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Azov, Sea of

(Encyclopedia)Azov, Sea of, Gr. Maiotis, Lat. Palus Maeotis, ancient Rus. Surozhskoye, northern arm of the Black Sea, c.14,000 sq mi (36,300 sq km), shared by S European Russia and E Ukraine. The shallow sea (maxim...

Barataria Bay

(Encyclopedia)Barataria Bay bărətârˈēə [key], SE La., separated from the Gulf of Mexico by Grand and Grand Terre islands. It is linked to the Intracoastal Waterway by a navigable channel. The bay is the cente...

Grijalva

(Encyclopedia)Grijalva grēhälˈvä [key], river, c.400 mi (640 km) long, rising in SW Guatemala and flowing NW into S Mexico and N through Chiapas and Tabasco states to the Gulf of Campeche. It is navigable for c...

Legionaries of Christ

(Encyclopedia)Legionaries of Christ, Roman Catholic order est. 1941 in Mexico by Father Marcial Maciel Degollado. The conservative order, which became wealthy and influential, was noted for successfully recruiting ...

Oñate, Juan de

(Encyclopedia)Oñate, Juan de hwän dā ōnyäˈtā [key], fl. 1595–1614, Spanish explorer in the American Southwest, possibly b. New Spain. In 1598 he led an expedition north from New Spain, took possession of N...

Tehuantepec

(Encyclopedia)Tehuantepec sänˈtō dōmĭngˈgō [key], town (1990 pop. 33,445), Oaxaca state, S Mexico, on a wide bend of the Tehuantepec River not far from the Gulf of Tehuantepec, an arm of the Pacific. The tow...

Pontchartrain, Lake

(Encyclopedia)Pontchartrain, Lake pŏnˈchərtrān [key], shallow lake, c.630 sq mi (1,630 sq km), 41 mi (66 km) long and 25 mi (40 km) wide, SE La., N of New Orleans. It is linked with Lake Maurepas at its western...

Perekop, Isthmus of

(Encyclopedia)Perekop, Isthmus of pĕrĭkôpˈ [key], c.19 mi (30 km) long and from 5 to 14 mi (8–23 km) wide, connecting Crimea with the Ukrainian mainland. The Crimean portion of the isthmus passed to Russian c...

Compromise of 1850

(Encyclopedia)Compromise of 1850. The annexation of Texas to the United States and the gain of new territory by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo at the close of the Mexican War (1848) aggravated the hostility betwee...

Perseus, king of Macedon

(Encyclopedia)Perseus, c.212–166 b.c., last king of Macedon (179–168 b.c.), son and successor of Philip V. He intrigued against his younger brother, Demetrius, eventually bringing about the latter's execution b...