Uralic languages: Languages of the family: Finno-Ugric can first be divided into the most distantly related Ugric and Finnic (sometimes called Volga-Finnic) groups, which may have separated as long ago as five millennia. Within these, three relatively closely related groups of languages are found: the Baltic-Finnic, the Permic, and the Ob-Ugric.…

Pablo Iglesias: He also headed the socialist-affiliated Unión General de Trabajadores (General Union of Workers), organized in 1888.

National Dialogue Quartet: …of Tunisian civil society organizations—the Tunisian General Labour Union (Union Générale Tunisienne du Travail; UGTT), the Tunisian Order of Lawyers (Ordre National des Avocats de Tunisie), the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (Union Tunisienne de l’Industrie, du Commerce et de l’Artisinat; UTICA), and the Tunisian Human Rights League…

Canadian literature: Contemporary trends: …collection Autoportraits (1982; “Self-Portraits”) by Marie Uguay, stricken at a young age by cancer. Surrealism remains an important influence in Quebec poetry, particularly in the expression of eroticism, as, for example, in the poetry of Roger Des Roches (Le Coeur complet: poésie et prose, 1974–1982 [2000; “The Complete Heart: Poetry…

African music: Musical bows: The Zulu ugubhu is a typical example. Harmonic tones are selectively resonated by moving the mouth of the gourd closer to or farther from the player’s chest. The fundamental pitch of the string can be altered by finger stopping; with other types, like the Swazi makhweyane, a…

Uguccione Della Faggiuola was a Tuscan noble who, as tyrant of Pisa and Lucca, played a role in the 14th-century Italian struggle between papal and imperial factions. A member of an old Ghibelline (pro-imperial) family, Uguccione had served as podestà (chief magistrate) and captain general in

Seven Holy Founders: Amidei, Gerard Sostegni, and Ricoverus Uguccione. Formally Ordo Fratrum Servorum Sanctae Mariae (“Order of Friar Servants of St. Mary”), the order is a Roman Catholic congregation of mendicant friars dedicated to apostolic work.

gabija, in Baltic religion, the domestic hearth fire. In pre-Christian times a holy fire (šventa ugnis) was kept in tribal sanctuaries on high hills and riverbanks, where priests guarded it constantly, extinguishing and rekindling it once a year at the midsummer festival. Eventually this tradition

PJ Harvey: …2004 Harvey released the self-produced Uh Huh Her, on which she played all the instruments except percussion and continued her unique discourse on love, which from all indications had again turned bad for her. In 2006 Harvey’s live radio performances for renowned disc jockey and alternative tastemaker John Peel were…

Sonia Sanchez: …Bronx Is Next (1968) and Uh Huh: But How Do It Free Us? (1975), both of which explored sexism in African American communities, among other issues. It’s a New Day (1971), a poetry collection, and The Adventures of Fathead, Smallhead, and Squarehead (1973) are both works for children.

Kish, ancient Mesopotamian city-state located east of Babylon in what is now south-central Iraq. According to ancient Sumerian sources it was the seat of the first postdiluvian dynasty; most scholars believe that the dynasty was at least partly historical. A king of Kish, Mesilim, is known to have

Christology: The Middle Ages through the 19th century: …Gospel stories; another example is Fritz von Uhde’s On the Way to Bethlehem (1890). Whereas Tissot sought to place Jesus into his 1st-century Jewish setting, Uhde had the opposite goal—namely, to express the timelessness of Jesus’ story by depicting him in contemporary settings. In his Come, Lord Jesus, Be Our…

Wilhelm Uhde was a German collector, art dealer, and writer who was strongly influenced by the ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche. Uhde studied law and art history before moving to Paris in 1904. Four years later he opened an art gallery in which he exhibited Fauvist work, as well as Cubist work by

UHF, conventionally defined portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, encompassing radiations having a wavelength between 0.1 and 1 m and a frequency between 3,000 and 300 megahertz. UHF signals are used extensively in televison broadcasting. UHF waves typically carry televison signals on channels

“Weird Al” Yankovic: Career: …he cowrote and starred in UHF, a comedy film about a television station manager who scores big ratings with wacky programming ideas.

