Baltic states: Early Middle Ages: Their kinsmen, the Livs, inhabited four major areas in northern Latvia and northern Courland. The western Balts were divided into at least eight recognizable groupings. The westernmost, the Prussians, formed 10 principalities in what subsequently became East Prussia. The Jotvingians and Galindians inhabited an area to the south

Vidzeme, plateau region of central Latvia, roughly corresponding to the historic state of Livonia. It is a hilly, irregular, partially terraced morainic area, dotted with many small morainal lakes. It reaches an elevation of 1,020 feet (311 m) at Mount Gaiziņš and is drained to the west by the

Order of the Brothers of the Sword, organization of crusading knights that began the successful conquest and Christianization of Livonia (most of modern Latvia and Estonia) between 1202 and 1237. After German merchants from Lübeck and Bremen acquired commercial interests in the lands around the

Finno-Ugric languages: Livonian, and Votic. The Permic group consists of Komi (Zyryan), Permyak, and Udmurt (Votyak). The three remaining groups are the individual languages Mari (formerly Cheremis), Mordvin, and Sami (formerly Lapp). Mari and Mordvin, however, are frequently classified together as the Volga-Finnic

Order of the Brothers of the Sword, organization of crusading knights that began the successful conquest and Christianization of Livonia (most of modern Latvia and Estonia) between 1202 and 1237. After German merchants from Lübeck and Bremen acquired commercial interests in the lands around the

Livonian War, (1558–83), prolonged military conflict, during which Russia unsuccessfully fought Poland, Lithuania, and Sweden for control of greater Livonia—the area including Estonia, Livonia, Courland, and the island of Oesel—which was ruled by the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Knights (Order

Livorno, city, Toscana (Tuscany) regione, central Italy. It lies on the Ligurian Sea at the western edge of a cultivated coastal plain and is enclosed east and south by a circle of low hills, the Livornesi Hills. Originally a small fishing village, it first became important when it was given by the

Livorno, city, Toscana (Tuscany) regione, central Italy. It lies on the Ligurian Sea at the western edge of a cultivated coastal plain and is enclosed east and south by a circle of low hills, the Livornesi Hills. Originally a small fishing village, it first became important when it was given by the

Crusades: The Latin East after the Third Crusade: The Livre au Roi (Book of the King), an important section of the Assizes of Jerusalem, dates from his reign. He also dealt wisely with Saladin’s brother, al-ʿĀdil of Egypt. On Amalric’s death in 1205, the kingdoms of Cyprus and Jerusalem-Acre were divided, and in 1210…

Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve: Early life and Romantic period: …privately printed volume of lyrics, Livre d’amour (1904), which was, however, not published in the lifetime of either of them.

Germain Boffrand: Boffrand, best known for his Livre d’architecture… (1745; “Book of Architecture”), was instrumental in spreading French taste across 18th-century Europe. He was responsible for a multitude of works, great and small, including plans for the new palace of Nantes and construction of the great altar for Nantes cathedral. He also…

Jean-Luc Godard: Later work and awards of Jean-Luc Godard: Le Livre d’image (2018; The Image Book) is a cinematic essay, featuring a montage of film clips, photographs, and wartime footage, with Godard providing commentary.

Gaston III: …him to write the treatise Livre de la chasse (“Book of the Hunt”). It was translated into English by Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York, as the bulk of the first English book on hunting, The Master of Game.

The Book of the City of Ladies, prose work by Christine de Pisan, published in 1405 as Le Livre de la cité des dames. Written in praise of women and as a defense of their capabilities and virtues, the work is a significant feminist argument against the misogynist male writing of the day. It was

French literature: Prose fiction: …Le Livre de Prométhéa (1983; The Book of Promethea)—learned, funny, sparkling, and innovative—achieved its writer’s ambition to make a distinctive model of the desiring feminine subject, within but not consumed by the inherited forms of writing and culture. Marguerite Duras’s autobiographical novels L’Amant (1984; The Lover) and L’Amant de la…

floral decoration: 17th century: …de fleurs d’après nature (Book of All Kinds of Flowers from Nature) accurately portray flowers from a horticultural standpoint and at the same time show prototypes of display. These floral arrangements are freer and more airy than those of the Low Countries and yet suggest Baroque opulence. Flora ouerocultura…

