StiffStreet

Robert Irving Burns Property Consultants

2006-11-22T08:30:00.000-08:00

Robert Irving Burns has been established for over 40 years and is an independent partnership, who specialise in a full range of property services. These include commercial property
and commercial offices as well as property to let london. Whilst my business partner and I were looking for Offices, we found Rib’s expertise invaluable.

Photography, Portraiture

2005-04-04T21:33:00.000-07:00

A new style of portrait, introduced in Paris by André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri in 1854, was universally popular from 1859 onward. It came to be called the carte de visite because the size of the mounted photograph (four by 2 1/2 inches) corresponded to that of a calling card. Disdéri used a four-lens camera to produce eight negatives on a single glass plate. Each picture could be separately

Furniture, Cupboard

2005-04-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

Strictly speaking, the cupboard is a derivative form of the chest. Early Renaissance cupboards resembled two chests placed one on top of the other, but they were opened from the front by means of doors. The design and construction of the cupboard's pronounced front have always provided ample scope for artistic composition, and it is no mere coincidence that the cupboard

Catechumen

2005-04-03T03:46:00.000-07:00

A person who receives instruction in the Christian religion in order to be baptized. According to the New Testament, the apostles instructed converts after baptism (Acts 2:41–42), and Christian instruction was evidently given to all converts (Luke 1:4, Acts 18:25, Galatians 6:6). As the number of Gentiles in the church increased, instruction became more definite. In the 4th century, with the

Zaporizhzhya

2005-04-02T04:20:00.000-08:00

Russian Zaporozhye, also spelled Zaporozhe, or Zaporozje, formerly (until 1921) Aleksandrovsk, city and administrative centre of Zaporizhzhya oblast (province), southeastern Ukraine, on the Dnieper River just below its former rapids. In 1770 the fortress of Aleksandrovsk was established to ensure government control over the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, whose headquarters were on nearby Khortitsa Island. The settlement became a town in 1806. The growth of the city dates

Jammu And Kashmir, Settlement patterns

2005-04-01T22:15:00.000-08:00

The state's physiographic diversity is matched by a considerable variety of human occupation. In the plains and foothills, colonization movements from the Punjab region over a long period of time have produced numerous agricultural settlements; both the people and their culture are similar to those of adjacent parts of the Punjab and other lowlands to the west.

Biblical Literature, Jewish versions

2005-04-01T03:37:00.000-08:00

Though Jews in English-speaking lands generally utilized the King James Version and the Revised Version, the English versions have presented great difficulties. They contain departures from the traditional Hebrew text; they sometimes embody Christological interpretations; the headings were often doctrinally objectionable and the renderings in the legal

Mckean

2005-03-31T15:20:00.000-08:00

The county was formed in

Bone Black

2005-03-30T19:33:00.000-08:00

Also called Bone Char, or Bone Charcoal, a form of charcoal (q.v.) produced by heating bone in the presence of a limited amount of air. It is used in removing coloured impurities from liquids, especially solutions of raw sugar. Bone black contains only about 12 percent elemental carbon, the remainder being made up principally of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate.

Maurice, Saint

2005-03-30T17:32:00.000-08:00

Their story was recorded in the Passio martyrum Acaunensium (“The Passion of the Martyrs of Agaunum”), by the 5th-century French bishop St. Eucherius, who believed

Hol Ha-mo'ed

2005-03-29T23:42:00.000-08:00

Also spelled hol hamoed , or chol hamoed (from Hebrew hol, “weekday,” ha-mo'ed, “[of] the festival”) in Judaism, the less festive days or semiholidays that occur between the initial and final days of the Passover (Pesah) and Sukkot religious holidays. Because Jews in Israel celebrate Passover for seven days and Sukkot for eight, and Jews outside Israel add an additional day to each festival, the number of hol ha-mo'ed days is regulated by the locale. Israel, moreover, solemnizes

Benda, Georg (anton)

2005-03-29T21:51:00.000-08:00

The third son of Jan Jirí Benda and his wife, Dorota Brixi, both musicians, and brother of the violinist František Benda, he went with his family to Berlin in 1742. He played violin in the royal orchestra (1742–49) and for nearly 30 years (from

