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Niihama: city, Ehime ken (prefecture), Shikoku, Japan. It lies on the Inland Sea coast. Originally a small fishing village, it grew after 1691 as a transit port for copper from an ...
Niihau: volcanic island, Kauai county, Hawaii, U.S. Niihau lies 17 miles (27 km) southwest of Kauai island. The smallest of the populated Hawaiian Islands, Niihau has an area of 70 square ...
Niitsu: city, central Niigata ken (prefecture), north-central Honshu, Japan. It lies on the Niigata Plain, about 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Niigata city. Oil was discovered southeast ...
Nijhoff, Martinus: greatest Dutch poet of his generation, who achieved not only an intensely original imagery but also an astounding command of poetic technique.
Nijinsky, Vaslav: Russian-born ballet dancer of almost legendary fame, celebrated for his spectacular leaps and sensitive interpretations. After a brilliant school career, Nijinsky became a soloist at the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, ...
Nijlen, Jan van: one of the most distinguished Flemish poets of his generation.
Nijmegen: gemeente (municipality), Gelderland provincie (province), eastern Netherlands, on the Waal River (southern arm of the Rhine). It originated as the Roman settlement of Noviomagus and is the oldest town in ...
Nijmegen, Treaties of: peace treaties of 1678-79 that ended the Dutch War (q.v.), in which France had opposed Spain and the Dutch Republic (now The Netherlands). France gained advantages by arranging terms with ...
Nijo Yoshimoto: Japanese government official and renga ("linked-verse") poet of the early Muromachi period (1338-1573) who is best known for refining the rules of renga composition.
Nike: in Greek religion, the goddess of victory, daughter of the giant Pallas and of the infernal River Styx. Nike probably did not originally have a separate cult at Athens. As ...
Nike missile: any of a group of U.S. surface-to-air missiles designed in the 1940s and '50s for defense against air attack. The first was Nike Ajax, a two-staged, liquid-fueled missile 6.4 m ...
Nikisch, Arthur: one of the finest conductors of the late 19th century.
Nikkatsu Motion Picture Company: Japan's oldest motion-picture company. Established as an independent company in 1912 with the title Japan Cinematograph Company, it had previously been a part of the Greater Japan Film Machinery Manufacturing ...
Nikko: city, Tochigi ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. The city lies along the Daiya River, north of Tokyo. One of the major pilgrimage and tourist centres in Japan, it is situated at ...
Nikolais, Alwin: American choreographer, composer, and designer whose abstract dances combine motion with various technical effects and a complete freedom from technique and established patterns.
Nikolay Kasatkin, Saint: Russian Orthodox missionary and first Orthodox bishop of Japan.
Nikolayev, Andriyan Grigoryevich: Soviet cosmonaut, who piloted the Vostok 3 spacecraft, launched August 11, 1962. When Vostok 4, piloted by Pavel R. Popovich, was launched a day later, there were, for the first ...
Nikolayevsk-na-Amure: city, Khabarovsk kray (region), far eastern Russia. The city is situated at the head of the Amur River estuary. It was founded in 1850, but its importance as a Pacific ...
Nikon: religious leader who unsuccessfully attempted to establish the primacy of the Orthodox Church over the state in Russia and whose reforms led to a schism in the church.
Nikopol: city, south-central Ukraine. It lies along the northern shore of the Kakhovka Reservoir on the Dnieper River and on the Zaporozhye-Krivoy Rog railway. Founded as Nikitin Rog in the 1630s ...
Nikopol: town, northern Bulgaria. It lies along the Danube River near its confluence with the Osum (Ossam) and opposite Turnu Magurele, Romania. Nikopol was an important Danubian stronghold-ruined fortresses still dominate ...
Niksic: town in Montenegro, Serbia and Montenegro, in the valley of the Zeta River. The Romans built a castrum (camp) called Anagastum there, probably on an old tribal settlement site. By ...
Nil Sorsky, Saint: first Russian mystic to write about the contemplative life and to formulate a guide for spiritual self-perfection.
Nile perch: (species Lates niloticus), large food and game fish of the family Latidae (order Perciformes), found in the Nile and other rivers and lakes of Africa. A large-mouthed fish, the Nile ...
Nile River: river, the father of African rivers and the longest river in the world. It rises south of the equator and flows northward through northeastern Africa to drain into the Mediterranean ...
Nile, Battle of the: (Aug. 1, 1798), battle that was one of the greatest victories of the British admiral Horatio Nelson. It was fought between the British and French fleets in Abu Qir Bay, ...
