Faroese literature: Development during the 20th century: Karsten Hoydal was the first Faroese writer to compose verse directly influenced by modern foreign poets; he also translated many of their works, especially those of American poet and novelist Edgar Lee Masters. Regin Dahl and Steinbjørn B. Jacobsen have gone much farther in their…

Steny Hoyer is an American Democratic politician, a representative from Maryland in the U.S. House of Representatives (1981– ), where he served as majority leader (2007–11; 2019–23) and minority whip (2011–19). In 2007 he became the longest-serving member of the House from Maryland. In 2024 Hoyer

Steny Hoyer is an American Democratic politician, a representative from Maryland in the U.S. House of Representatives (1981– ), where he served as majority leader (2007–11; 2019–23) and minority whip (2011–19). In 2007 he became the longest-serving member of the House from Maryland. In 2024 Hoyer

Hoyerswerda, city, Saxony Land (state), eastern Germany. It lies on the Schwarze Elster River, in a lignite- (brown-coal-) mining region, south of Cottbus. First mentioned in 1268 as the seat of a German barony reputedly founded by Count Hoyer of Friedberg, it acquired market rights in 1371. In

card game: Rules and Hoyles: It is widely assumed that every card game has official rules specifying the only right way to play. This is like saying that there is only one correct form of a language and that all dialects are invalid. In fact, the vast majority of…

Edmond Hoyle was an English writer, perhaps the first technical writer on card games. His writings on the laws of whist gave rise to the common phrase “according to Hoyle,” signifying full compliance with universally accepted rules and customs. Hoyle’s life before 1741 is unknown, although he is

Sir Fred Hoyle was a British mathematician and astronomer best known as the foremost proponent and defender of the steady-state theory of the universe. This theory holds both that the universe is expanding and that matter is being continuously created to keep the mean density of matter in space

Alicia Alonso was a Cuban ballerina highly regarded for her convincing portrayals of leading roles in the great works of classical and Romantic ballet. She was best known for her lively, precise Giselle and for her sensual, tragic Carmen. Her dance studies began in childhood with flamenco lessons

Hoysala dynasty, family that ruled in India from about 1006 to about 1346 ce in the southern Deccan and for a time in the Kaveri (Cauvery) River valley. The first kings came from the hills northwest of Dorasamudra (present-day Halebid), which became their capital about 1060. With their hardy

South Asian arts: Medieval temple architecture: South Indian style of Karnataka: 1141) is a twin Hoysaḷeśvara temple at Halebīd, the capital city. The sanctums are stellate in form but lack their original superstructures. The pillars of the interior are lathe-turned in a variety of fanciful shapes. The exterior is almost totally covered with sculpture, the walls carrying the usual complement…

Elinor Wylie was an American poet and novelist whose work, written from an aristocratic and traditionalist point of view, reflected changing American attitudes in the aftermath of World War I. Elinor Hoyt grew up from age 12 in Washington, D.C., where her father served as assistant U.S. attorney

Khuzdār, town, Balochistān province, southwestern Pakistan. The town lies along the Kolāchi River at the apex of a narrow valley in the Pab (Pubb) Range and lies at an elevation of 4,060 feet (1,237 m) above sea level. It is located on an old caravan route to the Arabian Sea and is surrounded by

Abraham Mapu: …time of King Ahaz; and Ḥoze ḥezyonot (1869; “The Visionary”), an exposé of Ḥasidism, which was confiscated by religious authorities.

Clementine Churchill was an English aristocrat and philanthropist and the wife of famed English statesman Winston Churchill. Clementine Churchill was renowned for her support and advising of her husband during his political career, particularly during World War II. In his autobiography, Winston

Stanislaus Hosius was a Polish cardinal, one of the most significant figures of the Counter-Reformation. Consecrated bishop of Chełmno, Pol., in 1549, he was transferred to East Prussia (1551), from where he conducted his campaign by convoking synods, fighting heresy, and rallying Roman Catholics.

Omotic languages: …and about 3 million (for Hozo and Seze, both of the Mao group). Woylatta has about 2 million speakers; Kaficho, Yemsa, and possibly Gamo have about 500,000 speakers or more.

