Al Arabiya, Arabic-language satellite television channel, based in Dubai, established in March 2003. The company was founded by the brother-in-law of Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd, with additional investment from Lebanon’s Hariri Group and investors from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other Gulf countries.

Al Arabiya, Arabic-language satellite television channel, based in Dubai, established in March 2003. The company was founded by the brother-in-law of Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd, with additional investment from Lebanon’s Hariri Group and investors from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other Gulf countries.

Syria, country located on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea in southwestern Asia. Its area includes territory in the Golan Heights that has been occupied by Israel since 1967. The present area does not coincide with ancient Syria, which was the strip of fertile land lying between the eastern

Arab, one whose native language is Arabic. (See also Arabic language.) Before the spread of Islam and, with it, the Arabic language, Arab referred to any of the largely nomadic Semitic inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula. In modern usage, it embraces any of the Arabic-speaking peoples living in

Algeria: Languages of Algeria: Algeria’s official policy of “Arabization” since independence, which aims to promote indigenous Arabic and Islamic cultural values throughout society, has resulted in the replacement of French by Arabic as the national medium and, in particular, as the primary language of instruction in primary and secondary schools. Some Amazigh groups…

Africa: Agriculture of Africa: …a lack of integration between crop production and animal husbandry. Traditionally, sedentary cultivators like the Hausa in Nigeria and the Kikuyu in Kenya live apart from their nomadic herdsmen neighbours (the Fulani and Maasai, respectively), with the result that over large areas of the continent farmers do not have access…

Aracaju, port city and state capital, east-central Sergipe estado (state), northeastern Brazil. It lies on the Continguiba River at the base of a ridge of sand hills 6 miles (10 km) from the coast. The city, which was founded in 1855 as a new state capital, is laid out in an unusual grid pattern.

boxfish: …to the boxfishes are the keeled boxfishes of the family Aracanidae. These fishes also have a carapace, but there is a keel along the underside and openings behind the dorsal and anal fins. The members of this group are found from Japan to Australia.

aracari, any of certain toucan species. See

aracari, any of certain toucan species. See

Aracati, city, northeastern Ceará estado (state), northeastern Brazil. It lies at the mouth of the Jaguaribe River, about 12 miles (19 km) from the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded in 1747. The city exports cotton, carnauba wax, and salt. Manufactures include textiles and rubber products. There are

Araçatuba, city, western São Paulo estado (state), Brazil. It lies near the Tietê River, which is dammed for power and irrigation. The city was founded in 1908 and was given town rank in 1917. In 1921 it was separated administratively from Penápolis (to the southeast) and was designated the seat of

Araceae, large family of flowering plants (order Alismatales) comprising more than 4,000 species in over 140 genera. Members of Araceae occur worldwide but are most common in the tropics. The family includes many climbers and herbaceous plants as well as rooted or free-floating aquatics.

carboxylic acid: Unsaturated aliphatic acids: …the saturated stearic (C18) and arachidic (C20) acids, which are solids. The reason is that the regular nature of the saturated hydrocarbon chains allows the molecules in the solid to stack in a close parallel arrangement, while the presence of cis double bonds in the unsaturated hydrocarbon chains breaks up…

carboxylic acid: Unsaturated aliphatic acids: Arachidonic acid is important because the human body uses it as a starting material in the synthesis of two kinds of essential substances, the prostaglandins and the leukotrienes, both of which are also unsaturated carboxylic acids. Examples are PGE2 (a prostaglandin) and LTB4 (a leukotriene).…

peanut, (Arachis hypogaea), legume of the pea family (Fabaceae), grown for its edible seeds. Native to tropical South America, the peanut was at an early time introduced to the Old World tropics. The seeds are a nutritionally dense food, rich in protein and fat. Despite its several common names,

