Résultats pour "southern"

Roman Empire - History.

A Government Augustus did not derive his power from any single office, but from the authority of his name and his victory. In fact, he carefully pieced together a patchwork of powersthat allowed him to be an absolute ruler and yet avoid the hatred Caesar aroused as dictator. In Latin, the name Augustus implies both political authority and religiousrespect. The Romans had for some time called Octavian imperator , a title once awarded to victorious generals that soon became associated with the r...

Scramble for Africa.

additional territorial grabs. The most significant of these rules stated that colonial powers were obligated to notify each other when they claimed African territory.Further, subsequent “effective occupation” of the claimed area was necessary for the claim to remain valid. Through it all, as Europeans negotiated their rights toAfrican territory, not a single African was present. Once the conference was over, it was clear that a European Scramble for African territories was underway. Southern Afr...

Benin - country.

French is the official language of Benin, but most people speak an African language. Each of the country’s ethnic groups has its own language. Fon is the most widelyspoken language. About 52 percent of the population professes traditional religious beliefs, chiefly Vodun, a belief in spirits. Arab merchants introduced Islam to the region, and today it isthe religion of some 20 percent of the people, most of whom live in the north. Christianity, especially Roman Catholicism, is the religion of ab...

Tajikistan - country.

by more than 100 percent due to a high birth rate and improvements in medical care. During the early 1990s, however, the growth rate began to decline due to civilwar and emigration. A Ethnic Groups and Languages Tajiks constitute the largest ethnic group in Tajikistan, making up about 65 percent of the population. The peoples who live in Gorno-Badakhshan, located in the Pamirs,are classified as Tajiks, although their languages and customs are distinct. The largest minority group in the country...

Switzerland - country.

formation over higher elevations. The wind reverses direction about sundown and moves down the valley as a cool downdraft. The foehn, which occurs during the wintermonths, is a dry and relatively warm airflow that is drawn northward over the Alps. The foehn can quickly melt snow and ice, increasing the risk of mudslides andavalanches. D Natural Resources Waterpower is the chief natural resource of Switzerland. The principal source of water is runoff from the considerable annual precipitation th...

Greek Art and Architecture - USA History.

The struggle between these two city-states and their allies ultimately led to the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC), which Sparta won. Despite this conflict, the 5th century, often called the Classical period, is usually considered the culmination of Greek art, architecture, and drama, with its highest achievements being the Temple ofZeus at Olympia, the Parthenon in Athens, and the plays of Athenian dramatists Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes. The 4th century, or Late Classical p...

Québec - Geography.

facilities. Tributaries south of the St. Lawrence include the Richelieu, the Saint-François, and the Chaudière rivers, which are only a few hundred kilometers long. TheRimouski and Matane rivers, also south of the St. Lawrence, are popular areas for recreation and salmon fishing. In the Canadian Shield, the longest rivers are theRupert, Eastmain, Grande Baleine, and La Grand-Rivière, which is the site of a huge hydroelectric complex. C Coastlines Québec has two systems of saltwater coastline. O...

Québec - Canadian History.

facilities. Tributaries south of the St. Lawrence include the Richelieu, the Saint-François, and the Chaudière rivers, which are only a few hundred kilometers long. TheRimouski and Matane rivers, also south of the St. Lawrence, are popular areas for recreation and salmon fishing. In the Canadian Shield, the longest rivers are theRupert, Eastmain, Grande Baleine, and La Grand-Rivière, which is the site of a huge hydroelectric complex. C Coastlines Québec has two systems of saltwater coastline. O...

Rio de Janeiro (city) - geography.

were coronated; and Our Lady of Candelária Church, thought by some to be the city’s most beautiful church. Another building of interest is the Imperial Palace, located several blocks west of Santos Dumont Airport. Originally constructed as Brazil’s colonial governor’s capitol in1743, it was converted to the royal palace during the city’s period as an imperial capital. It has recently been restored and now houses a cultural center. Otherimpressive 19th-century palaces include Itamaraty and Catete...

disseminating popular music until the 1920s remained printed sheet music. By the late 19th century, the music-publishing business was centralized in New York City,particularly in an area of lower Manhattan called Tin Pan Alley. “After the Ball” (1892) by Charles K. Harris, the first popular song to sell 1 million copies—in this case, ofsheet music—inspired rapid growth in the music-publishing industry. Composers were hired to rapidly produce popular songs by the dozens, and the techniques ofFost...