Suzuki Harunobu was a Japanese artist of the Ukiyo-e movement (paintings and wood-block prints of the “floating world”), who established the art of nishiki-e, or polychrome prints. He created a fashion for pictures of lyrical scenes with figures of exquisite grace. It is believed that Harunobu

Hewlett-Packard Company, American manufacturer of software and computer services and a major brand in the history of computers and computer-related products. The company split in 2015 into two companies: HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Headquarters were in Palo Alto, California. The company

horsepower, the common unit of power; i.e., the rate at which work is done. In the British Imperial System, one horsepower equals 33,000 foot-pounds of work per minute—that is, the power necessary to lift a total mass of 33,000 pounds one foot in one minute. This value was adopted by the Scottish

computer: The IBM Personal Computer: …1980 it brought out its HP-85. Hewlett-Packard’s machine was more expensive ($3,250) than those of most competitors, and it used a cassette tape drive for storage while most companies were already using disk drives. Another problem was its closed architecture, which made it difficult for third parties to develop applications…

Pa-an, town, southern Myanmar (Burma). Situated on the left bank of the Salween River, 27 miles (43 km) north of Mawlamyine (Moulmein), it has an airfield and is linked by road west to Thaton and across the Dwana Range to Thailand. Pop. (2006 est.)

bird flu: Subtypes of bird flu virus: …viruses are further distinguished as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) or low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI). With few exceptions (e.g., H5N1, H7N9), most H5, H7, and H9 subtypes are LPAI viruses. LPAI viruses can still cause mild to moderate disease, however. For example, infection with H7N2, H7N3, H7N7, or H9N2…

hormone: Progestins: …human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and human placental lactogen (HPL). HCG, like the pituitary gonadotropins, is a glycoprotein, with a molecular weight of 25,000 to 30,000. HPL is a protein, with a molecular weight variously estimated at about 19,000 or 30,000. One or perhaps both of these hormones, which become detectable…

chemical analysis: Liquid chromatography: …of columnar liquid chromatography is high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The method uses a pump to force one or more mobile phase solvents through high-efficiency, tightly packed columns. As with gas chromatography, an injection system is used to insert the sample into the entrance to the column, and a detector at…

hantavirus: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome: …group of hantavirus diseases is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which is recognized in a number of separate locations throughout the Western Hemisphere. HPS illnesses show a rapid onset of muscle ache and fever, leading to acute respiratory distress. These illnesses are fatal about 50 percent of the time. The first…

sodium-vapour lamp: High-pressure sodium-vapour (HPS) lamps have an inner discharge tube made of translucent alumina that can withstand the corrosive effects of a mixture of mercury and sodium under greater pressure and higher temperature. HPS lamps give a whiter light and are used for extra-bright lighting in…

human papillomavirus (HPV), any of a subgroup of viruses belonging to the family Papovaviridae that infect humans, causing warts (papillomas) and other benign tumours as well as cancers of the genital tract, especially of the uterine cervix in women. They are small polygonal viruses containing

Gardasil, trade name of human papillomavirus (HPV) quadrivalent (types 6, 11, 16, and 18) vaccine, recombinant, the first HPV vaccine used primarily to prevent cervical cancer in women. Developed by Scottish-born Australian immunologist Ian Frazer, the vaccine works against four types of HPV—6, 11,

quiz: Types of quizzes: …as evidenced by live-trivia app HQ Trivia, which became a viral sensation in 2017. HQ Trivia was a live game show; twice a day, users would get a push notification alerting them to tune in and answer some trivia questions. Users who made it to the end of the game…

Fomalhaut: A sixth-magnitude companion star, HR 8721, is yellow and orbits at a distance of about 0.9 light-year. A belt of dust orbits between 19.9 and 23.6 billion km (12.4 and 14.7 billion miles) from the star. The dust belt appears to be filled with comets like the solar system’s…

HR 8799, star that has the first extrasolar planetary system to be seen directly in an astronomical image. HR 8799 is a young (about 60 million years old) main-sequence star of spectral type A5 V located 128 light-years from Earth in the constellation Pegasus. Observations of this star taken by the

Kakori Conspiracy: …members of the newly established Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), a militant organization dedicated to freeing India from British rule through revolution, including armed rebellion. To fund their activities, the HRA carried out raids such as the train robbery.