Variable Star

2005-03-28T07:15:00.000-08:00

In an eclipsing variable, one member of a double, or binary, star system partially

Kirkcudbrightshire

2005-03-27T15:20:00.000-08:00

Also called Kirkcudbright or East Galloway historic county, southwestern Scotland. It lies entirely within Dumfries and Galloway council area. Kirkcudbrightshire forms the eastern portion of the historic province of Galloway. It encompasses the shores of the Solway Firth and Irish Sea between the Rivers Nith and Cree and extends inland across an undulating landscape of hills and valleys, rising in the

Def Leppard

2005-03-27T14:31:00.000-08:00

British rock band that was one of the prime movers of the new wave of British heavy metal. The original members were Pete Willis (b. Feb. 16, 1960, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Eng.), Rick Savage (b. Dec. 2, 1960, Sheffield), Joe Elliott (b. Aug. 1, 1959, Sheffield), and Tony Kenning. Later members included Steve Clark (b. April 23, 1960, Sheffield—d. Jan. 8, 1991, London, Eng.), Phil Collen (b. Dec. 8, 1957, London), Rick Allen (b. Nov. 1, 1963, Dronfield, Derbyshire,

Hyaluronidase

2005-03-26T07:49:00.000-08:00

Any of a group of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis (chemical decomposition involving the elements of water) of certain complex carbohydrates such as hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfates. The enzymes have been found in insects, leeches, snake venom, mammalian tissues (testis being the richest mammalian source), and in bacteria.

Tskhinvali

2005-03-25T13:32:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Cchinvali, formerly (1934–61) Staliniri, city, north-central Georgia, on the Bolshaya Liakhvi River. It is the leading city of an area populated by a Caucasian people known as Ossetians, or Ossetes. Tskhinvali has varied industries, including electrical and mechanical engineering and food-processing and wood-working concerns. It also has a local museum, a teacher-training institute, and a medical school.

Displacement

2005-03-24T13:40:00.000-08:00

In mechanics, distance moved by a particle or body in a specific direction. It is a vector quantity, possessing both magnitude and direction. In the Figure, A is the initial position of a point, B is the final position, and the vector directed from A to B is the displacement. The distance traveled by the point depends on the path that it follows; it will be equal to the magnitude

India, Developments in the Deccan

2005-03-24T05:32:00.000-08:00

Toward the last years of Akbar's reign, the Nizam Shahis of Ahmadnagar in the Deccan had engaged the attention of the emperor considerably. The main objective of his intervention in Ahmadnagar was to gain Berar, which had been recently acquired by Ahmadnagar from Khandesh, and Balaghat, which had been a bone of contention between Ahmadnagar and Gujarat. By 1596 Berar was conquered

Aquitaine

2005-03-23T15:36:00.000-08:00

In Julius Caesar's description of Gaul, “Aquitania” was an area extending from the Pyrenees to the Garonne River. The Roman

Aetolia

2005-03-23T14:50:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Aitolia, district of ancient Greece, located directly north of the Gulf of Corinth and bounded by Epirus (north), Locris (east), and Acarnania (west). In modern Greece, Aetolia is linked with Acarnania in the department of Aitolía kai Akarnanía. Aetolia, particularly its cities Pleuron and Calydon, figures prominently in early legend. During the great migrations (1200–1000 BC) most of the region's

Human Disease, Diseases of genetic origin

2005-03-22T16:54:00.000-08:00

Certain human diseases result from mutations in the genetic complement (genome) contained in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of chromosomes. A gene is a discrete linear sequence of nucleotide bases (molecular units) of the DNA that codes for, or directs, the synthesis of a protein, and there may be as many as 100,000 genes in the human genome. Proteins, many of which are enzymes

Hume, John

2005-03-21T16:36:00.000-08:00

Originally

Hydrosphere, Groundwaters and river runoff

2005-03-21T11:31:00.000-08:00

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

Itajubá

2005-03-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

City, southern Minas Gerais estado (“state”), Brazil. It lies along the Sapucaí River, in the Mantiquiera Mountains, at 2,769 feet (844 m) above sea level. It was made the seat of a municipality in 1848 and given city status in 1862. Although basically a textile centre, it has other industries and serves a region of agriculture (coffee, rice, corn [maize], and sugarcane) and cattle ranching. Goods are

