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nagual ... Namangan
nagual
personal guardian spirit believed by some Meso-American Indians to reside in an animal, such as a deer, jaguar, or bird. In some areas the nagual is the animal into which ...
Naguib, Muhammad
Egyptian army officer and statesman who played a prominent role in the revolutionary overthrow of King Farouk I in 1952.
Nagurski, Bronko
American collegiate and professional gridiron football player who, at the unusually large size of 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 metres) and 226 pounds (102.5 kg), was the quintessential bruising fullback ...
Nagy, Ferenc
statesman who in his brief post-World War II term as premier tried to bring democracy to Hungary.
Nagy, Imre
Hungarian statesman, independent Communist, and premier of the 1956 revolutionary government whose attempt to establish Hungary's independence from the Soviet Union cost him his life.
Nagy, Ivan
Hungarian ballet dancer who lived in the United States from 1965.
Naha
city and capital, Okinawa ken (prefecture), Japan. It lies on southwestern Okinawa Island, which is one of the Ryukyu Islands. Long the chief city of the archipelago, it contains the ...
Nahan
city, southern Himachal Pradesh state, northwestern India. It lies south-southeast of Simla, the state capital, at the foot of the Siwalik Range and is a trade centre for agricultural produce ...
Nahant
town (township), Essex county, northeastern Massachusetts, U.S. Lying just northeast of Boston and adjacent to the city of Lynn, the peninsula of Nahant comprises the "islands" of Little Nahant and ...
Nahariyya
city, northwestern Israel. It lies on the Mediterranean coast halfway between 'Akko (Acre) and the Lebanese border at Rosh ha-Niqra. The name comes from the Hebrew nahar ("river") and is ...
Nahavand, Battle of
(AD 642), military clash in Iran between Arab and Sasanian forces that was a major turning point in Iranian history. The battle ended in disastrous defeat for the Sasanian armies ...
nahcolite
colourless to white carbonate mineral (NaHCO3), a naturally occurring sodium bicarbonate. Its structure consists of planar chains of carbonate groups linked with hydrogen bonds; planes are linked together by sodium ...
Nahhas Pasha, Mustafa an-
statesman who, as the leader of the nationalist Wafd party, was a dominant figure in Egyptian politics until the revolution of 1952.
Nahman ben Simhah of Bratslav
Hasidic rabbi and teller of tales, founder of the Bratslaver Hasidic sect.
Nahmanides
Spanish scholar and rabbi and Jewish religious leader. He was also a philosopher, poet, physician, and Kabbalist.
Nahua
Middle American Indian population of central Mexico, of which the Aztecs (see Aztec) of pre-Conquest Mexico are probably the best known members. The language of the Aztecs, Nahua, is spoken ...
Nahua language
an American Indian language of the Uto-Aztecan family, spoken in central and western Mexico. Nahua, the most important of the Uto-Aztecan languages, was the language of the Aztec and Toltec ...
Nahuan languages
subgroup of the Uto-Aztecan languages, including Pochutec, Nahua, and Pipil; they are sometimes considered a subfamily coordinate with Shoshonean and Sonoran, and sometimes included in the Sonoran subfamily. The languages ...
Nahuel Huapi National Park
national park in Rio Negro and Neuquen provinces, southwestern Argentina; it encompasses Lake Nahuel Huapi in the Andes adjacent to the Chilean border. It originated as a reserve in 1903 ...
Nahuel Huapi, Lake
largest lake (210 sq mi [544 sq km]) and most popular resort area in Argentina's lake district, lying in the wooded eastern foothills of the Andes at an altitude of ...
Nahum, Book of
the seventh of 12 Old Testament books that bear the names of the Minor Prophets (grouped together as The Twelve in the Jewish canon). The title identifies the book as ...
Nahyan, Shaykh Shakhbut ibn Sultan an-
Arab potentate who ruled Abu Dhabi from 1928 until he was deposed in 1966.
Nahyan, Shaykh Zayid ibn Sultan Al
president of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) from 1971 to 2004 and emir of Abu Zabi (Dhabi) from 1966 to 2004. He was credited with modernizing the U.A.E. and making ...
Naiad
(from Greek naiein, "to flow"), in Greek mythology, one of the nymphs of flowing water-springs, rivers, fountains, lakes. The Naiads, appropriately in their relation to freshwater, were represented as beautiful, ...
naiad
immature stage in the development of certain insects. See nymph.