Bohumil Hrabal was a Czech author of comic, nearly surreal tales about poor workers, eccentrics, failures, and nonconformists. In his youth Hrabal was influenced by a highly talkative uncle who arrived for a two-week visit and stayed 40 years. Though Hrabal received a law degree from Charles

Bohumil Hrabal was a Czech author of comic, nearly surreal tales about poor workers, eccentrics, failures, and nonconformists. In his youth Hrabal was influenced by a highly talkative uncle who arrived for a two-week visit and stayed 40 years. Though Hrabal received a law degree from Charles

Rabanus Maurus was an archbishop, Benedictine abbot, theologian, and scholar whose work so contributed to the development of German language and literature that he received the title Praeceptor Germaniae (“Teacher of Germany”). Rabanus was sent to Tours, Fr., in 802 to study under the noted

Prague Castle, collective name for an aggregation of palaces, churches, offices, fortifications, courtyards, and gardens in Prague, covering approximately 110 acres (45 hectares). The castle was formerly the seat of the kings of Bohemia and is currently the official residence of the president of

Hradec Králové, town, north-central Czech Republic, at the confluence of the Orlice and Elbe rivers. The old town stands on a low outcrop of sandstone between the rivers; the new town is on the western bank of the Elbe. Hradec Králové lies at the crossing of old trade routes from the Baltic Sea to

saga: Sagas of Icelanders: Hrafnkels saga describes a chieftain who murders his shepherd, is then tortured and humiliated for his crime, and finally takes cruel revenge on one of his tormentors. The hero who gives his name to Hænsna-Þoris saga is a man of humble background who makes money…

Einar Benediktsson: …Poems”), Hafblik (1906; “Smooth Seas”), Hrannir (1913; “Waves”), Vogar (1921; “Billows”), Hvammar (1930; “Grass Hollows”)—show a masterful command of the language and the influence of his extensive travels, and they exemplify his patriotism, mysticism, and love of nature. A speculative citizen of the world, he wrote in an ornate style…

Armenia: Drainage: …the Akhuryan (130 miles), the Hrazdan (90 miles), the Arpa (80 miles), and the Vorotan (Bargyushad; 111 miles), serve to irrigate most of Armenia. The tributaries of the Kura—the Debed (109 miles), the Aghstev (80 miles), and others—pass through Armenia’s northeastern regions. Lake Sevan, with a capacity in excess of

Human Rights Campaign (HRC), U.S. political advocacy organization promoting equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals and communities. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) was founded in 1980 by American gay rights activist Steve Endean as the Human Rights Campaign

agricultural sciences: Emerging agricultural sciences: Herbicide-resistant crops (HRC) have been available since the mid-1980s; these crops enable fairly effective chemical control of weeds, since generally only the HRC plants can survive in fields treated with the corresponding herbicide, though some weed species have also gained resistance. Some food crops have…

Aleš Hrdlička was a physical anthropologist known for his studies of Neanderthal man and his theory of the migration of American Indians from Asia. Though born in Bohemia, Hrdlička came to America with his family at an early age. He studied medicine and practiced briefly until he left for Paris in

Vietnam: Languages: Katu, Cua, Hre, Rengao, Sedang, Bahnar, Mnong, Mang (Maa), Muong, and Stieng—speak Mon-Khmer languages, connecting them with the Khmer. French missionaries and administrators provided Roman script for some of the Montagnard languages, and additional orthographies have

Battle of Kosovo: …armies of the Serbian prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and the Turkish forces of the Ottoman sultan Murad I (reigned 1360–89). The battle left both leaders dead and ended in a Turkish victory, the collapse of Serbia, and the complete encirclement of the crumbling Byzantine Empire by Turkish armies.

Human Rights First (HRF), nongovernmental organization founded in New York City in 1978 to defend human rights worldwide. HRF aims to promote laws and policies that protect the universal freedoms of all individuals—regardless of political, economic, or religious affiliation. The organization is

Iceland: Transportation and telecommunications: The Hringvegur (“Ring Road”) stretches for about 875 miles (1,400 km), forming a circle around the island. The merchant marine fleet transports most of Iceland’s imports and exports. Icelandair as well as local air service carriers are important internally in compensating for the limited road system.…

Hrodna, voblasts (province), western Belarus. Most of the province consists of the level, often swampy plain of the Neman River, from which the land rises westward, southward, and eastward to a series of undulating morainic uplands. The lowland has sandy or alluvial soils, often acidic, with much

Hrodna, city and administrative centre of Hrodna voblasts (region), western Belarus, on the Neman River. First mentioned in 1128 as the seat of a princedom, Hrodna has a stormy history, having been sacked by the Tatars in 1241 and by the Teutonic Knights in 1284 and 1391. It passed to Lithuania in

Hrodna, voblasts (province), western Belarus. Most of the province consists of the level, often swampy plain of the Neman River, from which the land rises westward, southward, and eastward to a series of undulating morainic uplands. The lowland has sandy or alluvial soils, often acidic, with much

