220 résultats pour "leading"

• A member of the European Union, the Netherlands are the leading country for producing and exporting natural gas in Europe.

• Count Basie Count Basie (1904-1984), American jazz pianist and bandleader, a leading musician of the swing era (1930s and early 1940s).

• Montréal - geography.

  percent), and Eastern Orthodox (2.8 percent) religions. Another 5.4 percent claim no religious affiliation. IV EDUCATION AND CULTURE Montréal has a large number of private schools, most of them partially funded by the province. Like the rest of Québec province, Montréal has two public schoolsystems, one for French speakers and one for English speakers. The Charter of the French Language (1977), known as Bill 101, restricts access to English-languageschools and requires children of immigrants t...

• Montréal - Geography.

  percent), and Eastern Orthodox (2.8 percent) religions. Another 5.4 percent claim no religious affiliation. IV EDUCATION AND CULTURE Montréal has a large number of private schools, most of them partially funded by the province. Like the rest of Québec province, Montréal has two public schoolsystems, one for French speakers and one for English speakers. The Charter of the French Language (1977), known as Bill 101, restricts access to English-languageschools and requires children of immigrants t...

• Togo - country.

  corn, millet, and sorghum. The leading export crops are coffee, cotton, groundnuts, and cacao. Livestock, chiefly sheep and goats, are raised on the northern plateau.Fish are caught in Togo’s rivers and in the Gulf of Guinea. B Mining and Manufacturing Togo is a leading producer of phosphates, which are by far the country’s most significant mineral product. In 2004, 400,000 metric tons of phosphate rock were mined.Industrial activity is limited but growing. The leading manufactures include ceme...

• 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...

• British Columbia - Geography.

  hemlock, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, and various cedars, grows rapidly in the mild, wet climate and produces the largest trees in Canada. In the dry lowlands of thesouthern and central interior, ponderosa and lodgepole pines, aspen, and bunchgrass are characteristic. Spruce dominates the Prince George region. Prairie grasses andstands of aspen are found in the northeastern corner of the province. At elevations higher than about 1,800 m (about 6,000 ft), an alpine vegetation of shrubs, mosses,and...

• British Columbia - Canadian History.

  hemlock, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, and various cedars, grows rapidly in the mild, wet climate and produces the largest trees in Canada. In the dry lowlands of thesouthern and central interior, ponderosa and lodgepole pines, aspen, and bunchgrass are characteristic. Spruce dominates the Prince George region. Prairie grasses andstands of aspen are found in the northeastern corner of the province. At elevations higher than about 1,800 m (about 6,000 ft), an alpine vegetation of shrubs, mosses,and...

• Milwaukee - geography.

  acts ranging from alternative rock to country music. During the rest of the summer months, the park is the site of weekend festivals staged by Milwaukee’s majorethnic groups: Italian, Irish, German, African American, Polish, Mexican, Native American, and Asian. The Great Circus Parade, featuring the world’s largest collection ofornate circus wagons, is another staple of Milwaukee’s festival season. The Wisconsin State Fair is held annually in nearby West Allis. V RECREATION The largest single u...

• Angola (country) - country.

  Portugal in 1975, it had approximately 400,000 Portuguese settlers. The vast majority of the Portuguese community has since departed for Portugal. A Population Characteristics The 2008 estimated population of Angola, including Cabinda, was 12,531,357. The population distribution, however, was uneven, with about 70 percent of thepopulation concentrated in the north and along the coast. The rate of population increase was 2.1 percent annually in 2008. The population is overwhelmingly rural; only3...

• Central African Republic - country.

  Manufacturing activity in the Central African Republic is very limited. Products include cottonseed, peanut, and sesame oils; textiles; leather goods; tobacco products;soap; flour; bricks; and paint. The output of electricity in 2003 was 106 million kilowatt-hours, 80.19 percent of which was generated in hydroelectric installations. Gemdiamonds account for nearly all the country’s mineral output and two-thirds of its export revenue. Production was 250,000 carats in 2004. Uranium was discovered i...

• Cameroon - country.

  seminomadic herders of the north. Cattle, goats, and fowl are the most commonly raised animals. B Forestry and Fishing Timber is traditionally one of Cameroon’s most valuable exports, consisting mainly of mahogany, ebony, and teak. The timber cut in 2006 amounted to 11.4 million cu m(401 million cu ft). Most of the fish caught in Cameroon come from the country’s rivers and lakes and are consumed locally. However, deep-sea fishing activity isincreasing, especially from the port of Douala. Some 1...

• Maine - geography.

  temperatures range from 17° to 21°C (62° to 70°F) with the southern interior being the warmest and the east coast and north the coolest. However, daytime summertemperatures may reach the lower 30°s C (lower 90°s F), and temperatures in winter have fallen as low as -44°C (-48°F) in the interior. D2 Precipitation Precipitation (rainfall and snowfall) in Maine is evenly distributed throughout the year. Most areas receive from 860 to 1,020 mm (34 to 40 in) yearly, although parts ofthe coast are som...