Arachne, in Greek mythology, the daughter of Idmon of Colophon in Lydia, a dyer in purple. Arachne was a weaver who acquired such skill in her art that she ventured to challenge Athena, goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason. Athena wove a tapestry depicting the gods in majesty, while

floor covering: Unconventional carpets: tufted, knitted, and bonded: A Czechoslovakian Arachne stitch-bonding machine achieves high production rates with low pile costs, employing a fibrous web stitched on the knitting principle with yarns drawn from beams. A German Malipol machine uses knitting principles to bind pile to a backing fabric, although a later model uses unknitted…

arachnid, (class Arachnida), any member of the arthropod group that includes spiders, daddy longlegs, scorpions, and (in the subclass Acari) the mites and ticks, as well as lesser-known subgroups. Only a few species are of economic importance—for example, the mites and ticks, which transmit

arachnid, (class Arachnida), any member of the arthropod group that includes spiders, daddy longlegs, scorpions, and (in the subclass Acari) the mites and ticks, as well as lesser-known subgroups. Only a few species are of economic importance—for example, the mites and ticks, which transmit

borane: Structure and bonding of boranes: …with one missing vertex; (3) arachno- (Greek, meaning “spider’s web”), clusters that are even more open, with boron atoms occupying n contiguous corners of an (n + 2)-cornered polyhedron—i.e., a closo-polyhedron with two missing vertices; (4) hypho- (Greek, meaning “to weave” or “a net”), the most open clusters, with boron…

carborane: Reactions and synthesis of carboranes: …with boranes, the nido- and arachno-carboranes are less thermally stable and reactive toward air and chemical reagents than the corresponding closo-carboranes, most of which are stable to 400 °C (750 °F), although they may rearrange to more stable isomeric forms.

glowworm: , the cave-dwelling Arachnocampa of New Zealand and Platyura of the central Appalachians).

bioluminescence: The range and variety of bioluminescent organisms: true flies (order Diptera), notably Arachnocampa luminosa, the larva of which luminesces a greenish blue from a knob at the end of its body. The larvae dangle at the ends of filaments that hang from the ceilings of caves in New Zealand. Luminous beetles include the fireflies and the elaterid…

Marfan syndrome, rare hereditary connective tissue disorder that affects most notably the skeleton, heart, and eyes. In Marfan syndrome a genetic mutation causes a defect in the production of fibrillin, a protein found in connective tissue. Affected individuals have a tall, lanky frame and fingers

meninges: …processes of the arachnoid, called arachnoid villi or arachnoid granulations, are involved in the passage of cerebrospinal fluid from the subarachnoid space to the dural sinuses. Spinal anesthetics are often introduced into the subarachnoid space.

epidural hematoma: Anatomy: The second layer, the arachnoid mater, covers the brain and pia mater but does not follow the contour of the involutions of the brain. The outermost layer, the dura mater, provides a thicker and tougher layer of protection.

meninges: …number of fine filaments called arachnoid trabeculae pass from the arachnoid through the subarachnoid space to blend with the tissue of the pia mater. The arachnoid trabeculae are embryologic remnants of the common origin of the arachnoid and pia mater, and they have the frail structure characteristic of these two…

meninges: …processes of the arachnoid, called arachnoid villi or arachnoid granulations, are involved in the passage of cerebrospinal fluid from the subarachnoid space to the dural sinuses. Spinal anesthetics are often introduced into the subarachnoid space.

arachnophobia, extreme fear of spiders. The word arachnophobia is derived from the Greek arakhnē, meaning “spider” or “spiderweb,” and from the Greek phobos, meaning “fear.” Arachnophobia is one of the most common phobias worldwide. More women than men tend to experience arachnophobia.

spider hunter, any of several sunbird species. See

Arachosia, Ancient province, eastern Persian empire. The province encompassed much of what is now southern Afghanistan in the area of the city of Kandahār. It was conquered by Alexander the Great c. 330

Logan, city, seat (1826) of Logan county, southwestern West Virginia, U.S. It lies along the Guyandotte River, about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Charleston, near the Kentucky border. Laid out in 1824 and known as Lawnsville, it was chartered in 1852 and renamed Aracoma for the eldest daughter of

Al-Muḥarraq: …the village and fort of ʿArād; the fort was built by the Omanis during the brief (1799–1809) occupation of the country by the sultanate of Muscat and Oman. Pop. (2001) 91,307.

