Bhaiband

(Hindi), Urdu-Persian �Beradari� (�brotherhood�), important instrument of caste self-government in India; the bhaiband is the council formed by the heads of families that belong to the same lineage in a particular area, thus constituting an exogamous (those who do not intermarry) unit within the endogamous (those who do intermarry) caste group. One of their concerns, in addition to questions arising as a

Museums, History Of, The spread of the European model

Before the end of the 18th century the phenomenon of the museum had spread to other parts of the world. In 1773 in the United States the Charleston Library Society of South Carolina announced its intention of forming a museum. Its purpose was to promote the better understanding of agriculture and herbal medicine in the area. Another early institution, the Peale Museum, was

Spanish Literature, Revival of the Spanish novel

For more than two centuries the novel, with which Spain had made its greatest contribution to literature, had been almost extinct. The first novels of the revival were more interesting for powers of observation and description (a continuation of costumbrismo) than for imaginative or narrative quality. A woman novelist, Fern�n Caballero, determined the technique

Spanish Literature, Revival of the Spanish novel

For more than two centuries the novel, with which Spain had made its greatest contribution to literature, had been almost extinct. The first novels of the revival were more interesting for powers of observation and description (a continuation of costumbrismo) than for imaginative or narrative quality. A woman novelist, Fern�n Caballero, determined the technique

Quinet, Edgar

After moving to Paris in 1820, Quinet forsook the faith of his Protestant mother, became greatly attracted to German philosophy, and published in 1827 - 28, as his first major work, a translation of Herder's

Permafrost, Agriculture

Permafrost affects agricultural developments in many parts of the discontinuous permafrost zone. Its destructive effect on cultivated fields in both Russia and North America results from the thawing of large masses of ice in the permafrost. If care is not exercised in selecting areas to be cleared for cultivation, thawing of the permafrost may necessitate

Han-chung

Pinyin �Hanzhong� city in southern Shensi Province (sheng), China. It is a county-level municipality (shih) and the administrative centre of Han-chung Prefecture (ti-ch'�). Han-chung is situated in a long, narrow, and fertile basin along the Han Shui (river), between the Tsinling Shan (mountains) and Mi-ts'ang Shan. To the north one of the few routes across the Tsinling Shan joins it to Pao-chi in Shensi,

Cynognathus

Cynognathus was approximately as large as a modern

Latin American Economic System

Spanish �Sistema Econ�mico Latinoamericano (SELA) � association formed to promote economic cooperation and development throughout the region of Latin America. Established in 1975 through the Panama Convention, SELA succeeded the Special Committee for Latin American Coordination (CECLA). Nearly 30 countries are members. SELA's principal organ, the Latin American Council, meets annually. Headquarters are in Caracas,

Latin American Economic System

Also called �equine plague� or �perdesiekte� viral disease of Equidae (horses, mules, donkeys, and zebras) caused by an orbivirus called AHSV (family Reoviridae) that is transmitted by arthropods, notably biting midges (Culicoides imicola). The disease, which is not usually fatal to indigenous zebra herds, is often fatal in horses. Dogs have also been fatally infected after eating virally contaminated horse

Huynh Phu So

Frail and sickly in his youth, he was educated by a Buddhist monk and at the age of 20 was apparently miraculously cured. He then set about

Pollard, Fritz

Byname of �Frederick Douglass Pollard, Sr.� pioneering African American player and coach in American collegiate and professional gridiron football. He was the first African American selected to a backfield position on Walter Camp's All-America team (1916) and the first African American head coach in the National Football League (NFL), with the Akron Pros

Korea, South, Flag Of

The need for a national flag arose in Korea in the late 19th century when, under pressure from its powerful neighbours, China and Japan, Korea gradually began to open its borders to outside influences. Traditional symbols were incorporated in the design of the new flag, adopted in August 1882, which has continued as the basic pattern ever since. The white background is for

Argentina, The conservative restoration and the Concordancia, 1930 - 43

During the next 13 years, which have often been termed �the Infamous Decade,� the armed forces sponsored a conservative restoration. After expelling Irigoyen, they installed General Jos� F�lix Uriburu in the presidency (1930 - 32). Uriburu was a descendent of an old, conservative northern family, and he leaned toward fascism. His influence with the army, however, was not as great

