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Johnson, Martin Elmer

(Encyclopedia)Johnson, Martin Elmer, 1884–1937, American explorer and author, b. Rockford, Ill. He left home at 14 to work his way to Europe on a cattle boat, returning as a stowaway. He then joined the crew of J...

Commonwealth of Nations

(Encyclopedia)Commonwealth of Nations, voluntary association of Great Britain and its dependencies, certain former British dependencies that are now sovereign states and their dependencies, and the associated state...

chromite

(Encyclopedia)chromite krōˈmīt [key], dark brown to black mineral. It is an iron-chromium oxide, FeCr2O4, with traces of magnesium and aluminum. Its crystals are octahedral, but rare; it usually occurs as irregu...

Australopithecus

(Encyclopedia)Australopithecus ôstrāˌlōpĭthˈəkəs, –pəthēˈkəs [key], an extinct hominin genus found in Africa between about 4 and 1 million years ago. At least seven species of australopithecines are n...

FitzRoy, Robert

(Encyclopedia)FitzRoy, Robert, 1805–65, British naval officer, meteorologist, and hydrologist. Given (1829) temporary command of the HMS Beagle, he completed a survey of the coasts of Patagonia and Tierra del Fue...

Polokwane

(Encyclopedia)Polokwane pēˈtərzbûrgˌ [key], city and local municipality (2011 pop. 625,811), capital of Limpopo prov., NE South Africa. It is primarily the commercial center for the surrounding agricultural ar...

Lobengula

(Encyclopedia)Lobengula lōˌbĕng-go͞oˈlə [key], c.1833–94, king of Matabeleland (now in Zimbabwe). After succeeding his father (1870), he tried to turn aside the approaches of European colonizers. In 1888, h...

Hamilton, Sir Ian Standish Monteith

(Encyclopedia)Hamilton, Sir Ian Standish Monteith ēˈən, mŏn-tēthˈ [key], 1853–1947, British general. He served in many campaigns in Asia and Africa, distinguishing himself in the South African War (1899–1...

Gladstone, Herbert John Gladstone, 1st Viscount

(Encyclopedia)Gladstone, Herbert John Gladstone, 1st Viscount glădˈstən [key], 1854–1930, British statesman; son of William E. Gladstone. A member of Parliament from 1880 to 1910, he held various offices under...

Dhlakama, Afonso Marceta Macacho

(Encyclopedia)Dhlakama, Afonso Marceta Macacho, 1953–2018, Mozambican rebel leader and opposition figure. Conscripted into the Portuguese colonial army, he soon deserted and fought briefly with the Marxist Mozamb...