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public ownership

(Encyclopedia)public ownership, government ownership of lands, streets, public buildings, utilities, and other business enterprises. The theory that all land and its resources belong ultimately to the people and th...

Gambia, river, Africa

(Encyclopedia)Gambia, river, c.700 mi (1,130 km) long, rising on the Fouta Djallon, N Guinea, W Africa, and flowing generally northwest through SE Senegal then west, bisecting The Gambia, to the Atlantic Ocean at B...

atlas, in geography

(Encyclopedia)atlas, in geography, collection of maps or charts. It usually includes data on various features of a country, e.g., its topography, natural resources, climate, and population, as well as its agricultu...

Callejas Romero, Rafael Leonardo

(Encyclopedia)Callejas Romero, Rafael Leonardo, 1943–2020, Honduran political leader, president of Honduras (1990–94). A member of the conservative National party, he served in various government and party posi...

Scarborough Shoal

(Encyclopedia)Scarborough Shoal, lagoon and reefs, South China Sea, c.135 mi (220 km) W of Luzon, the Philippines. Claimed by China, the Philippines, and Taiwan, it is called Huangyan Island by China and Panatag Sh...

World Wildlife Fund

(Encyclopedia)World Wildlife Fund (WWF), international organization formed to raise money for conservation projects, est. 1961. The international organization, believing that its name no longer reflected the scope ...

biological diversity

(Encyclopedia)biological diversity or biodiversity, the number of species in a given habitat. Scientists have variously estimated that there are from 3 to 30 million extant species, of which 2.5 million have been c...

Agency for International Development

(Encyclopedia)Agency for International Development (AID), federal agency created (Sept., 1961) to consolidate U.S. nonmilitary foreign aid programs. Originally an agency in the State Department, it has been a compo...

Burnham, Forbes

(Encyclopedia)Burnham, Forbes, 1923–85, prime minister (1964–80) and president (1980–85) of Guyana, formerly British Guiana. His full name was Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham. Of African descent, he received a ...

toxic waste

(Encyclopedia)toxic waste is waste material, often in chemical form, that can cause death or injury to living creatures. It usually is the product of industry or commerce, but comes also from residential use, agric...