Arad, city, capital of Arad judeƫ (county), western Romania. It is located in the lower Mureş River valley close to the Hungarian border, about 30 miles (50 km) north-northeast of Timişoara. The city has a large Magyar (Hungarian) population. The site became a Roman outpost south of the river at

Arad, judeƫ (county), western Romania, bounded on the west by Hungary. The Mureş and Crişul Alb rivers flow westward through the county, while the Western Carpathians, including the Zărand and Codru-Moma ranges, lie in the eastern portion. Settlements are found in the lowlands and intermontane

ʿArad, town, southern Israel, in the northeast Negev, named for the biblical Arad, the ruins of which are visible at Tel ʿArad, about 5 12 miles (9 km) east-northeast. The book of Numbers (21:1–3) tells how the Canaanite king of ʿArad fought the Israelites during the exodus from Egypt, but his

ʿArad: …Negev, named for the biblical Arad, the ruins of which are visible at Tel ʿArad, about 5 12 miles (9 km) east-northeast. The book of Numbers (21:1–3) tells how the Canaanite king of ʿArad fought the Israelites during the exodus from Egypt, but his cities were “utterly destroyed” by Israel’s…

September 11 attacks: One World Trade Center and the National September 11 Memorial and Museum: …plaza were designed by architects Michael Arad and Peter Walker, winners of a design competition that featured 5,201 submissions from 63 countries.

ʿArad: …of which are visible at Tel ʿArad, about 5 12 miles (9 km) east-northeast. The book of Numbers (21:1–3) tells how the Canaanite king of ʿArad fought the Israelites during the exodus from Egypt, but his cities were “utterly destroyed” by Israel’s armies. The city’s name appears on the Temple…

Kishore Kumar: …came in 1969: the film Aradhana catapulted Rajesh Khanna to superstardom, and Kumar, who had lent his voice to Khanna, became the leading playback singer of the Hindi film industry. Kumar retained that position until he died.

flat bug, (family Aradidae), any of about 1,000 species of small, flat, dark-coloured insects (order Heteroptera) that are usually found under stones, in crevices in dead or dying trees, or under loose bark. Nearly all flat bugs range in size from 3 to 11 mm (0.12 to 0.43 inch) and feed on fungi

Jazīrat Arwād, island in the eastern Mediterranean off the Syrian coastal town of Ṭarṭūs. Originally settled by the Phoenicians in the early 2nd millennium bc, it formed an excellent base for their commercial operations, into both the Orontes Valley and the hinterland as far as the Euphrates, and

fungus weevil: The coffee bean weevil (Araecerus fasciculatus) is an important pest.

hajj: …the holy places outside Mecca—Jabal al-Raḥmah, Muzdalifah, and Minā—and sacrifices an animal in commemoration of Abraham’s sacrifice. Male pilgrims’ heads are then usually shaved, and female pilgrims remove a lock of hair. After the rajm ritual at Minā, in which pilgrims throw seven stones at three walls (formerly pillars,…

Romania: New constitution: In January 2012 Raed Arafat, a popular health minister, resigned over the matter, and violent street protests left more than 50 people injured. Arafat was ultimately reinstated in his position, but by that time the demonstrations had begun to focus on wider issues related to the government’s austerity…

Yasser Arafat was the president (1996–2004) of the Palestinian Authority (PA), chairman (1969–2004) of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and leader of Fatah, the largest of the constituent PLO groups. In 1993 he led the PLO to a peace agreement with the Israeli government. Arafat and

Yasser Arafat was the president (1996–2004) of the Palestinian Authority (PA), chairman (1969–2004) of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and leader of Fatah, the largest of the constituent PLO groups. In 1993 he led the PLO to a peace agreement with the Israeli government. Arafat and

file snake: The elephant-trunk snake (Acrochordus arafurae), which is also commonly known as the Arafura file snake, is an unrelated nonvenomous species that lives along the coasts of northern Australia and New Guinea.

