CompleteFloor

Ku Yen-wu

2005-04-03T14:12:00.000-07:00

Pinyin Gu Yanwu one of the most famous of the Ming dynasty loyalists, whose rationalist critiques of the useless book learning and metaphysical speculations of the neo-Confucian philosophy (that had been the underpinning of the Chinese empire for almost 1,000 years) started a new trend in scholarship during the Ch'ing

Africa

2005-03-31T19:53:00.000-08:00

Africa's total land area is approximately 11,724,000 square

Romains, Jules

2005-03-30T04:50:00.000-08:00

Romains studied science and philosophy at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. After teaching philosophy

Bouira

2005-03-27T06:46:00.000-08:00

The surrounding region is encompassed by the ranges and valleys of the Tell Atlas. Although it

Cordial

2005-03-25T04:54:00.000-08:00

A liqueur (q.v.); though the term cordial was formerly used for only those liqueurs that were thought to have a tonic or stimulating quality due to the medicinal components of their flavourings, the terms cordial and liqueur are now used interchangeably.

Vriesea

2005-03-23T00:57:00.000-08:00

The stiff, sword-shaped, fleshy green leaves grow in a rosette and often are mottled or banded with brown. The pink,

Daventry

2005-03-21T07:09:00.000-08:00

Nothing is known of Daventry town before Domesday Book (1086), the record of the land survey ordered by William the Conqueror, although

Aluko, T.m.

2005-03-19T06:12:00.000-08:00

A civil engineer and town planner by profession, Aluko was educated in Ibadan, Lagos, and London and held positions as director of public works for western Nigeria and faculty member at the University of Lagos. He first became known

Pacific Islands, Climate

2005-03-19T02:07:00.000-08:00

To describe the climate as tropical and oceanic is to stress the influence of the lower latitudes and the tremendous expanse of the sea. Humidity and temperature tend to be high and are generally uniform throughout the year. Regional differentiation in climate is linked principally to rainfall patterns. Here, factors of altitude and longitude, as well as latitude,

Alba Longa

2005-03-17T08:19:00.000-08:00

Ancient city of Latium, Italy, in the Alban Hills about 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Rome, near present Castel Gandolfo. Tradition attributes its founding (c. 1152 BC) to Ascanius, the son of the legendary Aeneas, thus making it, according to legend at least, the oldest Latin city, which in turn founded others, including Rome. Excavations have revealed cemeteries that date to the 10th century

Arran, James Hamilton, 1st Earl Of

2005-03-16T03:15:00.000-08:00

Arran commanded a naval expedition against England in 1513 but failed lamentably and returned to find his rival, the earl of Angus, supreme at court. He therefore

Abstract Poem

2005-03-15T06:15:00.000-08:00

A term coined by Edith Sitwell to describe a poem in which the words are chosen for their aural quality rather than specifically for their sense or meaning. An example from “Popular Song” in Sitwell's Façade (1923) follows: The red retriever-haired satyrCan whine and tease her and flatter,But Lily O'Grady,Silly and shady,In the deep shade is a lazy lady;Now Pompey's dead, Homer's

Jupiter, Other satellites

2005-03-14T09:44:00.000-08:00

The only other Jovian satellite that was close enough to the trajectories of the Voyager spacecraft in 1979 to allow surface features to be seen was Amalthea. So small that its gravitational field is not strong enough to deform it into a sphere, it has an irregular, oblong shape (see Table). Like Io, its surface exhibits a reddish colour that may result from a coating of sulfur

East Cambridgeshire

2005-03-13T01:11:00.000-08:00

Prior to the draining of the Fens

Hokitika

2005-03-12T07:51:00.000-08:00

Town, West Coast local government region, on the west coast of South Island, New Zealand. It lies at the mouth of the Hokitika River, which rises in the Southern Alps and, fed by the Mungo, Whitcombe, and Kokatahi rivers, flows northward 40 mi (64 km) to Westland Bight of the Tasman Sea. A store was erected at the river mouth in 1864. Hokitika grew with the discovery of gold and reached a peak