Iceland - country.

III PEOPLE Icelanders are one of the most homogenous peoples in the world. They are predominantly of Nordic origin, descendants of the hardy people who emigrated fromNorway to Iceland in the Middle Ages. There are also some Celtic influences from Irish and Scottish immigrants who arrived from the British Isles ( see Celts). The population of Iceland (2008 estimate) is 304,367. Numerous times in its history, Iceland has suffered major population losses due to epidemics, volcanic eruptions, and...

Libya - country.

junipers and mastic trees are found in the higher elevations. Only a few large mammals are found in Libya. Wildlife includes desert rodents, hyenas, gazelles, and wildcats. Eagles, hawks, and vultures are common. E Environmental Issues Libya has undertaken a number of major irrigation projects intended to ease the country’s water shortage. The most ambitious is the so-called Great Man-Made River(GMMR), a massive 25-year irrigation scheme begun in 1984. The GMMR is a vast water pipeline system d...

Immigration.

1655, only to lose all of their North American colonies to the British in 1664. These early colonies were often quite cosmopolitan, drawing settlers from many nations.When the English seized New Amsterdam, the city was home to perhaps 1500 residents, including Walloons, Huguenots, Swedes, Dutchmen, and African Americans. C The French and Spanish The French and Spanish also established colonies in North America. The Spanish established the oldest permanent European settlement in Saint Augustine,...

Immigration - U.

1655, only to lose all of their North American colonies to the British in 1664. These early colonies were often quite cosmopolitan, drawing settlers from many nations.When the English seized New Amsterdam, the city was home to perhaps 1500 residents, including Walloons, Huguenots, Swedes, Dutchmen, and African Americans. C The French and Spanish The French and Spanish also established colonies in North America. The Spanish established the oldest permanent European settlement in Saint Augustine,...

Denmark - country.

forests, which cover just 11.6 percent of the country, include conifers (mainly fir, spruce, larch, and pine), beech, oak, birch, and ash. Several varieties of ferns andmosses common to the northern European mainland are also found. Wild animals are scarce. Natural animal life is limited to deer and small animals such as foxes,squirrels, hares, wild ducks, pheasants, and partridges. Numerous species of freshwater fish live in Denmark’s streams and lakes. F Environmental Issues Considered highly...

Belgium - country.

European Union (EU) directives aimed at improving Belgium’s environmental conditions concern water treatment and water quality, both significant issues in such anindustrial center. Before these directives were issued, the Meuse River, a major source of drinking water, had become polluted from steel production wastes. Otherrivers were polluted with animal wastes and fertilizers. However, Belgium failed to meet EU targets set for the early 2000s for protecting its rivers from farm pollutionand for...

Race - biology.

distributed as a cline, generally varying along a north-south line. Skin color is lightest in northern Europeans, especially in those who live around the Baltic Sea, andbecomes gradually darker as one moves toward southern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and into northern Africa and northern subtropical Africa. Skin isdarkest in people who live in the tropical regions of Africa. The lack of clear-cut discontinuities makes any racial boundary based on skin color totally arbitrary. Sim...

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...

African Music I INTRODUCTION Sacred Christian Music of Nigeria Among the Igede people of Nigeria, Christianity has been syncretized with the existing religious belief system.

III INSTRUMENTS Traditional Timbila of MozambiqueAmong the Chopi, who have lived for centuries along the coast of Mozambique, there is a highly developed tradition ofsongwriting and composing for timbila (xylophone) orchestras. Elaborate migodo (dance suites), interspersed with poeticsongs pertaining to village life, are often performed to these compositions. Timbila music is now recognized as the nationalmusic of Mozambique."Eduardo Durao Mauaia" from Eduardo Durao and Orquestra Durao: Timbil...

Blacks in Latin America.

Throughout Latin America and the Caribbean the slave population declined at the astonishing rate of 2 to 4 percent a year; thus, by the time slavery was abolished, theoverall slave population in many places was far less than the total number of slaves imported. The British colony of Jamaica, for example, imported more than 600,000slaves during the 18th century; yet, in 1838, the slave population numbered little more than 300,000. The French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti)imported mo...

Whale - biology.

III BEHAVIOR OF WHALES Studies of whales in captivity have taught scientists much about the complex social behavior of whales. Since the late 1980s, advances in the use of satellite trackingsystems have also broadened opportunities for scientists to observe how whales behave in the wild. A Swimming and Diving Whales swim by making powerful up-and-down movements of the tail flukes, which provide thrust. The power comes from body muscles that flex the lower spine upand down in a wavelike motion...