Sierra Leone

2005-03-19T07:04:00.000-08:00

There are about 18 ethnic groups that exhibit similar cultural features, such as secret societies, chieftaincy, patrilineal descent, and farming methods. The Mende, found in the east and south, and the Temne in the north form the two largest groups. Other major groups include the Limba, Kuranko, Susu, Yalunka, and Loko, in the north; the Kono and Kissi, in the east; and the Sherbro,

Dendrocolaptidae

2005-03-18T14:39:00.000-08:00

Songbird family, order Passeriformes, consisting of a number of brownish birds of the forest or brushland and found from Mexico through South America. Representative members are the scythebill and the woodcreeper (qq.v.).

Auklet

2005-03-18T10:36:00.000-08:00

Also called Sea Sparrow, any of six species of small seabirds of the family Alcidae (order Charadriiformes). They breed primarily in the Bering Sea and the North Pacific; some winter as far south as Japan and Mexico. Auklets in breeding plumage differ from the related murrelets in having plumes and other head ornaments, including brightly coloured bill plates like those

Nagaland, The people

2005-03-17T22:19:00.000-08:00

The Nagas, classified among the Indo-Asiatic peoples, form more than 20 tribes, as well as numerous subtribes, each having a specific geographic distribution. Though sharing many cultural traits, these tribes have maintained a high degree of isolation and lack cohesion as a single people. The Konyaks are the largest tribe, followed by the Aos, Tangkhuls, Semas, and Angamis.

Vendôme

2005-03-17T11:25:00.000-08:00

Historic town and capital of an arrondissement in the département of Loir-et-Cher, Centre région, north-central France. It lies southwest of Paris and 20 miles (30 km) northwest of Blois. Vendôme stands on the Loir River, which there divides and intersects the town. To the south stands a hill on which are ruins of the 11th-century castle of the counts (later dukes) of Vendôme. The town

Argentina, Domestic politics

2005-03-17T10:49:00.000-08:00

The new governor saw clearly the ambiguities and dangers of such widespread support, and, although he was identified as a federalist, he ruled as a centralist, with Buenos Aires as his main power base. Rosas manipulated factions of labourers, gauchos, and elites from the estancias and set himself up as the arbiter of a delicate and constantly threatened balance between

Macarthur, John

2005-03-16T11:06:00.000-08:00

In 1789 Macarthur went to Australia as a lieutenant in the New South Wales Corps. By 1793 he had become a large landholder, having attained power as inspector of public works and paymaster

Frye, Northrop

2005-03-15T00:57:00.000-08:00

Frye was educated at the University of Toronto, Emmanuel College in Toronto, and Merton College, Oxford. He taught at Victoria College from 1939, became chairman of the English department there in 1952, and served as principal (1959–67) and chancellor (1978–91) of the college.

Canning Basin

2005-03-14T22:44:00.000-08:00

Also called Desert Artesian Basin arid sedimentary basin in northwestern Western Australia. Occupying a largely unexplored area of about 150,000 square miles (400,000 square km), it extends south from the Fitzroy River to the De Grey River and from the coast southeast almost to 128° E longitude. The basin underlies the western section of the Great Sandy Desert (q.v.). Most of its interior is covered by parallel sand dunes,

Burnet, Sir Macfarlane

2005-03-14T02:22:00.000-08:00

Burnet received his medical degree in 1924 from the University of Melbourne

Parable

2005-03-14T02:13:00.000-08:00

Short fictitious narrative that illustrates a moral attitude, a doctrine, a standard of conduct, or a religious principle. The term originally referred to a Greek rhetorical figure, a kind of extended simile, involving the use of a literary illustration. The parable differs from the fable in the inherent plausibility of its story and in the exclusion of anthropomorphic

Dargomyzhsky, Aleksandr

2005-03-13T23:57:00.000-08:00

Dargomyzhsky grew up in St. Petersburg as a talented amateur musician, playing the violin and piano and dabbling in composition. His acquaintance with the composer Mikhail Glinka (1833) turned his thoughts more seriously toward composition,

Pius Ii

2005-03-13T03:17:00.000-08:00

Original name Enea Silvio Piccolomini outstanding Italian humanist and astute politician who as pope (reigned 1458–64) tried to unite Europe in a crusade against the Turks at a time when they threatened to overrun all of Europe. He wrote voluminously about the events of his day.