Franc

2005-03-12T02:23:00.000-08:00

Originally a French coin but now the monetary unit of a number of countries, notably Switzerland, most French and former Belgian overseas territories, and some African states; at one time it was also the currency of France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The name was first applied to a gold coin minted by King John II of France in 1360, which bore on one face the Latin legend Johannes

Kecskemét

2005-03-10T23:33:00.000-08:00

Town and seat, Bács-Kiskun megye (county), central Hungary. Long established as a centre for handicrafts and cattle raising, it has also grown in importance for its viticulture, vegetables, and fruit. It is surrounded by flat sandy farmland, often referred to as “the orchard of Hungary.” The locality provides as much as 25 percent of the country's fruit, notably apricots, and

Hammami, Sa'id

2005-03-10T03:28:00.000-08:00

Hammami was born in Jaffa, but his family fled when fighting erupted following Israel's declaration of independence

Manresa

2005-03-08T06:05:00.000-08:00

Town, Barcelona provincia, in the comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) of Catalonia, northeastern Spain. It lies along the Cardoner River. The town—which probably originated as Minorisa, the Roman capital of Jacetani—was important during the European Middle Ages. Three bridges span the Cardoner, and on a rock above the oldest bridge stands the yellow Church

Calcitonin

2005-03-07T15:19:00.000-08:00

Also called Thyrocalcitonin, a protein hormone secreted in humans and other mammals by parafollicular cells in the thyroid gland, and in birds, fishes, and other nonmammalian vertebrates by cells of the ultimobranchial bodies, which are discrete calcitonin-secreting glands. Calcitonin lowers the concentration of calcium in the blood when it rises above the normal value. It has the opposite

Qatar, Trade and finance

2005-03-07T03:45:00.000-08:00

In the mid-1970s Japan supplanted Britain as Qatar's chief source of imports. The chief purchasers of Qatari exports are Japan, Thailand, and Singapore. Other major trading partners include the United States and the United Kingdom. Machinery and transport equipment make up the largest category of imports, and crude petroleum accounts for more than four-fifths of

Astrogeology

2005-03-06T09:56:00.000-08:00

Scientific discipline concerned with the geological aspects of all solid bodies in the solar system, including the major planets and their satellites, asteroids, comets, and meteorites. Astrogeological research extends to those terrestrial features produced by the latter—namely, meteorite craters and tektites (small glassy objects resulting from meteorite

Costa Rica, Flag Of

2005-03-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

Like other parts of the United Provinces of Central America, Costa Rica originally flew the federal flag of blue-white-blue stripes with a coat of arms in the centre. Adopted when Central America freed itself from Mexico in 1823, it drew its design inspiration from the flag of Argentina, one of the earliest Spanish colonies to proclaim independence. Even after the five

Gnomic Poetry

2005-03-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

Aphoristic verse containing short, memorable statements of traditional wisdom and morality. The Greek word gnome means “moral aphorism” or “proverb.” Its form may be either imperative, as in the famous command “know thyself,” or indicative, as in the English adage “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” Gnomes are found in the literature of many cultures; among the best known examples

Space Law

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

The evolution of space law began with U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower's introduction of the concept into the United Nations in 1957, in connection with disarmament negotiations. Following the successful launchings of the Soviet satellite

Faraj

2005-03-02T00:19:00.000-08:00

Faraj's father, Barquq, died in 1399. While he was a child, two guardians, representing the rival

Grusi

2005-02-28T02:15:00.000-08:00

Ethnolinguistic group among the inhabitants of northern Ghana and adjacent areas of Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) and Togo. The linguistic groups and subgroups of the area are difficult to classify with certitude, but the Grusi languages make up a subbranch of the Gur (Voltaic) branch of the Niger-Congo language family. The difficulty in establishing distinct