Aboriginal Australians - History.

Until Europeans began to settle in Australia in 1788, the Aboriginal way of life was supported by hunting, gathering, and fishing. Like other hunting and gatheringpeoples, Aboriginal people had an extremely detailed knowledge of their environment, especially plant ecology and animal behavior. The deep connection betweenAboriginal people and the natural world influenced every part of their culture, including their food gathering, tools, trade, religion, art, music, language, and socialorganizatio...

New Hampshire - geography.

Washington. D1 Temperature The coldest parts of the state are in the White Mountains and the extreme north. Average January temperatures range from about -11° C (about 12° F) along theCanadian border to about -3° C (about 26° F) along the coast. July temperatures range from about 17° C (about 63° F) in the mountains to about 21° C (about 70° F)in the south. D2 Precipitation Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year over most of the state. However, the higher peaks of the White Mo...

New Hampshire - USA History.

Washington. D1 Temperature The coldest parts of the state are in the White Mountains and the extreme north. Average January temperatures range from about -11° C (about 12° F) along theCanadian border to about -3° C (about 26° F) along the coast. July temperatures range from about 17° C (about 63° F) in the mountains to about 21° C (about 70° F)in the south. D2 Precipitation Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year over most of the state. However, the higher peaks of the White Mo...

Hungary - country.

Northern Hungary lacks sufficient water, especially between July and October, when precipitation levels are typically low. Canals irrigate the Great Hungarian Plain,which is subject to drought. Because of the country’s mainly flat terrain, only limited water resources can be harnessed for hydroelectric power. F Environmental Issues Rapid industrialization in Hungary following World War II contributed significantly to a number of major environmental problems, including air, water, and soil pollu...

Hawaii (state) - geography.

limestone along the coast. The volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands are all so-called shield volcanoes, or lava domes. Unlike the volcanoes of Alaska and South America, those of Hawaii were notcreated by very explosive eruptions. Formed mostly by lava flows, they are great rounded mountain masses, rather than steep-sided cones. Mauna Kea, dormant forcenturies, is the highest mountain in the state. It rises to 4,205 m (13,796 ft) above sea level, and its summit is dotted with cinder cones formed by...

Hawaii (state) - USA History.

limestone along the coast. The volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands are all so-called shield volcanoes, or lava domes. Unlike the volcanoes of Alaska and South America, those of Hawaii were notcreated by very explosive eruptions. Formed mostly by lava flows, they are great rounded mountain masses, rather than steep-sided cones. Mauna Kea, dormant forcenturies, is the highest mountain in the state. It rises to 4,205 m (13,796 ft) above sea level, and its summit is dotted with cinder cones formed by...

Aksum - history.

IV RELIGION Little is known about Aksumite religion before the conversion of King Ezana to Christianity. The names of some of the gods who were worshipped have survived. The chiefgod was Astar, associated with the Greek god Zeus. Mahrem was a war god, like the Greek god Ares, and a patron of the royal family. It is not known how the gods wereworshipped, though the remains of a number of religious buildings still exist. The largest such structure still standing is in Yeha. In these buildings, ar...

Congo (river) - geography.

Lake BangweuluLake Bangweulu, in northeastern Zambia, drains into the Congo by way of the Luapula and Luvua rivers. Lake Bangweulu and thesurrounding swamps form an important ecosystem for many species of migratory birds.Christine Osborne Pictures The Congo’s remotest headstreams rise in northern Zambia and southern DRC, in elevations ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 m (3,000 to 7,000 ft) above sea level. Theseheadstreams are broken by many rapids and therefore cannot be used for commercial navigatio...

Cherokee.

The old ways, including traditional crafts, are most strongly preserved by the Eastern Band, some of whom continue to live on the Qualla Reservation in North Carolina.The quality of North Carolina Cherokee basketry is considered to be equal to or better than that of earlier times. Farming, forestry, factory work, and tourism (about 5million tourists annually) are sources of income for eastern Cherokee. In 1984 the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians met in a join...

Brown v.

In April 1955 the court heard 13 hours of arguments over four days on how to end segregation in the public schools. Ultimately, in what is popularly known as Brown II (1955), the Supreme Court turned the implementation of desegregation over to the federal district courts in the South. The district courts were ordered to desegregateschools with “all deliberate speed,” an ambiguous phrase that allowed many Southern judges to avoid desegregation for years. Linda Brown did not attend an integrateds...

