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Nasser, Gamal Abdal

(Encyclopedia)Nasser, Gamal Abdal gəmälˈ ăbˈdəl näˈsər [key], 1918–70, Egyptian army officer and political leader, first president of the republic of Egypt (1956–70). A revolutionary since youth, he wa...

Fatimid

(Encyclopedia)Fatimid –ĭmīt [key], dynasty claiming to hold the caliphate on the basis of descent from Fatima, a daughter of Muhammad the Prophet. In doctrine the Fatimids were related to other Shiite sects. Th...

Ibn Khaldun

(Encyclopedia)Ibn Khaldun ĭˈbən khäldo͞onˈ [key], 1332–1406, Arab historian, b. Tunis. He held various offices under the rulers of Tunis and Morocco and served (1363) as ambassador of the Moorish king of Gr...

alabaster

(Encyclopedia)alabaster, fine-grained, massive, translucent variety of gypsum, a hydrous calcium sulfate. It is pure white or streaked with reddish brown. Alabaster, like all other forms of gypsum, forms by the eva...

Linden, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Linden, city (1990 pop. 36,701), Union co., NE N.J., in the New York metropolitan area; inc. 1925. During the first half of the 20th cent., Linden changed from an agricultural district to a city of di...

Jericho, city, West Bank

(Encyclopedia)Jericho jĕrˈĭkō [key] [Heb.,=fragrant, or city of the moon god], Arab. Ariha, town (2003 est. pop. 19,000), West Bank, in the Jordan valley N of the Dead Sea; nearby is the site of the ancient cit...

La Paz, city, Bolivia

(Encyclopedia)La Paz lä päs [key], city (1992 pop. 713,378), W Bolivia, administrative capital (since 1898) and largest city of Bolivia. The constitutional capital is Sucre. La Paz, the highest capital in the wor...

La Paz, city, Mexico

(Encyclopedia)La Paz lä päs [key], city (1990 pop. 137,641), capital and largest city of Baja California Sur state, W Mexico. A tourist spot and transportation hub for the southern Baja peninsula, La Paz was firs...

Larkspur, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Larkspur, city (1990 pop. 11,070), Marin co., W Calif., a prestigious residential suburb of San Francisco near Mt. Tamalpais; inc. 1908. The region's scenic beauty and excellent beaches attract many v...

Lackawanna, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Lackawanna lăkəwäˈnə [key], city (1990 pop. 20,585), Erie co., W N.Y., on Lake Erie; inc. 1909. Formerly a major steel-making center, Lackawanna experienced the rapid and total decline of its for...