Habeas Corpus

2005-02-27T02:29:00.000-08:00

An ancient common-law writ, issued by a court or judge directing one who holds another in his custody to produce the body of the person before the court for some specified purpose. Although there have been and are many varieties of the writ, the most important is that used to correct violations of personal liberty by directing judicial inquiry into the legality of

Altai Mountains

2005-02-26T07:24:00.000-08:00

The system has three main subdivisions: the Altai proper (formerly

Paleolithic Period

2005-02-26T02:46:00.000-08:00

At sites dating from the Lower Paleolithic Period (about 2,500,000 to 200,000 years ago), simple pebble tools have been found in association with the remains of what may have been the earliest human ancestors. A somewhat more sophisticated Lower Paleolithic tradition,

Ghata-pallava

2005-02-24T06:12:00.000-08:00

In Indian art, important decorative motif consisting of a pot filled with flowers and leaves. In Vedic literature it is the symbol of life, the source of vegetation, a meaning that is still retained. The motif occurred in Indian art almost from its inception and has been used prominently in all periods. From the 5th century the ghata-pallava began to be used

Ziyarah

2005-02-23T17:48:00.000-08:00

(Arabic: “visit”), in Islam, a visit to the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad in the mosque at Medina, Saudi Arabia; also a visit to the tomb of a saint or a holy person. The legitimacy of these latter visits has been questioned by many Muslim religious authorities, particularly by the Wahhabiyah, who consider ziyarah a bid'ah (innovation) that should be condemned by all true believers. The

Panama, Relief

2005-02-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

A central spine of mountain ranges extends almost the entire length of Panama, dividing the country into Atlantic- and Pacific-facing slopes. The two principal ranges, the Tabasará Mountains (Cordillera Central) in the west and the Cordillera de San Blas in the east, are separated near the centre of the country by a saddle of lower land. This depression (the Panama Canal

Sanjar

2005-02-22T09:55:00.000-08:00

Appointed governor of Khorasan by his half brother Berk-yaruq, who succeeded Malik-Shah as

Carat

2005-02-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

Unit of weight for diamonds and certain other precious gems. Before 1913 the weight of a carat varied in different gem centres. Originally based on the weight of grains or leguminous seeds, which, of course, varied in size from place to place, the carat was equivalent to 0.2053 gram (3.168 troy grains) in London, 0.1972 g in Florence, and 0.2057 g in Amsterdam. The weight of a gemstone was calculated in terms

Arequipa

2005-02-19T18:03:00.000-08:00

Departamento (formed 1822) and región, southern Peru, bounded to the southwest by the Pacific Ocean. Its arid coastal and montane landscapes are cut intermittently by streams flowing from glaciers in the Andes Mountains. Irrigated coastal crops include cotton, rice, sugarcane, and olives. Corn (maize), potatoes, leeks, hot peppers (rocotos), and asparagus are cultivated in

World War I, The Western Front, 1916

2005-02-19T03:25:00.000-08:00

In 1914 the centre of gravity of World War I had been on the Western Front, in 1915 it shifted to the Eastern, and in 1916 it once more moved back to France. Though the western Allies had dissipated some of their strength in the Dardanelles, Salonika, and Mesopotamia, the rising tide of Britain's new armies and of its increased munition supplies promised the means for an offensive far

Greville, Fulke, 1st Baron Brooke

2005-02-17T19:35:00.000-08:00

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

Biblical Literature, Other Pentateuchal theories

2005-02-16T23:38:00.000-08:00

This documentary theory of the composition of the Pentateuch has been challenged by eminent 20th-century scholars who have offered alternative or additional methods of analysis and interpretation. Form criticism, for example, has stressed particular literary forms and the historical setting out of which they arose: the sagas, laws, legends, and other forms and

Agranulocytosis

2005-02-15T02:06:00.000-08:00

In most cases, agranulocytosis appears to develop as a result of sensitization to certain drugs and chemicals; infection then follows as a consequence,

