cartography, the art and science of graphically representing a geographical area, usually on a flat surface such as a map or chart. It may involve the superimposition of political, cultural, or other nongeographical divisions onto the representation of a geographical area. A brief treatment of

Santiago: History: …two surrounding arms of the Mapocho River and by Huelén (later renamed Santa Lucía) Hill to the east, which served as a lookout.

Solomon M. Mutswairo: Mapondera: Soldier of Zimbabwe (1978), written in English, celebrates Mapondera’s great efforts against both Cecil Rhodes and the Portuguese coming into Zimbabwe from the south and the east, respectively. Chaminuka: Prophet of Zimbabwe (1982), a novel, was also written in English. Mutswairo’s other works include…

Celtic religion: The Celtic gods: Maponos (“Divine Son” or “Divine Youth”) is attested in Gaul but occurs mainly in northern Britain. He appears in medieval Welsh literature as Mabon, son of Modron (that is, of Matrona, “Divine Mother”), and he evidently figured in a myth of the infant god carried…

Tom Cruise is an American actor who emerged in the 1980s as one of Hollywood’s most popular leading men, known for his clean-cut good looks and versatility. Cruise, who took up acting in high school, made his film debut in Endless Love (1981). He had supporting roles in such movies as Taps (1981)

Mapp v. Ohio, case in which the U.S. Supreme Court on June 19, 1961, ruled (6–3) that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits “unreasonable searches and seizures,” is inadmissible in state courts. In so doing, it held that the federal

Joseph ben Ephraim Karo: A corrective commentary by Isserles, Mappa (1571; “The Tablecloth”), made Karo’s code acceptable to Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews alike. Since that time the commentary has been published with Karo’s digest.

Wilhelm Beer: …the Moon of his time, Mappa Selenographica (1836). The first lunar map to be divided into quadrants, it contained a detailed representation of the Moon’s face and was accompanied, in 1837, by a volume providing micrometric measurements of the diameters of 148 craters and the elevations of 830 mountains.

Gautier de Metz: …a treatise about the universe, L’Image du monde (c. 1246; “The Mirror of the World”; also called Mappemonde), based on the medieval Latin text Imago mundi by Honorius Inclusus.

cartography, the art and science of graphically representing a geographical area, usually on a flat surface such as a map or chart. It may involve the superimposition of political, cultural, or other nongeographical divisions onto the representation of a geographical area. A brief treatment of

mapping, any prescribed way of assigning to each object in one set a particular object in another (or the same) set. Mapping applies to any set: a collection of objects, such as all whole numbers, all the points on a line, or all those inside a circle. For example, “multiply by two” defines a

Vikram Seth: …Seth’s first volume of poetry, Mappings, was published in 1980, he did not attract critical attention until the publication of his humorous travelogue From Heaven Lake (1983), the story of his journey hitchhiking from Nanking to New Delhi via Tibet. The poetic craft of The Humble Administrator’s Garden (1985) foreshadows…

Robert Mapplethorpe was an American photographer who was noted for austere photographs of flowers, celebrities, and male nudes; among the latter were some that proved controversial because of their explicitly homoerotic and sadomasochistic themes. Mapplethorpe attended the Pratt Institute in New

mappō, in Japanese Buddhism, the age of the degeneration of the Buddha’s law, which some believe to be the current age in human history. Ways of coping with the age of mappō were a particular concern of Japanese Buddhists during the Kamakura period (1192–1333) and were an important factor in the

MapQuest, American Web-based, wireless mapping service owned by AOL (formerly known as America Online). MapQuest is headquartered in Lancaster, Pa., and Denver, Colo. In 1967 R.R. Donnelley and Sons created a new division, Cartographic Services, to produce printed road maps and distribute them for

Google: Early investment, rapid growth, and a 2004 IPO: …File System (GFS), Bigtable, and MapReduce. GFS handles the storage of data in “chunks” across several machines; Bigtable is the company’s database program; and MapReduce is used by Google to generate higher-level data (e.g., putting together an index of Web pages that contain the words “Chicago,” “theater,” and “participatory”).

