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Livingstone, David

(Encyclopedia)Livingstone, David lĭvˈĭngstən, –stōnˌ [key], 1813–73, Scottish missionary and explorer in Africa, the first European to cross the African continent. From 1841 to 1852, while a medical missi...

Burton, Sir Richard Francis

(Encyclopedia)Burton, Sir Richard Francis, 1821–90, English explorer, writer, and linguist. He joined (1842) the service of the East India Company and, while stationed in India, acquired a thorough knowledge of t...

Osiris

(Encyclopedia)Osiris ōsīˈrĭs [key], in Egyptian religion, legendary ruler of predynastic Egypt and god of the underworld. He was the son of the sky goddess Nut and the earth god Geb. The great benefactor of man...

Great Lakes, lakes and region, E Africa

(Encyclopedia)Great Lakes, group of freshwater lakes lying along the Great Rift Valley, E Africa, including Lakes Victoria, Tanganyika, Nyasa, Turkana, Albert, Kivu, and Edward. Lakes Victoria, Albert, and Edward e...

mortar, in building

(Encyclopedia)mortar, in building, mixture of lime or cement with sand and water, used as a bedding and adhesive between adjacent pieces of stone, brick, or other material in masonry construction. Lime mortar, a co...

Nubia

(Encyclopedia)Nubia no͞oˈbēə [key], ancient state of NE Africa. At the height of its political power Nubia extended, from north to south, from the First Cataract of the Nile (near Aswan, Egypt) to Khartoum, in ...

Memphis, city, ancient Egypt

(Encyclopedia)Memphis mĕmˈfĭs [key], ancient city of Egypt, capital of the Old Kingdom (c.3100–c.2258 b.c.), at the apex of the Nile delta and 12 mi (18 km) from Cairo. It was reputedly founded by Menes, the f...

bichir

(Encyclopedia)bichir bĭchˈər [key], common name for African freshwater fishes as of the family Polypteridae, and particularly for those of the genus Polypterus. Bichirs are among the most primitive of the ray-fi...

Thutmose III

(Encyclopedia)Thutmose III thŏthˈmēz, tōtˈmĕs [key], d. 1436 b.c., king of ancient Egypt, of the XVIII dynasty; the successor of Thutmose II. After the death of Thutmose II, his wife Hatshepsut became regent ...

Sudan

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Sudan so͞odănˈ [key], officially Republic of the Sudan, republic (2015 est. pop. 38,648,000), 718,723 sq mi (1,861,484 sq km), NE Africa. It borders on Egypt in the north, on the Red Sea in ...