Argentina, The Gran Chaco

The western Gran Chaco has growths of thorn forest dominated by algaroba (carob trees) in the drier and often saline zones. Quebracho trees (a source of tannin) are present, but not to the extent that they are farther east. No plants survive in areas with finer salt at the surface. Coarse bunchgrasses are common in the dry steppe, which also supports dense scrub forests

Argentina

On Dec. 10, 1999, Fernando de la Rúa assumed office as president of Argentina, marking the end of Carlos Saúl Menem's 10-year tenure. The Alliance (composed of de la Rúa's Radical Civic Union [UCR], the Front for a Country in Solidarity [Frepaso], and several smaller parties) held a plurality of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies but remained a minority in the Senate, where Menem's Justicialist

Chao Phraya River

The Chao Phraya constitutes a valuable waterway for the transport of the nation's

Petróleos De Venezuela, Sa

By 1971 Venezuela had begun to take steps to curb the influence of the foreign concessionaires who, since their arrival after World War I, had been exploiting the nation's oil

Paustovsky, Konstantin Georgiyevich

A descendant of Ukrainian Cossacks, Paustovsky attended school in Kiev, St. Petersburg, and Odessa. Before he began to write, he worked at various jobs; he also traveled a good deal, both in

Switzerland, Barbarian invasions

The first of the barbaric incursions took place in AD 259. By AD 400 Roman Switzerland had disintegrated and the lands of the Romanized Celts were occupied by Germanic tribes such as the Burgundians and Alemannians. The Burgundians, few in number, occupied the lands of western Switzerland. Although they retained political control, they lost contact with their former homelands

Shamanism, Social role

The extraordinary profession of the shaman naturally distinguishes him socially. The belief that he communicates with the spirits gives him authority. Furthermore, the belief that his actions may not only bring benefit but also harm makes him feared. Even a good (white) shaman may do harm, and a wicked (black) shaman, who is in contact with the spirits of the Lower World,

Elf Owl

(Micrathene whitneyi), tiny bird of prey of the family Strigidae (order Strigiformes) of Mexico and the southwestern United States. It is the smallest owl and is about the size of a sparrow. In the cactus deserts, elf owls are among the most common birds, but they also inhabit forested areas, dry grasslands, and wet savanna. They nest in holes in cacti

Ikebana

Traditionally, the classical art of Japanese flower arranging; the meaning of the term was later extended to encompass all the various styles of Japanese floral art. Ikebana was introduced in Japan in the 6th century by Chinese Buddhist missionaries who had formalized the ritual of offering flowers to the Buddha. The first school of flower arranging in Japan, Ikenob

Cartwright, Sir Richard John

Already a successful businessman, Cartwright was elected to the Parliament of the united province of Canada as an independent Conservative

Mormon

In western New York state in 1827, during a time of intense religious revivalism, Joseph Smith, Jr., a farmer's son, claimed an angel called Moroni gave him golden plates whose engraved records Smith translated into English as the Book of Mormon—so called after Mormon, an ancient American prophet who had made an abridgment of many previous plates. Smith published the Book

'olam Ha-ba

In Jewish theology, either “the world after death” or the new creation or restoration of the world that is to follow the messianic millennium. Because this latter interpretation stemmed from the teachings and exhortations of the prophets, it was especially prevalent during the period of the Second Temple of Jerusalem (516 BC–AD 70). Whatever the interpretation of 'olam ha-ba, it

Amazon Rainforest

Large, tropical rainforest occupying the drainage basin of the Amazon River and its tributaries in northern South America, and covering an area of 2,300,000 square miles (6,000,000 square km). Comprising about 40 percent of Brazil's total area, it is bounded by the Guiana Highlands to the north, the Andes Mountain Ranges to the west, the Brazilian central plateau to the south, and the Atlantic

Razor

Keen-edged cutting implement for shaving or cutting hair. Prehistoric cave drawings show that clam shells, shark's teeth, and sharpened flints were used as shaving implements, and flints are still in use by certain primitive tribes. Solid gold and copper razors have been found in Egyptian tombs of the 4th millennium BC. According to the Roman historian Livy, the razor

Reformed Church Of Hungary

Except for minor reverses, the Protestants

Perspective Scenery

In theatre, scenery and the scene design technique that represents three-dimensional space on a flat surface, creating an illusion of reality and an impression of distance. Developed during the Italian Renaissance, perspective scenery applied the newly mastered science of linear perspective and brought the craft of illusion to the Italian stage. An initial

Zlín

Formerly  (1948–90) Gottwaldov,   city, Jihomoravský kraj (region), Czech Republic, on the Drevnice River, near its confluence with the Morava River. Gottwaldov was created in 1948 through a merger of several communities surrounding Zlín, a 14th-century village that had grown rapidly after World War I. The consolidated town was named for Klement Gottwald, the first communist president of Czechoslovakia. In

Coleridge-taylor, Samuel

Coleridge-Taylor's father, thwarted in his attempts to progress as a physician—through apparent racial prejudice—deserted his son and English wife and returned to his native West Africa. At the age of five Samuel began playing the violin and

Percheron

Heavy draft-horse breed that originated in the Perche region of France. The breed probably stems from the Flemish “great horse” of the Middle Ages; modified by Oriental blood to develop a coach-horse type, it was changed again in the 19th century by introduction of draft-type blood to produce animals for heavy farm work. Although a few Percherons were imported earlier,

Hystaspes

According to the 5th-century-BC Greek historian Herodotus, Hystaspes was governor of Persis under Cyrus II the Great and Cambyses II and accompanied Cyrus on his last campaign against the Massagetai in 530 BC. When Darius seized the throne in 522, Hystaspes was governor of Parthia and Hyrcania,

Denmark, Flag Of

According to tradition, the Danish flag fell from heaven on June 15, 1219, during the Battle of Lyndanisse (near modern Tallinn, Estonia) as a sign from God of his support for King Valdemar II against the pagan Estonians. Contemporary references to this flag date from a century later, and evidence suggests that the flag was not unique to Denmark. Many small states in the Holy Roman

Wolf, Max

Wolf showed an early interest in astronomy; he was only 21 years old when he discovered a comet, now named for him. In 1890 he was appointed Privatdozent (unsalaried lecturer) at the University of Heidelberg. One year later he adapted

Cleveland Bay

The Cleveland Bay is descended

Cleveland Bay

The gray whale attains a maximum length of about 15 metres (49 feet). It is gray or black, mottled with white, and has short yellow baleen with coarse bristles. There are two (rarely more) lengthwise grooves on its throat. Instead of

Neuropteran

Fossil representatives of the modern families Sialidae

Wolf Snake

The Cape wolf snake (Lycophidion capense), abundant from Egypt to South Africa, is a small, drab species with a metallic sheen and lives chiefly

Maupin, Armistead

Maupin was reared in North Carolina. He showed an early interest in film and theatre. His adolescent years were complicated by his growing awareness of his homosexuality. Graduating from the University of North Carolina in 1966, Maupin worked for a time under the future senator Jesse Helms