828 résultats pour "century"

• Las Vegas (Nevada) - geography.

  way for the Paiute people. In the late 1820s early Spanish explorers searching for water discovered an oasis in the region that now contains the city. They named theoasis “Las Vegas,” Spanish for “the meadows.” These expanses of wetlands, once irrigated by artesian waters carried under pressure from the nearby mountain ranges,were a main draw to southern Nevada until the 1940s. Las Vegas was an important stop along the Old Spanish Trail between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and southern California for m...

• Dante Alighieri.

  illustrate the larger meaning of their actions in the universal scheme. Dante is guided through hell and purgatory by Virgil, who is, to Dante, the symbol of reason. Thewoman Dante loved, Beatrice, whom he regards as both a manifestation and an instrument of the divine will, is his guide through paradise. Each section contains 33 cantos, except for the first section, which has, in addition, a canto serving as a general introduction. The poem is written in terza rima (third rhyme), a three-line...

• Turkey - country.

  has a general elevation of 900 to 1,500 m (3,000 to 5,000 ft) above sea level. The eastern highlands region is the most mountainous and rugged portion of Turkey; Mount Ararat (Ağrı Da ğı) is the highest peak in the country at 5,165 m (16,945ft). Many Christians and Jews believe it to be the same Mount Ararat mentioned in the Bible as the place where Noah’s ark came to rest. The eastern highlands are thesource for both the Tigris (Dicle) and Euphrates (Fir āt)—two of southwestern Asia’s principal...

• Anthropology.

  humans, such as tools, pottery, and buildings) and human fossils (preserved bones). They also examine past environments to understand how natural forces, such as climate and available food, shaped the development of human culture. Some archaeologists study cultures that existed before the development of writing, a time knownas prehistory . The archaeological study of periods of human evolution up to the first development of agriculture, about 10,000 years ago, is also called paleoanthropology....

• Manila - geography.

  Manila played an important role in trade as a port for the Manila galleons, huge trading ships that carried goods from Manila to Acapulco, Mexico (then part of NewSpain). During this time, Chinese merchants settled in Manila and became middlemen for other trade from China. By the 1590s the Chinese had become aneconomically important community. Many Chinese, aware of the political and social advantages enjoyed by the Roman Catholics in the colony, converted to Catholicismand married Filipino wome...

• United States Government.

  Article II establishes an executive department headed by a president and vice president. The article further describes the powers of the offices, the manner of election,and the qualifications for office. Of special significance is the president’s constitutional role as commander of the nation’s armed forces, which assures civilian controlover the military. Because the president is the head of the armed forces and only Congress can declare war, the authority of the military is diffused and its po...

• Édouard Manet I INTRODUCTION Manet: Tradition and Innovation French impressionist painter Édouard Manet shocked art audiences in Paris with Le déjeuner sur l'herbe (The Luncheon on the Grass; 1863, Musée d'Orsay, Paris), which depicts a nude woman at a woodland picnic.

  Le Déjeuner sur l’herbeLe Déjeuner sur l’herbe (Luncheon on the Grass) by Édouard Manet was painted in 1863. When it was first displayed, therough brushwork and undefined areas of color were as distressing to the public as the nude woman who was neither aclassical goddess nor a symbol in an allegory. Manet claimed that the real subject of the painting was light, and it was thatphilosophy that gave birth to impressionism.Bridgeman Art Library, London/New York After his father died in 1862, Manet...

• New Mexico - geography.

  New Mexico’s major river is the Río Grande, originating in southern Colorado, and flowing southward for 760 km (470 mi) through the state. Between the San LuisValley and Española Valley the river flows in a deep canyon known as the Río Grande Gorge; then, below White Rock Canyon, it flows through several valleys containingagricultural land. Most of the water of the Río Grande is used to irrigate these valleys. The Río Grande’s waterflow in New Mexico is extremely low. One of the major tributarie...

• New Mexico - USA History.