Ibn Qutaybah

Little is known of Ibn Qutaybah's life. Of Khorasanian stock, he was qadi (religious judge) of Dinawar (c. 851 - 870). From c. 871 until his

Lentil

(species Lens esculenta), small annual legume of the pea family (Leguminosae) and its lens-shaped edible seed, which is rich in protein and one of the most ancient of cultivated foods. Of unknown origin, the lentil is widely cultivated throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa but is little grown in the Western Hemisphere. The seeds are used chiefly in soups and the herbage

Sudan, The, Transportation

The transport system is underdeveloped and is a serious constraint on economic growth. The country's vast area and the availability of only one major outlet to the sea place a heavy burden on the limited facilities, especially on the government-owned Sudan Railways and on the country's growing road network. The railways had traditionally hauled most of The Sudan's

Ringed Seal

(species Pusa, or Phoca, hispida), nonmigratory, earless seal (family Phocidae) of North Polar seas and a few freshwater lakes in Europe and on Baffin Island. Named for the characteristic pale rings on its grayish or yellowish coat, the ringed seal grows to about 1.5 m (5 feet) in length and 90 kg (200 pounds) in weight. It lives near the pack ice and feeds on crustaceans, mollusks, and some

Sai Ong Hue

Sai Ong Hue was a grandson of the great ruler Suliyavongsa. He spent most of his early years as a prince of the royal house in exile at Hue (now in Vietnam) while a usurper sat on the throne of Lan Xang. In 1698 he attacked Vientiane, the capital of Lan Xang,

Amazon River, Physiography of the river course

The Amazon River has its main outlet north of Maraj� 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 Bel�m is on the deep water of the Par� River, an estuary marking the south side of Maraj�, which is fed chiefly by the Tocantins

Amazon River, Physiography of the river course

The Amazon River has its main outlet north of Maraj� 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 Bel�m is on the deep water of the Par� River, an estuary marking the south side of Maraj�, which is fed chiefly by the Tocantins

Cadbury, George

English businessman and social reformer who, with his elder brother, Richard, took over their father's failing enterprise (April 1861) and built it into the highly prosperous Cadbury Brothers cocoa- and chocolate-manufacturing firm. George was perhaps more important for his improvements in working conditions and for

Cadbury, George

English businessman and social reformer who, with his elder brother, Richard, took over their father's failing enterprise (April 1861) and built it into the highly prosperous Cadbury Brothers cocoa- and chocolate-manufacturing firm. George was perhaps more important for his improvements in working conditions and for

Sibyl

The daughter of Amalric I, Sibyl succeeded to the throne upon the death of her brother, Baldwin IV (1185). Baldwin had intended for the throne to pass directly to Sibyl's son Baldwin V, but Sibyl and her husband, Guy de Lusignan, conspired to seize the throne for themselves, embroiling the kingdom in a disastrous war with Saladin.

Displacement Activity

The performance by an animal of an act inappropriate for the stimulus or stimuli that evoked it. Displacement behaviour usually occurs when an animal is torn between two conflicting drives, such as fear and aggression. Displacement activities often consist of comfort movements, such as grooming, scratching, drinking, or eating. In courtship, for example, an individual

Oyapock River

Portuguese �Rio Oiapoque, � river that forms the border between French Guiana and the Brazilian state of Amap�. It rises in the Tumuc-Humac Mountains and flows northeast for 311 miles (500 km) to empty into the Atlantic near Cape Orange. The country through which it passes is thinly populated and is mostly covered by an unbroken tropical rain forest. Near the river's mouth are the ports of Saint-Georges,

General San Mart�

Formerly �San Mart�n, � cabecera (county seat) and partido (county) of Gran (�Greater�) Buenos Aires, Argentina. It lies immediately northwest of the city of Buenos Aires, in Buenos Aires provincia. The county seat and county began as an early rural settlement centred on the 18th-century Chapel of Santos Lugares. In 1856 the settlement was formally declared a town, and eight years later the county of San

Jewfish

Any of several large fishes of the sea bass (q.v.) family (Serranidae), especially Epinephelus itajara, found on the Atlantic coast of tropical America. This species sometimes attains a length of 2.5 metres (8 feet) and a weight of about 320 kilograms (700 pounds). The adult is dull olive-brown with faint spots and bands. Adult jewfish are usually solitary and typically remain in the same