Skateboarding

2005-03-13T02:57:00.000-08:00

Form of recreation popular among youths, in which a person rides standing balanced on a small board mounted on wheels. Most skateboards are about 2 feet 8 inches (0.81 m) long and 9 inches (23 cm) wide. Originally, they were made of wood, but later they were also made of aluminum, fibreglass, and plastic. The wheels are made of tough polyurethane plastic. There are two kinds of skateboards:

Wedgwood, Dame (cicely) Veronica ("c.v.")

2005-03-13T00:03:00.000-08:00

, British historian (b. July 20, 1910, Stocksfield, Northumberland, Eng.--d. March 9, 1997, London. Eng.), was one of Great Britain's most distinguished and celebrated historians. Her biographies and historical works, especially those on the English Civil Wars, provided a clear, entertaining middle ground between popular and scholarly works; she used a narrative approach, preferring to explain

Kwanza River

2005-03-10T23:13:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Coanza, Cuanza, Quanza, or Kuanza, river in central Angola, rising about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Chitembo in the Bié Plateau at 5,000 feet (1,500 m). It flows northward for about 320 miles (510 km) and then curves westward to enter the Atlantic Ocean 30 miles (48 km) south of Luanda, after a course of 600 miles (960 km). The Kwanza drains much of central Angola and is the only Angolan river of economic significance. At intervals during much of its

Boucherville

2005-03-10T17:09:00.000-08:00

Town, Montérégie region, southern Quebec province, Canada, on the east bank of the St. Lawrence River, opposite Montreal Island (Île de Montréal) and northeast of Montreal city. Founded in 1668 by Pierre Boucher, after whom it is named, the town has long been a market-gardening centre. Since World War II it has developed rapidly into a residential suburb linked to Montreal by

Culture-and-personality Studies

2005-03-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

Also called Psychological Anthropology, branch of anthropology that seeks to determine the nature of the interaction between the individual and his culture. It applies the methods of psychology to the field of anthropology in an effort to analyze the differing behaviour patterns of individuals who live in the same culture. Depth interviews, role playing, Rorschach tests, elaborate biographies, studies

Ukrainian Language

2005-03-09T16:53:00.000-08:00

Formerly called Ruthenian, or Little Russian, Ukrainian Ukraïns'ka Mova, East Slavic language spoken in Ukraine and in Ukrainian communities in neighbouring Belarus, Russia, Poland, and Slovakia. Ukrainian is a lineal descendant of the colloquial language used in Kievan Rus (10th–13th century). It is written in a form of the Cyrillic alphabet and is closely related to Russian and Belarusian, from which it was indistinguishable until the 12th

Davenport, Charles Benedict

2005-03-09T14:11:00.000-08:00

After receiving a doctorate in zoology at Harvard University in 1892, Davenport taught there until 1899, when

God, Kingdom Of

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

Also called Kingdom Of Heaven, in Christianity, the spiritual realm over which God reigns as king, or the fulfillment on Earth of God's will. The phrase occurs frequently in the New Testament, primarily used by Jesus Christ in the first three Gospels. It is generally considered to be the central theme of Jesus' teaching, but widely differing views have been held about Jesus' teaching on the Kingdom

Arts, Central Asian, The kingdoms of western Turkistan and Afghanistan

2005-03-08T06:43:00.000-08:00

Skill in irrigation, with the resulting expansion in agriculture, encouraged urbanism and the growth of states, changes that coincided with the rise of nomadism. While the nomadic cattle and horse breeders took over the steppelands, the culturally distinct states of Sogdiana (part of Uzbekistan and much of Tajikistan), Fergana (the greater part of Uzbekistan), Chorasmia

Andersonville

2005-03-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

In the summer of 1863 the U.S. federal authorities ended an agreement

Anne Arundel

2005-03-07T09:39:00.000-08:00

County, central Maryland, U.S. It is bounded by the Patapsco River to the north, Chesapeake Bay to the east, and the Patuxent River to the west and is linked across the bay to Kent Island in Queen Anne's county by the William Preston Lane, Jr., Memorial Bridge (completed 1952). The low-lying coast is lined with tidal estuaries such as those of the Magothy, Severn, South, and West

Botswana, Flag Of

2005-03-05T15:32:00.000-08:00

The Tswana people of southern Africa were divided by political boundaries drawn by European settlers in the late 19th century. Some lived to the south of the new border in (British) Cape Colony and thus came under its jurisdiction, while those to the north formed a separate entity under British control, the Bechuanaland Protectorate. In 1910 the Union of South Africa was

Levi Strauss & Co.