Naidu, Sarojini
political activist, feminist, poet-writer, and the first Indian woman to be president of the Indian National Congress and to be appointed an Indian state governor.
nail
in the anatomy of humans and other primates, horny plate that grows on the back of each finger and toe at its outer end. It corresponds to the claw, hoof, ...
nail
in construction and carpentry, a slender metal shaft that is pointed at one end and flattened at the other end and is used for fastening one or more objects to ...
Nainital
town, northern Uttaranchal state, northern India. The town lies in the Siwalik Range. Founded in 1841, it is a popular resort, lying at 6,346 feet (1,934 metres) above sea level. ...
Naipaul, Sir V.S.
Trinidadian writer of Indian descent known for his pessimistic novels set in Third World nations. For these revelations of what the Swedish Academy called "suppressed histories," Naipaul won the Nobel ...
Nair, Mira
Indian director known for her documentaries and feature films dealing with controversial subject matter.
naira
monetary unit of Nigeria. The naira is divided into 100 kobo. The naira was introduced in 1973, when the country decimalized its monetary system and substituted the naira for the ...
Nairne, Carolina Nairne, Baroness
Scottish songwriter and laureate of Jacobitism, who wrote "Charlie Is My Darling," "The Hundred Pipers," "The Land o' the Leal," and "Will Ye No' Come Back Again?"
Nairnshire
historic county, northeastern Scotland, on the southern shore of the Moray Firth. The town of Nairn is the historic county town (seat) and the principal town.
Nairobi
city and capital of Kenya. It is situated in the south-central part of the country, in the highlands at an elevation of about 5,500 feet (1,680 metres). The city lies ...
Nairobi National Park
national park, in south-central Kenya, 5 miles (8 km) south of Nairobi. The park, established in 1946, has an area of 45 square miles (117 square km) and lies about ...
Naismith, James A.
Canadian-American physical-education director who, in December 1891, at the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School, afterward Springfield (Mass.) College, invented the game of basketball.
Naivasha, Lake
lake, in the eastern arm of the East African Rift System, 35 mi (56 km) southeast of Nakuru, Kenya. It is flanked by the Ilkinopop (Kinangop) Plateau (east) and the ...
naive art
work of artists in sophisticated societies who lack or reject conventional expertise in the representation or depiction of real objects. Naive artists are not to be confused with hobbyists, or ...
Naj' Hammadi
town in Qina muhafazah (governorate), on the west bank of the Nile, in Upper Egypt, on or near the site of the ancient town of Chenoboskion. It is a market ...
Najadales
the pondweed order of monocotyledonous flowering plants, comprising 10 families, with 19 genera of aquatic and marsh-dwelling herbs. The plants are so diverse in appearance, structure, and technical character that ...
Najaf, Al-
city, capital of Al-Najaf muhafazah (governorate), central Iraq. Located about 100 miles (160 km) south of Baghdad, Al-Najaf lies on a ridge just west of the Euphrates River. It is ...
Najahid Dynasty
Muslim dynasty of Ethiopian Mamluks (slaves) that ruled Yemen in the period 1022-1158 from its capital at Zabid. The Ziyadid kingdom at Zabid (819-1018) had in its final years been ...
Najd
region, central Saudi Arabia, comprising a mainly rocky plateau sloping eastward from the mountains of the Hejaz. On the northern, eastern, and southern sides, it is bounded by the sand ...
Najibullah, Mohammad
Afghan military official who was president of Afghanistan from 1986 to 1992.
Najin
city, Hamgyong-pukto (North Hamgyong province), northeastern North Korea. It is located on Najin Bay, on the East Sea (Sea of Japan). Protected by Taech'o and Soch'o islands, it has a ...
Najrn
town, oasis, and mintaqah (province), southern 'Asir region, southwestern Saudi Arabia, in the desert along the Yemen (San'a') frontier. It is bounded by the provinces of Al-Riyad ...
Nakae Chomin
noted writer who popularized the equalitarian doctrines of the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau in Japan. As a result, Nakae is often considered the spiritual founder of the Japanese democratic movement.
Nakae Toju
Neo-Confucian scholar who established in Japan the Idealist thought of the Chinese philosopher Wang Yang-ming.
Nakamura Nakazo I
Japanese kabuki actor who introduced male roles into the kabuki theatre's dance pieces (shosagoto), which had been traditionally reserved for female impersonators.
Nakamura Utaemon
notable line of actors in the kabuki theatre of Japan.
Nakasone Yasuhiro
Japanese politician, leader of the Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP; 1982-89), and prime minister of Japan (1982-87).
Nakatsu
city, Oita ken (prefecture), northern Kyushu, Japan. It lies along the mouth of the Yamakuni River facing the Inland Sea. The city developed around a castle built in 1587 by ...
