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Cumans

(Encyclopedia)Cumans or Kumans both: ko͞oˈmänz [key], nomadic East Turkic people, identified with the Kipchaks (or the western branch of the Kipchaks) and known in Russian as Polovtsi. Coming from NW Asian Russi...

Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean

(Encyclopedia)Christmas Island, tropical island, 60 sq mi (155 sq km), an external territory of Australia, in the Indian Ocean c.200 mi (320 km) S of Java. The majori...

Fernando de Noronha

(Encyclopedia)Fernando de Noronha fərnänˈdo͝o dĭ no͝orôˈnyə [key], group of 21 islands, c.10 sq mi (26 sq km), in the Atlantic Ocean, c.225 mi (360 km) off the northeast coast of Brazil. A federal territor...

Darwin

(Encyclopedia)Darwin, city, capital of the Northern Territory, N Australia, on Port Darwin, an inlet of the Timor Sea. Remotely situated on the sparsely settled north...

Utah War

(Encyclopedia)Utah War, in U.S. history, conflict between Mormons and the U.S. government. In the spring of 1857, President James Buchanan appointed a non-Mormon, Alfred Cumming, as governor of the Utah Territory, ...

Owain Gwynedd

(Encyclopedia)Owain Gwynedd ōˈwīn gwĭnˈĕᵺ [key], d. 1170, prince of North Wales (1137–70). During the troubled reign of King Stephen of England, Owain and other Welsh princes were able to reoccupy much te...

Henson, Josiah

(Encyclopedia)Henson, Josiah, 1789–1883, black slave, reputedly the basis of the character of Uncle Tom in Uncle Tom's Cabin, b. Charles co., Md. In 1825 he faithfully led a party of his master's slaves from Mary...

Hurley, Patrick Jay

(Encyclopedia)Hurley, Patrick Jay, 1883–1963, U.S. cabinet officer, b. Choctaw Territory (now in Oklahoma). Hurley practiced law in Tulsa, Okla., was (1912–17) national attorney for the Choctaw Nation, and foug...

Jammu

(Encyclopedia)Jammu jŭˈmo͞o [key], city (1991 pop. 206,135), Jammu and Kashmir union territory, N India, on the Tawi River and in the Himalayan foothills. The winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, it is strategic...

John III, Byzantine emperor of Nicaea

(Encyclopedia)John III (John Ducas Vatatzes) do͝oˈkəs vətătˈzēz [key], d. 1254, Byzantine emperor of Nicaea (1222–54), successor and son-in-law of Theodore I. He extended his territory in Asia Minor and th...