Avalonian Orogeny

2005-02-14T22:53:00.000-08:00

A mountain-building event that affected the eastern portion of the Appalachian Geosyncline in late Precambrian time (Precambrian time occurred from 3.96 billion to 540 million years ago). Evidence for the orogeny consists of igneous intrusions, folding of strata, and the development of angular unconformities in the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland, the eastern portion

Monchique Mountains

2005-02-13T22:36:00.000-08:00

Portuguese Serra De Monchique, low mountain range forming the frontier between Beja and Faro districts, southern Portugal, near Cape Saint Vincent, the southwestern extremity of the Iberian Peninsula. A dissected igneous rock (syenite) massif, its highest point is La Foia (2,960 ft [902 m]). The range is famous for its wild and generally varied plant life, as well as for its spas with medicinal waters (Caldas de

Caballero, Fernán

2005-02-11T16:10:00.000-08:00

Her father was Johann Niklaus Böhl von Faber, a German businessman who converted to Roman Catholicism and became a well-known critic of Spanish literature. He moved the family in 1813 to Andalusia, which was the native

Aesthetics, Post-Hegelian aesthetics

2005-02-08T08:25:00.000-08:00

Little of 19th-century aesthetics after Hegel has proved of lasting interest. Perhaps the most important exception is the controversial literature surrounding Richard Wagner, particularly the attack on the expressive theory of music launched by Wagner's critic Eduard Hanslick in his Vom musikalisch-Schönen (1854; On the Beautiful in Music). With this work modern musical

Akhmim

2005-02-07T16:41:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Ekhmin, town, Sawhaj muhafazah (governorate), Upper Egypt, on the east bank of the Nile, above Sawhaj on the west bank. Extensive necropolises dating from the 6th dynasty (c. 2345–c. 2181 BC) until the late Coptic period reveal the site's antiquity. In 1981 remains of a temple (Roman period) with Ramesside statues were excavated in the city. The name apparently derives from the pharaonic Khent-min and Coptic

Rub' Al-khali

2005-02-04T22:48:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Ar-Rab' al-Khali (Arabic: “Empty Quarter”) vast desert in the southern Arabian Peninsula, covering about 250,000 square miles (650,000 square km) in a structural basin lying mainly in southeastern Saudi Arabia, with lesser portions in Yemen, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. It is the largest area of continuous sand in the world. It occupies more than one-quarter of Saudi Arabia. The topography is varied. In the west the elevation

Quadros, Jânio Da Silva

2005-02-03T18:08:00.000-08:00

Quadros graduated from the University of São Paulo in 1939. He practiced law and taught Portuguese

Christianity

2005-01-31T11:32:00.000-08:00

Major religion, stemming from the life, teachings, and death of Jesus of Nazareth (the Christ, or the Anointed One of God) in the 1st century AD. It has become the largest of the world's religions. Geographically the most widely diffused of all faiths, it has a constituency of some 2 billion believers. Its largest groups are the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches,

Sohak

2005-01-30T16:19:00.000-08:00

(Korean: “Western Learning”), in Korean history, the study of Western culture, introduced into Korea from the Chinese Ming and Ch'ing dynasties in the 17th and 18th centuries. In a broad sense, the term Sohak refers to the study of Western thought, religion, ethics, science, and technology. In a narrow sense, it sometimes refers only to the study of Western religion and ethics during

Tribonian

2005-01-28T15:21:00.000-08:00

From 530 to 532, and from 534 until his death, Tribonian served as Justinian's quaestor sacri

Epistemology, Knowledge and certainty

2005-01-26T02:57:00.000-08:00

The relationship between knowledge and certainty is complex, and there is considerable disagreement about the matter. Are these concepts the same? If not, how do they differ? Is it possible for someone to know that p without being certain that p? Is it possible for someone to be certain that p without knowing that p? These are the central issues around which the debate

L'engle, Madeleine

2005-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

L'Engle attended boarding schools in Europe and the United States and graduated with honours from Smith College (B.A., 1941). She pursued a career in the theatre before

