StraightMoon

0800 Promote

2006-11-23T15:15:00.000-08:00

0800 Promote are a London based company, established in 1989, primarily to supply quality business gifts. 0800promote provide an all-round facility to promote all aspects of corporate promotional activity and promotional products, including promotional printing,http://0800promote.com/printed-clothes.php and http://0800promote.com/printed-pen.php to name a few. We are a small building business who needed items printing on for a buyers show we were attending and we were extremely happy with 0800 Promotes services.

Baseball

2005-04-04T05:36:00.000-07:00

Both Alfred H. Spink's The National Game (1910) and A.G. Spalding's America's National Game (1911), generally regarded as the first attempts at writing a standard history of baseball, cite Casey at the Bat as the best baseball poem ever written. Spalding goes so far as to proclaim that “Love has its sonnets galore; War its epics in heroic verse; Tragedy its sombre story in measured line;

Japanese Literature, Western influences on poetry

2005-04-03T19:20:00.000-07:00

Translations of Western poetry led to the creation of new Japanese literary forms. The pioneer collection, Shintaishi-sho (1882; “Selection of Poems in the New Style”), contained not only translations from English but also five original poems by the translators in the poetic genres of the foreign examples. The translators declared that although European poetry had greater

Lauzun, Antonin-nompar De Caumont, Count And Duke (comte Et Duc) De

2005-03-31T11:49:00.000-08:00

The son of Gabriel de Caumont, comte de Lauzun, he was at first known as the marquis de Puyguilhem. In 1658 he was appointed colonel of Louis XIV's foreign dragoons.

Helder, Den

2005-03-29T22:57:00.000-08:00

Gemeente (municipality) and port, Noord-Holland provincie, northwestern Netherlands, at the northern end of the North Holland Canal, opposite Texel Island on the Marsdiep, a channel linking the North Sea and Waddenzee. Offshore, in 1673, a Dutch fleet under Adm. Michiel A. de Ruyter and Cornelis Tromp defeated an Anglo-French fleet. In 1794 a French cavalry troop captured a Dutch

France, History Of, The monarchy

2005-03-29T08:54:00.000-08:00

The kingdom of France was descended directly from the west Frankish realm ceded to Charles the Bald in 843. Not until 987 was the Carolingian dynastic line set aside, but there had been portentous interruptions. The reunited empire of Charles the Fat (884–888) proved unworkable: the Viking onslaught was then at its worst, and the king proved incapable of managing defenses, which fell

Philanthropinum

2005-03-26T10:31:00.000-08:00

Late 18th-century school (1774–93) founded in Dessau, Germany, by the educator Johann Bernhard Basedow to implement the educational ideas of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Aiming to foster in its students a humanitarian worldview and awareness of the community of interest among all people, it taught rich and poor boys together regardless of religious or class distinctions. The school

Avola

2005-03-25T22:12:00.000-08:00

Town, Siracusa provincia, southeastern Sicily, Italy, southwest of Syracuse. Rebuilt after an earthquake in 1693, the town has several fine 18th-century churches. Sugar refining and almond packing are the main industries. Pop. (1993 est.) mun., 31,629.

Kikutake Kiyonori

2005-03-24T21:29:00.000-08:00

After graduating from Waseda University (1950), Kikutake worked for several architectural firms and then opened his own office (1953). The work that first brought him to international notice was Sky House (1957), his own home, a building of one room elevated on

Burgesses, House Of

2005-03-23T22:22:00.000-08:00

Representative assembly in colonial Virginia; the first elective governing body in a British overseas possession. The assembly was one division of the legislature established by Gov. George Yeardley at Jamestown, July 30, 1619; the other included the governor himself and a council, all appointed by the colonial proprietor (the Virginia Company). Because each Virginia

Tarbell, Ida M.