Regina - Geography.

in 1883, was incorporated as a city in 1903, and was made the capital of Saskatchewan when the province was created in 1905. The headquarters of the police forcewere moved in 1920 to Ottawa, the nation’s capital, but the force’s training facility remained in Regina. Regina has been associated with a number of important historical events. In 1885 Louis Riel, leader of the Northwest Rebellion, was tried for treason and executedthere. In 1933 Canada’s newly formed socialist party, the Co-operative...

Federalism.

the Commerce Clause during the New Deal in the 1930s. The New Deal, which President Franklin Roosevelt created to confront the country’s economic depression,included laws affecting nearly every home and workplace. The Supreme Court upheld most of Roosevelt’s New Deal initiatives, including laws setting minimum standardsfor pay and working conditions, protecting labor unions, and regulating farm production. After World War II (1939-1945), national authority under the Commerce Clausecontinued to g...

Aboriginal Australians - history.

Current archaeological evidence suggests that human occupation of Australia began around 50,000 to 60,000 years ago. The first settlers are believed to havemigrated from Southeast Asia in gradual stages, by way of the islands of Indonesia. Around 50,000 years ago sea levels were as much as 120 m (390 ft) lower thanthey are today, and Australia was joined with New Guinea and Tasmania to form one giant landmass called Sahul, or Greater Australia. Scholars believe that the firstmigrants to Sahul ca...

Canadian Architecture I INTRODUCTION L'Anse aux Meadows In around ad 1000 Norse Vikings sailed from Greenland to North America and set up a village on the tip of what is now the island of Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula.

IglooSome Inuit peoples in the Arctic regions of Canada live in domed houses of snow, or igloos, which provide good insulationand protection from wind. The word igloo comes from the Inuit iglu, meaning “house.”George Holton/Photo Researchers, Inc. Canada’s original inhabitants are known as the First Nations. At the time of European arrival, about 40 nations were scattered across Canada. Many of them lived alongthe coasts, where they could fish. These nations can be classified into five major gro...

Goose - biology.

Branta comes from a German word meaning “burned” and all of the geese in this genus have black plumage somewhere on their bodies. The brant, a sea goose that also belongs to this genus, is found on both coasts of North America. Brants are darker than barnacle and Canada geese and similar in size to the smallest Canadageese. Like the Canada and barnacle goose, the brant nests in Arctic regions. But unlike them, it winters chiefly on salt water. Instead of the white cheeks of Canadaand barnacle g...

Antarctica - geography.

The geographic South Pole lies near the center of the continent in East Antarctica. This point is where all map lines of longitude converge at the southern end ofEarth’s axis of rotation. Distinct from the geographic south pole is the south magnetic pole, where the lines of force of Earth’s magnetic field emerge vertically,arching upward over the planet to enter Earth again at the north magnetic pole. The south-seeking end of a compass needle points to the south magnetic pole. Thesouth magnetic...

Grenada - country.

Grenada is a member of the Organization of American States and the United Nations. From 1958 to 1962, it was a member of the West Indies Federation, and in theearly 1960s it participated in unsuccessful attempts to form a federation linking the Leeward Islands and Windward Islands. Grenada is tied with other Caribbeancountries through membership in the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM). VI HISTORY Grenada was originally inhabited by Arawak Indians, who were killed or driven away...

Djibouti (country) - country.

l’Unité et de la Démocratie (FRUD; Front for the Renewal of Unity and Democracy) represents the Afar minority. The Parti National Démocratique (PND; Democratic National Party) and the Parti du Renouveau Démocratique (PRD; Democratic Renewal Party) are both small opposition parties favoring democratic reforms. VI HISTORY Djibouti lies at a major global crossroads where, some 100,000 years ago, early humans migrated from Africa to the Middle East. Livestock herding, which remainsimportant...

Eagle - biology.

States, is a member of this group found only in North America. It is named for its snow-white head. However, the name bald does not refer to a lack of feathers but comes instead from an outdated word meaning marked with white, as in piebald. The adult bald eagle is blackish brown, with a white head and tail. Its bill, legs, and feet are bright yellow. The bill, which is longer and heavier than the gray bill of golden eagles, is useful for piercing the skin of fish. Bald eagles vary in size....