• Maine - USA History.

  temperatures range from 17° to 21°C (62° to 70°F) with the southern interior being the warmest and the east coast and north the coolest. However, daytime summertemperatures may reach the lower 30°s C (lower 90°s F), and temperatures in winter have fallen as low as -44°C (-48°F) in the interior. D2 Precipitation Precipitation (rainfall and snowfall) in Maine is evenly distributed throughout the year. Most areas receive from 860 to 1,020 mm (34 to 40 in) yearly, although parts ofthe coast are som...

• New Jersey - geography.

  C Soils Broadly defined, all of New Jersey’s soils are podzolic soils; that is, they are acidic and contain fairly high amounts of iron oxides. The soils in northern New Jersey areirregular in quality and contain rock fragments and small stones deposited by the continental glaciers of the last Ice Age. The soils of the inner coastal plain, unaffectedby glaciation, are the richest in the state, while those of the outer coastal plain are generally infertile. The newer soil classification system d...

• New Jersey - USA History.

  C Soils Broadly defined, all of New Jersey’s soils are podzolic soils; that is, they are acidic and contain fairly high amounts of iron oxides. The soils in northern New Jersey areirregular in quality and contain rock fragments and small stones deposited by the continental glaciers of the last Ice Age. The soils of the inner coastal plain, unaffectedby glaciation, are the richest in the state, while those of the outer coastal plain are generally infertile. The newer soil classification system d...

• Alberta - Geography.

  C Climate Except for the mountain areas, summers throughout the province are quite warm. Winters are long and extremely cold. In July, average daily temperatures range fromabout 16°C (about 60°F) along the northern boundary to about 21°C (about 70°F) in the south. In the extreme southeastern section of the province, temperatures of43°C (110°F) have been recorded. In January, average daily temperatures range from about -14°C (about 6°F) at Grande Prairie to about -9°C (about 16°F) atCalgary. Tem...

• Alberta - Canadian History.

  C Climate Except for the mountain areas, summers throughout the province are quite warm. Winters are long and extremely cold. In July, average daily temperatures range fromabout 16°C (about 60°F) along the northern boundary to about 21°C (about 70°F) in the south. In the extreme southeastern section of the province, temperatures of43°C (110°F) have been recorded. In January, average daily temperatures range from about -14°C (about 6°F) at Grande Prairie to about -9°C (about 16°F) atCalgary. Tem...

• Colleges and Universities.

  and (3) large universities that include undergraduate programs in addition to graduate and professional schools. D Graduate and Professional Schools Professional schools are typically divisions of large universities. They offer specialized education in a variety of professional fields, such as education, business, medicine,law, social work, agriculture, journalism, architecture, fine arts, nursing, engineering, and music. Some professional schools offer four- or five-year programs leading toa b...

• Communism.

  In Britain, Robert Owen, a philanthropic Welsh manufacturer, strove against the social problems brought about by the Industrial Revolution and sought to improve thewelfare of workers. As manager of a cotton mill, he enhanced the environment of his workers by improving their housing, modernizing mill equipment for greater safetyand sanitation, and establishing low-priced stores for the workers and schools for their children. Owen believed that workers, rather than governments, should createthe in...

• Communism .

  In Britain, Robert Owen, a philanthropic Welsh manufacturer, strove against the social problems brought about by the Industrial Revolution and sought to improve thewelfare of workers. As manager of a cotton mill, he enhanced the environment of his workers by improving their housing, modernizing mill equipment for greater safetyand sanitation, and establishing low-priced stores for the workers and schools for their children. Owen believed that workers, rather than governments, should createthe in...

• Honduras - country.

  A Principal Cities The capital and largest city of Honduras is Tegucigalpa (2006 estimate, 1,324,000), located in the south-central highlands region. The country’s second largest city isSan Pedro Sula (549,498). The principal city and commercial center in the north, it lies in the heart of the vast banana plantations on the Caribbean Sea. La Ceiba(127,590) and Puerto Cortés (90,161) are among the leading Caribbean ports. B Language and Religion Spanish is the official language and is spoken by...

• James Polk.

  1824. Jackson had won a plurality of the popular and electoral votes. But because he lacked a majority of the electoral votes, the House of Representatives had todecide the election among the three candidates with the highest number of electoral votes. When Henry Clay, the candidate who had come in fourth, swung his supportto Adams, Adams won the election. Polk, with his firm belief in democratic rule, held that the election of Adams was a violation of the people's will. In his first speech befo...

