Cheetah

Also called  hunting leopard  (Acinonyx jubatus) slender, long-legged cat, of the family Felidae, that lives on the open plains of southern, central, and eastern Africa and in the Middle East, where it is all but extinct. The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world over short distances, capable of attaining speeds as great as 100 km (60 miles) per hour. As its long legs

Cumberland

County, south-central Pennsylvania, U.S. It consists of a hilly region in the Appalachian Ridge and Valley physiographic province bounded to the north by Blue Mountain, to the east by the Susquehanna River, to the southeast by Yellow Breeches Creek, and to the south by the Blue Ridge Mountains. Conodoguinet Creek and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail cross the

Anglo-norman Literature

Also called  Norman-french Literature, or Anglo-french Literature,   body of writings in the Old French language as used in medieval England. Though this dialect had been introduced to English court circles in Edward the Confessor's time, its history really began with the Norman Conquest in 1066, when it became the vernacular of the court, the law, the church, schools, universities, parliament, and later of municipalities and of trade. For the

Hawk's-eye

Variety of the semiprecious quartz tiger's-eye (q.v.).

Kiribati

Kiribati continued its

Maddalena Pass

Also called  Larche Pass , Italian  Colle della Maddalena , or  dell'Argentera , French  Col de Larche , or  de l'Argentière  gap between the Cottian Alps (north) and the Maritime Alps (south). The pass lies at 6,548 feet (1,996 m) on the French-Italian border, 12 miles (19 km) east-northeast of Barcelonnette, Fr. A road (1870) across the pass connects Cuneo, Italy, with Barcelonnette. Hannibal reputedly led his Carthaginian army over the pass toward Rome in 218 BC, and the army of King Francis I of France used the pass to enter Italy

Ambrose, Stephen Edward

American biographer and historian (b. Jan. 10, 1936, Decatur, Ill.—d. Oct. 13, 2002, Bay St. Louis, Miss.), wrote some three dozen books on U.S. history. His later works were populist in tone, celebrating the achievements of ordinary people. In 2002 he was accused of plagiarism, but in his defense he argued that he had cited sources for his material. Ambrose earned a B.S. degree in history from the University

Young, Frederick Archibald ("freddie")

British cinematographer whose visual flair and artistry added immeasurably to British films for more than 70 years, beginning with his work as an assistant cameraman on the 1922 silent Rob Roy. He was particularly known for the stunning beauty he brought to a series of films by director David Lean, three of which--Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Dr. Zhivago (1965), and Ryan's Daughter (1970)--earned

Jex-blake, Sophia Louisa

Jex-Blake attended Queen's College, London, and then studied

Kérouané

Town and administrative capital of Kérouané region, southeastern Guinea, West Africa, on the road from Beyla to Kankan. It is the chief trading town (rice, millet, cattle) for savanna lands inhabited mainly by the Muslim Malinke people. Local rivers have been an important source of alluvial diamonds since the 1950s, and the Simandou Mountains in the eastern part of the region

Jovius, Paulus

In about 1513 Jovius settled in Rome; he won the favour of Leo X (who compared him to Livy) and of Cardinal Giulio de' Medici, later Clement VII, whom he helped during the sack of Rome in 1527. In 1528 Jovius became bishop of Nocera. He

Vendôme

Historic town and capital of an arrondissement in the département of Loir-et-Cher, Centre région, north-central France. It lies southwest of Paris and 20 miles (30 km) northwest of Blois. Vendôme stands on the Loir River, which there divides and intersects the town. To the south stands a hill on which are ruins of the 11th-century castle of the counts (later dukes) of Vendôme. The town

Swan

Largest waterfowl species of subfamily Anserinae, family Anatidae (order Anseriformes). Most swans are classified in the genus Cygnus. Swans are gracefully long-necked, heavy-bodied, big-footed birds that glide majestically when swimming and fly with slow wingbeats and with necks outstretched. They migrate in diagonal formation or V-formation at great heights: