- West Indian boxwood (lumber)
boxwood: …density and grain, such as West Indian boxwood, a North American lumber trade name for wood from two tropical American trees, Casearia praecox of the family Salicaceae and Phyllostylon brasiliensis of the family Ulmaceae, and a number of woods from Australian trees in the genera Eucalyptus and Tristania (family Myrtaceae),…
- West Indian Carnival (street festival, London, England)
Claudia Jones: Founding of the West Indian Gazette and the Notting Hill Carnival: …celebration later expanded into the Notting Hill Carnival, which continued to draw some two million spectators annually in the early 21st century.
- West Indian cedar (tree)
cigar-box cedar, (Cedrela odorata), tropical American timber tree, of the mahogany family (Meliaceae), prized for its aromatic wood, hence its name. Its small flowers are borne in branched clusters, and each fruit is a capsule containing many winged seeds. Other species of the genus Cedrela such as
- West Indian cherry (plant and fruit)
Barbados cherry, (Malpighia emarginata), tropical and subtropical shrub or small tree (family Malpighiaceae), cultivated as an ornamental plant and for its tart edible fruits. The fruits are very rich in vitamin C and are used in preserves and commercial vitamin production. The plant is native to
- West Indian Gazette (British newspaper)
Claudia Jones: Founding of the West Indian Gazette and the Notting Hill Carnival: …Amy Ashwood Garvey founded the West Indian Gazette, one of the first major Black newspapers in England. The paper reported on political events in the United Kingdom, the Caribbean, and Africa. It also became Jones’s vehicle for expressing her views on imperialism, racism, and sexism.
- West Indian gherkin (plant)
gherkin, (Cucumis anguria), annual trailing vine of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), grown for its edible fruit. The plant is likely native to southern Africa and is grown in warm climates around the world. Gherkin fruits are served raw, cooked, or pickled, though the “gherkins” sold in commercial
- West Indian gooseberry (plant)
Pereskia: Leafy cactus (P. aculeata), also known as Barbados gooseberry, is cultivated extensively for hedges and for its orange edible fruit. Both P. bleo and P. grandifolia have been used in traditional medicine and show some anticancer potential, though additional studies are needed.
- West Indian lime (fruit)
lime: …commercial varieties, though the smaller key lime, or Mexican lime (C. ×aurantifolia), is also economically important in many places. The lime fruit is a key ingredient in certain pickles and chutneys, and lime juice is used to flavour drinks, foods, and confections. Limeade and other lime-flavoured drinks have a flavour…
- West Indian manatee (mammal)
manatee: …is one subspecies of the West Indian manatee (T. manatus). The other subspecies lives in nearshore waters, lagoons, estuaries, and rivers of eastern Mexico, down the Central American coast, and across northern South America. It also occurs around the Greater Antilles islands of the Caribbean
- West Indian monk seal (mammal)
monk seal: The Caribbean, or West Indian, monk seal (M. tropicalis) was thought to be extinct by the early 1970s. The surviving species, both in danger of extinction, are the Mediterranean monk seal (M. monachus) and the Hawaiian, or Laysan, monk seal (M. schauinslandi). The seals are threatened…
- West Indian satinwood (plant)
prickly ash: West Indian satinwood, or yellowheart (Z. flavum), produces shiny golden brown timber for cabinetwork. Some species are cultivated as bonsai.
- West Indian vanilla (plant)
vanilla: tahitensis), and occasionally West Indian vanilla (V. pompona); all three species are thought to be derived from a single species native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Vanilla had been used to flavor xocoatl, the chocolate beverage of the Aztecs, centuries before the Spanish conquistador
- West Indian, The (work by Cumberland)
Richard Cumberland: The West Indian (1771) was first produced by the great actor-manager David Garrick and held the stage throughout the 18th century. Despite its fantastic plot and crude psychology, a great deal of feeling is extracted from the situations. The Fashionable Lover, another sentimental comedy, achieved…
- West Indies (cricket team)
Brian Lara: …was first selected for the West Indies national team in 1990 at age 21, but he did not make his mark until 1994, when he broke the two most coveted batting records in cricket, scoring 375 runs against England (besting Garfield Sobers’s 36-year-old record) and 501 runs (not out) for…
- West Indies (island group, Atlantic Ocean)
West Indies, crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles (3,200 km) long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north. From the peninsula of Florida on the mainland of the United States, the islands stretch
- West Indies Act (United Kingdom [1967])
Antigua and Barbuda: History of Antigua and Barbuda: Provision was made in the West Indies Act of 1967 for Antigua to assume a status of association with the United Kingdom on February 27, 1967. As an associated state, Antigua was fully self-governing in all internal affairs, while the United Kingdom retained responsibility for external affairs and defense.