2005-03-23T10:10:00.000-08:00

Tarbell was educated at Allegheny College (Meadville, Pennsylvania) and taught briefly before becoming an editor for the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (1883–91). In 1891 she took her

Carlisle

2005-03-20T17:10:00.000-08:00

Borough (town), seat (1751) of Cumberland county, southern Pennsylvania, U.S., in the Cumberland Valley, 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Harrisburg. James Le Tort, a French-Swiss Indian trader, settled with an Indian tribe near the site about 1720. The town, laid out in 1751, was named for Carlisle, Cumberland, England. It was the setting for continuous conflict with the Iroquois Confederacy until Benjamin

Q Fever

2005-03-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

Q fever was first recognized in 1935 in Queensland, Australia, by Edward Holbrook Derrick. According to him, Q stands for “query,” an appellation applied because of the many unanswered questions posed by the new disease at the time of its first description. The disease was originally encountered

Digestive System, Invertebrate, Vacuolar systems

2005-03-19T13:27:00.000-08:00

Unicellular organisms that ingest food particles via vacuoles rely on intracellular digestion to prepare the nutrients for use. The enzymes that catalyze this digestion, being very potent chemicals capable of breaking down the cell substance itself, are held until needed in special packets, or vesicles, called lysosomes; the membrane of a lysosome is both impermeable

Iceland

2005-03-19T09:30:00.000-08:00

Elections to Iceland's Althingi (parliament) took place on May 10, 2003. The incumbent coalition of the Independence and Progressive parties received 34 seats in the 63-member legislative body and continued in office. Prime Minister Davíd Oddsson, leader of the Independence Party, announced that he would step down on Sept. 1, 2004, to be succeeded by the foreign minister and Progressive

Clonograptus

2005-03-19T06:32:00.000-08:00

Genus of graptolites (extinct, small floating colonial animals related to the primitive chordates), characterized by a frondlike form. Groups of these animals were connected by stalklike structures to a central region. Various forms or species of Clonograptus are important guide, or index, fossils for the correlation of Ordovician rocks (505 to 438 million years ago).

Bono

2005-03-17T07:17:00.000-08:00

On May 20, 2002, Irish rock singer and songwriter Bono and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill embarked on an 11-day economic mission to Africa, visiting Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, and Ethiopia. Although the pairing might seem unlikely, Bono had for many years been a strong advocate of aid to less-developed countries and had gained considerable knowledge on the subject.

Nabuco De Araújo, Joaquim Aurelio Barreto

2005-03-17T02:35:00.000-08:00

Nabuco was a member of an old aristocratic family in northeastern Brazil. Both in the national Chamber of Deputies (from 1878) and in the Brazilian Anti-Slavery Society, which he founded, he worked tirelessly for the emancipation of Brazil's

Ejmiadzin

2005-03-16T11:24:00.000-08:00

Originating in the 7th century BC as the town of Vardkesavan, it was renamed Vagarshapat about AD 140, when the Parthian king Vologases III made it his capital. Upon the conversion of Armenia to Christianity

Basel-landschaft

2005-03-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

French Bâle-campagne, Halbkanton (“demicanton”), northern Switzerland, traversed by the Jura Mountains and drained by the Ergolz and Birs rivers. It was formed in 1833 by the division of Basel canton into two half cantons, or demicantons, and its early history is linked with Basel (q.v.) city. Its present constitution dates from 1892, and its capital is Liestal (q.v.). Approximately one-third of its 165 square miles

La Motta, Jake

2005-03-14T15:21:00.000-08:00

La Motta grew up in a Bronx slum

Journalism

2005-03-14T14:23:00.000-08:00

The collection, preparation, and distribution of news and related commentary and feature materials through such media as pamphlets, newsletters, newspapers, magazines, radio, motion pictures, television, and books. The word journalism was originally applied to the reportage of current events in printed form, specifically newspapers, but with the advent of radio

Hydrosphere, Groundwaters and river runoff

2005-03-13T18:13:00.000-08:00

This section focuses on term R in equation (9) representing groundwater and river runoff losses from the soil-moisture zone. Water percolates from the soil-moisture zone through the unsaturated (vadose) zone to the water table. Flow through the unsaturated zone is complicated. After a rainfall, water may form nearly a continuous phase in pores in this zone, but with drying

Zagros Mountains

2005-03-13T01:14:00.000-08:00

Mountain range in southwestern Iran, extending northwest-southeast from the Sirvan (Diyala) River to Shiraz. The Zagros range is about 550 miles (900 km) long and more than 150 miles (240 km) wide. Formed primarily of limestone and shale, the mountain range consists of numerous parallel ridges whose highest peaks rise above 12,000 feet (3,600 m) and have permanent snow cover. Passes through the mountains