Christine de Pisan: …of the deceased king Charles—Le Livre des fais et bonnes meurs du sage roy Charles V (1404; “Book of the Deeds and Good Morals of the Wise King Charles V”), a firsthand picture of Charles V and his court. Her eight additional prose works reveal her remarkable breadth of…

gastronomy: The great French chefs: …on the cookbooks he wrote—Le Livre des menus (1924), Ma Cuisine (1934), and Le Guide culinaire (1921), written in collaboration with Gilbert—in which he codified the French cuisine in its modern form, setting down thousands of menus and clarifying the principles of French gastronomy. With the great hotel entrepreneur…

Alain Chartier: His earliest-known poem, the Livre des quatre dames (1415 or 1416; “Book of the Four Ladies”), is a discussion between four ladies who have lost their lovers at the Battle of Agincourt. The same technique is used in the prose Quadrilogue invectif, written in 1422, the dialogue being between…

Christine de Pisan: …their heroism and virtue, and Le Livre des trois vertus (1405; “Book of Three Virtues”), a sequel comprising a classification of women’s roles in medieval society and a collection of moral instructions for women in the various social spheres. The story of her life, L’Avision de Christine (1405), told in…

The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, novel by Milan Kundera, written in Czech as Kniha smíchu a zapomnění but originally published in French as Le Livre du rire et de l’oubli (1979). The political situation in the former country of Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and Slovakia), where history

Abdelkebir Khatibi: …Veiled Prophet”), and a novel, Le Livre du sang (1979; “The Book of Blood”), demonstrate his theoretical approach to literature. The latter novel is a poetical search for identity inspired by the Greek myth of Orpheus. De la mille et troisième nuit (“Of the Thousand and Third Night”) was published…

franc: …the new unit of exchange—the livre tournois, a gold coin subdivided into 20 sols. In 1795, to symbolize the political changes that followed the French Revolution, the republican government introduced a new franc currency. The first coin was a five-franc silver piece; gold coins worth 20 francs (napoleons) were coined…

Stéphane Mallarmé: …in what he called his Grand Oeuvre (“Great Work”), or Le Livre (“The Book”). He never came near to completing this work, however, and the few preparatory notes that have survived give little or no idea of what the end result might have been.

encyclopaedia: The level of writing: …and mercantile classes with his Li livres dou trésor (c. 1264; “Treasure Books”) and therefore used a concise and accurate style that evoked an immediate and general welcome. Gregor Reisch managed to cover the whole university course of the day in his brief Margarita philosophica, which correctly interpreted the taste…

children’s literature: North versus south: by Marguerite Mitchell, Books, Children and Men, 1944; 4th ed., 1960): “In the matter of literature for children the North surpasses the South by a large margin.” For Hazard, Spain had no children’s literature; Italy, with its Pinocchio and Cuore, could point only to an isolated pair of…

Caetano Veloso: …recordings included the Grammy Award-winning Livro (1997; “Book”); Noites do norte (2000; “Northern Nights”), which was inspired by the writings of Brazilian abolitionist Joaquim Nabuco; A Foreign Sound (2004), on which he covered English-language songs; and the brash Cê (2006; “You”). He and Gil reunited again for the live album…

Bernardim Ribeiro: …by its opening words as Menina e moca (“Childhood and Adolescence”), is generally considered a masterpiece of Portuguese literature of the Renaissance. Innovative in its use of prose, Ribeiro’s tale established a stylistic tradition that has endured as a major force in Portuguese literature.

Portuguese literature: Prose: The 14th-century Livro de linhagens (“Book of Genealogy”) of Pedro Afonso, count of Barcelos, constituted a landmark by going beyond genealogy to history and legend. The work contains short epic narratives, romances, and tales of adventure and fantasy. He was also responsible for the compilation in 1344…

Fernando Pessoa: …of Livro do desassossego (The Book of Disquiet), a diary-like work of poetic fragments that Pessoa worked on through the last two decades of his life and that remained unfinished at his death. It was published together for the first time in 1982 and brought him worldwide attention; a…

Jonas Lie: One of Life’s Slaves, 1895), which tells of the social misfortunes of a boy born out of wedlock, and Familien paa Gilje (1883; The Family at Gilje, 1920), a novel that deals with the position of women, the most popular question of his day. The…

Livy was, with Sallust and Tacitus, one of the three great Roman historians. His history of Rome became a classic in his own lifetime and exercised a profound influence on the style and philosophy of historical writing down to the 18th century. Little is known about Livy’s life and nothing about

Leviathan, in Jewish mythology, a primordial sea serpent. Its source is in prebiblical Mesopotamian myth, especially that of the sea monster in the Ugaritic myth of Baal (see Yamm). In the Old Testament, Leviathan appears in Psalms 74:14 as a multiheaded sea serpent that is killed by God and given

