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Cozumel

(Encyclopedia)Cozumel kōzəˈmel [key], resort island, c.190 sq mi (490 sq km), Quintana Roo state, Mexico, in the Caribbean Sea off the E coast of the Yucatán peninsula. It is famed for its beaches and coral ree...

Davis, Benjamin Oliver, Jr.

(Encyclopedia)Davis, Benjamin Oliver, Jr., 1912–2002, American air force general, b. Washington, D.C.; son of Benjamin Oliver Davis. After studying at Western Reserve and Chicago universities, he attended West Po...

Singh, Vishwanath Pratap

(Encyclopedia)Singh, Vishwanath Pratap sĭng [key], 1931–2008, Indian politician and prime minister (1989–90). As finance minister under Rajiv Gandhi (1984–87) he pursued policies of economic liberalization....

North German Confederation

(Encyclopedia)North German Confederation, 1867–71, alliance of 22 German states N of the Main River. Dominated by Prussia, it replaced the German Confederation and included the states that had supported Prussia i...

telemarketing

(Encyclopedia)telemarketing, the practice of selling goods or services to customers by means of the telephone or of surveying consumer preferences in telephone conversations. Telemarketing firms use trained staff a...

Megan's law

(Encyclopedia)Megan's law, in the United States, a state or federal statute that requires the notification of public organizations and private citizens when a convicted sex offender has been released from prison an...

Bundestag

(Encyclopedia)Bundestag bo͝onˈdĕstäkhˌ [key], lower house of the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is a popularly elected body that elects the chancellor, passes all legislation (subject to exe...

states' rights

(Encyclopedia)states' rights, in U.S. history, doctrine based on the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution, which states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to ...

inheritance tax

(Encyclopedia)inheritance tax, assessment made on the portion of an estate received by an individual; it differs from an estate tax, which is a tax levied on an entire estate before it is distributed to individuals...

Flevoland

(Encyclopedia)Flevoland, province, 931 sq mi (2,412 sq km), central Netherlands, on the E shore of the Markermeer and IJsselmeer. Lelystad is the capital; other citie...