Niles: city, Berrien county, southwestern Michigan, U.S. It lies along the St. Joseph River, 10 miles (16 km) north of South Bend, Ind. It is the only locality in the state ...
Niles: city, Trumbull county, northeastern Ohio, U.S. It lies along the Mahoning River, 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Youngstown, and is a part of the Mahoning industrial complex. Ruben Harmon, ...
Niles, Hezekiah: editor and newspaper publisher who was one of the foremost figures in early American journalism.
Niles, John Jacob: American folksinger, folklorist, and composer of solo and choral songs.
nilgai: (species Boselaphus tragocamelus), Indian antelope, family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla), that ranges alone or in small groups in open plains or light forests.
Nilgiri Hills: mountainous region of Tamil Nadu state, southeastern India. The peaks of the Nilgiri rise abruptly from the surrounding plains to an elevation of 6,000-8,000 feet (1,800-2,400 m); one of them, ...
Nilo-Saharan languages: a group of languages that form one of the four language stocks or families on the African continent, the others being Afro-Asiatic, Khoisan, and Niger-Congo. The Nilo-Saharan languages are presumed ...
Nilot: any member of several east-central African peoples living in southern Sudan, northern Uganda, and western Kenya. The name refers to the area in which they live, mostly the region of ...
Nilotic languages: group of related languages spoken in a relatively contiguous area from northwestern Congo (Kinshasa), southern Sudan, and western Ethiopia southward across Uganda and Kenya into northern Tanzania. Nilotic languages are ...
Nilpolis: city and suburb of Rio de Janeiro city, Rio de Janeiro estado (state), southeastern Brazil. It lies in the Guandu-Mirim River valley, at 92 feet (28 metres) ...
Nilsson, Birgit: Swedish operatic soprano, celebrated as a Wagnerian interpreter and known for her powerful, rich voice.
Nilus Of Ancyra, Saint: Greek Byzantine abbot and author of extensive ascetical literature that influenced both Eastern and Western monasticism. He also participated in the prevalent theological controversies concerning the Trinity and the person ...
Nilus Of Rossano, Saint: abbot and promoter of Greek monasticism in Italy, who founded several communities of monks in the region of Calabria following the Greek rule of St. Basil of Caesarea. A supporter ...
Nimach: town, western Madhya Pradesh state, central India, located on a barren ridge. Handloom weaving is the major industry. Formerly a large British cantonment of Gwalior princely state, the town in ...
Nimba Range: mountain chain extending in a southwest-northeast direction along the Guinea-Cote d'Ivoire-Liberia border. It reaches its highest elevation at Mount Nimba (5,748 feet [1,752 m]) in Guinea. Surrounded by lowland rain ...
Nimbarka: Telugu-speaking Brahman, yogi, minor philosopher, and prominent astronomer who founded the devotional sect called Nimbarkas, Nimandi, or Nimavats, who worshiped the deity Krishna (Krsna) and his consort, Radha.
Nimeiri, Gaafar Mohamed el-: major general, commander of the armed forces, and president of The Sudan (1971-85).
Nimes: city, capital of Gard departement, Languedoc-Roussillon region, southern France, south-southwest of Lyon. Situated at the foot of some barren hills called the Monts Garrigues to the north and west of ...
Nimitz, Chester W: commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet during World War II. One of the navy's foremost administrators and strategists, he commanded all land and sea forces in the Pacific area.
Nimrod: legendary biblical figure, described in Gen. 10:8-12 as "the first on earth to be a mighty man. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord." The only other references to ...
Nimzowitsch, Aron: Latvian-born chess master and theoretician who was renowned for his book My System (1925) but failed to win a world championship, despite many attempts. See the
Nin, Anais: French-born author of novels and short stories whose literary reputation rests on the eight published volumes of her personal diaries. Her writing shows the influence of the Surrealist movement and ...
Ninazu: in Mesopotamian religion, Sumerian deity, the city god of Enegir, which was located on the Euphrates River between Larsa and Ur in the southern orchard region. Ninazu was also the ...
Nine Men's Morris: board game of great antiquity, most popular in Europe during the 14th century and played throughout the world in various forms.
ninepins: bowling game that probably originated in continental Europe during the Middle Ages. Many regional variations of the game developed. Early German ninepins lanes were made of clay or cinders; later ...
