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Olmert, Ehud

(Encyclopedia)Olmert, Ehud āˈkho͞od ōlˈmârt [key], 1945–, Israeli politician. After serving in the army and working as a lawyer, he won election to the Knesset in 1973 as a Likud candidate. Under Prime Mini...

Pérez de Cuéllar, Javier

(Encyclopedia)Pérez de Cuéllar, Javier, 1920–2020, Peruvian diplomat, secretary-general of the United Nations (1982–92). He entered the Peruvian foreign service in 1940 and served in several posts, including ...

Begin, Menachem

(Encyclopedia)Begin, Menachem mĕnäˈkhĕm bāˈgĭn [key], 1913–92, Zionist leader and Israeli prime minister (1977–83), b. Russia. He became (1938) leader of a Zionist youth movement in Poland, where he also...

United Nations Members (table)

(Encyclopedia)United Nations Members

algum

(Encyclopedia)algum ălˈməg, ôlˈ– [key], precious wood mentioned in the Bible (2 Chron. 2.8; 9.10,11), used in the Temple of Solomon and in his palace, brought from Ophir and Lebanon. It is perhaps a red sand...

Chamoun, Camille

(Encyclopedia)Chamoun, Camille kämēˈyə shämōnˈ [key], 1900–1987, Lebanese political leader. Chamoun held a variety of governmental posts before serving as president of Lebanon (1952–58). A Maronite Chris...

ibex

(Encyclopedia)ibex īˈbĕks [key], wild goat, genus Capra, found in rugged country on mountain ranges from central Asia to the Himalayas, S Europe, and NE Africa. Ibexes are surefooted and agile; they usually trav...

Wilson, Lanford

(Encyclopedia)Wilson, Lanford, 1937–2011, American playwright, b. Lebanon, Mo. An important figure in modern drama, he was a master of earthy, realistic dialogue in which monologue, conversation, and direct addre...

Arabic languages

(Encyclopedia)Arabic languages, members of the West Semitic group of the Semitic subdivision of the Afroasiatic family of languages (see Afroasiatic languages). The Arabic languages comprise North Arabic (or simply...

Media

(Encyclopedia)Media mēˈdēə [key], ancient country of W Asia whose actual boundaries cannot be defined, occupying generally what is now W Iran and S Azerbaijan. It extended from the Caspian Sea to the Zagros Mts...