Guangzhou: Old City districts: The original Liwan district occupied the western part of the Old City, as well as a large island in the Pearl River to the west. It too was enlarged considerably in 2005, when it merged with Fangcun district, across the river to the southwest. The old part…

China: The Zhou feudal system: …bce the nobles jointly expelled Liwang, a tyrant, and replaced him with a collective leadership headed by the two most influential nobles until the crown prince was enthroned. In 771 bce the Zhou royal line was again broken when Youwang was killed by invading tribes. The nobles apparently were split…

Oman: Ethnic groups: …among the latter are the Liwātiyyah, who originally came from Sindh (now in Pakistan) but have lived in Oman for centuries.

Arabia: The Rubʿ al-Khali: …oasis hamlets of Al-Jiwāʾ (Liwāʾ in the United Arab Emirates) lie among the dunes on the desert’s northeastern fringe. The largest dunes of the Rubʿ al-Khali are in the far east, where heights of more than 800 feet are reached and sand ridges extend for more than 30 miles,…

Muṣṭafā Kāmil: …1900 he founded the daily Al-Liwāʾ (“The Standard”) to put forth the group’s views. Realizing that independence would be difficult to obtain, he looked to France, which he saw as the symbol of European liberalism, to help Egypt counter British power. When France and Great Britain signed the Entente Cordiale…

Jakarta: …at the mouth of the Ciliwung (Liwung River), on Jakarta Bay (an embayment of the Java Sea). It is coextensive with the metropolitan district of Greater Jakarta (Jakarta Raya) and nearly coextensive with the daerah khusus ibukota (special capital district) of Jakarta—the latter also including a number of small offshore…

Lisbon, city, port, capital of Portugal, and the centre of the Lisbon metropolitan area. Located in western Portugal on the estuary of the Tagus (Tejo) River, it is the westernmost capital city in continental Europe and serves as the country’s chief port, largest city, and commercial, political,

Lixisol, one of the 30 soil groups in the classification system of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Lixisols develop on old landscapes in a tropical climate with a pronounced dry season. Their age and mineralogy have led to low levels of plant nutrients and a high erodibility, making

Lu Jiuyuan: …the Learning of Principle (lixue), often called the Cheng-Zhu school after its leading philosophers, Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi.

Lixus, ancient site located north of the modern seaport of Larache, Morocco, on the right bank of the Oued Loukkos (Lucus River). Originally settled by Phoenicians during the 7th century bc, it gradually grew in importance, later coming under Carthaginian domination. After the destruction of

Taban lo Liyong is a South Sudanese and Ugandan author whose experimental works and provocative opinions stimulated literary controversy in East Africa. By his own account, Liyong was born in southern Sudan and taken at a young age by his family to northern Uganda, where he grew up. He attended

East Asian arts: Social conditions: …latter school was called the Pear Garden (Liyuan); ever since, actors in China have been called “children of the pear garden” (liyuan zidi). More than a thousand young people from all ranks of society drew government salaries while studying and performing at lavish state banquets and for official ceremonies. Acting…

W. Somerset Maugham: …obstetrician in his first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897), and its success, though small, encouraged him to abandon medicine. He traveled in Spain and Italy and in 1908 achieved a theatrical triumph—four plays running in London at once—that brought him financial security. During World War I he worked as a…

Bob Fosse: From Broadway to Cabaret: …Minnelli on the TV special Liza with a Z (1972), which earned him Emmy Awards for direction and choreography; the show itself also garnered an Emmy. In addition, Pippin opened on Broadway in 1972, and the following year Fosse won Tonys for best director (musical) and choreographer for his work…

lizard, (suborder Sauria), any of more than 5,500 species of reptiles belonging in the order Squamata (which also includes snakes, suborder Serpentes). Lizards are scaly-skinned reptiles that are usually distinguished from snakes by the possession of legs, movable eyelids, and external ear

lizard beetle, (family Languriidae), any of some 400 species of long, narrow beetles (insect order Coleoptera), most of which are found in Asia and North America. Adult lizard beetles are 2 to 10 mm (0.1 to 0.4 inch) long, are reddish in colour with dark wing covers (elytra), and feed on leaves and

lizard orchid: …is also known as a lizard orchid. The minute plant is endemic to southeastern Australia and bears white to purple flowers with a striped labellum.

