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Pretorius, Martinus Wessel

(Encyclopedia)Pretorius, Martinus Wessel prātôrˈēəs [key], 1818?–1901, Boer (Afrikaner) statesman; son of Andries Pretorius. In 1857 he was elected the first president of the South African Republic (the Tra...

Sforza, Francesco I

(Encyclopedia)Sforza, Francesco I , sfôrˈtsä [key], 1401–66, duke of Milan (1450–66); illegitimate son of Muzio Attendolo Sforza. He succeeded his father as leader of his band of mercenaries, and by his valo...

Circassia

(Encyclopedia)Circassia sərkăshˈēə [key], historic region, encompassing roughly the area between the Black Sea, the Kuban River, and the Caucasus, now largely the Krasnodar Territory of SE European Russia. The...

Azerbaijan, country, Asia

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Azerbaijan äˌzərbījänˈ, ăˌzər– [key], Azeri Azərbaycan, officially Republic of Azerbaijan, republic (2020 est. pop. 10,110,000), 33,428 sq mi (8...

Croagh Patrick

(Encyclopedia)Croagh Patrick krōˈäpătˈrĭk, krōˈäkh– [key], mountain, 2,510 ft (765 m) high, Co. Mayo, W Republic of Ireland, near Westport Bay. Legend connects it with St. Patrick, and its summit has lon...

Olekma

(Encyclopedia)Olekma əlyĕkˈmə [key], river, c.820 mi (1,320 km) long, rising in the Yablonovy range, SE Siberian Russia. It flows N through Amursk region and the Sakha Republic to the Lena River below Olekminsk...

Přerov

(Encyclopedia)Přerov pərzhĕˈrôf [key], Ger. Prerau, city (1991 pop. 51,300), E Czech Republic, in Moravia. A railway center, Přerov manufactures precision instruments, textiles, and foodstuffs. The 16th-centu...

Washington-on-the-Brazos

(Encyclopedia)Washington-on-the-Brazos, former town, S central Tex., on the Brazos River; settled 1821. It was the scene of the Texas declaration of independence from Mexico on Mar. 2, 1836, and in 1842 it was the ...

Skelligs

(Encyclopedia)Skelligs, rocky islands, off SW Republic of Ireland, in Co. Kerry, comprising Lemon Rock, Little Skellig, and Great Skellig. Climbing the rocks to the peaks of Great Skellig, also known as Skellig Mic...

Czechoslovakia

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Czechoslovakia chĕsˈkōslōvĕnˌskō [key], former federal republic, 49,370 sq mi (127,869 sq km), in central Europe. On Jan. 1, 1993, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic (see Slovaki...