2005-03-05T10:57:00.000-08:00

The company traces its origin to Levi Strauss (1829–1902), a Bavarian immigrant who arrived in San

Interior Monologue

2005-03-04T20:35:00.000-08:00

In dramatic and nondramatic fiction, narrative technique that exhibits the thoughts passing through the minds of the protagonists. These ideas may be either loosely related impressions approaching free association or more rationally structured sequences of thought and emotion. Interior monologues encompass several forms, including dramatized inner

Essex, Geoffrey De Mandeville, 1st Earl Of

2005-03-04T04:23:00.000-08:00

Geoffrey was a great landowner in Essex and elsewhere and hereditary constable of the Tower of London. He came to prominence in 1140 when Stephen, who could not dispense with his support against Matilda, a rival claimant for the throne, made him hereditary

Arts, Islamic, Turkish

2005-03-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

In Turkey, the adoption of Western forms began in the 1920s. Of major importance in modern Turkish literature was Orhan Veli Kanik, who combined perfect technique with “Istanbulian” charm. His work is sometimes melancholy, sometimes frivolous, but always convincing. He strongly influenced a group of poets whose names are connected with the avant-garde literary magazine

Koerber, Ernest Von

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

Entering the Austrian administration in 1874, Koerber rose steadily

Metaphysical Painting

2005-03-03T14:58:00.000-08:00

Style of painting that flourished mainly between 1911 and 1920 in the works of the Italian artists Giorgio De Chirico, Carlo Carrà, and Giorgio Morandi. These painters' representational but bizarre and incongruous imagery produces strange, disquieting effects on the viewer. Juxtaposing disparate objects set into deep perspectives, these works strongly influenced the

Corvidae

2005-03-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

Songbird family, of the order Passeriformes, that includes crows, jays, and magpies. The 100 species occur throughout the world; most are nonmigratory. Corvids are strongly built, stout-billed birds 23–71 cm (9–28 inches) long, some being the largest passerines. They have plain, often glossy plumage that may be monochromatic or contrastingly patterned. The sexes

Kwakiutl

2005-03-01T21:56:00.000-08:00

Indians of the northwest Pacific coast of North America. The Kwakiutl live in British Columbia, Canada, along the shores of the waterways between Vancouver Island and the mainland opposite. They speak one of three major dialects: Haisla, spoken on the Gardner Canal and Douglas Channel; Heiltsuq, spoken from Gardner Canal to Rivers Inlet; and southern Kwakiutl, spoken

Hawk

2005-02-28T13:42:00.000-08:00

Any of many small to medium-sized diurnal birds of prey, particularly those in the genus Accipiter, known as the true hawks, and including the goshawks and sparrowhawks. The term hawk is often applied to other birds in the family Accipitridae (such as the kites, buzzards, and harriers) and sometimes is extended to include certain members of the family Falconidae (falcons

Alaska, University Of

2005-02-28T13:23:00.000-08:00

State university system consisting of three campuses (regional university centres) in Fairbanks (main campus), Anchorage, and Juneau (known as the University of Alaska Southeast). All campuses are coeducational and offer bachelor's and master's degree programs in business and education; the Fairbanks and Anchorage campuses include schools of engineering and arts

Dielectric Constant

2005-02-27T22:16:00.000-08:00

Property of an electrical insulating material (a dielectric) equal to the ratio of the capacitance of a capacitor filled with the given material to the capacitance of an identical capacitor in a vacuum without the dielectric material. The insertion of a dielectric between the plates of, say, a parallel-plate capacitor always increases its capacitance, or ability

Plotina, Pompeia

2005-02-27T06:56:00.000-08:00

Wife of the Roman emperor Trajan. She earned great respect in her lifetime by her virtue and her advocation of the people's interests. During the ceremony of Trajan's accession, she is supposed to have turned around as she climbed the palace steps and addressed the crowd, saying that she desired always to be the same as she was then. One of her accomplishments was to curb

Eitner, Robert

2005-02-26T15:31:00.000-08:00

In 1868 Eitner founded the Gesellschaft

Altizer, Thomas J.j.