Argus Panoptes

2005-01-22T20:48:00.000-08:00

(Greek: “All Seeing”), figure in Greek legend described variously as the son of Inachus, Agenor, or Arestor or as an aboriginal hero (autochthon). His surname derives from the hundred eyes in his head or all over his body. Argus was appointed by the goddess Hera to watch the cow into which Io (Hera's priestess) had been transformed, but he was slain by Hermes. His eyes were transferred

Mahir, Ahmad

2005-01-19T02:14:00.000-08:00

Mahir was educated at the Khedivial Law school and the University of Montpellier in France. A younger brother of 'Ali Mahir, who had on three previous occasions been premier of Egypt, Ahmad occupied a number of important government positions from the early 1920s. Early in his career, Mahir was

Wake Forest University

2005-01-18T16:37:00.000-08:00

Private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S., affiliated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. The university consists of Wake Forest College, the Wayne Calloway School of Business and Accountancy, the School of Law, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, the Graduate School, the Divinity School, and the Babcock

Beisa

2005-01-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

African antelope, a race of the species Oryx gazella. See oryx.

France, History Of, Continuity and change

2005-01-13T06:08:00.000-08:00

The political history of 18th-century France can be conceptualized in terms of the double heritage and the problems it entailed. The discussion may be linked to two issues: first, the economic transformation of a traditional and essentially agricultural society by both commerce and ideas; and, second, the state's efforts (and eventual inability) to modernize and unify

Felony And Misdemeanour

2005-01-12T06:27:00.000-08:00

U.S. jurisdictions generally distinguish between felonies and misdemeanours. A class of minor offenses that may be described as petty offenses or quasi-crimes is also recognized. These last offenses are created by local ordinance, and the requirement of trial

Kogalniceanu, Mihail

2005-01-10T10:07:00.000-08:00

In 1840 Kogalniceanu undertook the publication of a national literary review (Dacia literara) and a scientific

Ryedale

2005-01-08T02:57:00.000-08:00

District, administrative county of North Yorkshire, historic county of Yorkshire, England, named for a small dale and river draining into the Vale of Pickering. This predominantly rural district is the largest in North Yorkshire. It includes the Vale of Pickering and the ring of highlands that enclose it: the Hambleton and Howardian hills, the escarpment of the Yorkshire

Sunda Islands

2005-01-05T22:18:00.000-08:00

Group of islands extending from the Malay Peninsula to the Moluccas southeast of the Asiatic mainland toward New Guinea. They include the Greater Sundas (Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes, and adjacent smaller islands) and the Lesser Sundas (Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, and Flores, Timor, Alor, and adjacent smaller islands). With the exception of Borneo, eastern Sumatra, and

Ligand

2005-01-04T02:02:00.000-08:00

In chemistry, any atom or molecule attached to a central atom, usually a metallic element, in a coordination or complex compound. The atoms and molecules used as ligands are almost always those that are capable of functioning as the electron-pair donor in the electron-pair bond (a coordinate covalent bond) formed with the metal atom. Examples of common ligands are the

Muhando, Penina O.

2005-01-02T10:28:00.000-08:00

Muhando studied education and theatre in Tanzania at the University of Dar es-Salaam, later joining the faculty of the department of theatre arts. Her plays include Hatia (1972; “Guilt”), Tambueni haki zetu (1973; “Reveal Our

East China Sea

2004-12-30T01:27:00.000-08:00

Chinese (Wade-Giles) Tung Hai, or (Pinyin) Dong Hai, arm of the Pacific Ocean bordering the East Asian mainland and extending northeastward from the South China Sea, to which it is connected by the shallow Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and mainland China. The East China Sea and the South China Sea together form the China Sea. The East China Sea extends to the east to the chain of the Ryukyu Islands; north to Kyushu, which

East China Sea

2004-12-29T18:19:00.000-08:00

The company was incorporated in 1892, acquiring all the assets of the Edison General Electric