lance: …regiments into lancers known as Uhlans. In 1914 they briefly carried their antique weapons into a machine-gun war, as did the British and French—men were run through with lances at the first Battle of the Marne. Through hard experience, the general staffs of Europe eventually (and reluctantly) conceded that a…

Ludwig Uhland was a German Romantic poet and political figure important to the development of German medieval studies. Uhland studied law and classical and medieval literature at the University of Tübingen. While in Tübingen he wrote his first poems, which were published in Vaterländische Gedichte

Ludwig Uhland was a German Romantic poet and political figure important to the development of German medieval studies. Uhland studied law and classical and medieval literature at the University of Tübingen. While in Tübingen he wrote his first poems, which were published in Vaterländische Gedichte

George Eugene Uhlenbeck was a Dutch American physicist who, with Samuel A. Goudsmit, proposed the concept of electron spin. In 1925, while working on his Ph.D. at the University of Leiden, Neth. (1927), he and Goudsmit put forth their idea of electron spin after ascertaining that electrons rotate

polyethylene: Ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene: Linear polyethylene can be produced in ultrahigh-molecular-weight versions, with molecular weights of 3,000,000 to 6,000,000 atomic units, as opposed to 500,000 atomic units for HDPE. These polymers can be spun into fibres and then drawn, or stretched, into a highly crystalline state, resulting…

bugaku: …mainly from Chinese forms); and uhō samai no mai (“dances of the right”), accompanied primarily by komagaku (music introduced from Korea). The two forms are also differentiated by the colour of the dancers’ richly embroidered costumes; sahō no mai costumes tend to be red, and uhō no mai to be…

Martha Clarke: …Reapers (2011; with text by Alfred Uhry), which explores the life of Ann Lee, the founder of the Shakers; Chéri (2013), based on French author Colette’s 1920 novel; and Canticle (God’s Fool) (2021), a narrative about St. Francis of Assisi.

pasteurization: Ultra-high-temperature (UHT) pasteurization involves heating milk or cream to 138–150 °C (280–302 °F) for one or two seconds. Packaged in sterile, hermetically sealed containers, UHT milk may be stored without refrigeration for months. Ultrapasteurized milk and cream are heated to at least 138 °C for…

Muhammad: Biography according to the Islamic tradition: …once in 625 in the Battle of Uḥud and again in 627 in the so-called Battle of the Trench; both attempts to dislodge Muhammad are ultimately unsuccessful. After each of the three major military encounters with the Meccans, Muhammad and his followers manage to oust another of the three main…

East African mountains: Physiography: …19,340 feet (5,895 metres) at Uhuru peak on the Kibo cone. The generally smooth outlines of the cratered dome of Kibo are in marked contrast to the jagged form of Mawensi, or Mawenzi (17,564 feet); the two summits are connected by a saddle that lies at about 14,500 feet. Mount…

Swahili literature: …James Mbotela’s 1934 historical novel Uhuru wa Watumwa (“Freedom for the Slaves”), but it was the writing of Shaaban Robert (1909–62) that really gave impetus to a literature in the new Standard Swahili. The works of this Tanganyikan poet, novelist, and essayist gained wide circulation in the 1940s, ’50s, and…

Ireland: The Shane O’Neill rebellion: …these rebellions, that of Shane O’Neill, fully exposed the weakness and later the folly of the government. O’Neill’s father, Conn the Lame (Conn Bacach), who as the “O’Neill” was head of a whole network of clans, had been made earl of Tyrone in 1541, and the succession rights of his…

Antarctica: History of Antarctica: …Rarotongan oral tradition tells of Ui-te-Rangiora, who sailed south of Aotearoa (New Zealand) to a frozen region. Tamarereti, a Polynesian explorer, also saw the icy south, according to oral tradition.