  New Mexico’s major river is the Río Grande, originating in southern Colorado, and flowing southward for 760 km (470 mi) through the state. Between the San LuisValley and Española Valley the river flows in a deep canyon known as the Río Grande Gorge; then, below White Rock Canyon, it flows through several valleys containingagricultural land. Most of the water of the Río Grande is used to irrigate these valleys. The Río Grande’s waterflow in New Mexico is extremely low. One of the major tributarie...

• Sound I INTRODUCTION Sound, physical phenomenon that stimulates the sense of hearing.

  A fundamental law of harmony states that two notes an octave apart, when sounded together, produce a pleasant-sounding combination. Other combinations of notescan also be pleasing. Physically, an interval of a fifth consists of two notes, the frequencies of which bear the arithmetical ratio 3 to 2, and a major third, the ratio 5 to4. Fundamentally, the law of harmony states that two or more notes sound pleasant when played together if their frequencies bear small, whole number ratios; if thefreq...

• Massachusetts - geography.

  mi). Other large artificial lakes include Wachusett Reservoir, East Brimfield Reservoir, and Cobble Mountain Reservoir. Assawompsett Pond, covering about 10 sq km(about 4 sq mi), is the largest natural lake. North Watuppa Pond and Long Pond are other large natural lakes. Lake Chaubunagungamaug, near Webster, is usuallycalled Webster Lake, because the Algonquian name is difficult to pronounce and spell. The full version of the Native American name is said to be the longest place-namein North Amer...

• Vincent van Gogh I INTRODUCTION Church at Auvers by Van Gogh Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh spent the last months of his life in Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris, under the care of Dr.

  III PARIS Van Gogh's Self-PortraitThe burning eyes of this Self-Portrait are an example of how 19th-century Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh attempted tocapture the human essence and emotions of his subjects. During the last several years of his life, van Gogh created anumber of self-portraits. The expressive brushstrokes and vibrant colors in these paintings are typical of this later style.Bridgeman/Art Resource, NY In 1886 van Gogh went to live with Théo in Paris, where he became familiar with...

• South Africa - country.

  The major soil zones are conditioned largely by climatic factors. In the semiarid north and west, soils are alkaline and poorly developed. In the southern part of WesternCape Province, rain falls mostly in the winter months, and soils there form slowly and are generally thin and immature. The moderate temperatures and summer rainfallof the High Veld and eastern coastal areas create conditions for more productive organic decomposition, leading to dark, fertile soils, or chernozems, similar to tho...

• Claude Monet I INTRODUCTION Monet's Gardens at Giverny From 1890 until his death in 1926, Claude Monet lived and painted in the small village of Giverny, near Paris.

  small works, Monet’s quick daubs of fresh colors aptly capture the movement of the water and gaiety of the scene. Despite his father's disapproval, in 1870 Monet married Camille, who had already borne him a son. To escape the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), during whichGerman troops threatened Paris, the couple went to London, then to Holland. They returned in 1872 and settled in Argenteuil, a sailing center on the Seine Riveroutside Paris. Monet painted numerous vibrant, light-filled views of...

• Bahrain - country.

  A Religion Almost all Bahrainis and the majority of nonnatives are followers of Islam (Muslims). About 70 percent of all native Bahrainis belong to the Shia branch of Islam, whilethe remainder, including the ruling al-Khalifa clan, are adherents of the Sunni branch. Non-Muslims, including Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and Jews, account for 15percent of the total population. High unemployment among the Shia population has caused considerable discontent on the part of this group toward the Sunni...

• Ecuador - country.

  F Natural Resources Ecuador’s main mineral wealth is in petroleum. Other mineral resources of the country include gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc. Forests cover 38.3 percent of thecountry. G Plants and Animals Along the northern part of the Ecuador coast, and within the inner portion of the southern coast, tropical jungles abound. In some places the jungles extend up theslopes of the Andes as wet, mossy forests. Dense forests cover both flanks of the Cordilleras, as well as the Oriente, u...

• Alphabet I INTRODUCTION Bengali Script India developed a number of different writing systems over the course of its history.