Thun Und Hohenstein, Friedrich, Count (graf) Von

2004-12-27T17:57:00.000-08:00

After the suppression of the 1848–49 revolutions in Germany and Austria, Thun, an astute politician, headed

Kerr, Jean

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

Jean Collins graduated from Marywood College in Scranton in 1943, and in August of that year she married Walter F. Kerr, who was then a professor of drama at Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., and who later became

Camping

2004-12-23T18:17:00.000-08:00

Organized camping of another kind started in the United States in 1861 with a boys' camp, run by Frederick William Gunn and his wife at Milford-on-the-Sound, for students of the Gunnery School for Boys in Washington, Conn. Its success was immediate and was repeated for 18 successive years. Other similar camps began to develop. A private camp was established in 1876 by Joseph Trimble

Ghica, Ion

2004-12-21T20:11:00.000-08:00

Descended from the Walachian prince Grigore III Ghica, Ion Ghica joined the opposition to the rule of his cousin Alexandru II Ghica, prince of Walachia from 1834, that resulted in Alexandru's deposition in October 1842. Ghica figured prominently

Number Game, Fibonacci numbers

2004-12-17T01:41:00.000-08:00

In 1202 the mathematician Leonardo of Pisa, also called Fibonacci, published an influential treatise, Liber abaci. It contained the following recreational problem: “How many pairs of rabbits can be produced from a single pair in one year if it is assumed that every month each pair begets a new pair which from the second month becomes productive?” Straightforward calculation

Uffizi Gallery

2004-12-15T04:28:00.000-08:00

Italian Galleria Degli Uffizi, art museum in Florence that has the world's finest collection of Italian Renaissance painting, particularly of the Florentine school. It also has antiques, sculpture, and more than 100,000 drawings and prints. In 1559 the grand duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I de' Medici, engaged the painter-architect Giorgio Vasari to plan a building for the offices (uffizi) of the government judiciary.

Wigglesworth, Michael

2004-12-12T03:53:00.000-08:00

Wigglesworth emigrated to America in 1638 with his family and settled in New Haven. In 1651 he graduated from Harvard College, where he was a tutor and a fellow from 1652 to 1654 and again from 1697 to 1705. He preached at Charlestown, Mass., in 1653–54 and was pastor at

Zoanthid

2004-12-11T01:48:00.000-08:00

Any member of the order Zoanthidea, a group of about 300 species of marine animals of the class Anthozoa (phylum Cnidaria) characterized by a polyp (i.e., a cylindrical stalklike structure with a mouth and tentacles at the upper end and attached to a surface at the lower end). The zoanthid closely resembles the sea anemone, differing from it chiefly in being generally smaller

Chang Ling

2004-12-09T17:33:00.000-08:00

Chang settled in the Szechwan area and there studied the Tao (“Way”) sometime during the reign (125–144) of Emperor Shun Ti of the Eastern Han dynasty. Later he composed a Taoist work to propagate his cult, which attracted many followers among both the Chinese and the indigenous ethnic

Abstract Poem

2004-12-07T08:59:00.000-08:00

China, Hydroelectric resources

2004-12-05T15:26:00.000-08:00

In view of China's extensive river network and mountainous terrain, there is ample potential for the production of hydroelectric power. Most of the total hydroelectric capacity is in the southwest, where coal supplies are poor but demand for energy is rapidly growing. The potential in the Northeast is fairly small, but it was there that the first hydroelectric stations

Biblical Literature, The modern period

2004-12-03T19:45:00.000-08:00

The modern period is marked by advances in textual criticism and in the study of biblical languages and history, all of which contribute to the interpretation of the Bible. The German theologian J.A. Bengel's (1687–1752) edition of the Greek text of the New Testament with critical apparatus (1734), in which he framed the canon that “the more difficult reading is to be preferred,” was followed

Bradley, Edward R.

