(Encyclopedia) Tehran or TeheranTehranboth: tāˌəränˈ, –rănˈ [key], city (1991 pop. 6,475,527), capital of Iran and Tehran prov., N Iran, near Mt. Damavand. It is Iran's largest city and its…
(Encyclopedia) Abraham [according to the Book of Genesis, Heb.,=father of many nations] or AbramAbramāˈbrəm [key] [Heb.,=exalted father], in the Bible, progenitor of the Hebrews; in the Qur'an,…
(Encyclopedia) Kandahar or QandaharQandaharboth: kănˌdəhärˈ [key], city (1989 est. pop. 203,000), capital of Kandahar prov., S Afghanistan. The country's second largest city and chief trade center,…
(Encyclopedia) Afghanistan War, 1978–92, conflict between anti-Communist Muslim Afghan guerrillas (mujahidin) and Afghan government and Soviet forces. The conflict had its origins in the 1978 coup…
(Encyclopedia) microcredit, the extension to individuals of small loans to be used for income-generating activities that will improve the borrowers' living standards. The borrowers, most of whom…
(Encyclopedia) Mahfouz, NaguibMahfouz, Naguibnəgēbˈ mäkhf&oomacr;sˈ [key], 1911–2006, Egyptian novelist and short-story writer, b. Cairo. After his graduation (1934) from Cairo Univ., he worked…
(Encyclopedia) Granada, city, capital of Granada prov., S Spain, in Andalusia, at the confluence of the Darro and Genil rivers. Formerly (17th cent.) a…
(Encyclopedia) Iran-Iraq War, 1980–88, protracted military conflict between Iran and Iraq. It officially began on Sept. 22, 1980, with an Iraqi land and air invasion of western Iran, although Iraqi…
U.S. Department of State Background Note Index: People History Government and Political Conditions Economy Foreign Relations U.S.-Saudi Arabian Relations PEOPLESaudi Arabia's 2007 population…