Arts, Southeast Asian, Sculpture

2005-03-12T08:27:00.000-08:00

The Thai kings made repeated attempts to “purify” their conservative Theravada strain of Buddhism, importing patterns of art along with texts and learned monks from Ceylon and trying to wean their people from worship of the spirits. To retain the greatest spiritual potency, Buddha icons in Thai temples had to be as close in type as possible to a great original prototype

La Salle

2005-03-11T05:45:00.000-08:00

City, La Salle county, north-central Illinois, U.S., on the Illinois River. With Peru (west) and Oglesby (south), it forms a tri-city unit. Settled in 1830 and named for the explorer Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, its growth was stimulated by the Illinois and Michigan Canal (1848) and the arrival in the 1850s of the Illinois Central and Rock Island railroads. Its economy, based mainly on coal

Bagirmi, Kingdom Of

2005-03-10T19:54:00.000-08:00

Bagirmi also spelled Baguirmi, historic African state founded in the 16th century in the region just southeast of Lake Chad. Europeans first learned about the existence of Bagirmi and the other powerful states of central Africa (Wadai Bornu-Kanem) when Dixon Denham penetrated the Lake Chad region in 1823. Details became known particularly from written records of the later explorers Heinrich Barth

Baxter, George

2005-03-10T08:23:00.000-08:00

He was the son of John Baxter (1781–1858), printer and publisher at Lewes, who issued the popular illustrated “Baxter” Bible. George Baxter went to London in 1827. There he supplied colour illustrations

Themistocles

2005-03-09T22:39:00.000-08:00

Athenian politician and naval strategist who was the creator of Athenian sea power and the chief saviour of Greece from subjection to the Persian Empire at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC.

Arabian Desert

2005-03-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

Before the 18th century many Arabs but few Europeans had succeeded in penetrating the Arabian Desert, and few authors had written about it. Travel literature written in Arabic concentrated on the routes taken by pilgrimage caravans going to Mecca. Scientific exploration began in 1762 with a Danish expedition led by the German surveyor Carsten Niebuhr. In the 19th century

Digestive System Disease, Roundworms

2005-03-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

Roundworms, particularly Ascaris lumbricoides, may cause intestinal obstruction if present in sufficient numbers. As they mature from the larval state to the adult worm, roundworms migrate through the body, causing ascariasis, an infection characterized by fever, pneumonitis (lung inflammation), cholangitis (inflammation of the bile ducts), and pancreatitis

Prodigy

2005-03-07T22:45:00.000-08:00

An extraordinary person, particularly a child, who shows spontaneous early signs of genius or exceptional ability along certain lines. Among these are the arithmetical prodigies, the chess prodigies, and the lightning calculators who have a remarkable memory for figures. Best known are the musical prodigies—Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert, and Felix

Theatre, The

2005-03-07T14:23:00.000-08:00

First public playhouse of London, located in the parish of St. Leonard's, Shoreditch. Designed and built by James Burbage (the father of actor Richard Burbage), The Theatre was a roofless, circular building with three galleries surrounding a yard. It opened in 1576, and several companies performed there, including Leicester's Men (1576–78), the Admiral's Men (1590–91), and Chamberlain's Men (1594–96), who

Indo-aryan Languages

2005-03-07T02:23:00.000-08:00

Linguists generally assign the Indo-Aryan languages to three major periods: Old, Middle, and New Indo-Aryan. These periods are linguistic, not strictly chronological. Old Indo-Aryan includes different dialects and linguistic states referred

West Bengal, Agriculture

2005-03-05T19:40:00.000-08:00

Agriculture dominates both the landscape and the economy. West Bengal exceeds all other states in its proportion of agricultural land (65 percent). Rice, which requires extensive irrigation, is the leading crop in every district except Darjiling, where it is surpassed by millet. Despite the small area of the state, West Bengal plants 14 percent of the nation's rice area and

Zeeman Effect

2005-03-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

In physics and astronomy, the splitting of a spectral line into two or more components of slightly different frequency when the light source is placed in a magnetic field. It was first observed in 1896 by the Dutch physicist Pieter Zeeman as a broadening of the yellow D-lines of sodium in a flame held between strong magnetic poles. Later the broadening was found to be a distinct

Anathema

2005-03-04T23:06:00.000-08:00

(from Greek anatithenai: “to set up,” or “to dedicate”), in the Old Testament, a creature or object set apart for sacrificial offering. Its return to profane use was strictly banned, and such objects, destined for destruction, thus became effectively accursed as well as consecrated. Old Testament descriptions of religious wars call both the enemy and their besieged city