2004-12-01T14:17:00.000-08:00

As a student at Cheyney State College (now Cheyney University of Pennsylvania), Bradley worked his way into broadcasting by volunteering at Philadelphia radio station WDAS-FM. After graduating with a degree in education (B.S., 1964), Bradley became an elementary schoolteacher but continued to work

Sarawak

2004-11-28T04:51:00.000-08:00

Historic region that is now a state of Malaysia. It comprises the northwestern part of the island of Borneo and is bounded by the sultanate of Brunei and Sabah (Malaysia) on the north and by Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan) on the east and south. Sarawak has a low-lying and heavily indented coastline along the South China Sea. Much of its area is covered by primary rain forest.

Ligament

2004-11-27T08:50:00.000-08:00

Tough fibrous band of connective tissue that serves to support the internal organs and hold bones together in proper articulation at the joints. A ligament is composed of dense fibrous bundles of collagenous fibres and spindle-shaped cells known as fibroblasts, with little ground substance (a gel-like component of the various connective tissues). Ligaments may

Abu Madi, Iliya

2004-11-24T06:03:00.000-08:00

When he was 11 years old, Abu Madi moved with his family from their mountain village in Lebanon to Alexandria, Egypt. As a young man he earned money selling cigarettes. He published his first collection of poetry in Alexandria in 1911. The following year he migrated to the United

Kenya, Drainage

2004-11-23T16:50:00.000-08:00

The major features of the drainage pattern of Kenya were created by the ancient crustal deformation of a great oval dome that arose in the west-central part of the country and created the Central Rift. This dome produced a primeval watershed from which rivers once drained eastward to the Indian Ocean and westward to the Congo system and the Atlantic Ocean. Still

Trichostome

2004-11-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

Any ciliate protozoan of the holotrichous order Trichostomatida. Free-living forms are found in freshwater (e.g., Tillina), salt water (e.g., Woodruffia), and decaying vegetation; parasitic forms also occur. Trichostomes usually have a heavily ciliated vestibule (outer cavity) that leads to the ventrally located mouth. Body ciliation is uniform, although

Laidoner, Johan

2004-11-18T07:04:00.000-08:00

Educated in Russia for a military career, Laidoner earned the rank of lieutenant colonel in Russian service. He served in World War I (1914–18) as an intelligence

Nigeria, Igbo Ukwu

2004-11-16T11:41:00.000-08:00

The bronzes found at Igbo Ukwu, which have been dated to about AD 900, reveal not only a high artistic tradition but also a well-structured society with wide-ranging economic relationships. Of particular interest is the source of the copper and lead used to make the bronzes, which may have been Tadmekka in the Sahara, and of the coloured glass beads, which may have come from

Arnold, Harold Deforest

2004-11-14T23:15:00.000-08:00

Arnold studied at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, where he received a Ph.B. (1906) and a M.S. (1907), and in 1911 he earned a doctorate at the University of Chicago. While working for the Western Electric

Antarctica, Glaciers and seas

2004-11-13T01:37:00.000-08:00

Malcolm Mellor (ed.), Antarctic Snow and Ice Studies (1964); and A.P. Crary (ed.), Antarctic Snow and Ice Studies II (1971), are collections mainly of topical studies of greatly varied scope. John Mercer, Glaciers of the Antarctic (1967), provides a general review of Antarctica's glaciers. Stephen J. Pyne, The Ice (1986), investigates Antarctic ice and also describes other aspects of the region, including exploration, literature, and art. A.L. Gordon and R.D. Goldberg, Circumpolar Characteristics of Antarctic Waters (1970); and Joseph L. Reid and Dennis E. Hayes (eds.), Antarctic Oceanology, 2 vol. (1971–72), describe features of South Polar water masses, their currents, and their interactions with subtropical and subantarctic waters, as well as of the ocean floor and sediment carpet. George Deacon, The Antarctic Circumpolar Ocean (1984), includes a summary of early discoveries by explorers, sealers, and whalers and a review of modern knowledge of Antarctic waters.