Nakbe
archaeological site in the dense tropical forest of northern Guatemala, thought to be one of the earliest ceremonial centres of Mayan culture.
naker
small kettledrum that reached Europe from the Middle East in the 13th century, during the Crusades. Nakers were made of wood, metal, or clay and were sometimes equipped with snares. ...
Nakh languages
languages spoken in the Caucasus in southwestern Russia and in the Akhmeta district of Georgia. The Nakh language group includes Chechen, Ingush, and Bats (Tsova-Tushian). Because Bats has no written ...
Nakhichevan
exclave and autonomous republic of Azerbaijan, in the southern part of the Transcaucasian plateau. It is bounded by Armenia to the north and east, Iran to the south and west, ...
Nakhichevan
capital of the Nakhichevan autonomous republic, in Azerbaijan. It lies along the Nakhichevan River about 170 miles (270 km) south-southeast of Tbilisi. Nakhichevan is extremely old, dated by some archaeologists ...
Nakho-Dagestanian languages
group of languages spoken in the northeastern Caucasus Mountains. The Nakh division consists of the languages of the Chechen, Ingush, and Bats. The Dagestanian division is more multifarious and includes ...
Nakhodka
town, Primorsky kray (region), extreme eastern Russia. It lies at the head of Nakhodka Bay on the Sea of Japan. Nakhodka (its name means "find," or "godsend") is an important ...
Nakhon Pathom
town, western Thailand. It lies on the deltaic plain of the Chao Phraya River. A prosperous commercial centre, Nakhon Pathom is located 29 miles (47 km) west of Bangkok and ...
Nakhon Phanom
town, northeastern Thailand. Nakhon Phanom is a commercial centre lying along the Mekong River opposite Thakhek, Laos; it is linked by road to Udon Thani (west), Ubon Ratchathani (south), and ...
Nakhon Ratchasima
city, northeastern Thailand, in the southwestern portion of the Khorat Plateau. Nakhon Ratchasima is the largest city and is the transportation, commercial, financial, and governmental centre of northeastern Thailand. A ...
Nakhon Sawan
town, north-central Thailand. Nakhon Sawan ("Heavenly City") is located where the Ping and Nan rivers converge to form the Chao Phraya River. The town is the leading up-country river port ...
Nakhon Si Thammarat
town, southern Thailand, on the eastern side of the Malay Peninsula. The walled town of Nakhon Si Thammarat, one of Thailand's oldest cities, lies near the coast of the Gulf ...
Naktong River
river, in the Yongnam area of the provinces (do) of North Kyongsang and South Kyongsang, southeastern South Korea. Korea's second longest river (325 miles [523 km]), it flows generally southward ...
Nakuru
town, west-central Kenya. It lies near the Mau Escarpment, 95 miles (153 km) northwest of Nairobi, near the heart of the Kikuyu people's homeland. One of the largest towns in ...
Nakuru, Lake
lake in west-central Kenya. It is one of the saline lakes of the lake system lying in the Great Rift Valley of eastern Africa. Primarily known for its many species ...
Nalanda
celebrated Buddhist monastic centre, often spoken of as a university, southwest of Bihar city in northern Bihar state, India. Nalanda's traditional history dates to the time of the Buddha (6th-5th ...
Nalchik
city and capital of Kabardino-Balkariya, southwestern Russia. The city lies along the Nalchik River where the latter leaves the Caucasian foothills. Founded as a Russian fortress in 1818, the town ...
Nallamala Range
range of parallel hills and valleys of the Eastern Ghats in eastern Andhra Pradesh state, southern India. Located south of the Krishna River, the hills run north to south, parallel ...
Nam Dinh
municipality, northern Vietnam. It lies on a canal linking the Day and the Red rivers and has road and railway links with Hanoi, 50 miles (80 km) northwest. Manufactures include ...
Nam Viet
ancient kingdom occupying much of what is now northern Vietnam and the southern Chinese provinces of Kwangtung and Kwangsi.
Nama
any member of a people of southern Namibia who constitute by far the largest Khoekhoe ethnic group, perhaps larger than all the others combined. They represent about one-eighth of the ...
naman
in Vedism and Hinduism, the characteristic sign or mark, most frequently used in the sense of the "name," of an individual, or the word that stands for an object. The ...
Namangan
city and administrative centre of Namangan oblasti (province), Uzbekistan, in the northern Fergana Valley. The first mention of the settlement dates from the end of the 15th century. By the ...