Rembrandt

2005-03-03T15:06:00.000-08:00

Another cluster of talented pupils worked with Rembrandt around 1640: Gerbrand van den Eeckhout (1621–74) from Amsterdam; Carel Fabritius (1622–54), later a leading painter in Delft; and Samuel van Hoogstraten (1627–78) of Dordrecht, later better known for his art theory, Inleyding tot de hooge schoole der schilderkonst (1678; “Introduction to the High School of Painting”). Each of these made his own variation

Paul Of Samosata

2005-03-02T18:42:00.000-08:00

Paul

Arcaro, Eddie

2005-03-02T15:43:00.000-08:00

Byname of George Edward Arcaro American jockey who was the first to ride five Kentucky Derby winners and two U.S. Triple Crown champions (winners of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes). In 31 years of riding Thoroughbreds (1931–61), he won 549 stakes events, a total of 4,779 races, and more than $30,000,000 in purses. On Feb. 20, 1958, at Santa Anita Race Track in California, he became

Epidermal Tooth

2005-02-28T19:16:00.000-08:00

Any of several hard, horny projections analogous to but not homologous with true teeth (see tooth). Epidermal teeth are found in the jawless fish (e.g., lampreys), on the edges of the jaws of tadpoles (larval frogs and toads), in the mouth of the platypus, where horny plates replace the true teeth before birth, and in sirenians (e.g., sea cows) accompanying true teeth.

Cartier, Jacques

2005-02-28T17:14:00.000-08:00

When King Francis I of France decided in 1534 to send an expedition to explore the northern lands in the hope of discovering gold, spices, and a passage

English Literature, Early translations into English

2005-02-28T01:52:00.000-08:00

But the earliest literary prose dates from the late 9th century, when King Alfred, eager to improve the state of English learning, led a vigorous program to translate into English “certain books that are necessary for all men to know.” Alfred himself translated St. Gregory I the Great's Pastoral Care, Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy, St. Augustine of Hippo's Soliloquies

Adams, Henry (brooks)

2005-02-27T02:28:00.000-08:00

Adams was the product of Boston's Brahmin class, a cultured elite that traced its lineage to Puritan New England. He was the great-grandson of John Adams and the grandson of John Quincy Adams, both presidents

Al Bu Sa'id Dynasty

2005-02-26T17:16:00.000-08:00

Ahmad ibn Sa'id, who had been governor of Suhar, Oman, in the 1740s under the Persian Ya'rubids, managed to displace the Ya'rubids by about 1749 and become imam of Oman and of Zanzibar, Pemba, and Kilwa, in East Africa. His successors—known as sayyids, or, later, as sultans—expanded their possessions

Respiratory Distress Syndrome

2005-02-25T14:56:00.000-08:00

Also called idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome , or hyaline membrane disease a common complication in infants, especially in premature newborns, characterized by extremely laboured breathing, cyanosis (a bluish tinge to the skin or mucous membranes), and abnormally low levels of oxygen in the arterial blood. Before the advent of effective treatment, respiratory distress syndrome was frequently fatal. Autopsies of children who had succumbed

Saalfelden

2005-02-24T10:50:00.000-08:00

Also called Saalfelden Am Steinernen Meer, town, Bundesland (federal province) Salzburg, west central Austria, at the southwest foot of the Steinernes Meer (Sea of Stones) Mountains, near the Saalach River southwest of Salzburg. An old market town, it is also a winter and summer resort and makes leather goods and beer. There are several castles nearby, including the 14th-century Schloss Lichtenberg. The late Gothic

Mobutu Sese Seko Koko Ngbendu Wa Za Banga (joseph-désiré Mobutu)

2005-02-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

Zairean politician (b. Oct. 14, 1930, Lisala, Belgian Congo--d. Sept. 7, 1997, Rabat, Mor.), as president of Zaire for nearly 32 years, ruled with absolute power. During his reign he took full advantage of the backing he received from the West, which viewed him during the Cold War as a guardian against communism. He amassed a personal fortune worth billions of dollars at the expense of the country's

Windsor

2005-02-22T16:24:00.000-08:00

Town, Windsor and Maidenhead unitary authority, historic county of Berkshire, England. Windsor is situated on the south bank of the River Thames and lies to the west of London. The modern town is dominated by Windsor Castle, standing on the outcrop of chalk on which William I the Conqueror (reigned 1066–87) built the original fortress. The castle is in regular occupation as a

Tsushima Current

2005-02-22T10:50:00.000-08:00

Surface oceanic current, the northeastward-flowing branch of the Kuroshio along the west coast of Japan. Entering the Sea of Japan through the Korea Strait, the Tsushima Current issues the East Korea Warm Current as a northern branch. It is primarily a spring and summer current and is barely discernable in winter.