Subsidence

2004-11-10T11:09:00.000-08:00

Sinking of the Earth's surface in response to geologic or man-induced causes. When subsidence occurs in great belts, providing troughs for the accumulation of sediments, the resulting features are termed geosynclines; nonlinear subsidence produces basins and irregular depressions. Subsurface solution during cave formation may lead to a series of subsidence

Kirby, William

2004-11-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

Kirby moved in 1832 to the United States and in 1839 to Canada, where he settled in Niagara and became editor of the Niagara Mail (1850–71) and collector of customs from 1871 to 1895. Kirby was a fervent loyalist (favouring

Udi-nsukka Plateau

2004-11-07T00:30:00.000-08:00

Pair of plateaus in south-central Nigeria that form a nearly continuous elevated area. The Nsukka Plateau, which forms the main eastward-facing escarpment, extends about 80 miles (130 km) from Nsukka in the north to Enugu in the south. The Udi Plateau continues southward for about 100 miles (160 km) to a point near Okigwi. The average elevation is slightly more than 1,000 feet (300 m), and the highest

Penderecki, Krzysztof

2004-11-05T02:31:00.000-08:00

Penderecki studied composition at the Superior School of Music in Kraków (graduated 1958), subsequently becoming a professor there. He first drew attention in 1959 at the third Warsaw Festival of Contemporary Music, where his Strophes

Business And Industry Review

2004-11-03T20:04:00.000-08:00

The high production and plant-operating rates seen in 1995 continued to mark most of the world's chemical industry in 1996. The high and rising sales levels reflected the generally healthy economies of countries around the globe. The high volume of products sold, however, did not always translate into record profits, particularly for the makers of big-volume petrochemicals.

Kidderminster

2004-10-31T23:59:00.000-08:00

Town, Wyre Forest district, administrative and historic county of Worcestershire, England. It is situated along the River Stour and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. Recorded as Stour-in-Usmere in 736 CE, it was given to the comes (count) Cyneberght by King Aethelbald (reigned 716–757). Later it passed to the bishop of Worcester and thence to Cenwulf, king of Mercia (816), and it

Belafonte, Harry

2004-10-29T05:36:00.000-07:00

Belafonte's parents were emigrants from the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Jamaica, and he lived with his mother during her 1935–40 return to Jamaica. He left high school to serve in the U.S. Navy in the mid-1940s; after returning to New York City he studied

Wang Ching-wei

2004-10-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

As a student of Western thought in Japan, Wang joined the newly formed

Amorphous Solid

2004-10-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

The following sections discuss technological applications of amorphous solids in connection with the properties that make those applications possible. It is important to understand that, although differences do exist between the properties of amorphous and crystalline solids, it is nevertheless broadly true that amorphous solids exhibit essentially

Sinkiang, Uygur Autonomous Region Of, Settlement patterns

2004-10-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

There are five major cities in the province. Wu-lu-mu-ch'i,

Arête

2004-10-22T05:32:00.000-07:00

(French: “ridge”), in geology, a sharp-crested serrate ridge separating the heads of opposing valleys (cirques) that formerly were occupied by Alpine glaciers. It has steep sides formed by the collapse of unsupported rock, undercut by continual freezing and thawing (glacial sapping; see cirque). Two opposing glaciers meeting at an arête will carve a low, smooth gap, or col

Powell, Adam Clayton, Jr.

2004-10-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

Powell was the son of the pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York City. Brought up in a middle-class home, he received his B.A. from Colgate University (Hamilton, N.Y.) in 1930 and his M.A. from Columbia University

China, Nationalist deterioration

2004-10-17T06:27:00.000-07:00

The military weakness in 1944 was symptomatic of a gradual deterioration that had taken place in most aspects of Nationalist Chinese public life. Inflation began to mount alarmingly as the government pumped in large amounts of paper currency to make up its fiscal deficits. Salaries of government employees, army officers, teachers, and all those on wages fell far behind