Vanuatu - country.

and Luganville. V GOVERNMENT Vanuatu is governed under a constitution that came into effect with the republic’s independence in 1980. The president of Vanuatu serves as head of state, a largelyceremonial office. The president is elected by Vanuatu’s parliament and the heads of regional government councils. The parliament, or legislature, is a single-chamberbody whose membership has increased several times since independence; in 1998 the parliament had 52 members. Members of parliament are chose...

Yangtze - Geography.

A Agriculture and Industry Today about 400 million people, or about one-third of the population of China, live in the Yangtze Basin. Many are engaged in agriculture. The basin contributes nearlyhalf of China’s crop production, although only one-quarter of the basin is arable. The most fertile areas for farming are the Sichuan Basin, the plains between theYangtze and its tributary the Han, and the plains of the lower basin. In all about 40 percent of the cereals, more than 30 percent of the cott...

D-Day Invasion.

The Allied planners focused on the beaches around Caen and the Cotentin Peninsula in northern France rather than those of Calais, even though it meant the forcewould be crossing at a wider part of the English Channel. That disadvantage was far outweighed by what the site offered: comparatively scanty defensive fortificationsand beachhead ideally suited for successful exits. The clincher was an isolated battlefield that the Germans would have difficulty reinforcing. The date was set for May 1, 19...

Hundred Years' War.

knowledge of English tactics. Du Guesclin became Constable of France (head of the army) in 1370, and when he died in 1380, Clisson succeeded him. Charles also reorganized the French military, developing a full-time, professional army for the first time, and established a regular system of taxation to pay for it. Inaddition, France gained an important ally on the throne of the Spanish kingdom of Castile, Henry II, who had pledged support for Charles V. When the Caroline war began in 1369, the Eng...

Hundred Years' War .

knowledge of English tactics. Du Guesclin became Constable of France (head of the army) in 1370, and when he died in 1380, Clisson succeeded him. Charles also reorganized the French military, developing a full-time, professional army for the first time, and established a regular system of taxation to pay for it. Inaddition, France gained an important ally on the throne of the Spanish kingdom of Castile, Henry II, who had pledged support for Charles V. When the Caroline war began in 1369, the Eng...

Assyria - USA History.

villages and cities were ransacked and razed, but no attempt was made to annex their territories. In the course of time this pattern of conquest changed, and the Assyrian rulers began to make Assyria the center of a new empire by incorporating the conquered landsinto their domain, although probably not according to a conscious plan. Toward the end of the 10th century BC, for example, Adad-nirari II annexed the Aramaean state centering on Nisibis, east of the Habur River. His son, Tukulti-Ninurt...

Cleveland (Ohio) - geography.

Cleveland Children’s Museum. Also located in University Circle is Severance Hall, the home of the world-acclaimed Cleveland Orchestra. Nearby is the Cleveland PlayHouse, with three large, restored theaters and one of the largest non-profit professional theaters in the country. Downtown is Playhouse Square Center, with fourrecently restored theaters, home to the Cleveland Opera and the Great Lakes Theater Festival. On the waterfront is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum,opened in 1995 and...

Diving (sport).

water that creates a larger, more noticeable splash after the diver’s body displaces water under the surface. To minimize this upjet, top-level divers make a quickswimming motion by releasing their hands and collapsing their arms as they submerge. Instead of a large splash, the surface of the water appears to boil as the airbubbles rise from the diver’s entry. For feetfirst entries, which are rare in top-level competitions, divers place their legs and feet together while pointing their toes down...

Babylonia - USA History.

Pharmacology, too, doubtless had made considerable progress, although the only major direct evidence of this comes from a Sumerian tablet written several centuriesbefore Hammurabi. C Legal System and Writing Law and justice were key concepts in the Babylonian way of life. Justice was administered by the courts, each of which consisted of from one to four judges. Often theelders of a town constituted a tribunal. The judges could not reverse their decisions for any reason, but appeals from their...

Burkina Faso - country.

powers to promote the welfare of the people. The Lobi live in the southwest as farmers and hunters. Defiant of newcomers, they live in small terraced fortifications. The Bobo are chiefly farmers, artisans, and metalworkers living in large villages in the west-central part of the country. The Gourounsi are mainly artisans and farmers in the south-central areas. Their society is lesshighly structured than that of the other Voltaic groups. Christianity has made substantial inroads among them. The M...

394 résultats pour "southern"