Radek, Karl (bernhardovich)

2005-02-22T03:38:00.000-08:00

A member of a Galician Jewish family, Radek attended the universities of Kraków and Bern. Having joined the Social Democratic Party of Poland and

Lutheran Church Of Oldenburg

2005-02-20T20:46:00.000-08:00

Independent Lutheran church in Oldenburg, Ger. Pastors who had accepted the Lutheran faith were established in Oldenburg during the Protestant Reformation in Germany, and in 1573 an order for church government and the Lutheran confessions were accepted for the church. Until the German Republic was established after the end of World War I (1918), the church was governed by

Evans, Walker

2005-02-20T13:12:00.000-08:00

American photographer, important primarily for documenting the effects of economic depression in the American South and photographically interpreting American folk architecture. His approach to photography was largely formed by the documentary photographs of the French photographer Eugène Atget, whose influence

Globe Amaranth

2005-02-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

(Gomphrena globosa), ornamental garden plant of the family Amaranthaceae, native to the Old World tropics. Globe amaranth is a short annual with dense, cloverlike flower clusters that often are dried and preserved. The flowers lack petals but exhibit red, pink, orange, or white bracts on long stalks.

Sundanese

2005-02-19T14:59:00.000-08:00

Historically they were first recorded under the Indo-Javanese Brahmanical states

Allen, Sir Hugh (percy)

2005-02-18T19:31:00.000-08:00

Allen was an organ scholar at Christ's College, Cambridge, and later held organist's posts at Ely cathedral (1898–1901) and New College, Oxford (1901–18). In 1918 he became director of the Royal College of Music, London, and in

Essex, Arthur Capel, 1st Earl Of, Viscount Malden, Baron Capel Of Hadham

2005-02-18T03:16:00.000-08:00

The son of Arthur Capel, 1st Baron Capel, who was executed by the Parliamentarians in 1649, he was, after the Restoration of Charles II, created Viscount Malden and earl of Essex (April 1661). Although his antagonism to court life, to Roman Catholicism, and to extension of

Sunbeam Snake

2005-02-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

(Xenopeltis unicolor), primitive, little-known burrowing serpent found in cultivated and other open regions of India and southeast Asia. It is sometimes classified as the sole member of the family Xenopeltidae. Its colour is dark brown or black, but it is highly iridescent (hence the common name). The sunbeam snake reaches a length of 1 m (about 3 feet). It feeds on lizards, other

Regium Donum

2005-02-16T02:25:00.000-08:00

(Latin: “royal gift”), annual grant made from public funds to Presbyterian ministers in Ireland and to Nonconformist ministers (those not part of the Church of England) in Great Britain. It originated in Ireland in 1690, when the English king William III made a grant to Presbyterian ministers in Ulster as a reward for their services during his struggles with former king James

Azerbaijan

2005-02-15T20:18:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Azerbaidzhan, officially Azerbaijani Republic, Azerbaijani Azärbayjan Respublikasi, country of eastern Transcaucasia. Occupying an area that fringes the southern flanks of the Caucasus Mountains, it is bounded on the north by Russia, on the east by the Caspian Sea, on the south by Iran, on the west by Armenia, and on the northwest by Georgia. The exclave of Naxçivan (Nakhichevan) is located southwest of Azerbaijan proper, bounded by Armenia, Iran, and

Genet, Edmond-charles

2005-02-15T06:48:00.000-08:00

In 1781 Edmond succeeded his father, Edmé-Jacques Genet, as head of the translation department at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lewis, Ray Anthony

2005-02-14T21:02:00.000-08:00

One year

Adelaer

2005-02-13T01:30:00.000-08:00

He entered the Dutch navy in 1639 as an adelborst (“cadet”) and served under Martin van Tromp but in 1642 moved into Venetian service, where he was known as Curzio Suffrido Adelborst. He soon distinguished himself and in 1650 was sent to patrol the Dardanelles.