  A Pictographic and Ideographic Systems Early systems of writing used pictures to represent things and then to represent the sounds of those things. Pictographic writing, in which a simplified picture of the sunstood for the word sun, was probably the first step toward a written language. Chinese began as a pictographic language. To represent abstract ideas, the Chinese writing system combined pictographs. For example, the pictographs for sun and tree were combined to represent the concept of...

• Dante Alighieri I INTRODUCTION Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), Italian poet, and one of the supreme figures of world literature, who was admired for the depth of his spiritual vision and for the range of his intellectual accomplishment.

  Dante AlighieriOne of the greatest poets in the history of world literature, Italian writer Dante Alighieri composed poetry influenced byclassical and Christian tradition. Dante’s greatest work was the epic poem La divina commedia (1321?; The DivineComedy, 1802). It includes three sections: the Inferno (Hell), in which the great classical poet Virgil leads Dante on a tripthrough hell; the Purgatorio (Purgatory), in which Virgil leads Dante up the mountain of purification; and the Paradiso(Paradi...

• Islam.

  commanded to face the Kaaba, an ancient shrine in the city of Mecca. The Qur’an also refers to the recitation of parts of the Qur’an as a form of prayer. However, evenwith its numerous references, the Qur’an alone does not give exact instructions for this central ritual of prayer. The most detailed descriptions of the rituals for prayer derive from the example set by the prophet Muhammad and are preserved in later Islamic traditions. Somedetails of these rituals vary, however all Muslims agree t...

• Georgia (state) - geography.

  B Rivers and Lakes Most of the rivers of Georgia drain eastward to the Atlantic Ocean proper or southward to the Gulf of Mexico. Only a few flow northward to the Tennessee River, which isa major tributary of the Mississippi River. Most of the rivers flowing to the coasts are navigable by barges and small craft as far upstream as the Fall Line. The major river flowing to the Atlantic is the Savannah River, which, with the Tugaloo River, one of its headwaters, forms most of the state’s eastern bo...

• Georgia (state) - USA History.

  B Rivers and Lakes Most of the rivers of Georgia drain eastward to the Atlantic Ocean proper or southward to the Gulf of Mexico. Only a few flow northward to the Tennessee River, which isa major tributary of the Mississippi River. Most of the rivers flowing to the coasts are navigable by barges and small craft as far upstream as the Fall Line. The major river flowing to the Atlantic is the Savannah River, which, with the Tugaloo River, one of its headwaters, forms most of the state’s eastern bo...

• Wyoming (state) - geography.

  The basins, which lie in the rain shadow of mountains, are very dry, with an average annual precipitation of about 250 mm (about 10 in) or less; the Great Plains regionhas an annual average of about 380 mm (about 15 in), and the Black Hills region receives slightly more. Thunderstorms and hailstorms are relatively frequent insummer. The annual snowfall ranges from about 500 mm (about 20 in) in the Bighorn Basin to well over 5,100 mm (over 200 in) in the higher mountains, where annualprecipitatio...

• Wyoming (state) - USA History.

  The basins, which lie in the rain shadow of mountains, are very dry, with an average annual precipitation of about 250 mm (about 10 in) or less; the Great Plains regionhas an annual average of about 380 mm (about 15 in), and the Black Hills region receives slightly more. Thunderstorms and hailstorms are relatively frequent insummer. The annual snowfall ranges from about 500 mm (about 20 in) in the Bighorn Basin to well over 5,100 mm (over 200 in) in the higher mountains, where annualprecipitatio...

• Crafts.

  VI POTTERY Ceramic objects can be molded completely by hand or thrown (shaped) on a potter's wheel, a device with a rotating horizontal disk. When the clay hardens, it is fired ina high-temperature oven, or kiln, to strengthen it. To make the object waterproof, glazes may then be applied and the piece fired again. Although hand construction iseasy to master, throwing on the potter's wheel requires practice. Several simple tools are used by potters, including sponges, trimming tools, wooden sha...

