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Aznar López, José María

(Encyclopedia)Aznar López, José María hōzāˈ märēˈə äsˈnär lōˈpās [key], 1953–, Spanish politician, prime minister of Spain (1996–2004), b. Madrid. Originally a lawyer and tax inspector, he joine...

Solomon Islands

(Encyclopedia)Solomon Islands, independent Commonwealth nation (2015 est. pop. 587,000), c.15,500 sq mi (40,150 sq km), SW Pacific, E of New Guinea. The islands that constitute the nation of the Solomon Islands—G...

Chaykovsky, Nikolai Vasilyevich

(Encyclopedia)Chaykovsky, Nikolai Vasilyevich nyĭkəlīˈ vəsēˈlyəvĭch chīkôfˈskē [key], 1850–1926, Russian socialist. As a student in St. Petersburg he joined (1869) a utopian socialist student group (...

Dion of Syracuse

(Encyclopedia)Dion of Syracuse dīˈən [key], 409?–354? b.c., Sicilian Greek political leader, brother-in-law of Dionysius the Elder, tyrant of Syracuse. He became interested in philosophy through his acquaintan...

Churchill, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer, British statesman, soldier, and author

(Encyclopedia)Churchill, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer, 1874–1965, British statesman, soldier, and author; son of Lord Randolph Churchill. Churchill was undoubtedly one of the greatest public figures of the 20t...

Alexander II, czar of Russia

(Encyclopedia)Alexander II, 1818–81, czar of Russia (1855–81), son and successor of Nicholas I. He ascended the throne during the Crimean War (1853–56) and immediately set about negotiating a peace (see Paris...

Charles III, king of Spain, and of Naples and Sicily

(Encyclopedia)Charles III, 1716–88, king of Spain (1759–88) and of Naples and Sicily (1735–59), son of Philip V and Elizabeth Farnese. Recognized as duke of Parma and Piacenza in 1731, he relinquished the duc...

Kyrgyzstan

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Kyrgyzstan kērgĭstänˈ [key], officially Kyrgyz Republic, republic (2015 est. pop. 5,865,000), c.76,600 sq mi (198,400 sq km), central Asia. It borders on China in the southeast, on Kazakhst...

Americas, antiquity and prehistory of the

(Encyclopedia)Americas, antiquity and prehistory of the, study of the origins of the aboriginal peoples of the Americas. Archaeologists believe humans had entered and occupied much of the Americas by the end of the...

Bhutto, Zulfikar Ali

(Encyclopedia)Bhutto, Zulfikar Ali zo͝olˈfĭkär älēˈ bo͞otˈtō [key], 1928–79, Pakistani political leader. Member of a wealthy landowning family, he entered politics as the protégé of General Ayub Khan....