Gauguin, Paul

2005-02-13T00:04:00.000-08:00

In full Eugène-Henri-Paul Gauguin French painter, printmaker, and sculptor who sought to achieve a “primitive” expression of spiritual and emotional states in his work. The artist, whose work has been categorized as Post-Impressionist, Synthetist, and Symbolist, is particularly well known for his creative

California, Industry

2005-02-12T20:31:00.000-08:00

The aircraft plants and shipyards were supplemented after World War II by branch plants of many Eastern and Midwestern industries. Federal research-and-development funds allocated to California organizations also contributed to the postwar economy. By the 1970s and '80s, California's industries had diversified to include computer sciences, biotechnology, and health

Caucasian Languages, Grammatical characteristics

2005-02-11T19:47:00.000-08:00

The Kartvelian languages exhibit a developed system of word inflection (e.g., the use of endings, such as English “dish, dishes” or “walk, walks, walked”) and derivation (word formation). Derivation is characterized by compounding, the combination of words to form new words, as well as by affixation, the addition of prefixes and suffixes—e.g., Georgian kartvel-i “Georgian,” sa-kartvel-o

Bent, Charles

2005-02-11T16:33:00.000-08:00

After moving from Charleston, Va., to Marietta, Ohio, in 1805, the Bent family settled in St. Louis the following year. Charles and his brother William developed an interest in the fur trade, and they probably worked for John

Marghilon

2005-02-11T08:55:00.000-08:00

Formerly Margilan, city, eastern Uzbekistan. It lies 19 miles (30 km) north of Fergana. Originally known as Marginan, it probably dates back to the 2nd–1st century BC, when one branch of the great Silk Road to the Orient ran through the Fergana Valley. It was an important commercial town in the 10th–12th century AD, and one of the largest cities in the valley in the 16th century. It formed part of the khanate of Kokand

Hyperopia

2005-02-09T01:01:00.000-08:00

Also called Farsightedness, or Hypermetropia, visual defect in which the cornea and lens of the eye focus the image of the visual field at a point behind the retina (the light-sensitive layer of tissue lining the back and sides of the eye). The retina thus receives an unfocused image of near objects, though distant objects may be in focus. Hyperopia frequently occurs when an eye is shorter than normal from front to

Water Buffalo

2005-02-08T23:50:00.000-08:00

(Bubalus bubalis), also called Indian Buffalo, a ruminant mammal of the ox family (Bovidae). The water buffalo was domesticated in Asia from earliest recorded times. Large and massively built, the animal stands 1.5–1.8 m (5–6 feet) or more at the shoulder, reaches a length of 2.4–2.8 m, and weighs about 1,000 kg (2,200 pounds). It has a dull black or dark gray body with little hair and huge horns, which may measure

Bel Fruit

2005-02-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

Bel also spelled Bael, also called Bengal Quince (species Aegle marmelos), fruit of the bel tree of the family Rutaceae, found wild or cultivated throughout India. The trees bear strong spines; alternate, compound leaves, each with three leaflets; and panicles of sweet-scented white flowers. The tree is valued for its fruit, which is oblong to pyriform in shape and 50–250 mm (2–10 inches) in diameter. The fruit has a gray or yellow rind

Tasmania, Soils

2005-02-07T19:16:00.000-08:00

Most Tasmanian soils are leached, acidic, poorly drained, high in humus, and low in fertility. Least fertile and most extensive are the soils, especially the moor peats, of the west and northeast. Fertile areas occur extensively in the northwest and locally elsewhere, notably in the northeast. Brown earths occupy the drier areas east of the Central Plateau; black earths,

Jacotot, Jean-joseph

2005-02-06T23:08:00.000-08:00

Jacotot began his career as a teacher and mathematician and was appointed subdirector of the Polytechnic School in Dijon (1795), where he became, in succession, professor of the method of sciences, of Latin and Greek literature, and of Roman law. During the Napoleonic Wars he