• Congress of the United States.

  senator, a person must be at least 30 years old, a citizen for nine years, and a resident of the state from which he or she is elected. Most members of Congress haveserved in state legislatures, city councils, or other elected bodies. See United States Senate: Campaigning for the Senate ; United States House of Representatives: Campaigning for the House. The 435 House seats are divided among the states in proportion to each state’s population. Every state is guaranteed at least one seat. State...

• Canada.

  Six general landform regions are distinguishable in Canada: the Appalachian Region, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands, the Canadian Shield, the Great Plains,the Canadian Cordillera, and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. B1 Appalachian Region and Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands Eastern Canada consists of the Appalachian Region and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands. The Appalachian Region embraces Newfoundland Island, NovaScotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and the G...

• Canada - country.

  Six general landform regions are distinguishable in Canada: the Appalachian Region, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands, the Canadian Shield, the Great Plains,the Canadian Cordillera, and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. B1 Appalachian Region and Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands Eastern Canada consists of the Appalachian Region and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands. The Appalachian Region embraces Newfoundland Island, NovaScotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and the G...

• Canada - Canadian History.

  Six general landform regions are distinguishable in Canada: the Appalachian Region, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands, the Canadian Shield, the Great Plains,the Canadian Cordillera, and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. B1 Appalachian Region and Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands Eastern Canada consists of the Appalachian Region and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands. The Appalachian Region embraces Newfoundland Island, NovaScotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and the G...

• Afghanistan - country.

  D Climate Most of Afghanistan has a subarctic mountain climate with dry and cold winters, except for the lowlands, which have arid and semiarid climates. In the mountains and afew of the valleys bordering Pakistan, a fringe effect of the Indian monsoon, coming usually from the southeast, brings moist maritime tropical air in summer.Afghanistan has clearly defined seasons: Summers are hot and winters can be bitterly cold. Summer temperatures as high as 49°C (120°F) have been recorded in thenorth...

• Giraffe - biology.

  One of the most striking elements of giraffe behavior is the duel between males fighting for mating privileges. Giraffe duels are among the most extraordinary in theanimal kingdom. They start when two males approach each other and begin to rub and intertwine their necks. This behavior—known as necking—allows the opponentsto assess each other’s size and strength. Often, necking alone is enough to establish seniority. If not, the rivals begin to exchange blows with their heads. Each giraffebraces...

• California - geography.

  The Basin and Range province is an arid area of mountain ranges, basins, and deserts. In California it is represented primarily by parts of the Great Basin and SonoranDesert sections. Within the Great Basin lies Death Valley, whose lowest elevation, 86 m (282 ft) below sea level, is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. TheSonoran Desert section is characterized by numerous flat plains separated by low but rugged ranges. It includes the extensive Mojave, or Mohave, Desert. Also in thisprov...

• California - USA History.

  The Basin and Range province is an arid area of mountain ranges, basins, and deserts. In California it is represented primarily by parts of the Great Basin and SonoranDesert sections. Within the Great Basin lies Death Valley, whose lowest elevation, 86 m (282 ft) below sea level, is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. TheSonoran Desert section is characterized by numerous flat plains separated by low but rugged ranges. It includes the extensive Mojave, or Mohave, Desert. Also in thisprov...

• Rembrandt I INTRODUCTION Rembrandt (1606-1669), Dutch baroque artist, who ranks as one of the greatest painters in the history of Western art.

  of his collection of art and antiquities, taken before an auction to pay his debts, showed the breadth of Rembrandt's interests: ancient sculpture, Flemish and ItalianRenaissance paintings, Far Eastern art, contemporary Dutch works, weapons, and armor. Unfortunately, the results of the auction—including the sale of hishouse—were disappointing. These problems in no way affected Rembrandt's work; if anything, his artistry increased. Some of the great paintings from this period are The Jewish Brid...

• North Carolina - geography.

