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Sulu Archipelago

(Encyclopedia)Sulu Archipelago so͞oˈlo͞o [key], island group, 1,086 sq mi (2,813 sq km), the Philippines, SW of Mindanao. Lying between the Celebes and Sulu seas, it includes over 900 volcanic islands and coral ...

Benghazi

(Encyclopedia)Benghazi or Bengasi both: bĕngäˈzē [key], city (2021 est. pop. 807,000), capital of Benghazi municipality, NE ...

blasphemy

(Encyclopedia)blasphemy, in religion, words or actions that display irreverence toward or contempt for God or that which is held sacred. Blasphemy is regarded as an offense against the community to varying degrees,...

Shiites

(Encyclopedia)Shiites shēˈītz [key] [Arab., shiat Ali,=the party of Ali], the second largest branch of Islam, Shiites currently account for 10%–15% of all Muslims. Shiite Islam originated as a political moveme...

Pakistan

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Pakistan păkˈĭstănˌ, päkĭstänˈ [key], officially Islamic Republic of Pakistan, republic (2015 est. pop. 189,381,000), 310,403 sq mi (803,944 sq km), S Asia. Pakistan is bordered by Ind...

O'Brien, Edna

(Encyclopedia)O'Brien, Edna, 1932–, Irish writer. Although she moved to London in 1954, her constant theme and recurring setting is Ireland. In richly sensual prose, O'Brien explores the dreams, failed marriages,...

Rowhani, Hassan

(Encyclopedia)Rowhani, Hassan häsänˈ rōhänēˈ [key], 1948–, Iranian cleric and political leader, b. Sorkheh, ...

corporal punishment

(Encyclopedia)corporal punishment, physical chastisement of an offender. At one extreme it includes the death penalty (see capital punishment), but the term usually refers to punishments like flogging, caning, muti...

Tribal Areas

(Encyclopedia)Tribal Areas, officially the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), former administrative region, 10,510 sq mi (27,220 sq km), NW Pakistan, comprising seven agencies (or tribal areas) and six gen...

Palmyra, ancient city, Syria

(Encyclopedia)Palmyra pălmīˈrə [key], ancient city of central Syria. A small modern village known as Tudmor or Tadmor (the Syrian Arabic name of Palmyra) is nearby; residents were relocated from the ancient sit...