Saarlouis

2005-02-06T11:56:00.000-08:00

City, Saarland Land (state), southwestern Germany. It lies along both sides of the Saar River, near the French border, northwest of Saarbrücken. Founded and named by Louis XIV of France in 1680 and fortified by the military engineer Sébastien de Le Prestre Vauban (1680–86), it became the capital of the French Sarre province. The site of an important arms works in the Napoleonic era, it

Haberler, Gottfried Von

2005-02-05T00:19:00.000-08:00

Austrian-born U.S. economist and educator (b. July 20, 1900, Purkersdorf, Austria--d. May 6, 1995, Washington, D.C.), was an expert on international trade and a staunch advocate of free-market principles. Haberler was educated (B.A., 1923; Ph.D., 1925) at the University of Vienna, where he adopted an "Austrian" school of thought that was identified with a generation of top economists who attended that university.

Arrabal, Fernando

2005-02-04T05:08:00.000-08:00

Arrabal worked as a clerk in a paper company, then studied law at the University of Madrid. He turned to writing in the early 1950s, and in 1955 he went to study drama in Paris, where he remained.

Cuba, Flag Of

2005-02-04T02:07:00.000-08:00

In the 19th century in New York City, anti-Spanish Cuban exiles under the leadership of Narciso López adopted a flag suggested by the poet Miguel Teurbe Tolón. His design, which later became the national flag, incorporated three blue stripes representing the three military districts of Spanish-dominated Cuba and two white stripes symbolizing the purity of the patriot

Neustadt An Der Weinstrasse

2005-02-03T13:40:00.000-08:00

Formerly Neustadt An Der Haardt, city, Rhineland-Palatinate Land (state), southwestern Germany. It lies on the eastern slope of the Haardt Mountains, at the mouth of the Speyer-Bach. Founded in 1220 and chartered in 1275, its historic buildings include the Casimirianum (the seat of Heidelberg University, 1578–83, now a convention hall), the town hall (formerly a Jesuit college), and the Stiftskirche (“Collegiate Church”), which

China

2005-02-02T23:57:00.000-08:00

On Oct. 1, 1999, Pres. Jiang Zemin and leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) celebrated the 50th anniversary of communist rule in China with a massive military parade through downtown Beijing. When Mao Zedong had proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) half a century earlier, China was just emerging from a long and bloody civil war. Few observers

Skeletal System, Human

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

The internal skeleton that serves as a framework for the body. This framework consists of many individual bones and cartilages. There also are bands of fibrous connective tissue, the ligaments and tendons, in intimate relationship with the parts of the skeleton. This article is concerned primarily with the gross structure and the function of the skeleton of the

Lagrange, Joseph-louis, Comte De L'empire

2005-02-01T14:46:00.000-08:00

Lagrange was from a well-to-do family of French origin on his father's side.

Roving

2005-02-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

In archery, form of practice or competition dating from at least the 16th century, when it was practiced by the Honourable Artillery Company at Finsbury Fields near London. Archers set up many marks on the field and shot from one to the next in sequence, the object being, as in golf, to use the fewest shots in completing the course. Roving is similar to modern field archery,

Essex

2005-01-31T01:07:00.000-08:00

Town (township), Chittenden county, northwestern Vermont, U.S., on the Winooski River just east of Burlington. Chartered in 1763 and settled in 1783, it consists of the villages of Essex Junction and Essex Center. Essex Junction is a busy industrial and residential site where the Central Vermont Railroad and several highways converge; its railway depot serves as the depot for

Wu Ching-tzu

2005-01-30T23:21:00.000-08:00

Wu Ching-tzu was a member of a scholarly and well-to-do family. He succeeded neither academically nor financially, however, and he was unable or unwilling to pass the higher official examinations. He mismanaged his inheritance

Aufwuchs

2005-01-30T06:47:00.000-08:00

(German: “growth”), the community of plants and animals that are attached to or move about on the surfaces of submerged stems, leaves, rocks, sticks, or debris but do not penetrate the surface. The term periphyton is sometimes used to indicate organisms that attach themselves to submerged plant leaves or stems.

Fusulina

2005-01-29T19:17:00.000-08:00

Genus of extinct fusulinid foraminiferans (protozoans with a shell) found as fossils in marine rocks of Late Carboniferous age (286 to 320 million years old). Fusulina, an excellent index fossil for Late Carboniferous rocks, enables widely separated rocks to be correlated.