Arafura Sea, shallow sea of the western Pacific Ocean, occupying 250,000 square miles (650,000 square km) between the north coast of Australia (Gulf of Carpentaria) and the south coast of New Guinea. It merges with the Timor Sea on the west and the Banda and Ceram seas on the northwest. The Torres

Sahul Shelf: …are the shallow 360,000-square-mile (930,000-square-km Arafura Shelf, covered by the Arafura Sea and Gulf of Carpentaria; the Sahul Shelf (120,000 square miles [310,800 square km]) under the Timor Sea; and the Rowley Shelf (120,000 square miles [310,800 square km]) underlying a part of the northwest Indian Ocean extending to North…

Mount Aragats, mountain in Armenia, northwest of Yerevan and north of the Ararat Plain. The highest point in both Armenia and the Lesser Caucasus range (13,418 feet [4,090 m]), Aragats is a circular, shieldlike mountain composed of both lavas and tufas. A volcanic cone of recent geologic age lies

Kertanagara: Legacy: …Raganatha (Kebo Arema) and appointed Aragani, who could serve him delicious food every day. Aragani is also known as Kebo Tengali, though some scholars say these were two separate men. He drank palm wine and held orgies, which eventually led to his death—he was killed by his enemies during one…

Mount Aragats, mountain in Armenia, northwest of Yerevan and north of the Ararat Plain. The highest point in both Armenia and the Lesser Caucasus range (13,418 feet [4,090 m]), Aragats is a circular, shieldlike mountain composed of both lavas and tufas. A volcanic cone of recent geologic age lies

Mount Aragats, mountain in Armenia, northwest of Yerevan and north of the Ararat Plain. The highest point in both Armenia and the Lesser Caucasus range (13,418 feet [4,090 m]), Aragats is a circular, shieldlike mountain composed of both lavas and tufas. A volcanic cone of recent geologic age lies

Pentecost, island of Vanuatu, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about 60 miles (100 km) southeast of Espiritu Santo island. Volcanic in origin, it occupies 169 square miles (438 square km) and has a central mountain ridge that rises to 3,104 feet (946 metres) at Mount Vulmat. Many permanent

Neptune: The ring system: Le Verrier, Lassell, Arago, and Galatea, in order of increasing distance from the planet—lack the nonuniformity in density exhibited by Adams. Le Verrier, which is about 110 km (70 miles) in radial width, closely resembles the nonarc regions of Adams. Similar to the relationship between the moon Galatea…

Arago, site of paleoanthropological excavation near the town of Tautavel in the French Pyrenees where more than 50 specimens of archaic Homo were recovered from 1964 to 1974. On the basis of the age of animal (particularly rodent) fossils found with them, the remains have been dated to 300,000 to

Arago: The human remains include two robust and well-preserved jaws that are quite different in size, probably because males were larger than females. The 1971 discovery of a partial skull with a complete face is one of the best-known European fossil hominins (members of the human lineage).…

Poisson’s spot, diffraction pattern produced by a small spherical object in the path of parallel light rays. French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel presented much of his work on diffraction as an entry to a competition on the subject sponsored by the French Academy of Sciences in 1818. The

François Arago was a French physicist who discovered the principle of the production of magnetism by rotation of a nonmagnetic conductor. He also devised an experiment that proved the wave theory of light and engaged with others in research that led to the discovery of the laws of light

François Arago was a French physicist who discovered the principle of the production of magnetism by rotation of a nonmagnetic conductor. He also devised an experiment that proved the wave theory of light and engaged with others in research that led to the discovery of the laws of light

Aragon, comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) and historical region of northeastern Spain. It encompasses the provincias (provinces) of Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Aragon is bounded by France to the north and by the autonomous communities of Catalonia to the east, Valencia to the southeast,

Aragon, comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) and historical region of northeastern Spain. It encompasses the provincias (provinces) of Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Aragon is bounded by France to the north and by the autonomous communities of Catalonia to the east, Valencia to the southeast,

Aragon River, river, northern Spain. It rises in the central Pyrenees and flows, generally southwest, into the Ebro River in Navarra. The river, used for irrigation and hydroelectric power, is about 80 miles (129 km) long; its chief tributary is the Arga

Lázaro Cárdenas: …revolutionary army led by General Guillermo García Aragón, and within a year he had risen to the rank of captain. When the revolutionary forces split into opposing factions, he remained loyal to Carranza, whose army triumphed in 1920. In that year Cárdenas was appointed general, the highest rank in the…