Rollo was a Scandinavian rover who founded the duchy of Normandy. According to later Scandinavian sagas, Rollo, making himself independent of King Harald I of Norway, sailed off to raid Scotland, England, Flanders, and France on pirating expeditions. Early in the 10th century, Rollo’s Danish army

Rollo was a Scandinavian rover who founded the duchy of Normandy. According to later Scandinavian sagas, Rollo, making himself independent of King Harald I of Norway, sailed off to raid Scotland, England, Flanders, and France on pirating expeditions. Early in the 10th century, Rollo’s Danish army

Icelandic literature: The heroic sagas: The Hrólfs saga kraka (c. 1280–1350) incorporated ancient traditions about Danish and Swedish heroes who also appeared in the Old English poems “Widsith” and Beowulf.

Ukraine: Ukraine under direct imperial Russian rule: …19th century, clandestine societies called hromadas (“communities”) were formed in various cities to promote Ukrainian culture, education, and publishing under conditions of illegality. Originally associated with the Kyiv hromada was the leading political thinker of the time, Mykhaylo Drahomanov, who advocated the transformation of the tsarist empire into a federative…

George Pachymeres: This chronicle, the Hrōmaikē historia (“Roman [i.e., Eastern] History”), a 13-volume continuation of the work of George Acropolites, is Pachymeres’ principal work. A unique eyewitness record, Hrōmaikē historia emphasizes the theological nature of the events that it describes, a characteristic that marked subsequent Byzantine chronicles. Pachymeres depicts the…

Slovakia: Drainage: …the mountains include the Váh, Hron, Hornád, and Bodrog, all flowing south, and the Poprad, draining northward. Flows vary seasonally from the torrents of spring snowmelt to late-summer lows. Mountain lakes and mineral and thermal springs are numerous.

Rurik was the semilegendary founder of the Rurik dynasty of Kievan Rus. Rurik was a Viking, or Varangian, prince. His story is told in the The Russian Primary Chronicle (compiled at the beginning of the 12th century) but is not accepted at face value by modern historians. According to the

Hrosvitha was regarded as the first German woman poet. Of noble birth, Hrosvitha spent most of her life as a nun in the Benedictine convent at Gandersheim. In an effort to counteract the pagan morality expressed in classical works, Hrosvitha wrote (c. 960) six comedies in Latin, based on Terence,

Hrosvitha was regarded as the first German woman poet. Of noble birth, Hrosvitha spent most of her life as a nun in the Benedictine convent at Gandersheim. In an effort to counteract the pagan morality expressed in classical works, Hrosvitha wrote (c. 960) six comedies in Latin, based on Terence,

Hrosvitha was regarded as the first German woman poet. Of noble birth, Hrosvitha spent most of her life as a nun in the Benedictine convent at Gandersheim. In an effort to counteract the pagan morality expressed in classical works, Hrosvitha wrote (c. 960) six comedies in Latin, based on Terence,

Hrosvitha was regarded as the first German woman poet. Of noble birth, Hrosvitha spent most of her life as a nun in the Benedictine convent at Gandersheim. In an effort to counteract the pagan morality expressed in classical works, Hrosvitha wrote (c. 960) six comedies in Latin, based on Terence,

Hrosvitha was regarded as the first German woman poet. Of noble birth, Hrosvitha spent most of her life as a nun in the Benedictine convent at Gandersheim. In an effort to counteract the pagan morality expressed in classical works, Hrosvitha wrote (c. 960) six comedies in Latin, based on Terence,

Bedřich Hrozný was a Czech archaeologist and language scholar who deciphered cuneiform Hittite, opening a major path to the ancient history of the Near East. After taking part in excavations in northern Palestine (1904), Hrozný became professor at the University of Vienna (1905) and also professor

Bedřich Hrozný was a Czech archaeologist and language scholar who deciphered cuneiform Hittite, opening a major path to the ancient history of the Near East. After taking part in excavations in northern Palestine (1904), Hrozný became professor at the University of Vienna (1905) and also professor

Samoa: Political process: The Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) dominated politics throughout most of Samoa’s independent history. The main opposition throughout the 1990s and early 2000s was the Samoan National Development Party (SNDP) and its successor, the Samoan Democratic United Party (SDUP). The most significant challenge to the HRPP…

cereal processing: Wheat: varieties and characteristics: …Canada (Manitoba) and the similar hard red spring (HRS) wheats of the United States. They yield excellent bread-making flour because of their high quantity of protein (approximately 12–15 percent), mainly in the form of gluten. Soft wheats, the major wheats grown in the United Kingdom, most of Europe, and Australia,…

cursive: …led to the emergence of handwritten text recognition (HTR), which can transcribe less structured handwriting by using deep-learning algorithms.