Croker Island

2005-01-28T16:46:00.000-08:00

Island in Northern Territory, Australia, lying 2 miles (3 km) across Bowen Strait in the Arafura Sea from Coburg Peninsula. Low and swampy, the island rises only to 50 feet (15 m). It is 30 miles (50 km) long by 4 miles (6 km) wide and has an area of 126 square miles (326 square km). Visited by Captain Phillip Parker King of the Royal Navy about 1818, the island was probably named for John Wilson Croker, then chief

La Victoria

2005-01-27T13:34:00.000-08:00

Quarter and district of the Lima-Callao metropolitan area of Peru, south of downtown Lima. It is mainly residential, with slums in the north, pueblos jóvenes (“young towns”), or squatter settlements, in the east, and middle-income housing in the south. The district is the site of Peru's largest wholesale and retail market area, near which are many light industries. La Victoria

Roberts, Kate

2005-01-27T03:07:00.000-08:00

Roberts set her works in the quarrying districts of North Wales and in the mining villages of South Wales, where poverty is usually the harsh determinant

China

2005-01-26T00:45:00.000-08:00

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

Ash Wednesday

2005-01-25T21:58:00.000-08:00

In the Christian church, the first day of Lent, occurring 6 1/2 weeks before Easter (between February 4 and March 11, depending on the date of Easter). In the early Christian church, the length of the Lenten celebration varied, but eventually it began 6 weeks (42 days) before Easter. This provided only 36 days of fast (excluding Sundays). In the 7th century, 4 days were added before the first Sunday

Vision

2005-01-25T07:18:00.000-08:00

Physiological process of distinguishing, usually by means of an organ such as the eye, the shapes and colours of objects. See eye; photoreception; sense.

Syria, Air transport

2005-01-25T00:12:00.000-08:00

Syria has international airports at Damascus and Aleppo and domestic airports at al-Qamishli, Latakia, Dayr az-Zawr, and Tadmur. The facilities at Damascus and Aleppo can handle jet aircraft. International services connect Syria with Arab, other Asian, and European countries. Domestic services are provided by Syrian Arab Airways.

Pollentia

2005-01-24T08:29:00.000-08:00

Decimus Brutus checked Mark Antony's retreat at Pollentia in 43 BC. The Roman general Stilicho

Albania

2005-01-24T00:05:00.000-08:00

The government has made a conscious effort to encourage and preserve the nation's rich folk life. There are some 4,300 cultural institutions of various sorts in the country. The National Library, as well as the State Choir and the Opera and Ballet Theatre, are located in Tiranë. Albania's best-known writer is Ismail Kadare, a novelist and poet whose writings have been translated

Leadville

2005-01-23T09:13:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1878) of Lake county, central Colorado, U.S., located 103 miles (166 km) west of Denver and 38 miles (61 km) south of Vail. It is situated in the upper Arkansas River valley in an area of national forests, at an elevation of some 10,200 feet (3,105 metres). It is the centre of one of the nation's most celebrated mining districts, which has yielded gold, silver, lead, zinc, manganese, and molybdenum. Gold was

Maiquetía

2005-01-23T08:13:00.000-08:00

City, northern Distrito Federal, northern Venezuela, on the narrow strip of land between the coastal hills and the Caribbean Sea, just west of La Guaira. It is a leading port of Venezuela and a popular beach resort. Industries include a glass factory, a brewery, and a caustic-soda plant. The city is accessible by highway and expressway from Caracas, 20 miles (30 km) to the south,

Steamboat

2005-01-22T01:35:00.000-08:00

Steamboat pioneering began in America in 1787 when John Fitch made a successful trial of such a vessel. Robert Fulton's profitable

Avunculate

2005-01-21T15:20:00.000-08:00

Special relationship between a man and his sister's children, particularly her sons, which prevails in many societies, notably those characterized by matrilineal descent. The term is derived from the Latin avunculus, meaning “uncle.” It typically involves for the uncle a measure of authority over his nephews, coupled with specific responsibilities in their upbringing,

San Juan Bautista

2005-01-21T09:48:00.000-08:00

Capital, Misiones department, southern Paraguay. It lies in the lowlands near the Río Tebicuary. In addition to its administrative functions, San Juan Bautista is the commercial and manufacturing centre for the agricultural and pastoral hinterland, which is utilized primarily for cattle ranching and maté (tea) growing. There are schools of commerce and agriculture