African literature: English: Maps is the story of a youth, Askar, growing up in a Somalia divided by Ethiopia. With the mythic Misra, who becomes his surrogate mother, and by means of a geographical movement that occurs within a rich mixture of politics and sex, the boy seeks…

Britannica is pleased to present this special feature, which gathers together our extensive collection of maps of countries of the world. Maps of the World is a companion to the Britannica special feature Flags and Anthems of the World. Larger and interactive versions of the maps can be viewed by

David Cronenberg: Later films: A History of Violence and Eastern Promises: Maps to the Stars (2014) archly investigates the menace and trauma beneath the gilded surface of Hollywood life.

Abraham Mapu was the author of the first Hebrew novel, Ahavat Ziyyon (1853; Annou: Prince and Peasant), an idyllic historical romance set in the days of the prophet Isaiah. Couched in florid biblical language, it artfully depicts pastoral life in ancient Israel. The book attained immediate

Mapuche, the most numerous group of Indigenous peoples in South America. They numbered nearly two million in the 2010s. Most inhabit the Central Valley of Chile, south of the Biobío River. A smaller group lives in Neuquén provincia, west-central Argentina. Historically known as Araucanians, the

South America: Linguistic patterns: Mapuche speakers, who constitute the largest Indian population in Chile, are restricted to the south-central part of the country, with smaller groups found in Argentina, especially in Neuquén province.

Mapun, island, southwestern Sulu Sea, Philippines. Low-lying and surrounded by 13 small islets and coral reefs, it has an area of 26 square miles (67 square km). Mapun was a centre of pirate activity by Muslims (Moros) in the 19th century. The island (together with Sibutu island) was inadvertently

Southern Africa: Mapungubwe and Great Zimbabwe: At 9th- and 10th-century sites such as Schroda and Bambandyanalo in the Limpopo valley, the ivory and cattle trade seems to have been of major importance, but later sites such as Mapungubwe (a hilltop above Bambandyanalo), Manekweni (in southwestern Mozambique), and…

Maputo, port city and capital of Mozambique. It lies along the north bank of Espírito Santo Estuary of Delagoa Bay, an inlet of the Indian Ocean. Maputo derived its former name from the Portuguese trader who first explored the region in 1544. The town developed around a Portuguese fortress

Maputo River, river formed by the confluence in southwestern Mozambique of the Great Usutu River (flowing from Swaziland) and the Pongola River (flowing from South Africa). From the confluence it flows about 50 miles (80 km) northeastward to enter Delagoa Bay, 14 miles (23 km) south-southeast of

Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī: In his Maqālāt al-Islāmīyīn (“Theological Opinions of the Muslims”), compiled during his early period, al-Ashʿari brought together the varied opinions of scholars on Muslim theological questions. From about 912, he pursued a more orthodox study of theology through the Qurʾān (Islāmic sacred scripture) and the sunnah (the…

maqām, (Arabic: “place of residence”), a spiritual stage that periodically marks the long path followed by Muslim mystics (Sufis) leading to the vision of and union with God. The Sufi progresses by means of his own mujāhadah (work, or self-mortification) and through the help and guidance of the

maqām, in music of the Middle East and parts of North Africa, a set of pitches and of characteristic melodic elements, or motifs, and a traditional pattern of their use. Maqām is the principal melodic concept in Middle Eastern musical thought and practice (parallel to īqāʿāt in rhythm). Each

maqāmah, Arabic literary genre in which entertaining anecdotes, often about rogues, mountebanks, and beggars, written in an elegant, rhymed prose (sajʿ), are presented in a dramatic or narrative context most suitable for the display of the author’s eloquence, wit, and erudition. The first

al-Ḥarīrī: …Maqāmāt, published in English as The Assemblies of al-Harîrî (1867, 1898).

maqām, in music of the Middle East and parts of North Africa, a set of pitches and of characteristic melodic elements, or motifs, and a traditional pattern of their use. Maqām is the principal melodic concept in Middle Eastern musical thought and practice (parallel to īqāʿāt in rhythm). Each

maqāmah: …of being factual, was the Maqāmāt of al-Hamadhānī (d. 1008). It consists mainly of picaresque stories in alternating prose and verse woven round two imaginary characters. The genre was revived and finally established in the 11th century by al-Ḥarīrī of Basra (Iraq), whose Maqāmāt, closely imitating al-Hamadhānī’s, is regarded as…

al-Ghazālī: …published an objective account of Maqāṣid al-falāsifah (The Aims of the Philosophers; i.e., their teachings). This book was influential in Europe and was one of the first to be translated from Arabic to Latin (12th century).