Aragon: History: …roughly coextensive with the historical kingdom of Aragon. This principality had its origins in 1035, when Sancho III (the Great) of Navarre left to his third son, Ramiro I, the small Pyrenean county of Aragon and established it as an independent kingdom. To this mountain domain Ramiro added the counties…

Louis Aragon was a French poet, novelist, and essayist who was a political activist and spokesperson for communism. Through the Surrealist poet André Breton, Aragon was introduced to avant-garde movements such as Dadaism. Together with Philippe Soupault, he and Breton founded the Surrealist review

Aragon River, river, northern Spain. It rises in the central Pyrenees and flows, generally southwest, into the Ebro River in Navarra. The river, used for irrigation and hydroelectric power, is about 80 miles (129 km) long; its chief tributary is the Arga

aragonite, widespread mineral, the stable form of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) at high pressures. It may be distinguished from calcite, the commoner form of calcium carbonate, by its greater hardness and specific gravity. Aragonite is always found in deposits formed at low temperatures near the

mineral: Carbonates: type: calcite, aragonite, and dolomite. The copper carbonates azurite and malachite are the only notable hydrous varieties.

Ichikawa Family: …a playwright who originated the aragoto (“rough business”) style of heroic drama, the specialty of the Ichikawa family. The heroic dramas feature bold, handsome, idealized warriors with exaggerated and magical powers and childlike, uncomplicated natures. The warrior’s face is marked with red, blue, and black lines, and he carries a…

Aragua, estado (state), northern Venezuela. It is bounded to the north by the Caribbean Sea, to the east by the Distrito Federal and Miranda state, to the south by Guárico state, and to the west by Carabobo state. Aragua consists largely of two Andean ranges separated by an intermontane basin, in

Bananal Island: It became the Araguaia National Park in 1959 and includes an airstrip. It is the largest known inland river island in the world and a source of ecotourism for the region.

Araguaia River, river, central Brazil. It rises on the Brazilian Highlands near Alto Araguaia town in eastern Mato Grosso estado (state) and flows north-northeast for 1,632 miles (2,627 km) to its junction with the Tocantins River, at São João do Araguaia. The river’s upper course forms the

Araguaia River, river, central Brazil. It rises on the Brazilian Highlands near Alto Araguaia town in eastern Mato Grosso estado (state) and flows north-northeast for 1,632 miles (2,627 km) to its junction with the Tocantins River, at São João do Araguaia. The river’s upper course forms the

river dolphin: The Araguaian boto (I. araguaiaensis), which is physically similar to the Amazon river dolphin, was classified as a separate species in 2014 on the basis of its distinct DNA. This species inhabits the Araguaia-Tocantins river system in Brazil.

river dolphin: The Araguaian boto (I. araguaiaensis), which is physically similar to the Amazon river dolphin, was classified as a separate species in 2014 on the basis of its distinct DNA. This species inhabits the Araguaia-Tocantins river system in Brazil.

Araguari, city, western Minas Gerais estado (state), Brazil, lying on the Jordão River, a tributary of the Paranaíba River, at 3,051 feet (930 metres) above sea level. Formerly called Freguesia do Brejo Alegre, the settlement was made the seat of a municipality in 1882 and was elevated to city rank

arhat, in Buddhism, a perfected person, one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved nirvana (spiritual enlightenment). The arhat, having freed himself from the bonds of desire, will not be reborn. The state of an arhat is considered in the Theravada tradition to be

Arai Hakuseki was a Japanese statesman and scholar who was a chief adviser to the Tokugawa shoguns in the early years of the 18th century. Born into an impoverished samurai, or warrior, family, Arai educated himself under conditions of extreme hardship. He found employment in 1682 under Hotta

Arāk, city, capital of Markazī province, northwestern Iran. It was founded as Solṭānābād in 1808 by the Qājār ruler Fatḥ ʿAlī Shāh. By the end of the century, it had become an important centre of carpet production. During the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi (1925–41), the local name Arāk was adopted as

arak, triple-distilled alcoholic beverage traditionally made in the Levant region from white grapes of the Obaideh (Obeidy) or Merwah varieties and anise seeds. It belongs to a class of anise-flavored liquors known as anisettes, which also includes ouzo, raki, and sambuca. Ingredients such as