Offaly, county in the province of Leinster, central Ireland. Offaly is bounded by Counties Westmeath and Meath (north), Kildare (east), Laoighis and Tipperary (south), and Galway and Roscommon (west). The River Shannon forms its western boundary. Tullamore, in central Offaly, is the county town

World Cancer Day: The International Union Against Cancer (UICC), an organization dedicated to increasing global cancer awareness, coordinates World Cancer Day and is supported in this effort by WHO and other international organizations. World Cancer Day serves as a formal launching point for the declaration of new themes and…

Daigak Guksa was a Korean Buddhist priest who founded the Ch’ŏnt’ae sect of Buddhism. A son of the Koryŏ king Munjong, Ŭich’ŏn became a Buddhist monk at age 11, and in 1084 he went to the Sung court of China and stayed a year and a half studying and collecting Buddhist literature. When Ŭich’ŏn

Uíge, city, northwestern Angola. Settled by Portuguese colonists, Uíge grew from a small market centre in 1945 to become Angola’s major centre for coffee production in the 1950s and was designated a city in 1956. Its prosperity was short-lived, however, as the city was affected by recurrent

poker: Internet poker: Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in October 2006, a law designed to prevent the passing of gambling revenue by poker sites on the Internet to terrorist organizations. In response, several online poker sites relocated their servers and operations outside the United States. On April…

Uyghur, a Turkic-speaking people of inner Asia. Uyghurs live primarily in northwestern China, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where they have been subject to a government crackdown since 2017. A small number of Uyghurs also live in the Central Asian republics. There were more than

Xinjiang, autonomous region of China, occupying the northwestern corner of the country. It is bordered by the Chinese provinces of Qinghai and Gansu to the east, the Tibet Autonomous Region to the south, Afghanistan and the disputed territory of Kashmir to the southwest, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

history of Central Asia: The Uyghur empire: This new empire comprised many tribes and seems to have been headed by a smaller tribal confederation standing under Uyghur leadership. This federation is referred to in Chinese sources as the Nine Clans (Jiuxing), whereas Islamic sources and the Orhon inscriptions call it…

Uyghur language, member of the Turkic language family within the Altaic language group, spoken by Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of northwestern China and in portions of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The modern Uyghur language, which was based on the Taranchi dialect

history of Central Asia: Timur: …the arts, and architecture, with Chagatai Turkish, a dialect derived partly from Khakani, the language spoken at the Karakhanid court (and a precursor of modern Uzbek), emerging as a flexible vehicle for sophisticated literary expression. These Timurid epigones, however, were locked in unceasing rivalry with each other and were unable…

history of Central Asia: Timur: …the arts, and architecture, with Chagatai Turkish, a dialect derived partly from Khakani, the language spoken at the Karakhanid court (and a precursor of modern Uzbek), emerging as a flexible vehicle for sophisticated literary expression. These Timurid epigones, however, were locked in unceasing rivalry with each other and were unable…

history of Central Asia: Timur: …the arts, and architecture, with Chagatai Turkish, a dialect derived partly from Khakani, the language spoken at the Karakhanid court (and a precursor of modern Uzbek), emerging as a flexible vehicle for sophisticated literary expression. These Timurid epigones, however, were locked in unceasing rivalry with each other and were unable…

Uijeongbu, city, Gyeonggi do (province), northwestern South Korea. Uijeongbu lies approximately 12 miles (20 km) north of Seoul. Its name, meaning “State Council” in Old Korean, derives from its being the temporary site of the cabinet office during the Joseon (Yi) dynasty (1392–1910). The city was

Uijeongbu, city, Gyeonggi do (province), northwestern South Korea. Uijeongbu lies approximately 12 miles (20 km) north of Seoul. Its name, meaning “State Council” in Old Korean, derives from its being the temporary site of the cabinet office during the Joseon (Yi) dynasty (1392–1910). The city was

Italian Labour Union, Italian trade union federation with more than a million and a half members. The UIL was formed in 1950 in opposition to the communist-dominated Italian General Confederation of Labour, Italy’s largest trade union federation, and the Roman Catholic-supported Italian

Colorado Plateau: The northernmost section is the Uinta Basin, a dissected plateau abutting the Uinta Mountains in northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado. South of it is the Canyon Lands, so named because it is a plateau dissected by many deep canyons. It has an indefinite border with the Navajo section, a region…

chipmunk: The Uinta chipmunk (T. umbrinus), which lives in montane forests of the western United States, is much like a tree squirrel in its habits. In addition to denning in burrows, it regularly sleeps and nests in trees, where it sometimes raises young in tree cavities or abandoned bird…

ground squirrel: Nontropical ground squirrels: Others, such as the Uinta ground squirrel (S. armatus) of the Rocky Mountains in the western United States, are primarily vegetarian, eating mostly green plant parts and seeds.