- West Indies Associated States (organization, West Indies)
West Indies Associated States, former political organization of islands in the Caribbean Sea that were British colonies whose status changed to free association with the United Kingdom in 1967. This status provided for internal self-government, with Britain responsible for external affairs and
- West Indies Federation (West Indian history)
Dominica: The French and British colonial period: In 1958 Dominica joined the West Indies Federation. After that organization was dissolved in 1962, discussions for alternative forms of federation took place. Those issues were settled when the British government passed the West Indies Act of 1967, which gave Dominica the status of association with the United Kingdom. Under…
- West Indies Royal Commission (British history)
Anguilla: History of Anguilla: …commission (popularly known as the Moyne Commission) to examine social and economic conditions in the islands. The commission advocated political and social reforms, and its findings hastened the democratization of the political process. Anguilla was granted universal adult suffrage in 1952. Further changes occurred in 1956—with the dissolution of the…
- West Indies, history of
American Revolution: French intervention and the decisive action at Virginia Capes: …loss of islands in the West Indies, the British maintained control of the North American seaboard for most of 1779 and 1780, which made possible their Southern land campaigns. They also reinforced Gibraltar, which the Spaniards had brought under siege in the fall of 1779, and sent a fleet under…
- West Indies, University of the (university, Bridgetown, Barbados)
Barbados: Education: …level is done at the University of the West Indies, which maintains a Barbados campus at Cave Hill, near Bridgetown.
- West Indies, University of the (university, Kingston, Jamaica)
Jamaica: Self-government of Jamaica: …the Jamaican branch of the University of the West Indies (established 1948), which became an important factor in the preparation for independence. A sugar refinery, citrus-processing plants, a cement factory, and other industrial projects were started. A severe hurricane in August 1951 temporarily stalled development by devastating crops and killing…
- West Indies, University of the (university, Saint Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago)
Trinidad and Tobago: Education: A campus of the University of the West Indies, offering courses in engineering, business administration, law, medicine, social science, natural science, education, agriculture, and humanities, is located in St. Augustine, about 10 miles (16 km) east of Port of Spain. The University of Trinidad and Tobago (established 2004), with…
- West Irian (province, Indonesia)
Papua, propinsi (or provinsi; province) of Indonesia, spanning roughly the eastern three-fourths of the western half of the island of New Guinea as well as a number of offshore islands—notably, Sorenarwa (Yapen), Yos Sudarso (Dolak), and the Schouten Islands. Papua is bounded by the Pacific Ocean
- West Irian Jaya (province, Indonesia)
West Papua, propinsi (or provinsi; province) of Indonesia, including the Bomberai and Doberai (Vogelkop) peninsulas on the western end of the island of New Guinea and, to the west, the Raja Ampat Islands—most notably Salawati, Waigeo, Batanta, and Misool. The province is bounded to the north by the
- West Island (island, Australia)
Cocos Islands: Land: …of the South Keelings include West Island (the largest in the territory, with a length of 6 miles [10 km]), South, Home, Direction, and Horsburgh. The land is low, with the highest point in the territory rising to only about 20 feet (6 metres) above sea level. The climate is…
- West Java (province, Indonesia)
West Java, propinsi (or provinsi; province), western Java, Indonesia. It is bounded by the province of Central Java (Jawa Tengah) to the east, the Indian Ocean to the south, the province of Banten to the west, the special capital district of Jakarta to the northwest, and the Java Sea to the north.