lizard orchid, (Himantoglossum hircinum), unusual-looking orchid (family Orchidaceae), occurring sporadically in a variety of dry European habitats. The plant’s common name refers to its lizardlike flowers, while the species name hircinum applies to its goatlike odour. The lizard orchid is a

Lizard Peninsula, peninsula, Cornwall unitary authority, England, the southernmost part of the island of Great Britain. The coastal scenery is magnificent, with offshore rocks, rugged cliffs 250 feet (75 metres) high, and small coves. Inland the landscape is level and open. The local serpentine

Lizard Peninsula, peninsula, Cornwall unitary authority, England, the southernmost part of the island of Great Britain. The coastal scenery is magnificent, with offshore rocks, rugged cliffs 250 feet (75 metres) high, and small coves. Inland the landscape is level and open. The local serpentine

lizard’s tail, member of the lizard’s-tail family (Saururaceae), found in marshy areas of eastern North America. The plant has creeping stems, or runners. Erect branches about 60 to 150 centimetres (2 to 5 feet) tall bear heart-shaped leaves on long stalks. Small, white flowers grow in a spike with

Piperales: Families: Saururaceae, the lizard’s-tail family, is native to North America and Southeast Asia. It includes five genera and six species, most of them aromatic herbs with creeping rhizomes (horizontal stems). The plants generally inhabit wet areas.

Lizard Peninsula, peninsula, Cornwall unitary authority, England, the southernmost part of the island of Great Britain. The coastal scenery is magnificent, with offshore rocks, rugged cliffs 250 feet (75 metres) high, and small coves. Inland the landscape is level and open. The local serpentine

lizardfish, any of about 57 species of marine fish of the family Synodontidae, found primarily in the tropics. Lizardfish are elongated with rounded bodies and scaly heads. They grow to a maximum length of about 50 centimetres (20 inches) and are characteristically mottled or blotched to blend with

José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi was a Mexican editor, pamphleteer, and novelist, a leading literary figure in Mexico’s national liberation movement. Largely self-taught, Fernández wrote as “the Mexican thinker,” taking this pseudonym from the title of his radical journal, El pensador mexicano

serpentine: …corrugated plates or fibres; and lizardite, a very fine-grained, platy variety. Named in allusion to its resemblance to a snake’s skin, serpentine is usually grayish, white, or green but may be yellow (chrysotile) or green-blue (antigorite); the green colour is due to iron replacing magnesium.

China: The chief councillors: Both Lizong (reigned 1224/25–1264) and his successor Duzong (reigned 1264/65–1274) indulged excessively in pleasure, though much of it was carefully concealed from the public. Shortly after the death of Shi Miyuan, the role of chief councillor went to Jia Sidao, who, though he was denounced in…

Lizzie Borden: …Fall River Legend (1948), a ballet by Agnes de Mille; an opera, Lizzie Borden (1965), by Jack Beeson and Kenward Elmslie; and one immortal, if slightly inaccurate, quatrain:

Lizzo is an American singer, rapper, and flutist whose messages of positivity and empowerment resonated with audiences and brought her global success in the early 21st century. Her music—a blend of R&B, rap, and pop—typically features catchy, uplifting lyrics about self-love, especially as it

Leeuwarden, gemeente (municipality), northern Netherlands. Leeuwarden lies at the junction of the Harlinger-Trek Canal and the Dokkumer Ee Canal. Originally a port on the Middelzee (reclaimed since the 13th century), it was chartered in 1435, became the capital of Friesland in 1504, and was from

Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), regional political party in Bihar state, eastern India. It also has had a small presence on the national political scene in New Delhi. The LJP was formed in November 2000, following a split in the Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), party. The LJP has focused mainly on

Ljubljana, capital city and economic, political, and cultural centre of Slovenia, located on the Ljubljanica River. The city lies in central Slovenia in a natural depression surrounded by high peaks of the Julian Alps. A walled Roman encampment was built there in the mid-1st century bce by Roman

Slovenia: Education: The University of Ljubljana, founded in 1595 and reopened in 1919, has divisions that include the natural sciences, the social sciences, the humanities and arts, education, theology, law, medicine, and engineering. The University of Maribor, founded in 1975, is vocationally oriented. There are also several independent…

Ljubljana: …of Slovenia, located on the Ljubljanica River. The city lies in central Slovenia in a natural depression surrounded by high peaks of the Julian Alps.

