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Kearny, Lawrence

(Encyclopedia)Kearny, Lawrence kärˈnē [key], 1789–1868, American naval officer, b. Perth Amboy, N.J.; cousin of Stephen Watts Kearny. He became a midshipman in 1807, served in the War of 1812, and later saw ac...

Cyclades

(Encyclopedia)Cyclades sīˈklədēz [key], Gr. Kikládhes [Gr.,=circular], island group, c.1,000 sq mi (2,...

motion pictures

(Encyclopedia)motion pictures, movie-making as an art and an industry, including its production techniques, its creative artists, and the distribution and exhibition of its products (see also motion picture photogr...

Parker, Francis Wayland

(Encyclopedia)Parker, Francis Wayland, 1837–1902, American educator, b. Bedford, N.H. At the age of 16 he began his first job as a teacher in New Hampshire. After serving with the Union army in the Civil War, he ...

Guernsey

(Encyclopedia)Guernsey gûrnˈzē [key], island, 25 sq mi (65 sq km), in the English Channel, second largest of the Channel Islands. Guernsey bailiwick (2005 est. pop. 65,000) includes Alderney, Sark, Herm, Brechou...

Palmyra, atoll, Pacific Ocean

(Encyclopedia)Palmyra, atoll (2 sq mi/5.2 sq km), central Pacific, one of the Line Islands, c.1,100 mi (1,770 km) SW of Honolulu. Palmyra has no permanent inhabitants. First visited by Americans in 1802, and later ...

Nuku Hiva

(Encyclopedia)Nuku Hiva no͞oˈko͞oˈ hēˈvä [key], volcanic island, 127 sq mi (329 sq km), South Pacific, largest of the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia. The island is fertile, with well-watered valleys; it...

Kingman Reef

(Encyclopedia)Kingman Reef, uninhabited reef, less than 1 sq mi (2.6 sq km), central Pacific, one of the Line Islands, 1,075 mi (1,730 km) SW of Honolulu. It was discovered by Americans in 1798 and annexed by the U...

Schouten, Willem Cornelis

(Encyclopedia)Schouten, Willem Cornelis vĭlˈəm kôrnāˈlĭs skhouˈtən [key], 1567?–1625, Dutch navigator. In 1615 he sailed from Texel island, Holland, in command of an expedition whose objective was to eva...

British Empire

(Encyclopedia)British Empire, overseas territories linked to Great Britain in a variety of constitutional relationships, established over a period of three centuries. The establishment of the empire resulted primar...