- West Jersey (historical region, New Jersey, United States)
United States: The middle colonies: …Jersey, controlled by Carteret, and West Jersey, controlled by Penn and the other Quaker trustees. In 1682 the Quakers bought East Jersey. A multiplicity of owners and an uncertainty of administration caused both colonists and colonizers to feel dissatisfied with the proprietary arrangement, and in 1702 the crown united the…
- West Kalimantan (province, Indonesia)
West Kalimantan, propinsi (or provinsi; province), western Borneo, Indonesia. It is bounded by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak to the north, by the Indonesian provinces of East Kalimantan (Kalimantan Timur) to the northeast and Central Kalimantan (Kalimantan Tengah) to the southeast, and by the
- West Kennet Avenue (ancient structure, Avebury, England, United Kingdom)
Avebury: …of a route called the Kennet Avenue (or West Kennet Avenue) into the interior of the great circle. The Kennet Avenue originally consisted of stones 80 feet (25 metres) apart, arranged in pairs (according to their shapes) that faced each other across the 50-foot (15-metre) width of the avenue. It…
- West Kipchak group (linguistic group)
Turkic languages: Classification: The West Kipchak group (NWw) today consists of small, partly endangered languages, Kumyk (Dagestan), Karachay and Balkar (North Caucasus), Crimean Tatar, and Karaim. The Karachay and Balkars and Crimean Tatars were deported during World War II; the latter were allowed to resettle in Crimea only after…
- West Korea Bay (bay, Yellow Sea)
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
- West Lafayette (Indiana, United States)
West Lafayette, city, Tippecanoe county, west-central Indiana, U.S. It lies along the Wabash River (bridged) opposite Lafayette. A town was platted on the west bank of the Wabash in 1836, but it failed to attract settlers because it was located in an area prone to flooding. A second settlement was
- West Lake (lake, China)
Zhejiang: Cultural life: The Xi (West) Lake in Hangzhou is considered one of the most scenic places in the country, combining both natural and architectural beauty. The lake is surrounded by hills on three sides, while springs, ponds, dams, bridges, islets, pavilions, terraces, and towers are scattered at various…
- West Lancashire (district, England, United Kingdom)
West Lancashire, district, administrative and historic county of Lancashire, northwestern England, north of the city of Liverpool. Ormskirk, in the southwest, is the district’s administrative centre. West Lancashire is separated from the Irish Sea by the narrow coastal strip of Sefton except in the
- West Liberty Academy (university, West Liberty, West Virginia, United States)
West Liberty University, public, coeducational institution of higher learning in West Liberty, West Virginia, U.S. It is a four-year liberal arts university that confers two-year associate as well as bachelor’s degrees. The campus is on a hilltop in a rural region of northern West Virginia that is
- West Liberty State Normal School (university, West Liberty, West Virginia, United States)
West Liberty University, public, coeducational institution of higher learning in West Liberty, West Virginia, U.S. It is a four-year liberal arts university that confers two-year associate as well as bachelor’s degrees. The campus is on a hilltop in a rural region of northern West Virginia that is
- West Liberty State Teachers College (university, West Liberty, West Virginia, United States)
West Liberty University, public, coeducational institution of higher learning in West Liberty, West Virginia, U.S. It is a four-year liberal arts university that confers two-year associate as well as bachelor’s degrees. The campus is on a hilltop in a rural region of northern West Virginia that is
- West Liberty University (university, West Liberty, West Virginia, United States)
West Liberty University, public, coeducational institution of higher learning in West Liberty, West Virginia, U.S. It is a four-year liberal arts university that confers two-year associate as well as bachelor’s degrees. The campus is on a hilltop in a rural region of northern West Virginia that is
- West Lindsey (district, England, United Kingdom)
West Lindsey, district, administrative and historic county of Lincolnshire, east-central England, north of the city of Lincoln. West Lindsey district comprises two low-lying fertile clay valleys at an elevation below 100 feet (30 metres) split by the Lincoln Edge, a narrow limestone ridge 200 feet
- West Los Angeles, University of (university, Inglewood, California, United States)
Inglewood: …is the seat of the University of West Los Angeles (1966) and the City University of Los Angeles (1974), a distance-learning institution (now centred largely around Internet-based instruction) with offices in several U.S. states and overseas. Los Angeles International Airport is adjacent (southwest). Inc. city, 1908. Pop. (2010) 109,673; (2020)…
- West Lothian (council area, Scotland, United Kingdom)
West Lothian, council area and historic county, southeastern Scotland, on the southern shore of the River Forth estuary and the Firth of Forth just west of Edinburgh. The council area and historic county occupy somewhat different areas. The historic county borders the Forth from Bo’ness to the
- West Lothian (historical county, Scotland, United Kingdom)
West Lothian: West Lothian, council area and historic county, southeastern Scotland, on the southern shore of the River Forth estuary and the Firth of Forth just west of Edinburgh. The council area and historic county occupy somewhat different areas. The historic county borders the Forth from Bo’ness…
- West Malaysia (region, Malaysia)