Ninety Mile Beach: western coast of Aupori Peninsula, the northernmost extension of North Auckland Peninsula, North Island, New Zealand. It stretches for 55 mi (88 km) from Scott Point (northwest) to Ahipara Bay ...
Ninety-five Theses: propositions for debate concerned with the question of indulgences, written (in Latin) and possibly posted by Martin Luther on the door of the Schlosskirche (Castle Church), Wittenberg, on Oct. 31, ...
Nineveh: the oldest and most populous city of the ancient Assyrian Empire, situated on the east bank of the Tigris opposite modern Mosul (in Iraq). From time immemorial, roads from the ...
Ning Tsung: 13th emperor of the Sung dynasty, whose reign (1194/95-1224/25) is noted as a period of intellectual and cultural achievement; Chu Hsi, the great Neo-Confucian philosopher, wrote some of his most ...
Ning-po: city in the coastal plain of northeastern Chekiang sheng (province), China. Ning-po ("Calm Waves") is situated on the Yung River, some 16 miles (25 km) upstream from its mouth, at ...
Ningishzida: in Mesopotamian religion, Sumerian deity, city god of Gishbanda, near Ur in the southern orchard region. Although Ningishzida was a power of the netherworld, where he held the office of ...
Ningsia: autonomous region located in north-central China. It is bounded on the east in part by Shensi; on the east, south, and west by Kansu; and on the north by the ...
Ningxia carpet: floor covering woven in Hui Autonomous Region of Ningxia, China, characterized by stylized floral designs and subtle use of blue, red, and beige. Geometric patterns are sometimes used. The heavy ...
Ninhar: in Mesopotamian religion, Sumerian deity, city god of Kiabrig, near Ur in the southern herding region. Ninhar was god of the thunder and rainstorms that made the desert green with ...
Ninhursag: in Mesopotamian religion, city goddess of Adab and of Kish in the northern herding regions; she was the goddess of the stony, rocky ground, the hursag. In particular, she had ...
Ninian, Saint: bishop generally credited as the first Christian missionary to Scotland, responsible for widespread conversions among the Celts.
Ninigi: Japanese deity, grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu. Ninigi's supposed descent to earth established the divine origin of the Yamato clan, the Imperial house of Japan. He is said to ...
Ninlil: Mesopotamian goddess, the consort of the god Enlil and a deity of destiny. She was worshiped especially at Nippur and Shuruppak and was the mother of the moon god, Sin ...
Ninomiya Sontoku: Japanese agrarian reformer who helped improve agricultural techniques and whose writings exalting rural life earned him the affectionate title of the "Peasant Sage of Japan."
Ninsei: Japanese potter active in Kyoto during the Edo period between the Meireki (1655-57) and the Genroku (1688-1703) eras. He learned the art of ceramics by working at the Awata-guchi kiln ...
Ninsun: in Mesopotamian religion, Sumerian deity, city goddess of Kullab in the southern herding region. As Ninsun's name, Lady Wild Cow, indicates, she was originally represented in bovine form and was ...
Ninurta: in Mesopotamian religion, city god of Girsu (Tal'ah, or Telloh) in the Lagash region. Ninurta was the farmer's version of the god of the thunder and rainstorms of the spring. ...
Ninus: in Greek mythology, king of Assyria and the eponymous founder of the city of Nineveh, which itself is sometimes called Ninus. He was said to have been the son of ...
Niobe: in Greek mythology, the daughter of Tantalus (king of Sipylus in Lydia) and wife of King Amphion of Thebes. She was the prototype of the bereaved mother, weeping for the ...
Niobid Painter: painter of flower-shaped Greek vases, named for a calyx krater (mixing bowl) with a representation of the death of the children of Niobe, now at the Louvre Museum, Paris. The ...
niobium: (Nb), chemical element, refractory metal of Group Vb of the periodic table, used in alloys, tools and dies, and superconductive magnets. Niobium is closely associated with tantalum in ores and ...
niobium processing: preparation of the ore for use in various products.
Niobrara Limestone: geologic division of rocks in the United States during the Late Cretaceous Period (97.5 to 66.4 million years ago). Named for exposures studied along the Missouri River near the mouth ...
Niobrara River: river rising near Lusk, Wyo., U.S., and flowing east across the High Plains, the northern edge of the sandhills, and the low eastern plains of Nebraska to join the Missouri ...
Niort: town, capital of Deux-Sevres departement, Poitou-Charentes region, western France. The town lies on the slopes of two hills facing one another on the left bank of the Sevre Niortaise River, ...