He helped draft the Meiji constitution (1889) and brought about the establishment of a bicameral national Diet (1890). He was created a marquess in 1884 and a duke (or prince) in 1907.

Chandernagore

2005-02-19T13:13:00.000-08:00

Also called Chandannagar city, southeastern West Bengal state, northeastern India, just west of the Hooghly River and part of the Calcutta urban agglomeration. It is connected by road and rail with Calcutta and Burdwan. Settled in 1673 by the French and expanded commercially, it was captured by the English in 1757 and again in 1794 but was restored to France in 1815. Following the 1949 plebiscite, it merged with India.

Clodia

2005-02-18T19:37:00.000-08:00

Profligate Roman beauty and sister of the demagogue Publius Clodius. She was married in 63 BC to Quintus Metellus Celer and was suspected of responsibility for his death in 59 BC. She was mistress to the poet Catullus, who wrote of her as Lesbia, and was the most important influence in his life. Another of her lovers was Marcus Caelius Rufus, whom Cicero defended against

Pendergast, Thomas J(oseph)

2005-02-18T15:13:00.000-08:00

Pendergast went to Kansas City in 1893, where he learned the rudiments of municipal politics from precinct captains and where, by 1916, he had become political boss of Kansas

Rabbinical Council Of America

2005-02-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

Organization of Orthodox rabbis, almost all of whom have received their rabbinical training in the United States. The council's chief aims have been to promote the study and practice of Orthodox Judaism, to defend the basic rights of Jews in all parts of the world, and to support the State of Israel. It is the rabbinical arm of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations

Qatar, Industry

2005-02-17T14:13:00.000-08:00

Qatar has sought to diversify its economy through industrialization. Most of the industrial sector comprises large firms of mixed state and foreign private ownership. For example, the Qatar Steel Company is co-owned by the Qatari government and two Japanese companies, which constructed the plant and took responsibility for production, marketing, and exporting.

Blackwood, Caroline

2005-02-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

Blackwood, a descendant of the 18th-century dramatist Richard Brinsley Sheridan, lived in Northern Ireland until

Kellermann, François-christophe, Duc (duke) De Valmy

2005-02-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

Born into a family of the judicial nobility, Kellermann became an officer in the French Army in 1752. He fought with distinction against the Prussians and British during the Seven Years' War (1756–63) and was subsequently

Hypoglycemia

2005-02-15T23:52:00.000-08:00

Reduction of the concentration of glucose in the blood serum below normal levels, commonly occurring as a complication of treatment for diabetes mellitus. Even brief falls in serum glucose levels can produce severe brain dysfunction. In healthy individuals, an intricate glucoregulatory system acts rapidly to counter hypoglycemia by reducing insulin production

Middle America Trench

2005-02-15T02:51:00.000-08:00

Submarine depression in the Pacific Ocean off the western coast of Central America. Extending northwest-southeast for more than 1,700 miles (2,750 km) from central Mexico to Costa Rica, the trench reaches a maximum depth of 21,880 feet (6,669 m) and covers a total area of 37,000 square miles (96,000 square km). The shallower northern section of the trench tends to curve along the coast of Mexico, paralleling

Charles, Ray

2005-02-14T16:23:00.000-08:00

When Charles was an infant his family moved to Greenville, Florida, and he

Cystine

2005-02-14T15:38:00.000-08:00

A crystalline, sulfur-containing amino acid that is formed from two molecules of the amino acid cysteine. Cystine can be converted to cysteine by reduction (in this case, the addition of hydrogen). Discovered in 1810, cystine was not recognized as a component of proteins until 1899, when it was isolated from animal horn. Cystine is particularly abundant in skeletal and connective

Iliamna Lake

2005-02-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

Lake, southwestern Alaska, U.S., west of Cook Inlet (Gulf of Alaska). The second largest freshwater lake entirely within the United States (after Lake Michigan), it is 80 miles (129 km) long and 25 miles (40 km) wide and covers an area of 1,000 square miles (2,600 square km). It drains southwest through the Kvichak River into Bristol Bay and the Bering Sea. It is noted for its game fish, especially rainbow

Amu Darya

2005-02-12T07:33:00.000-08:00

English Amu River, Tajik Daryoi Amu, Turkmen Amyderya, Uzbek Amudaryo, ancient name Oxus River one of the longest rivers of Central Asia. It is formed by the confluence of the Vakhsh and Panj (Pyandzh) rivers and flows west-northwest to its mouth on the southern shore of the Aral Sea. In its upper course the Amu Darya forms part of Afghanistan's northern border with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then flows across the desert of eastern Turkmenistan

Earth, Deformation of the crust

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

The Earth's crust has been subjected to widespread deformation over geologic time. This deformation results from forces applied to the rocks that make up the crust. Such forces create stresses within the rocks, and these stresses in turn produce strain, which is manifested in the form of folds, faults, and joints.

China, The Wu-tai (Five Dynasties)

2005-02-11T20:23:00.000-08:00

None of the Wu-tai regimes that dominated North China ever forgot the ideal of the unified empire. Each sought, with gradually increasing success, to strengthen the power of the central authorities. Even Chu Wen, who began the Wu-tai by deposing the last T'ang emperor in 907, sought to extend his control in the north. While consolidating his strength on the strategic plains

Hughes, William Morris

2005-02-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

Hughes emigrated to Queensland in 1884. After working for the unionization of maritime workers in Sydney, he was elected to the New South Wales legislature in 1894 as a Labor Party member. He entered the first federal Parliament in 1901 and served as attorney

China, State and society

2005-02-10T18:14:00.000-08:00

The ritual schedule records 29 royal ancestors over a span of 17 generations who, from at least Wu-ting to Ti-hsin, were each known as wang (king). Presiding over a stable politico-religious hierarchy of ritual specialists, officers, artisans, retainers, and servile peasants, they ruled with varying degrees of intensity over the North China Plain and parts of Shantung, Shansi,

Maha Bodhi Society

2005-02-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

An organization that was established to encourage Buddhist studies in India and abroad. The society was founded in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1891 by Anagarika Dharmapala; one of its original goals was the restoration of the Mahabodhi temple at Buddh Gaya (Bihar state, India), the site of the Buddha's enlightenment, which at that time was in the hands of a Hindu landowner. In 1949 the