Peninsular Malaysia, region of the 13-state federation of Malaysia. It occupies the southern half of the Malay Peninsula and is separated from East Malaysia (on the island of Borneo) by the South China Sea. Formerly the Federation of Malaya (1948–63), it contains the bulk of Malaysia’s population
- West Memphis (Arkansas, United States)
West Memphis, city, Crittenden county, eastern Arkansas, U.S. It lies along the west bank of the Mississippi River opposite Memphis, Tennessee (with which it is linked by bridges). It was founded in 1910 as a logging camp, near the site of Fort Esperanza (built by the Spanish in 1797), and was
- West Memphis Three (United States history)
West Memphis Three, three American men who in 1994, while teenagers, were found guilty of murdering three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, allegedly as part of devil worship. The men garnered national attention due to a series of documentaries and books that questioned their convictions as
- West Midlands (region, England, United Kingdom)
West Midlands, metropolitan county of central England. It consists of seven metropolitan boroughs: the city of Birmingham (England’s second largest city), the city of Coventry, and the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, and Wolverhampton. The metropolitan county incorporates parts of
- West Morava (river, Serbia)
Morava River: The West Morava originates in southern Serbia and North Macedonia on the west-facing slope of Golija Mountain. Three hydroelectric stations are located along its 185-mile (298-kilometre) course. The South Morava is 198 miles (319 km) long from its source at the union of the Binačka Morava…
- West New Guinea (province, Indonesia)
Papua, propinsi (or provinsi; province) of Indonesia, spanning roughly the eastern three-fourths of the western half of the island of New Guinea as well as a number of offshore islands—notably, Sorenarwa (Yapen), Yos Sudarso (Dolak), and the Schouten Islands. Papua is bounded by the Pacific Ocean
- West New York (New Jersey, United States)
West New York, town, Hudson county, northeastern New Jersey, U.S. It lies along the Hudson River, adjacent to Weehawken. The area, originally settled by the Dutch in 1790, was alternately a part of Guttenberg and North Bergen until 1898, when it was detached from North Bergen as a separate town.
- West Nile encephalitis (medical condition)
encephalitis: Epidemics of encephalitis: …States was the largest human encephalitis outbreak recorded in the Western Hemisphere at the time. EEE virus is also found in the United States, where it is a rare cause of illness. It occurs most commonly along the East Coast but is also found in the Great Lakes region. About…
- West Nile fever (viral disease)
West Nile virus, virus belonging to the family Flaviviridae, related to viruses that can cause yellow fever and dengue and more closely to viruses that can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). Predominantly an infection of birds, West Nile virus is highly fatal for many avian species
- West Nile meningitis (medical condition)
West Nile virus: West Nile virus infection: …to the CNS can cause West Nile meningitis, a distinguishing symptom of which is stiff neck, or West Nile poliomyelitis, a syndrome characterized primarily by acute flaccid paralysis.
- West Nile neuroinvasive disease (medical condition)
West Nile virus: West Nile virus infection: …of various conditions classified as West Nile neuroinvasive disease. In some instances, the virus reaches the brain, resulting in West Nile encephalitis, symptoms of which include headache, fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, and muscle weakness. Death may result. Alternatively, spread of the virus to the CNS can cause West Nile meningitis,…
- West Nile poliomyelitis (medical condition)
West Nile virus: West Nile virus infection: …which is stiff neck, or West Nile poliomyelitis, a syndrome characterized primarily by acute flaccid paralysis.
- West Nile virus (infectious agent)
West Nile virus: Historical distribution: West Nile virus historically was largely confined to Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Russia, India, and Indonesia, where it caused occasional, usually minor, epidemics of denguelike illness or sporadic encephalitis. However, the virus eventually was imported more broadly
- West Nile virus (viral disease)
West Nile virus, virus belonging to the family Flaviviridae, related to viruses that can cause yellow fever and dengue and more closely to viruses that can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). Predominantly an infection of birds, West Nile virus is highly fatal for many avian species
- West Nipissing (Ontario, Canada)
West Nipissing, municipality, east-central Ontario, Canada. It was formed in 1999 when the town of Sturgeon Falls and other neighbouring communities were amalgamated under the name West Nipissing. The municipality is located on the Sturgeon River, just north of its mouth on Lake Nipissing, 22 miles
- West Norfolk (district, England, United Kingdom)
King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, borough (district), administrative and historic county of Norfolk, eastern England. The borough is bounded by the North Sea to the north and its shallow bay, The Wash, to the northwest. The low-lying area straddles on the west a small part of the Fens, a vast, fertile,
- West North Central States (region, North America)
Great Plains, major physiographic province of North America. The Great Plains lie between the Rio Grande in the south and the delta of the Mackenzie River at the Arctic Ocean in the north and between the Interior Lowland and the Canadian Shield on the east and the Rocky Mountains on the west. Their
- West Nottingham Academy (school, Maryland, United States)
boarding school: History of boarding schools across the world: Among the oldest are the West Nottingham Academy in Maryland, founded in 1744, and the Linden Hall School for Girls in Pennsylvania, founded in 1746.