Abū al-Faraj al-Iṣbahānī: Abū al-Faraj also wrote Maqātil al-Ṭālibīyīn wa-akhbaruhum (“The Slaying of the Ṭālibīs”), comprising biographies of the Shiʿi martyrs descended from ʿAlī and his father, Abū Ṭālib.

Mogadishu, capital, largest city, and a major port of Somalia, located just north of the Equator on the Indian Ocean. One of the earliest Arab settlements on the East African coast, its origins date to the 10th century. It declined in the 16th century after a period of extensive trade with the Arab

al-Maqdisī was an Arab traveler, geographer, and author of a noted work based on personal observations of the populations, manners, and economic life of the various inhabitants of the lands of Islām, Aḥson at-taqāsīm fi maʿrifat al-aqālīm (985; “The Best of Classification for the Knowledge of

al-Maqdisī was an Arab traveler, geographer, and author of a noted work based on personal observations of the populations, manners, and economic life of the various inhabitants of the lands of Islām, Aḥson at-taqāsīm fi maʿrifat al-aqālīm (985; “The Best of Classification for the Knowledge of

Uzbekistan: Cultural life: …in the great cycles of maqoms handed down from master performers to apprentices. Television and radio as well as concert halls offer maqom cycles in live performances.

eclipse: Medieval Islamic: …to the contemporary Cairo chronicler al-Maqrīzī:

Álvaro Mutis: …alter ego, a character named Maqroll el Gaviero (“Maqroll the Lookout”).

mosque: Occasionally there is also a maqsūrah, a box or wooden screen near the miḥrāb, which was originally designed to shield a worshipping ruler from assassins. Mats or carpets cover the floor of the mosque, where the ritual prayer (ṣalāt) is performed by rows of men who bow and prostrate themselves…

as-Suhrawardī was a mystic theologian and philosopher who was a leading figure of the illuminationist school of Islamic philosophy, attempting to create a synthesis between philosophy and mysticism. After studying at Eṣfahān, a leading centre of Islamic scholarship, as-Suhrawardī traveled through

Tibet: Drainage and soils: …Ganges (Ganga) River; and the Maquan River (Tibetan: Damqog Kanbab, “Horse Spring”) flows east and, after joining the Lhasa River south of Lhasa, forms the Brahmaputra.

sculpture: General methods: …expected to submit drawings and maquettes (small-scale, three-dimensional sketch models) that give an idea of the nature of the finished work and its relation to the site. He or she may be free to choose his or her own subject matter or theme, or it may be more or less…

maquiladora, manufacturing plant that imports and assembles duty-free components for export. The arrangement allows plant owners to take advantage of low-cost labour and to pay duty only on the “value added”—that is, on the value of the finished product minus the total cost of the components that

maquiladora, manufacturing plant that imports and assembles duty-free components for export. The arrangement allows plant owners to take advantage of low-cost labour and to pay duty only on the “value added”—that is, on the value of the finished product minus the total cost of the components that

El Salvador: Plant and animal life: Also particularly beautiful is the maquilishuat, the pink-tufted national tree of El Salvador. The izote is the national flower.

Christian Bale: …for the grim psychological thriller The Machinist (2004), in which he played an insomniac factory worker who has not slept in a year and may be losing his mind. He regained the weight to portray the dual role of Bruce Wayne and Batman in Batman Begins (2005). The new take…

Native American religions: Calendrical practices: Notably, the Makiritare of the Orinoco River region in Venezuela tell how the stars, led by Wlaha, were forced to ascend on high when Kuamachi, the evening star, sought to avenge the death of his mother. Kuamachi and his grandfather induced Wlaha and the other stars to…

resistance: …various belligerent forces known as maquis (named from the underbrush, or maquis that served as their cover) were formally merged into the French Forces of the Interior (Forces Françaises de l’Intérieur [FFI]).

maquis, scrubland plant community of the Mediterranean region, composed primarily of leathery broad-leaved evergreen shrubs or small trees. Maquis ecosystems occur primarily on the lower slopes of mountains bordering the Mediterranean Sea and are considered part of the Mediterranean vegetation