2005-02-26T09:34:00.000-08:00

A graduate of the University of Chicago (A.B. 1948, A.M. 1951, Ph.D. 1955), Altizer taught religion first at Wabash College (Crawfordsville, Ind.), from 1954 to 1956, and then at Emory University (Atlanta, Ga.) from 1956 to 1968 before becoming a professor of English at the State University of New York at Stony

'abd-us-samad, Khwaja

2005-02-25T15:13:00.000-08:00

'Abd-us-Samad was born into a family of good social standing in Iran, and he had already gained a reputation as a calligrapher

La Galissonnière, Roland-michel Barrin, Marquis De

2005-02-25T09:38:00.000-08:00

La Galissonnière was the son of a naval lieutenant-general and studied at the College of Beauvais in Paris. He became a midshipman in the French navy in 1710 and, in the following year, made the first of a number of voyages on the Heros carrying supplies to Canada. Some 26 years later he commanded

Performing Arts

2005-02-25T05:24:00.000-08:00

Tyrant Flycatcher

2005-02-24T20:34:00.000-08:00

Also called New World Flycatcher, any of about 367 species of aggressive, insect-eating New World birds of the family Tyrannidae (order Passeriformes). About one-third of the species are not flycatcher-like in habit and bear names derived from their habitats (e.g., bush tyrant, marsh tyrant) or from their similarity to the songbird groups (tit-tyrant, shrike-tyrant). A few are

China, Farming and forestry

2005-02-23T06:33:00.000-08:00

As a result of topographic and climatic features, the area suitable for cultivation is relatively small: only about 10 percent of China's total land area. Of this, slightly more than half is unirrigated, and the remainder is divided roughly equally between paddy fields and irrigated areas. Nevertheless, about 80 percent of the population lives in the countryside, and until

Bean, Roy

2005-02-22T11:18:00.000-08:00

For much of his life from the time he left his Kentucky home in 1847, Bean moved from town to town—in Mexico, Southern California, New Mexico, and Texas—getting into and fleeing from one scrape after another, killing at least two men in duels. During the Civil

Buhturi, Al-

2005-02-22T08:43:00.000-08:00

Al-Buhturi devoted his early poetry, written between the ages of 16 and 19, to his tribe, the Tayyi'. Sometime after 840 he came to the attention of the prominent poet Abu Tammam, who encouraged his panegyrics and brought him to the caliphal capital of Baghdad. Al-Buhturi met with little success there and returned

Rashalom

2005-02-22T04:19:00.000-08:00

Asteroid whose orbit is the smallest of any such object so far discovered; it takes only 278 days to circle the Sun. Ra–Shalom was detected in 1978 by Eleanor Helin, a U.S. planetary scientist, at a distance of 29,000,000 kilometres (18,000,000 miles) from the Earth in a region of the solar system that was previously thought to be swept clean of asteroids. It measures about 4 km (2.5 mi) in diameter and is the largest

Visual-field Defect

2005-02-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

A blind spot (scotoma) or blind area within the normal bounds of vision. In most cases the blind spots or areas are persistent, but in some instances they may be temporary and shifting, as in the scotomata of migraine headache. Narrowing of the fields of vision may be due to syphilitic inflammation of the optic nerves or to glaucoma. In this type of defect the field of vision

South Africa

2005-02-21T14:52:00.000-08:00

Officially Republic of South Africa, formerly Union of South Africa, the southernmost country on the African continent. It has an area of 470,693 square miles (1,219,090 square kilometres). It measures almost 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres) from north to south, as well as from east to west. South Africa is bordered by Namibia to the northwest, by Botswana and Zimbabwe to the north, and by Mozambique and Swaziland to the northeast and east. Lesotho, an independent constitutional

Körner, (karl) Theodor

2005-02-21T01:35:00.000-08:00

His father, Christian Gottfried Körner, was a friend of Friedrich Schiller. Körner grew up in a house frequented by writers and scientists. He studied philosophy in Berlin, where he attended