- West Nusa Tenggara (province, Indonesia)
West Nusa Tenggara, propinsi (or provinsi; province) of Indonesia, comprising the western Lesser Sunda Islands of Lombok, Sumbawa, Moyo, and Sangeang. Nusa Tenggara is Indonesian for “southeast islands.” The province fronts the Flores Sea to the northeast, the Sape Strait to the east, the Indian
- West of Suez (play by Osborne)
John Osborne: West of Suez (1971) revealed a measure of sympathy for a type of British colonizer whose day has waned and antipathy for his ideological opponents, who are made to appear confused and neurotic. Osborne’s last play, Déjàvu (1992), a sequel to Look Back in Anger,…
- West Oğuz language group (linguistic group)
Turkic languages: Classification: The West Oghuz group (SWw) consists of Turkish (spoken in Turkey, Cyprus, the Balkans, western Europe, and so on); Azerbaijani (Azerbaijanian; Azerbaijan, Iran); and Gagauz (Moldova, Bulgaria, and so on). The East Oghuz group (SWe) consists of Turkmen (Turkmenistan and adjacent countries) and Khorāsān Turkic (northeastern…
- West Orange (New Jersey, United States)
West Orange, township (town), Essex county, northeastern New Jersey, U.S., about 4 miles (6 km) northwest of Newark. It was part of Orange until set off in 1863 as the township of Fairmount (later renamed West Orange). The town is widely known for its association with the inventor Thomas A. Edison,
- West Oxfordshire (district, England, United Kingdom)
West Oxfordshire, district, administrative and historic county of Oxfordshire, south-central England. It encompasses a mainly rural area in the western part of the county. The Cotswolds uplands extend into the northwest, and a clay valley predominates in the rest of the district and borders on the
- West Palm Beach (city, Florida, United States)
West Palm Beach, city, seat (1909) of Palm Beach county, southeastern Florida, U.S. It is situated along the western shore of Lake Worth (part of the Intracoastal Waterway), a lagoon separated from the Atlantic Ocean to the east by a barrier island, about 65 miles (105 km) north of Miami. The town
- West Papua (province, Indonesia)
West Papua, propinsi (or provinsi; province) of Indonesia, including the Bomberai and Doberai (Vogelkop) peninsulas on the western end of the island of New Guinea and, to the west, the Raja Ampat Islands—most notably Salawati, Waigeo, Batanta, and Misool. The province is bounded to the north by the
- West Pearl River (river, United States)
Pearl River: …near Grand Island, and the West Pearl, which parallels the East Pearl several miles to the west. Approximately 411 miles (661 km) long, the Pearl and its tributaries (Yockanookany and Strong rivers and the Bogue Chitto) drain about 7,600 square miles (19,700 square km). Locks on the West Pearl (1953)…
- West Plains (Missouri, United States)
West Plains, city, seat (1858) of Howell county, south-central Missouri, U.S. It is situated in the Ozark Mountains, near the Arkansas state line, about 100 miles (160 km) east-southeast of Springfield. Laid out in 1858, it developed as a trade centre for a farming and livestock-raising area.
- West Point (Mississippi, United States)
West Point, city, seat (1874) of Clay county, eastern Mississippi, U.S., 47 miles (76 km) south of Tupelo. With Columbus and Starkville it forms the Golden Triangle industrial region. It was developed on land known as “the Granary of Dixie,” which was sold to James Robertson (1844) by two Native
- West Point Academy (school, New York, United States)
United States Military Academy, institution of higher education for the training of commissioned officers for the United States Army. It was originally founded as a school for the U.S. Corps of Engineers with a class of 5 officers and 10 cadets on March 16, 1802. It is one of the oldest service
- West Pomerania (region, Germany)
Pomerania: …in the name of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania Land (state). The region is generally flat, and there are numerous small rivers and, along the east coast, many lakes.