  The drainage divide in North Carolina follows the Blue Ridge range on the eastern margin of the mountain region. This is called the “Eastern Continental Divide.” West ofthis divide, rivers drain into the Mississippi River through the Tennessee River and other tributaries of the Ohio River. The French Broad, the largest, and the LittleTennessee flow into the Tennessee River. The New River flows into the Kanawha River of West Virginia which in turn flows into the Ohio River. Most of the state’s ri...

• North Carolina - USA History.

  The drainage divide in North Carolina follows the Blue Ridge range on the eastern margin of the mountain region. This is called the “Eastern Continental Divide.” West ofthis divide, rivers drain into the Mississippi River through the Tennessee River and other tributaries of the Ohio River. The French Broad, the largest, and the LittleTennessee flow into the Tennessee River. The New River flows into the Kanawha River of West Virginia which in turn flows into the Ohio River. Most of the state’s ri...

• Nashville - geography.

  May event has grown into a major festival. In September the city hosts the Tennessee State Fair. One of Nashville's principle attractions is Opryland, a complex of entertainment and broadcasting facilities that offers live music shows, a resort and convention center,and shopping outlets. Since 1974 it has been the home to the Grand Ole Opry radio show, a country-music production that has not missed a broadcast since 1925. Percy Park and Edwin Warner Park provide open space, trails, playing field...

• Ethiopia - country.

  constitute about 6 percent of the population. The Somali, who live in the east and southeast, notably in the Ogadēn region, are about equal in number to the Shangalla.The Denakil inhabit the semidesert plains east of the highlands. The nonindigenous population includes Yemenis, Indians, Armenians, and Greeks. B Political Divisions Ethiopia is divided into nine regions composed of specific ethnic groups. The regions, which have a significant degree of autonomy, are Tigray; Afar; Amhara; Oromia;S...

• Chiang Kai-shek - History.

  Even one of Chiang's allied commanders, Zhang Xueliang, who had been expelled from Manchuria after the Mukden Incident, came to doubt the wisdom of Chiang'sapproach. In 1936 Zhang held Chiang prisoner in Xi'an until Chiang agreed to join the Communists in an allied front against Japan. Chiang later denied making anyagreement. On July 7, 1937, near the Marco Polo Bridge on the outskirts of Beijing, a Chinese patrol and Japanese troops on a training exercise clashed, and full-scalewar broke out be...

• Tunisia - country.

  mixture of Berber and Arab stock, and they regard themselves as Arabs. Nearly everyone speaks Arabic. The population of Tunisia is concentrated in the coastal plain. It is fairly dense in the hilly north, but the arid plateau, basin, and south are thinly settled. About two-thirds of the country’s people live in urban areas. A Principal Cities The capital and largest city of Tunisia is the seaport of Tunis. Other important cities include Sfax, a port and center of trade on the eastern coast; Sūs...

• Denver - geography.

  Denver is the center of professional sports in the Rocky Mountain region. Major league teams are the Denver Broncos (football), Colorado Rockies (baseball), DenverNuggets (basketball), and Colorado Avalanche (ice hockey). Coors Field (opened in 1995) is the home of the Colorado Rockies. The Broncos began play at the newlyconstructed Invesco Field at Mile High in 2001, and the Nuggets and Avalanche play at the Pepsi Center. The National Western Stock Show and Rodeo, one of thelargest such shows i...

• Northwest Territories - Geography.

  million years ago by the severe bending (folding) and faulting (breaking) of sedimentary rock that was once part of the Interior Plains. During the Wisconsin Ice Age,alpine glaciers covered the Cordillera, and the movement of the glaciers created razor-sharp peaks and ridges in these mountains. The moving glaciers also createdbroad U-shaped valleys. To the east of the Interior Plains, the ancient rocks of the Canadian Shield are exposed at the Earth’s surface, resulting in a rough, rolling terra...