Sudan: Medieval Christian kingdoms: …capital at Pachoras (modern Faras); Maqurrah, with its capital at Dunqulah (Old Dongola); and the kingdom of ʿAlwah in the south, with its capital at Sūbah (Soba) near what is now Khartoum. Between 543 and 575 these three kingdoms were converted to Christianity by the work of Julian, a missionary…

Nestorianism: …the leadership of the patriarch Mar Aba I (reigned 540–552), a convert from Zoroastrianism, and also through the renewal of monasticism by Abraham of Kashkar (501–586), the founder of the monastery on Mount Izala, near Nisibis.

Javier Bardem: …Sampedro in Mar adentro (2004; The Sea Inside), Bardem collected his fourth Goya.

Lake Mar Chiquita, saline lake at the southern edge of the Gran Chaco in northeastern Córdoba provincia (province), north-central Argentina. It is about 45 miles (70 km) long and 15 miles (24 km) wide with an area of almost 775 square miles (2,000 square km). Lake Mar Chiquita is fed by the rivers

Lake Mar Chiquita, saline lake at the southern edge of the Gran Chaco in northeastern Córdoba provincia (province), north-central Argentina. It is about 45 miles (70 km) long and 15 miles (24 km) wide with an area of almost 775 square miles (2,000 square km). Lake Mar Chiquita is fed by the rivers

Fernán Pérez de Guzmán: His fame rests on his Mar de historias (1512; “Sea of Histories”), a collection of biographies of emperors, philosophers, and saints, and primarily on the third part of this collection, which contains historical portraits of 33 prominent men and one woman from the reigns of Henry III to John II…

Mar del Plata, coastal city, southeastern Buenos Aires provincia (province), east-central Argentina. It is located on the Atlantic Ocean coast about 230 miles (370 km) south-southeast of Buenos Aires city. Juan de Garay, the second founder of Buenos Aires, first explored the coastal area of Mar del

Samuel of Nehardea was a Babylonian amora (scholar), head of the important Jewish academy at Nehardea. His teachings, along with those of Rav (Abba Arika, head of the academy at Sura), figure prominently in the Babylonian Talmud. What is known about Samuel’s life is a combination of speculation and

William Douglas, 1st earl of Douglas was a Scottish lord of the Douglases, prominent in the dynastic and English wars of the 14th century. The son of Sir Archibald Douglas (d. 1333), regent of Scotland, who was killed at the Battle of Halidon Hill, he was educated in France and returned to Scotland

John Erskine, 1st earl of Mar was a Scottish lord who played a major role in deposing Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots (reigned 1542–67), and gaining the crown for her infant son James VI (later James I of England); Mar was regent for James in 1571–72. Erskine’s father, John, 5th Lord Erskine (d. 1555),

John Erskine, 2nd earl of Mar was a Scottish politician and friend of King James VI; he helped James govern Scotland both before and after James ascended the English throne (as James I) in 1603. Erskine inherited the earldom of Mar in 1572 upon the death of his father, John, 1st (and 18th) Earl of

John Erskine, 6th earl of Mar was a Scottish noble who led the Jacobite rebellion of 1715, an unsuccessful attempt to gain the British crown for James Edward, the Old Pretender, son of the deposed Stuart monarch James II. Because Mar shifted his political allegiances frequently, he earned the

Serra do Mar, great escarpment on the eastern margins of the Brazilian Highlands, which descend abruptly to the Atlantic coast. It extends for about 1,600 miles (2,600 km) from Rio Grande do Sul estado (state) all the way northward to Bahia state but is known as the Serra do Mar only in the

Mar-a-Lago, luxury resort club and national historic landmark in Palm Beach, Florida. It is owned by former U.S. president Donald Trump and had been the estate of American cereal heiress and philanthropist Marjorie Merriweather Post. During Trump’s presidency (2017–21) it served as his presidential

Mar-a-Lago, luxury resort club and national historic landmark in Palm Beach, Florida. It is owned by former U.S. president Donald Trump and had been the estate of American cereal heiress and philanthropist Marjorie Merriweather Post. During Trump’s presidency (2017–21) it served as his presidential