Ljusnan River, river in central Sweden. After rising in the Norwegian border mountains it flows for 270 miles (430 km) in a generally southeasterly direction through the provinces of Härjedalen and Hälsingland past the towns of Sveg, Ljusdal, and Bollnäs to the Gulf of Bothnia at Ljusne. It has a

Lithuania: Political process: During the Soviet period the Lithuanian Communist Party (Lietuvos Komunistu Partija; LKP) was the country’s only political party. Its members and candidates for membership were supported by the activities of the Komsomol youth movement. In 1989, however, the legislature ended the Communist Party’s monopoly on power by legalizing other political…

LL Cool J is an American rapper and actor, a leading exponent of mid-1980s new-school rap and one of the few hip-hop stars of his era to sustain a successful recording career for more than a decade. Taking the stage name LL Cool J (“Ladies Love Cool James”) at age 16, Smith signed with fledgling

Chile: The Chilean Andes: Among them are Copahue, Llaima, Osorno, and the highest, Mount Tronador, at an elevation of 11,453 feet. Their perfect conical shapes reflecting on the quiet waters in the Lake District provide some of the most splendid scenery in temperate South America. In southern Chile, below latitude 42° S, the…

mineral deposit: Veins: …Canada; the tin-silver veins of Llallagua and Potosí, Bolivia; and the silver-nickel-uranium veins of the Erzgebirge, Germany, which were first described by Georgius Agricola in his book De re metallica (1556).

llama, (Lama glama), domesticated livestock species, descendant of the guanaco (Lama guanicoe), and one of the South American members of the camel family, Camelidae (order Artiodactyla). The llama is primarily a pack animal, but it is also used as a source of food, wool, hides, tallow for candles,

llama: Llama fleece: 7 pounds) of fibre. Llama fleece consists of the coarse guard hairs of the protective outer coat (about 20 percent) and the short crimped (wavy) fibre of the insulating undercoat. The coarse fleece is inferior to the wool of the alpaca. The hair’s colour is usually variegated, generally…

Llandaff, part of the city and county of Cardiff, historic county of Glamorgan (Morgannwg), Wales. Formerly a separate town, Llandaff lies along the west bank of the River Taff about 2 miles (3 km) northwest of Cardiff’s city centre. The cathedral of the ancient diocese of Llandaff in the Church in

Llandaff, part of the city and county of Cardiff, historic county of Glamorgan (Morgannwg), Wales. Formerly a separate town, Llandaff lies along the west bank of the River Taff about 2 miles (3 km) northwest of Cardiff’s city centre. The cathedral of the ancient diocese of Llandaff in the Church in

Llandaff: Llandaff Castle, the home of the medieval bishops, was destroyed about 1403–04 by the Welsh insurgent leader Owain Glyn Dŵr, but the ruined gatehouse remains. Nearby are the Cathedral School, a theological college, and Howell’s School for Girls. Retaining much of a village atmosphere at…

Llandaff: The cathedral of the ancient diocese of Llandaff in the Church in Wales originated in a 6th-century foundation by the Celtic St. Teilo, but the present structure was begun by Bishop Urban in the early 12th century. The Book of Llandaff, compiled under Bishop Urban, was…

Llandovery Series, lowermost of four main divisions in the Silurian System, representing those rocks deposited worldwide during the Llandovery Epoch (443.4 million to 433.4 million years ago). The name of the series is derived from the type district, around the town of Llandovery in Dyfed, southern

Llandovery Series, lowermost of four main divisions in the Silurian System, representing those rocks deposited worldwide during the Llandovery Epoch (443.4 million to 433.4 million years ago). The name of the series is derived from the type district, around the town of Llandovery in Dyfed, southern

Llandovery Series, lowermost of four main divisions in the Silurian System, representing those rocks deposited worldwide during the Llandovery Epoch (443.4 million to 433.4 million years ago). The name of the series is derived from the type district, around the town of Llandovery in Dyfed, southern

Llandrindod Wells, town and resort, Powys county, historic county of Radnorshire (Sir Faesyfed), central Wales. It lies on the River Ithon, a tributary of the River Wye, and is the administrative centre of Powys county. The town developed as a spa, based on medicinal waters first discovered about

Llandrindod Wells, town and resort, Powys county, historic county of Radnorshire (Sir Faesyfed), central Wales. It lies on the River Ithon, a tributary of the River Wye, and is the administrative centre of Powys county. The town developed as a spa, based on medicinal waters first discovered about

Llandudno, seaside resort, Conwy county borough, historic county of Denbighshire, northwestern Wales. It fronts Llandudno Bay, on the Irish Sea between the limestone headlands of Great Orme (northwest) and Little Orme (east). Traces of prehistoric and Roman occupation have been found on Great Orme,