Biblical Literature, Slavic versions

2005-02-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

The earliest Old Church Slavonic translations are connected with the arrival of the brothers Cyril and Methodius in Moravia in 863, and resulted from the desire to provide vernacular renderings of those parts of the Bible used liturgically. The oldest manuscripts derive from the 11th and 12th centuries. The earliest complete Bible manuscript, dated 1499, was used for the first

Aerarium

2005-02-19T23:10:00.000-08:00

Treasury of ancient Rome, housed in the Temple of Saturn and the adjacent tabularium (record office) in the Forum. Under the republic (c. 509–27 BC) it was managed by two finance magistrates, the urban quaestors, and controlled by the Senate. In theory all revenues were paid into the aerarium, and all public payments were made from it. In practice, money was moved from the provinces

Chatti

2005-02-19T15:41:00.000-08:00

Germanic tribe that became one of the most powerful opponents of the Romans during the 1st century AD. At that time the Chatti expanded from their homeland near the upper Visurgis (Weser) River, across the Taunus highlands to the Moenus (Main) River valley, defeating the Cherusci and other neighbouring tribes. In AD 83 the emperor Domitian drove them back from the Taunus. They

Amazon River, Physiography of the river course

2005-02-19T05:18:00.000-08:00

The Amazon River has its main outlet north of Marajó Island, a lowland somewhat larger in size than Denmark, through a cluster of half-submerged islets and shallow sandbanks. Here the mouth of the river is 40 miles (64 kilometres) wide. The port city of Belém is on the deep water of the Pará River, an estuary marking the south side of Marajó, which is fed chiefly by the Tocantins

Aeschylus

2005-02-19T02:50:00.000-08:00

The Oresteia trilogy consists of three closely connected plays, all extant, that were presented in 458 BC. In Agamemnon the great Greek king of that name returns triumphant from the siege of Troy, along with his concubine, the Trojan prophetess Cassandra, only to be humiliated and murdered by his fiercely vengeful wife, Clytemnestra. She is driven to this act partly by a desire

Pitoëff, Georges

2005-02-17T22:56:00.000-08:00

Russian-born director and producer, noted for his popularization in France of the works of contemporary foreign playwrights, especially Pirandello, Shaw, Chekhov, Schnitzler, and O'Neill. He was a member of the Cartel des Quatre (Group of Four), a group including Louis Jouvet, Charles Dullin, and Gaston Baty, dedicated to rejuvenating the

Kigali

2005-02-17T08:34:00.000-08:00

The

Burgos

2005-02-16T05:46:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Burgos province, in the Castile-León comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”), northern Spain. It is located on the lower slopes of a castle-crowned hill overlooking the Arlanzón River, about 2,600 feet (800 m) above sea level. Founded in 884 as an eastern outpost of the Asturian kingdom by the Castilian count Diego Rodríguez Porcelos, it became the capital of the

Categorical Imperative

2005-02-16T05:02:00.000-08:00

In the ethics of the 18th-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant, founder of critical philosophy, a moral law that is unconditional or absolute for all agents, the validity or claim of which does not depend on any ulterior motive or end. “Thou shalt not steal,” for example, is categorical as distinct from the hypothetical imperatives associated with desire, such as “Do

North Germanic Languages, The emergence of Old Scandinavian, 6001500

2005-02-15T00:55:00.000-08:00

Inscriptions from the latter part of the Ancient period show North Germanic as a distinct dialect. Information about the earliest stages of the Old Scandinavian period is also derived from runic inscriptions, which became more abundant after the creation of the short runic futhark about AD 800. The expansion of Nordic peoples in the Viking Age (c. 750–1050) led to the establishment

Czech Republic

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

Czech Ceská Republika, landlocked country in central Europe. It comprises the historic lands of Bohemia and Moravia (collectively often called the Czech Lands) and the southwestern corner of Silesia. The modern Czech nation was inaugurated on Jan. 1, 1993, when the union with Slovakia, dating from 1918, was dissolved; the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia controlled the federal government from 1948 to

Mina

2005-02-14T18:15:00.000-08:00

The earliest of all known units of weight, created by the Babylonians and used by the Hittites, Phoenicians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Hebrews, and Greeks. Its weight and relationship to its major subdivisions varied at different times and places in the ancient world. In one surviving form, from the Babylonian period, the mina weighs about 640 grams, while in another it weighs

Grundschule

2005-02-14T01:35:00.000-08:00

Before the 1920s, upper-class German children attended the Vorschule, a three-year course of preparation for secondary school (which usually began at age 9). Working-class children generally terminated their education at age 14 upon completing Volksschule (primary school).