Mar-pa was one of the Tibetan translators of Indian Vajrayana (or Tantric) Buddhist texts, a significant figure in the revival of Buddhism in Tibet in the 11th century. The chief source of information on the life of Mar-pa is a 14th-century biography written by the “Mad Yogin of Tsang.” According

Mar-pa was one of the Tibetan translators of Indian Vajrayana (or Tantric) Buddhist texts, a significant figure in the revival of Buddhism in Tibet in the 11th century. The chief source of information on the life of Mar-pa is a 14th-century biography written by the “Mad Yogin of Tsang.” According

Captain Marvel, American comic strip superhero created by writer Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan for Marvel Comics. The character debuted in Marvel Super-Heroes no. 12 in December 1967. The role of Captain Marvel would be filled by many heroes over subsequent years, most notably by the Kree warrior

Māra, the Buddhist “Lord of the Senses,” who was the Buddha’s temptor on several occasions. When the bodhisattva Gautama seated himself under the Bo tree to await Enlightenment, the evil Māra appeared first in the guise of a messenger bringing the news that a rival, Devadatta, had usurped the Śākya

mara, either of two South American rodents in the genus Dolichotis of the cavy family, the Patagonian mara (D. patagonum) or the Chacoan mara (D.

Mizo: …entire Mizo community), Pawi (Lai), Lakher (Mara), and Hmar. In the early 21st century the Mizo numbered about one million.

El Salvador: El Salvador in the 21st century: …Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and the 18th Street Gang (Mara 18). In March 2012 mediation by Roman Catholic clerics led to a truce between the gangs that resulted in a significant decline in the country’s skyrocketing homicide rate. In 2013, however, the truce began to collapse and violence again escalated. Large…

Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), international gang involved in drug and human smuggling, prostitution, murder, and extortion, among other illegal activities. It was founded in Los Angeles in the 1980s by immigrants from El Salvador and later spread throughout the United States, Central America, and

Gertrud Elisabeth Mara was a German soprano of great technical ability, who was one of the few non-Italians of the time to gain a great international reputation. A child prodigy, Schmeling gave violin recitals accompanied by her father, a violin maker, in Vienna and London, where at the age of 10

Frank Bainimarama: Bainimarama persuaded then president Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to resign on May 29, 2000, and took over as head of an interim military government in what many considered a countercoup. The Muanikau Accord, signed by Bainimarama (as head of government) and Speight, led to the release of the insurgents’…

Casey Affleck: …of the lead roles (opposite Rooney Mara) in A Ghost Story (2017). He then portrayed a detective on the trail of a charming bank robber (played by Robert Redford) in The Old Man & the Gun (2018). Affleck wrote, directed, and starred in his next feature, Light of My Life…

New York Giants: …was purchased for $500 by Tim Mara, whose family retained an ownership interest in the team into the 21st century (in 1930 he split ownership between his two sons, Jack and Wellington). Although the Giants lost their first contest 14–0 to the Frankford Yellow Jackets, they quickly distinguished themselves as…

marabou, (Leptoptilos crumeniferus), large African bird of the stork family, Ciconiidae (order Ciconiiformes). The marabou is the largest stork, 150 cm (5 feet) tall with a wingspread of 2.6 m (8 12 feet). Mainly gray and white, it has a naked pinkish head and neck, a pendant, reddish, inflatable

marabou, (Leptoptilos crumeniferus), large African bird of the stork family, Ciconiidae (order Ciconiiformes). The marabou is the largest stork, 150 cm (5 feet) tall with a wingspread of 2.6 m (8 12 feet). Mainly gray and white, it has a naked pinkish head and neck, a pendant, reddish, inflatable

marabout, originally, in North Africa, member of a Muslim religious community living in a ribāṭ, a fortified monastery, serving both religious and military functions. Men who possessed certain religious qualifications, such as the reciters of the Qurʾān (qurrāʾ), transmitters of Hadith

percussion instrument: The Americas: (The maraca gourd rattle is probably indigenous to South America.)

