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republic

(Encyclopedia)republic [Lat. res publica,=public affair], today understood to be a sovereign state ruled by representatives of a widely inclusive electorate. The term republic formerly denoted a form of government ...

Esfahan

(Encyclopedia)Esfahan ĭsˈfəhän [key], anc. Aspadana, city, capital of Esfahan prov., central Iran, on t...

Tiranë

(Encyclopedia)Tiranë tēräˈnä [key], city (1989 pop. 238,057), capital of Albania and of Tiranë dist., central Albania, on the Ishm River. It is the largest city and the chief industrial and cultural center of...

Gjirokastër

(Encyclopedia)Gjirokastër gyēnô– [key], Gr. Argyrokastron, It. Argirocastro, town (1989 pop. 24,207), capital of Gjirokastër dist., S Albania. A commercial center, it produces foodstuffs, leather, and textile...

Kahramanmaraş

(Encyclopedia)Kahramanmaraş märäshˈ [key], city (1990 pop. 229,066), S Turkey. The city lies on a fertile plain at the foot of the Taurus Mts. A center for light industry and trade, spices, olive oil, and handi...

Bakhchisaray

(Encyclopedia)Bakhchisaray bäkhˌchēsərīˈ [key] [Turk.,=garden palace], city, Crimea. From 1954 part of Ukraine (then the Ukrainian SSR), the city passed to Russian control in 2014 after the occupation and ann...

Abbas I

(Encyclopedia)Abbas I (Abbas the Great) äbäsˈ, ăbäsˈ, ăbˈəs [key], 1557–1629, shah of Persia (1587–1628), of the Safavid dynasty. In 1597 he ended the raids of the Uzbeks, and subsequently (1603–23) ...

Yarkant

(Encyclopedia)Yarkant shäˈcho͝oˈ [key] or Yarkant, forms an oasis at the western end of the Taklimakan desert; it is a trade center. The city, mainly inhabited by Turkic-speaking Muslims, has more than 120 mosq...

Yazd

(Encyclopedia)Yazd yäzd [key], city (1991 pop. 275,298), capital of Yazd prov., central Iran, in a desert region. The city is known for its elaborate silk products and remains a center for silk weaving. Grain, fru...

An Najaf

(Encyclopedia)An Najaf än näˈjäf [key], city (2020 pop. 874,000), S central Iraq, on a lake near the Euphrates River. The city, one of Shi'a Islam's holiest, is also called Mashad A...