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Paracel Islands

(Encyclopedia)Paracel Islands päräsĕlˈ [key], Chin. Xisha, group of low coral islands and reefs in the South China Sea, c.175 mi (280 km) SE of Hainan island. They are rich in guano and are underlain by oil dep...

Gangwon

(Encyclopedia)Gangwon or Kangwon gängˈwŭnˈ [key], province, N South Korea. Chuncheon is the capital. The 38th ...

Diem, Ngo Dinh

(Encyclopedia)Diem, Ngo Dinh nō dĭn dyĕm [key], 1901–63, president of South Vietnam (1955–63). A member of an influential Roman Catholic family, he was a civil servant before World War II and was connected w...

Wright, Richard

(Encyclopedia)Wright, Richard, 1908–60, American author. An African American born on a Mississippi plantation, Wright struggled through a difficult childhood and worked to educate himself. He moved to Chicago in ...

Zululand

(Encyclopedia)Zululand zo͞oˈlo͞olăndˌ [key], historic region and home of the Zulus, c.10,000 sq mi (25,900 sq km), NE KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Zululand is bordered by the Indian Ocean on the east, by Mozam...

Gorgas, Josiah

(Encyclopedia)Gorgas, Josiah gôrˈgəs [key], 1818–83, chief of ordnance in the Confederate army during the American Civil War, b. Dauphin co., Pa.; father of William Crawford Gorgas. He was commissioned in the ...

Mkapa, Benjamin William

(Encyclopedia)Mkapa, Benjamin William mkäˈpä [key], 1938–2020, Tanzanian diplomat and political leader. Acquiring a background in both the foreign service and journalism, Mkapa served in a variety of posts, in...

Cape Province

(Encyclopedia)Cape Province, former province, S South Africa. Under the South African constitution of 1994 it was divided into Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape, and part of a fourth province, North West. T...

Brazzaville

(Encyclopedia)Brazzaville brăzˈəvĭl, Fr. bräzävēlˈ [key], city (1984 pop. 585,812), capital of the Republic of the Congo, on Pool Malebo of the Congo River. It is the nation's largest city and its administr...

Linh, Nguyen Van

(Encyclopedia)Linh, Nguyen Van nəwēˈĕn vän lĭn [key], 1915–98, Vietnamese political leader, b. near Hanoi as Nguyen Van Cuc. As a young man he was active in organizing Vietnam's Communist party and was twic...