- west quadrature (astronomy)
quadrature: …to be at east or west quadrature, respectively. A superior planet (outside the Earth’s orbit) is at west quadrature when its position is 90° west of the Sun. It rises around midnight, reaches the meridian (a great circle on the celestial sphere, passing through the north and south poles and…
- West Riding (former region, United Kingdom)
Yorkshire: Administration and government: …authority of York), and the West Riding (almost the entire metropolitan counties of South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, parts of the administrative counties of North Yorkshire, Cumbria, and Lancashire, and small parts of the unitary authorities of East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, and York). The historic city of York…
- West Rongbuk Glacier (glacier, Asia)
Mount Everest: Drainage and climate: …east; the East, Central, and West Rongbuk (Rongpu) glaciers to the north and northwest; the Pumori Glacier to the northwest; and the Khumbu Glacier to the west and south, which is fed by the glacier bed of the Western Cwm, an enclosed valley of ice between Everest and the Lhotse-Nuptse…
- West Rongpu Glacier (glacier, Asia)
Mount Everest: Drainage and climate: …east; the East, Central, and West Rongbuk (Rongpu) glaciers to the north and northwest; the Pumori Glacier to the northwest; and the Khumbu Glacier to the west and south, which is fed by the glacier bed of the Western Cwm, an enclosed valley of ice between Everest and the Lhotse-Nuptse…
- West Ruin (building, New Mexico, United States)
Aztec Ruins National Monument: The West Ruin, open to visitors, once had more than 500 rooms centred on an open plaza (many of which still have their original wooden roofs) and held artifacts offering a glimpse into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people. The West Ruin also contains the…
- West Saxon (language)
English language: Old English: …thus four dialects: Northumbrian, Mercian, West Saxon, and Kentish. In the 8th century, the Northumbrian speech group led in literature and culture, but that leadership was destroyed by the Viking invaders, who sacked Lindisfarne, an island near the Northumbrian mainland, in 793. They landed in strength in 865. The first…
- West Schelde (estuary, Netherlands)
Western Schelde, estuary, flowing westward for about 50 km (30 miles) through the Delta Islands in the southwestern Netherlands to the North Sea. The former islands of Walcheren and Zuid-Beveland (now a peninsula) are located to the north of the estuary. The Zeeuws Vlaanderen region, consisting
- West Scotia Basin (submarine trough, Atlantic Ocean)
West Scotia Basin, submarine trough of the Scotia Sea, an arm of the South Atlantic Ocean, about 500 miles (800 km) southeast of Tierra del Fuego, South America. Its mean depth is about 9,800 feet (3,000 m), and it is some 700 miles (1,130 km) long and 300 miles (480 km) wide. The submerged Scotia
- West Scotland, University of (university, Scotland)
Paisley: …of the campuses of the University of West Scotland (formed by the merger of the University of Paisley and Bell College). Pop. (2001) 75,500; (2011) 76,830.
- West Seneca (New York, United States)
West Seneca, town (township), Erie county, western New York, U.S. It lies immediately southeast of Buffalo, in the lee of Lake Erie. It was settled in 1842 by the Ebenezer Society Amana colonies, a German religious sect that purchased 5,000 acres (2,000 hectares) of the Seneca Indian Reservation.
