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Bassett, James

(Encyclopedia)Bassett, James băsˈət [key], 1834–1906, American Presbyterian missionary, b. Canada. In 1872, under the auspices of the American Board, he founded the first American mission at Tehran, Persia (no...

Puerto Rico, University of

(Encyclopedia)Puerto Rico, University of, main campus at Río Piedras, near San Juan; land-grant and commonwealth; coeducational; founded 1903 as successor to a normal school. The Río Piedras campus has faculties ...

Billingsgate

(Encyclopedia)Billingsgate bĭlˈĭngzgĭt, –gāt [key], wharf and fish market, London, England, on the north bank of the Thames River. The market was named after a river gate in the old city wall. The word Billi...

Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument

(Encyclopedia)Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, 330,780 acres (133,860 hectares), N Calif., est. 2015. Jointly managed by Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, the monument extends from near sea le...

Smith, Sir George Adam

(Encyclopedia)Smith, Sir George Adam, 1856–1942, Scottish biblical scholar and Hebraist, b. Calcutta (now Kolkata), India. He was professor of Old Testament language, literature, and theology in the United Free C...

drought

(Encyclopedia)drought, abnormally long period of insufficient rainfall. Drought cannot be defined in terms of inches of rainfall or number of days without rain, since it is determined by such variable factors as th...

Ciskei

(Encyclopedia)Ciskei sĭskīˈ [key], former black “homeland” and nominal republic, SE South Africa, in what is now Eastern Cape prov. Surrounded by the former Cape Province of South Africa, it consisted of two...

hydrology

(Encyclopedia)hydrology, study of water and its properties, including its distribution and movement in and through the land areas of the earth. The hydrologic cycle consists of the passage of water from the oceans ...

Guthrie, Woody

(Encyclopedia)Guthrie, Woody (Woodrow Wilson Guthrie), 1912–67, American folk singer, guitarist, and composer, b. Okemah, Okla. Guthrie was an itinerant musician and laborer from the age of 13. Deeply involved in...

Gallipoli campaign

(Encyclopedia)Gallipoli campaign, 1915, Allied expedition in World War I for the purpose of gaining control of the Dardanelles and Bosporus straits, capturing Constantinople, and opening a Black Sea supply route to...