• James Polk

  1824. Jackson had won a plurality of the popular and electoral votes. But because he lacked a majority of the electoral votes, the House of Representatives had todecide the election among the three candidates with the highest number of electoral votes. When Henry Clay, the candidate who had come in fourth, swung his supportto Adams, Adams won the election. Polk, with his firm belief in democratic rule, held that the election of Adams was a violation of the people's will. In his first speech befo...

• Cotton - biology.

  VII COTTONSEED Once a waste-disposal problem for gins, cottonseed is now a valuable by-product. The seed goes to oil mills, where it is delinted of its linters in an operation similar toginning. The bare seed is then cracked and the kernel removed. The meal that remains after the oil has been extracted is high in protein. Linters are used for paddingin furniture and automobiles, for absorbent cotton swabs, and for manufacture of many cellulose products such as rayon, plastics, lacquers, and sm...

• San Jose (California) - geography.

  The San Jose metropolitan area is an economic powerhouse. It is the single most important high-technology center in the United States, specializing in aerospace andcomputer technology. Assisting in the area’s steady innovation is its many venture capital firms, which loan money to entrepreneurs starting new companies. It isestimated that the region contains one-half of the leading venture capital firms in the world. Among the nation’s largest companies in the San Jose metropolitan regionare Inte...

• Cincinnati - geography.

  and managed the Reds. The University of Cincinnati men’s basketball team enjoyed considerable success in the 1990s. IV ECONOMY Cincinnati, from its earliest beginnings, has functioned as a major port on the Ohio River. Distribution of raw materials as well as manufactured goods is one of the city’schief economic activities. Although Cincinnati remains one of the world’s leading centers for the distribution of bituminous (soft) coal, this trade is gradually declining. Coal from Kentucky and W...

• 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...

• James Buchanan.

  John Slidell. Slidell was instructed to insist that Mexico recognize the annexation of its former province, Texas, and that it pay certain long-standing claims of UnitedStates citizens. As payment for the claims, Slidell was told to press for the Mexican territory lying between Texas and the Pacific Ocean. The American demands werenot met, and soon afterward the Mexican War broke out in 1846. D3 Cuba While secretary of state, Buchanan also tried to further one of his favorite projects, the purc...

• James Buchanan

  John Slidell. Slidell was instructed to insist that Mexico recognize the annexation of its former province, Texas, and that it pay certain long-standing claims of UnitedStates citizens. As payment for the claims, Slidell was told to press for the Mexican territory lying between Texas and the Pacific Ocean. The American demands werenot met, and soon afterward the Mexican War broke out in 1846. D3 Cuba While secretary of state, Buchanan also tried to further one of his favorite projects, the purc...

• Hong Kong - geography.

  higher than China’s average standard of living. In 2006 Hong Kong’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was $27,679.20, although much of the wealth isconcentrated into relatively few hands. IV ECONOMY Hong Kong’s position as one of the world’s most important economic centers is based on several factors. It is located midway between Japan and Singapore, and it liesastride the main shipping and air routes of the western Pacific. It also has long served as a major port of entry and trade for...

• Environment.

  escape into space of the infrared energy radiated back out by Earth. This process is referred to as the greenhouse effect. These gases, primarily carbon dioxide,methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor, insulate Earth’s surface, helping to maintain warm temperatures. Without these gases, Earth would be a frozen planet with anaverage temperature of about -18°C (about 0°F) instead of a comfortable 15°C (59°F). If the concentration of these gases rises, they trap more heat within theatmosphere, caus...

• Hell espont (Dardanelles) Greek The long narrow channel or strait leading from the Aegean Sea into the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea.

• Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969), German American architect, the leading and most influential exponent of the glass and steel architecture of the 20th-century International style.

• Song of the Open Road Leaves of Grass, 1900 Walt Whitman 1 Afoot and light-hearted, I take to the open road, Healthy, free, the world before me, The long brown path before me, leading wherever I choose.

  I think you are latent with unseen existences — you are so dear to me. You flagg'd walks of the cities! you strong curbs at the edges! You ferries! you planks and posts of wharves! you timber-lined sides! you distant ships! You rows of houses! you window-pierc'd façades! you roofs! You porches and entrances! you copings and iron guards! You windows whose transparent shells might expose so much! You doors and ascending steps! you arches! You gray stones of interminable pavements! you trodden cros...

• Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993), Belgian-born actor and humanitarian, who became one of Hollywood's best-known stars with her leading roles in films such as Roman Holiday (1953), Funny Face (1957), and Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961).

• Cattle - biology.

  head, and the leading states are Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Montana, Iowa, Colorado, and California. Dairy cattle in the United Statesare estimated to number 9.2 million head; the leading states are California, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Texas, Idaho, New Mexico, Ohio, and Iowa. See also Animal Husbandry; Branding; Diseases of Animals. Contributed By:Perry Thomas CuppsMicrosoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights r...