hormone replacement therapy (HRT), estrogen or a combination of estrogen and progesterone given to restore concentrations of these hormones to physiologically active levels in menopausal or postmenopausal women. HRT is most often used to control menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and to

Oder River: Physiography: …nearly 2,100 feet in the Hrubý Jeseník Mountains. Initially it runs as a mountain stream with a steep gradient that progressively lessens until the river reaches the floor of the structural depression called the Moravian Gate; from there the Oder continues its course in a wide valley. After receiving the…

Ukraine: World War I and the struggle for independence: …Ukraine and elected the historian Mykhaylo Hrushevsky as its head. The stated goal of the Central Rada was territorial autonomy for Ukraine and the transformation of Russia into a democratic, federative republic. Although the Provisional Government recognized Ukraine’s right to autonomy and the Central Rada as a legitimate representative body,…

Ukraine: World War I and the struggle for independence: …Ukraine and elected the historian Mykhaylo Hrushevsky as its head. The stated goal of the Central Rada was territorial autonomy for Ukraine and the transformation of Russia into a democratic, federative republic. Although the Provisional Government recognized Ukraine’s right to autonomy and the Central Rada as a legitimate representative body,…

Ivan Hrušovský was a Slovak composer and educator. Hrušovský studied composition at the Bratislava Conservatory and the Academy of Musical Arts, graduating in 1957. As a theoretician, he was concerned with the development of Slovak music since the 19th century, and he wrote a number of articles on

Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian language: …of speech employed by Serbs, Croats, Montenegrins, and Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims). The term Serbo-Croatian was coined in 1824 by German dictionary maker and folklorist Jacob Grimm (see Brothers Grimm). In the 21st century, linguists and philologists adopted Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS) as a more accurate and comprehensive label

Croatia, country located in the northwestern part of the Balkan Peninsula. It is a small yet highly geographically diverse crescent-shaped country. Its capital is Zagreb, located in the north. The present-day republic is composed of the historically Croatian regions of Croatia-Slavonia (located in

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Political process: …Demokratska Stranka; SDS), and the Croatian Democratic Union (Hrvatska Demokratska Zajednica; HDZ)—formed a tacit electoral coalition. The three swept the elections for the bicameral parliament and for the seven-member multiethnic presidency, which had been established by constitutional amendment “to allay fears that any one ethnic group would become politically dominant.”…

fascism: Croatia: …founder in 1990 of the Croatian Party of Rights (Hrvatska Stranka Prava; HSP). A former seminary student and dissident under the communist regime in Croatia in the 1980s, Paraga believed that Serbia was a mortal danger to Croatian national survival, and he called for the creation of a “Greater Croatia”…

cereal processing: Wheat: varieties and characteristics: …intermediate in character include the hard red winter (HRW) wheats of the central United States and wheat from Argentina. There are important differences between spring and winter varieties. Spring wheats, planted in the early spring, grow quickly and are normally harvested in late summer or early autumn. Winter wheats are…

Ukraine: Visual arts: …in the West, among them Gritchenko, who began with Cubism and then turned to a dynamic form of Expressionism, and the painter and engraver Jacques Hnizdovsky, who developed a simplified style of realism. The sculptor Alexander Archipenko (Ukrainian: Oleksander Arkhypenko), one of the pioneers of Cubism who later experimented in…

Krasnoarmiysk, city, eastern Ukraine. It is an old coal-mining centre of the Donets Basin coalfield, and mining began there in 1884. Other industries have included railway servicing and the production of construction materials. It is the centre of a significant agricultural area. Pop. (2001)

Ukraine: Kuchma’s presidency: …introduced its long-awaited currency, the hryvnya. However, the economy continued to perform poorly through the end of the decade. Cumbersome bureaucratic procedures and unenforced economic legislation led business to be both overregulated and rife with corruption. In addition, the country was able to attract only a limited amount of foreign…

hassium (Hs), an artificially produced element belonging to the transuranium group, atomic number 108. It was synthesized and identified in 1984 by West German researchers at the Institute for Heavy Ion Research (Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung [GSI]) in Darmstadt. On the basis of its

rocket and missile system: Antiship: The Hs-293 missiles developed by Germany during World War II were the first guided antiship missiles. Though accurate, they required the delivery aircraft to stay on the same line of sight as the weapon and target; the resultant flight paths were predictable and highly vulnerable, and…