Llanelli, town and urban area (from 2011 built-up area), historic and present county of Carmarthenshire, southwestern Wales. It lies on the River Loughor estuary near Carmarthen Bay of the Bristol Channel. The old, established settlement’s most significant growth dates from the late 18th century,

St. Asaph, cathedral village, Denbighshire (Sir Ddinbych) county, historic county of Flintshire (Sir Fflint), northern Wales. It stands between the Rivers Clwyd and Elwy, from which its Welsh name derives. Asaph, the Celtic ecclesiastic to whom the cathedral is dedicated, was bishop there in the

Apure: …state is famous for its llaneros (cowboys), who were key fighters in the independence movement of the early 19th century. Mounted llaneros still work the area’s large cattle ranches, which have driven the local economy from the time of the first European settlements. Drainage is poor, and annual floods are…

Builth Wells, market town, Powys county, historic county of Brecknockshire (Sir Frycheiniog), central Wales. It is located in the upper River Wye valley. The Normans made the surrounding district of Buellt a marcher lordship (i.e., part of the political buffer zone between Wales and England) and

Llangefni, town, Isle of Anglesey county, historic county of Anglesey (Sir Fon), northwestern Wales. It is situated on the River Cefni, almost in the middle of Anglesey island, and is the administrative centre of the county. The town originated as a market centre for the island’s agricultural

Llangollen, market town, historic and present county of Denbighshire, northwestern Wales. It lies in the valley of the River Dee, about 10 miles (16 km) south of Wrexham. Llangollen is the home of the International Musical Eisteddfod (festival), held there since 1947 to promote international

Thomas Telford: …agent and engineer to the Ellesmere Canal Company. His two great aqueducts, which carry this canal over the Ceiriog and Dee valleys in Wales at Chirk and Pontcysyllte (Pont Cysylltau), employed a novel use of troughs of cast-iron plates fixed in the masonry. These brought him national fame. Employed in…

Llantwit Major, town, Vale of Glamorgan county, historic county of Glamorgan (Morgannwg), southern Wales. It is situated just inland from the Bristol Channel, about 10 miles (16 km) west of Barry. Prehistoric and Roman remains have been discovered in and near the town. Its medieval importance lay

Gibraltar: People: …an English dialect known as Yanito (Llanito), which is influenced by Spanish, Genoese, and Hebrew.

The Burning Plain, a collection of short stories (one of the same name) by Juan Rulfo, published in 1953. In his collection of short stories Rulfo was recognized as a master. Post-revolutionary scenes in Llano Grande in the state of Jalisco overcome the rural limitations of these tales about the

Llano Estacado, portion of the High Plains of the United States, along the Texas–New Mexico border. It covers an area of about 30,000 square miles (78,000 square km) and is bounded by the Canadian River valley (north), the “break of the plains” (east), the Edwards Plateau (south), and the Mescalero

Latin American literature: Historiographies: Steeped in Classical erudition, José Eusebio de Llano Zapata corresponded with humanists throughout Europe after he left Peru at midcentury. He authored treatises on formal logic and physics and a carefully researched and written natural history, Memorias histórico-físicas-apologéticas de la América Meridional (1761; “Apologetic Historico-Physical Memoirs of South America”),…

cetacean: Annotated taxonomy: †Family Llanocetidae 1 genus. Lower Oligocene or Upper Eocene. Antarctica. †Family Cetotheriidae (cetotheres) About 30 genera. Middle Oligocene to Lower Pliocene. North and South America and Europe. †Suborder Archaeoceti

Llanocetus denticrenatus, one of the earliest known baleen whales, sole member of the family Llanocetidae, suborder Mysticeti. Llanocetus denticrenatus lived during the Late Eocene Age (37.8 million to 33.9 million years ago). Much of what is known about the species comes from an analysis of an

Llanos, wide grasslands stretching across northern South America and occupying western Venezuela and northeastern Colombia. The Llanos have an area of approximately 220,000 square miles (570,000 square km), delimited by the Andes Mountains to the north and west, the Guaviare River and the Amazon

Orinoco River: Physiography of the Orinoco Llanos: The High Plains (Llanos Altos) are most conspicuous near the Andes, where they form extensive platforms between rivers and are some 100 to 200 feet above the valley floors. Away from the mountains they are increasingly fragmented, as in the dissected tableland of the central and eastern Llanos…