• Corn - biology.

  small larvae of the cucumber beetles feed on the root system of the developing plants. VII PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION World output of corn at the beginning of the 21 st century was about 603 million metric tons annually; in volume of production, corn ranked first, ahead of rice and wheat. A net gain of about 51 percent in production was realized during the last two decades; intensive cultivation with heavy use of fertilizer and herbicides wasresponsible for the increase. The United States is t...

• San Diego - geography.

  Qualcomm Stadium is the home of the San Diego Chargers, playing major league football. PETCO Park is the home of the San Diego Padres, playing major leaguebaseball. Major sporting events in the city include a professional golf tournament in February, hydroplane races on Mission Bay in late summer, and the Holiday Bowlpostseason college football game in December. VI ECONOMY The total value of all the goods and services produced in San Diego make it one of the most powerful economies in the worl...

• 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...

• Plate Tectonics.

  ridges. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an underwater mountain range created at a divergent plate boundary in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of a worldwidesystem of ridges made by seafloor spreading. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is currently spreading at a rate of 2.5 cm per year (1 in per year). The mid-ocean ridges today are60,000 km (about 40,000 mi) long, forming the largest continuous mountain chain on earth. Earthquakes, faults, underwater volcanic eruptions, and vents, oropenings, along...

• Harry S.

  B2 Presiding Judge Political machines, such as the Pendergast organization, were common to both parties in the 1920s. They were based on the spoils system, in which winning politiciansgave government jobs to those loyal party members who had helped them get elected. Using government jobs as rewards, politicians created efficient (and oftenalmost unstoppable) vote-getting “machines,” in which party loyalty was often more important than doing any work. Without local machine support a political ca...

• Harry S.

  B2 Presiding Judge Political machines, such as the Pendergast organization, were common to both parties in the 1920s. They were based on the spoils system, in which winning politiciansgave government jobs to those loyal party members who had helped them get elected. Using government jobs as rewards, politicians created efficient (and oftenalmost unstoppable) vote-getting “machines,” in which party loyalty was often more important than doing any work. Without local machine support a political ca...

• Comet - astronomy.

  may exceed the planet Jupiter in size, however. Observations from telescopes on Earth and in space indicate that most of the gases in the coma and tail of a comet are fragmentary molecules, or radicals, of the mostcommon elements in space: hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. The radicals, for example, of CH, NH, and OH may be broken away from the stable molecules CH 4 (methane), NH 3 (ammonia), and H 2O (water), which may exist as ices or more complex, very cold compounds in the nucleus. Al...

• Egypt - country.

  Egypt has a wide variety of mineral deposits, some of which, such as gold and red granite, have been exploited since ancient times. The chief mineral resource ofcontemporary value is petroleum, found mainly in the Red Sea coastal region, at Al ‘Alamayn (El ‘Alamein) on the Mediterranean, and on the Sinai Peninsula. Otherminerals include phosphates, manganese, iron ore, and uranium. Natural gas is also extracted. D Plants and Animals The vegetation of Egypt is confined largely to the Nile Delta,...

• Los Angeles - geography.

  (2006 population, 472,494), located east of the Port of Los Angeles. The city of Compton (95,701) is located north of Long Beach, on the east side of the AlamedaCorridor. On the other side of the corridor are the cities of Torrance (142,350) and Inglewood (114,914). Northwest of Inglewood and west of downtown Los Angeles are the wealthy and fashionable Santa Monica (88,050) and Beverly Hills (34,979). Both cities are enclaves:Santa Monica is surrounded by the City of Los Angeles to the north, ea...

• Los Angeles - geography.

  (2006 population, 472,494), located east of the Port of Los Angeles. The city of Compton (95,701) is located north of Long Beach, on the east side of the AlamedaCorridor. On the other side of the corridor are the cities of Torrance (142,350) and Inglewood (114,914). Northwest of Inglewood and west of downtown Los Angeles are the wealthy and fashionable Santa Monica (88,050) and Beverly Hills (34,979). Both cities are enclaves:Santa Monica is surrounded by the City of Los Angeles to the north, ea...

• Italy - country.

  C Natural Resources Italy is poor in natural resources. Much of the land is unsuitable for agriculture because of mountainous terrain or unfavorable climate. Italy, moreover, lacks substantialdeposits of basic natural resources such as coal, iron, and petroleum. Natural gas is the country’s most important mineral resource. Other deposits include feldspar andpumice. Many of Italy’s mineral deposits on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia had been heavily depleted by the early 1990s. Italy is rich...

• Australia - country.

  itself forms most of the border between New South Wales and Victoria. Considerable lengths of the Murray, Darling, and Murrumbidgee rivers are navigable during thewet seasons. The central plains region, also known as the Channel Country, is interlaced by a network of rivers. During the rainy season these rivers flood the low-lying countryside,but in dry months they become merely a series of water holes. The Victoria, Daly, and Roper rivers drain a section of the Northern Territory. In Queensland...