• Northwest Territories - Canadian History.

  million years ago by the severe bending (folding) and faulting (breaking) of sedimentary rock that was once part of the Interior Plains. During the Wisconsin Ice Age,alpine glaciers covered the Cordillera, and the movement of the glaciers created razor-sharp peaks and ridges in these mountains. The moving glaciers also createdbroad U-shaped valleys. To the east of the Interior Plains, the ancient rocks of the Canadian Shield are exposed at the Earth’s surface, resulting in a rough, rolling terra...

• Frederick Douglass.

  proslavery document. In Britain and later in Rochester, however, Douglass met political abolitionists, who believed that it was possible to use the political system to fightslavery. They organized the antislavery Liberty Party, and called for the election of abolitionists to public office. Garrison believed the North should secede, if necessary,to free itself from the moral stain of slavery. In contrast, Douglass became convinced that this course of action would only abandon slaves to their mast...

• Frederick Douglass - USA History.

  proslavery document. In Britain and later in Rochester, however, Douglass met political abolitionists, who believed that it was possible to use the political system to fightslavery. They organized the antislavery Liberty Party, and called for the election of abolitionists to public office. Garrison believed the North should secede, if necessary,to free itself from the moral stain of slavery. In contrast, Douglass became convinced that this course of action would only abandon slaves to their mast...

• Idaho - geography.

  Idaho-Montana state line in the southern part of the Bitterroot Mountains. Consequently, nearly all the rivers in the state drain toward the Pacific. Most of Idaho lieswithin the drainage basin of the Columbia River system. The Snake River, which is the chief river in southern and central Idaho, follows a crescent-shaped course forabout 790 km (about 490 mi) across southern Idaho. It then swings northward along the Idaho state line and joins the Columbia River in Washington. Major tributariesof...

• Idaho - USA History.

  Idaho-Montana state line in the southern part of the Bitterroot Mountains. Consequently, nearly all the rivers in the state drain toward the Pacific. Most of Idaho lieswithin the drainage basin of the Columbia River system. The Snake River, which is the chief river in southern and central Idaho, follows a crescent-shaped course forabout 790 km (about 490 mi) across southern Idaho. It then swings northward along the Idaho state line and joins the Columbia River in Washington. Major tributariesof...

• Space Exploration - astronomy.

  to produce 250,000 newtons (56,000 lb) of thrust. The Germans launched thousands of V-2s carrying explosives against targets in Britain and The Netherlands. Whilethey did not prove to be an effective weapon, V-2s did become the first human-made objects to reach altitudes above 80 km (50 mi)—the height at which outer spaceis considered to begin—before falling back to Earth. The V-2 inaugurated the era of modern rocketry. A2 Early Artificial Satellites During the years following World War II, the...

• Liechtenstein - country.

  principal crops are corn, potatoes, barley, wheat, and vegetables. Grapes are grown for wine production. Cattle and sheep are raised for meat and dairy products. B Manufacturing Liechtenstein has few raw materials and must import more than 90 percent of its energy sources. Consequently, Liechtenstein has no heavy industry. Instead, theprincipality has developed a number of efficient, small-scale industries that manufacture specialized goods such as false teeth and dental supplies, pharmaceutica...

• African American History - U.

  In their day-to-day lives, slaves and servants shared similar grievances and frequently formed alliances. Advertisements seeking the return of slaves and servants whohad run away together filled colonial newspapers. When a slave named Charles escaped in 1740, the Pennsylvania Gazette reported that two white servants, a 'Scotch man' and an Englishman, escaped with him. Sometimes interracial alliances involved violence. During Bacon's Rebellion in 1676, slaves and servants took up armsagainst Na...

• Texas - geography.

  D Climate Eastern Texas has a humid subtropical climate, while a semiarid low latitude climate prevails in central areas, and an arid low latitude climate in the extreme west. Alongthe coast the climate is much milder, with fewer extremes in temperatures. Hurricanes sometimes hit the coastal areas of Texas from late July through September, andtornadoes are common in north-central Texas in April and May. D1 Temperature Summers are hot throughout the state, and temperatures exceeding 35°C (95°F)...