Health Savings Account (HSA), in the United States, a tax-advantaged savings account for individuals who are enrolled in high-deductible health insurance plans. HSAs came into existence with the passage of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA). The MMA, federal legislation that introduced a

Myanmar: Cultural life: …accompanied by music of the hsaing waing, a percussive instrumental ensemble with close relatives in neighboring countries of mainland Southeast Asia. The leading instruments in the hsaing waing include a circle of 21 tuned drums called pat waing, an oboelike hne, a circle of small, horizontally suspended tuned gongs known…

Saya San was the leader of the anti-British rebellion of 1930–32 in Burma (Myanmar). Saya San was a native of Shwebo, a centre of nationalist-monarchist sentiment in north-central Burma that was the birthplace of the Konbaung (or Alaungpaya) dynasty, which controlled Myanmar from 1752 until the

HSBC Holdings PLC, bank holding company based in London that originated as the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Ltd., in 1865, with offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and London. It was established at a time of growing trade between China, India, and Europe. Before the close of the 19th

bone marrow transplant: Autologous and allogeneic transplants: …of stem cell therapy, since hematopoietic stem cells from the bone marrow are central to the recovery of the patient receiving the graft. An autologous transplant is used primarily in the case of cancer patients who are preparing to undergo high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Autologous transplant involves…

assassination of John F. Kennedy: Subsequent congressional responses: …establishment in 1976 of the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA), which investigated not only the assassination of Kennedy but also that of Martin Luther King, Jr.

AIDS: Reported cures: …who had undergone allogeneic (nonself) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)—a procedure that entails the exchange of a patient’s blood-forming cells for those from a donor—for lymphoma was found to be HIV-negative following transplantation. The patient died shortly after from tumour relapse. The most-popularized case involved a 42-year-old man, Timothy Ray…

Korea Bay, inlet that forms the northeastern arm of the Yellow Sea between the Liao-tung Peninsula (in Liaoning province), China, and western North Korea. Korea Bay receives three of the major rivers of North Korea—the Yalu (which rises on Mount Paektu and forms much of the China–North Korea

Xi River system, system of rivers that combine to form the longest river of southern China. Together with its upper-course streams, the Xi River flows generally eastward for 1,216 miles (1,957 km) from the highlands of Yunnan province to the South China Sea and drains—along with the Bei, Dong, and

Xi Jin, first phase of the Jin dynasty (265–420 ce), ruling China from 265 to 316/317 and constituting one of the Six

China: Xi (Western) Han: Since at least as early as the Shang dynasty, the Chinese had been accustomed to acknowledging the temporal and spiritual authority of a single leader and its transmission within a family, at first from brother to brother and later from father to…

Xi Xia, kingdom of the Tibetan-speaking Tangut tribes that was established in 1038 and flourished until 1227. It was located in what are now the northwestern Chinese provinces of Gansu and Shaanxi. Occupying the area along the trade route between Central Asia and Europe, the Tangut were content

Xiwangmu, in Daoist mythology of China, queen of the immortals in charge of female genies (spirits) who dwell in a fairyland called Xihua (“West Flower”). Her popularity has obscured Mugong, her counterpart and husband, a prince who watches over males in Donghua (“East Flower”) paradise. Tradition

Xi’an, city and capital of Shaanxi sheng (province), north-central China. It is located in the south-central part of the province, at the southern limit of the Loess Plateau. The city site is on a low plain on the south bank of the Wei River. Just to the south the Qin (Tsingling) Mountains rise

Xi’an monument, inscribed stone monument that records the early missionary activity of Nestorian Christians in China. It was discovered by Jesuit missionaries in 1625 in the province of Shaanxi, China. The monument, constructed in 781, bears an inscription written in Chinese and signed in Syriac by

Xixabangma, one of the world’s highest mountains, reaching an elevation of 26,286 feet (8,012 metres) above sea level. It rises in the Himalayas in the southern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region, southwestern China, near the Nepal border. The Trisuli River cuts a gorge to the west of the

Xining, city and capital of Qinghai sheng (province), western interior of China. Located in the eastern part of the province, it is situated in a fertile mountain basin in the valley of the Huang River (Huang Shui), a tributary of the Huang He (Yellow River). The city lies about 60 miles (95 km)

Paracel Islands, group of about 130 small coral islands and reefs in the South China Sea. They lie about 250 miles (400 km) east of central Vietnam and about 220 miles (350 km) southeast of Hainan Island, China. Apart from a few isolated, outlying islands (Triton in the south, Lincoln in the east),