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Elgin, James Bruce, 8th earl of

(Encyclopedia)Elgin, James Bruce, 8th earl of ĕlˈgĭn [key], 1811–63, British statesman, son of the 7th earl. He served as governor of Jamaica (1842–46) and in 1847 was appointed governor-general of Canada. T...

Harsha, Indian emperor

(Encyclopedia)Harsha hûrˈshə [key], b. c.590, Indian emperor (606–47). He became (606) king of a small state in the upper Ganges Valley, and by 612 he had built up a vast army with which he forged nearly all I...

jungle fowl

(Encyclopedia)jungle fowl, common name for small, terrestrial wild fowl comprising four species in the genus Gallus. Most important of these is the red jungle fowl, which Charles Darwin determined to be the ancesto...

Karakorum, mountain range, Kashmir

(Encyclopedia)Karakorum or Karakoram, mountain range, extending c.300 mi (480 km), between the Indus and Yarkant rivers, N Kashmir, S central Asia; SE extension of the Hindu Kush. It covers disputed territory, held...

Stephen, Sir James Fitzjames

(Encyclopedia)Stephen, Sir James Fitzjames, 1829–94, English jurist and journalist; brother of Sir Leslie Stephen. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge and was admitted to the bar in 1854. After 1855 he wrote ma...

Brahmaputra

(Encyclopedia)Brahmaputra bräməpo͞oˈtrə [key] [Sanskrit,=son of Brahma], river, c.1,800 mi (2,900 km) long, rising in the Kailas range of the Himalayas, SW Tibet, China, and flowing through NE India to join wi...

Camões, Luís de

(Encyclopedia)Camões or Camoens, Luís de both: lo͞oēshˈ dĭ kəmoiNshˈ [key], 1524?–1580, Portuguese poet, the greatest figure in Portuguese literature. Born of a poor family, Camões gained wide familiarit...

Lashkar

(Encyclopedia)Lashkar ləshˈkər [key], city, Madhya Pradesh state, central India. Formerly the capital of Madhya Bharat state, it adjoins Gwalior town and is a modern commercial center and transportation hub. Vic...

rubber plant

(Encyclopedia)rubber plant, name for any plant that yields rubber, specifically the India-rubber tree (Ficus elastica), an Asian fig. See also Pará rubber tree. ...

Tiruppur

(Encyclopedia)Tiruppur tĭˈro͝opo͞or [key], city (1991 pop. 306,237), Tamil Nadu state, S India. Located in the Eastern Ghats valley, Tiruppur is a commercial center with cotton spinning and weaving industries. ...