Highland Games

2005-02-13T04:50:00.000-08:00

Originally, athletic meetings carried out in the Scottish Highlands. The name now denotes similar athletic competitions in any part of the world, usually conducted under the auspices of a local Caledonian society and held according to what are believed to be traditional customs. The games originated in impromptu competitions at clan assemblies summoned by

Music, African

2005-02-13T01:26:00.000-08:00

It is widely acknowledged that African music has undergone frequent and decisive changes throughout the centuries. What is termed traditional music today is probably very different from African music in former times. Nor has African music in the past been rigidly linked to specific ethnic groups. The individual musician, his style and creativity, have always

Benbow, John

2005-02-12T14:20:00.000-08:00

The son of a tanner of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Benbow served in the navy and merchant marine from 1678 and became captain of a naval vessel in 1689. As master of the fleet under Admiral Edward Russell, he helped destroy the French fleet

Acrocyanosis

2005-02-12T10:29:00.000-08:00

Uneven reddish-blue discoloration of the hands caused by spasms in arterioles (small arteries) of the skin. Less commonly the feet are affected. The fingers, or toes, are usually cold and sweat copiously. The condition may be the result of an endocrine disorder or of some anxiety state. It is most common in adolescents and those in the 20s and usually improves with age.

Tanzania, Settlement patterns

2005-02-11T21:19:00.000-08:00

The two most important factors influencing the regional pattern of human settlement are rainfall and the incidence of tsetse fly. The tsetse, which thrives on wild game in miombo woodlands, is the carrier of Trypanosoma, a blood parasite that causes sleeping sickness in cattle and people. Tsetse infestation makes human settlement hazardous in areas of moderate

Onyx

2005-02-11T01:11:00.000-08:00

Striped, semiprecious variety of the silica mineral agate with white and black alternating bands. Onyx is used in carved cameos and intaglios because its layers can be cut to show a colour contrast between the design and the background. Other varieties include carnelian onyx, with white and red bands, and sardonyx, with white and brown bands. The chief localities

Devil's Advocate

2005-02-10T19:11:00.000-08:00

Latin Advocatus Diaboli, in the Roman Catholic church, the promoter of the faith, who critically examines the life of and miracles attributed to an individual proposed for beatification or canonization. He is popularly called the devil's advocate because his presentation of facts includes everything unfavourable to the candidate. Pope Leo X, in the early 15th century, seems to have introduced

East African Rift System

2005-02-10T00:08:00.000-08:00

The system consists of two branches. The main branch, the Eastern Rift Valley (often called the Great Rift Valley, or Rift Valley), extends along the entire length

Great Malvern

2005-02-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

Also known as Malvern town, Malvern Hills district, administrative and historic county of Worcestershire, England. Great Malvern was formerly the largest of several villages and hamlets on the eastern slopes of the Malvern Hills but has since grown to incorporate them. Malvern Chase, a medieval administrative entity, was granted to the earl of Gloucester by Edward I (reigned 1272–1307). Little

Aesthetics, Form

2005-02-09T04:15:00.000-08:00

Expression and representation form part of the content of a work of art. Nonetheless, it is not only content that is understood (or misunderstood) by the attentive recipient. There is also form, by which term we may denote all those features of a work of art that compose its unity and individuality as an object of sensory experience. Consider music. In most cases when a

China, Hsi (Western) Han

2005-02-08T15:46:00.000-08:00

Since at least as early as the Shang dynasty the Chinese had been accustomed to acknowledging the temporal and spiritual authority of a single leader and its transmission within a family, at first from brother to brother and later from father to son. Some of the early kings had been military commanders, and they may have organized the corporate work of the community,

Andover

2005-02-08T14:34:00.000-08:00

Andover's earliest-known