Arakan, coastal geographic region in southwestern Myanmar (Burma). Although Arakan is the historical name for the region, it was officially designated as “Rakhine state” in 1974 under a new administrative structure. It comprises a long narrow strip of land along the eastern coast of the Bay of

Mandalay: The Mahamuni, or Arakan, pagoda, south of the city, is often considered Mandalay’s most famous. Its brass Buddha (12 feet [3.7 metres] high), believed to be of great antiquity, is one of numerous spoils of war brought from the Arakan Coast in 1784 by King Bodawpaya.…

Rakhine Mountains, mountain arc in western Myanmar (Burma), between the Rakhine (Arakan) coast and the Irrawaddy River valley. The arc extends northward for about 600 miles (950 km) from Cape Negrais (Myanmar) to Manipur (India) and includes the Naga, Chin, Mizo (Lushai), and Patkai hills. The

Arakanese, ethnic group centred in the Arakan coastal region of Myanmar (Burma), in the state of Rakhine. Most Arakanese speak an unusual variety of the Burmese language that includes significant differences from Burmese pronunciation and vocabulary. An independent Arakanese kingdom was probably

Tokyo-Yokohama Metropolitan Area: Site: …flood the city until the Arakawa Drainage Channel, roughly parallel to the Sumida and a short distance to the east of it, was put through in the years before the 1923 earthquake.

Tajimi: …1930 a native of Tajimi, Arakawa Toyozō, rediscovered some Mino kiln sites nearby and helped to revive the old processes. (In 1955 the Japanese government honoured Arakawa by naming him one of the nation’s Living National Treasures.) Modern Tajimi is a major producer of ceramic tile and dinnerware. Tajimi contains…

Olympic Games: Turin, Italy, 2006: …the bronze medal after Japan’s Arakawa Shizuka gave a dazzling performance to win her nation’s first gold medal in that event.

Aleksey Andreyevich, Graf Arakcheyev was a military officer and statesman whose domination of the internal affairs of Russia during the last decade of Alexander I’s reign (1801–25) caused that period to be known as Arakcheyevshchina. The son of a minor landowner, Arakcheyev studied at the Artillery

Iwasa Matabei was a Japanese painter of the early Tokugawa period (1603–1867). Upon the defeat and suicide of his soldier-father, Araki Murashige, he took refuge in the Hongan Temple in Kyōto with his nurse and later assumed his mother’s family name, Iwasa. He studied painting with different

Araki Sadao was a Japanese general, statesman, and a leader of the Kōdō-ha (Imperial Way) faction, an ultranationalistic group of the 1930s. He strongly advocated the importance of character building through rigid mental and physical discipline, whereas the dominant Tōseiha (Control) faction

Aras River, river rising south of Erzurum in the Bingöl Dağları (mountains) of Turkey; it flows eastward, forming for approximately 275 miles (440 km) the international boundary between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the north and Turkey and Iran on the south. Below the eastern boundary of Armenia, the

Karakum Desert: …Aral Sea is called the Aral Karakum.

Aral Sea, a once-large saltwater lake of Central Asia. It straddles the boundary between Kazakhstan to the north and Uzbekistan to the south. The shallow Aral Sea was once the world’s fourth largest body of inland water. The remnants of it nestle in the climatically inhospitable heart of Central

chondrostean: Distribution: …Aral Sea shovelnose sturgeons (Pseudoscaphirhynchus) are found in rivers that drain into the Aral Sea in Asia.

Aral Sea, a once-large saltwater lake of Central Asia. It straddles the boundary between Kazakhstan to the north and Uzbekistan to the south. The shallow Aral Sea was once the world’s fourth largest body of inland water. The remnants of it nestle in the climatically inhospitable heart of Central

major industrial polymers: Epoxies (epoxy resins): Epoxies are polyethers built up from monomers in which the ether group takes the form of a three-membered ring known as the epoxide ring:

fatsia: …(Hedera helix) to produce the tree ivy, or aralia ivy (× Fatshedera lizei), an intergeneric cross, a most uncommon botanical occurrence.