Maracaibo, city, capital of Zulia estado (state), northwestern Venezuela. Maracaibo is the country’s second largest city and one of its largest seaports. Located on the western shore of the channel connecting Lake Maracaibo with the Gulf of Venezuela, it is in a basin surrounded by higher land that

Venezuela: Relief: …the Orinoco delta; the Lake Maracaibo Lowlands; the Mérida and Perijá ranges of the Andes Mountains; the coastal mountain system (with its Coastal and Interior ranges); the northwestern valleys and hill ranges, also called the Segovia Highlands; the Llanos; and the Guiana Highlands

Lake Maracaibo, large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, lying in the Maracaibo Basin of northwestern Venezuela. Some sources consider the water body to be the largest natural lake in South America, covering an area of about 5,130 square miles (13,280 square km), extending southward for 130 miles (210 km)

Río de la Plata: Physiography of the Alto Paraná basin: …has to cut through the Serra de Maracaju (Mbaracuyú), which in the past had the effect of a dam, until the Itaipu hydroelectric dam project was completed there in 1982; the river once expanded its bed into a lake 2.5 miles wide and 4.5 miles long, with Guaíra, Brazil, standing…

Maracanã Stadium, association football stadium located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that was completed in 1950 and is the home stadium to the football clubs Flamengo and Fluminense. The first impression on visiting Maracanã Stadium—named for the Maracanã River and sharing the name of its surrounding

Samarkand, city in east-central Uzbekistan that is one of the oldest cities of Central Asia. Known as Maracanda in the 4th century bce, it was the capital of Sogdiana and was captured by Alexander the Great in 329 bce. The city was later ruled by Central Asian Turks (6th century ce), the Arabs (8th

Trinidad and Tobago: Relief and drainage: …Blue Basin Falls and the Maracas Falls, both 298 feet (91 metres) high. On the southern side of the range, foothills with an elevation of approximately 500 feet (150 metres) descend to the Northern Plain.

Maracay, city, capital of Aragua estado (state), northern Venezuela. It is situated in the central highlands, 1,500 feet (460 metres) above sea level and 70 miles (110 km) southwest of Caracas. The settlement was named for Araguas Indian cacique (chief) Maracay and has roots in the mid-16th

Canadian literature: Fiction: …memoir—Maria Campbell’s Half-Breed (1973) and Lee Maracle’s Bobbi Lee, Indian Rebel (1975, rev. ed. 1990), for example—are key genres in First Nations witnessing and testimony. These genres are also a part of the life writing (which also includes biography, biofiction, letters, and diaries) that dominates the field of Canadian literature…

purple passion fruit, (Passiflora edulis), species of passion flower (family Passifloraceae) and its edible fruit. The plant is native to Paraguay, southern Brazil, and northern Argentina and is grown in tropical regions throughout the world. The fruit’s intensely sharp flavour has notes of

Maradi, town, south-central Niger, western Africa. The town is located on the banks of the Maradi, a seasonal stream, in a region consisting largely of a flat sandy plain (1,000 to 1,650 feet [300 to 500 metres] in elevation) with isolated sandstone bluffs. Maradi was destroyed by floods in 1945

Diego Maradona was an Argentine football (soccer) player who is generally regarded as the top footballer of the 1980s and one of the greatest of all time. Renowned for his ability to control the ball and create scoring opportunities for himself and others, he led club teams to championships in

Diego Maradona was an Argentine football (soccer) player who is generally regarded as the top footballer of the 1980s and one of the greatest of all time. Renowned for his ability to control the ball and create scoring opportunities for himself and others, he led club teams to championships in

Oceanic art and architecture: Polynesia: …largely: the ceremonial ground (the marae/ahu complex, known by varying local terms) and personal ornaments. The ceremonial ground was a place of worship. It usually took the form of an enclosure (marae), which was raised or walled or in some other way delineated, with a raised platform (ahu) across one…

Spanish literature: The Renaixensa and after: In Joan Maragall i Gorina, Catalonia found its first great modern poet who, in spiritual quality, exerted a powerful influence on later poets.

Astorga: …district inhabited by the unique Maragato tribe, possibly of Germanic origin, who for centuries have interbred among themselves. Pop. (2007 est.) mun., 12,139.

Marāgheh, town in the Azerbaijan region of northwestern Iran. It lies in the shelter of Mount Sahand (12,100 feet [3,700 metres]) in a well-watered valley. The town is the prosperous centre of a large fruit-growing area and exports dried fruits. Its modern development has been accelerated in recent