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Origins of Measurements

In ancient times, the body ruled when it came to measuring. The length of a foot, the width of a finger, and the distance of a step were all accepted measurements. Inch: At first an inch was the…

Hurricanes

Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hurricanes are severe tropical storms that form in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and in the eastern Pacific Ocean.…

Smallest European Country

The Question: What is the smallest European country, defined by land mass? The Answer: At .17 square miles, Vatican City (an…

Derby, English horse race

(Encyclopedia) DerbyDerbydärˈbē [key], English horse race, instituted (1780) by the 12th earl of Derby and held annually at Epsom Downs, near London. The race is open only to three-year-old colts and…

Tunguska Basin

(Encyclopedia) Tunguska Basin, c.400,000 sq mi (1,036,000 sq km), Krasnoyarsk Territory and Sakha Republic, E central Siberian Russia, between the Yenisei and Lena rivers. It has a huge untapped coal…

Phoenixville

(Encyclopedia) PhoenixvillePhoenixvillefēˈnĭksvĭl [key], borough (1990 pop. 15,066), Chester co., SE Pa., on the Schuylkill River; settled 1720, inc. 1849. Iron deposits in the region led to the…

What's a Klick?

The Question: What is the measurement used by the military called a "click"? Is it a mile? A tenth of a mile? The Answer: "Click" is actually…

Volcanoes in Outer Space

By Robert I. Tilling Volcanoes and volcanism are not restricted to the planet Earth. Manned and unmanned planetary explorations, beginning in the late 1960s, have furnished graphic evidence of…

DK People & Places: North America

FACTFILE: NORTH AMERICAFIND OUT MORENorth America is a continent of enormous diversity, with vast mountain ranges, huge, flat, grassy plains, hot deserts, and frozen ice caps. In the south lie the…

The Planets - Venus

Venus is often called Earth's twin because the two planets are close in size, but that's the only similarity. The thick clouds that cover Venus create a greenhouse effect that keeps it sizzling at…