- West Settlement (historical settlement, Greenland)
Greenland: History of Greenland: …present-day Qaqortoq (Julianehåb), and the West Settlement, near present-day Nuuk (Godthåb). These settlements may have reached a population of 3,000–6,000 on about 280 farms, suggesting that temperatures at that time may have been as warm or warmer than they are today. Christianity arrived in the 11th century by way of…
- west Siberian moose (mammal)
moose: alces pfizenmayeri); the west Siberian, or Ussuri, moose (A. alces cameloides); and the east Siberian, or Kolyma, moose (A. alces buturlini). In addition to differences in geographical distribution, the different subspecies of moose are further distinguished by features such as size, pelage, and antler characteristics. The differences in…
- West Siberian Plain (region, Russia)
West Siberian Plain, one of the world’s largest regions of continuous flatland, central Russia. It occupies an area of nearly 1,200,000 square miles (3,000,000 square km) between the Ural Mountains in the west and the Yenisey River valley in the east. On the north the West Siberian Plain is bounded
- West Side Story (musical by Bernstein and Sondheim and Robbins)
West Side Story, theatre music by American composer Leonard Bernstein that premiered August 19, 1957, in Washington, D.C., before moving to Broadway for a second opening on September 26, 1957. The musical is a 20th-century American adaptation of the Shakespearean tale of Romeo and Juliet. It has
- West Side Story (film by Robbins and Wise [1961])
West Side Story, American musical film, released in 1961, that was inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The movie, filled with exhilarating dance sequences choreographed by Jerome Robbins and memorable songs—including “Tonight,” “Maria,” and “Somewhere”—by Leonard Bernstein (music) and
- West Side Story (film by Spielberg [2021])
Tony Kushner: …script for Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story (2021). In addition, Kushner authored the children’s book Brundibar (2003; illustrated by Maurice Sendak) and coedited (with Alisa Solomon) the essay collection Wrestling with Zion: Progressive Jewish-American Responses to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (2003). He received the National Medal of Arts in 2013.
- West Slav (people)
Poland: The early state: …land that the Poles, a West Slavic people, came to inhabit was covered by forests with small areas under cultivation where clans grouped themselves into numerous tribes. The dukes (dux) were originally the commanders of an armed retinue (drużyna) with which they broke the authority of the chieftains of the…
- West Slavic languages
Europe: Romance, Germanic, and Slavic languages: Among the West Slavic languages are Polish, Czech and Slovak, Upper and Lower Sorbian of eastern Germany, and the Kashubian language of northern Poland. The East Slavic languages are Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian. The South Slavic
- West Society (Connecticut, United States)
West Hartford, urban town (township), Hartford county, central Connecticut, U.S. Founded in 1679 as an agricultural community, it was known as West Division Parish or West Society. It became a wealthy residential suburb of Hartford, was named West Hartford in 1806, and was separately incorporated
- West Somerset (district, England, United Kingdom)
West Somerset, district, administrative and historic county of Somerset, southwestern England. It is located on the southern shore of the Bristol Channel. The inland town of Williton is the administrative centre. West Somerset is a district of contrasts, with extensive moors and wooded valleys,
- West Spitsbergen (island, Norway)
Spitsbergen, largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, part of Norway, in the Arctic Ocean. Spitsbergen, with an area of 15,075 square miles (39,044 square km), is approximately 280 miles (450 km) long and ranges from 25 to 140 miles (40 to 225 km) wide. The terrain is mountainous, and most of
- West Springfield (Massachusetts, United States)
West Springfield, town (township), Hampden county, southwestern Massachusetts, U.S. It lies along the Westfield and Connecticut rivers opposite Springfield and Chicopee. It was settled about 1660 and incorporated in 1774. The town’s common, where insurgents drilled during Shays’s Rebellion
- West Sulawesi (province, Indonesia)
West Sulawesi, propinsi (or provinsi; province), western Celebes (Sulawesi), Indonesia, bounded by Central Sulawesi (Sulawesi Tengah) to the north and northeast, South Sulawesi (Sulawesi Selatan) to the southeast, and Makassar Strait to the south and west. The capital is Mamuju, on the province’s
- West Sumatra (province, Indonesia)
West Sumatra, propinsi (or provinsi; province), west-central Sumatra, Indonesia, fronting the Indian Ocean to the west and bounded by the provinces of North Sumatra (Sumatera Utara) to the north, Riau to the northeast, Jambi to the southeast, and Bengkulu to the south. It includes the islands of
- West Sussex (county, England, United Kingdom)
West Sussex, administrative county of southern England, bordering the English Channel. West Sussex lies within the historic county of Sussex, except for a small area in the north around Gatwick Airport, which belongs to the historic county of Surrey. It comprises seven districts: Adur, Arun,
- West Syrian Church (Christianity)
Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, autocephalous Oriental Orthodox Christian church. In the 5th and 6th centuries a large body of Christians in Syria repudiated the patriarchs of Antioch who had supported the Council of Chalcedon (451) both in its affirmation of the dual
- West Syrian rite (Christianity)
Antiochene rite, the system of liturgical practices and discipline observed by Syrian Monophysites (Jacobites), the Malabar Christians of Kerala, India (Jacobites), and three Eastern-rite communities of the Roman Catholic church: Catholic Syrians, Maronites, and Malankarese Christians of Kerala.