Uinta Mountains, segment of the south-central Rocky Mountains, extending eastward for more than 100 miles (160 km) from the Wasatch Range across northeastern Utah and slightly into southwestern Wyoming, U.S. Many of the range’s summits exceed 13,000 feet (4,000 m), including Kings Peak (13,528 feet

asphalt: Gilsonite, wurzilite, and similar vein asphalts have special uses in heat-resistant enamels; they are hard and are mined like coal. Petroleum asphalt is produced in all consistencies from light road oils to heavy, high-viscosity industrial types.

Uintatherium, extinct genus of large, hoofed mammals found as fossils in North America and Asia in terrestrial deposits that date from the middle of the Eocene Epoch (55.8–33.9 million years ago). The size of a modern rhinoceros, Uintatherium was among the largest animals of its time. The limbs

Ŭisang was a Buddhist monk and founder of the Hwaŏm (Chinese: Hua-yen) sect of Korean Buddhism. He devoted himself to the propagation of the teaching of the Avataṃsaka-sūtra (Garland Sutra), which provided ideological support for the political system of the state of Unified Silla (668–935). Ŭisang

South Uist, island of the Outer Hebrides, Western Isles council area, historic county of Inverness-shire, Scotland. It lies west of the island of Skye, from which it is separated by about 25 miles (40 km) of water. The island is 20 miles (30 km) north to south and 7 miles (11 km) wide and is

North Uist, island of the Outer Hebrides, Western Isles council area, historic county of Inverness-shire, Scotland, lying off the northwest coast of the Scottish mainland. North Uist measures 17 miles (27 km) long from north to south and 13 miles (21 km) east to west. Its eastern part is moorland

Uitenhage, town, Eastern Cape province, South Africa, near the Indian Ocean, northwest of Port Elizabeth. It was founded in 1804 by J.A. Uitenhage de Mist, a Dutch governmental official sent to the Cape Colony by the government of the Batavian Republic, and it contains a number of 19th-century

Uitlander, (Afrikaans: “foreigner”), any British or other non-Afrikaner immigrant in the Transvaal region in the 1880s and ’90s. After 1886 the prospect of gold lured large numbers of newcomers to Johannesburg, where they became a majority of the citizenry and were led by an aristocracy of wealthy

Huitzilopochtli, Aztec sun and war god, one of the two principal deities of Aztec religion, often represented in art as either a hummingbird or an eagle. Huitzilopochtli’s name is a cognate of the Nahuatl words huitzilin, “hummingbird,” and opochtli, “left.” Aztecs believed that dead warriors were

Ferenc Herczeg: In 1895 he founded Új Idők (“New Times”), which remained for half a century the literary magazine of the conservative upper and middle classes of Hungary. His light novels of manners contained just enough irony, humour, and social criticism to cause a harmless shock to the conservative public for…

Endre Ady: With his next book, Uj versek (1906; “New Poems”), he burst into Hungarian literary life. Poetry in Hungary had been dormant at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, and imitations of Sándor Petőfi and János Arany were prevalent. None of the few original…

socialism: Postwar socialism: … developed an egalitarian program of ujamaa (Swahili: “familyhood”) that collectivized village farmlands and attempted, unsuccessfully, to achieve economic self-sufficiency—all under the guidance of a one-party state.

Black Hand, secret Serbian society of the early 20th century that used terrorist methods to promote the liberation of Serbs outside Serbia from Habsburg or Ottoman rule and was instrumental in planning the assassination of the Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand (1914), precipitating the outbreak of

Uji, city, Kyōto fu (urban prefecture), west-central Honshu, Japan. It lies along the Uji River in the southeastern corner of the Kyōto Basin. It developed in about the 7th century as a river crossing. During the Tokugawa era (1603–1867) it was the main post town on the road between Nara and Ōtsu.

uji, any of the hereditary lineage groups that, until their official abolition in ad 604, formed the basic, decentralized ruling structure of early Japan. They are often referred to as the great clans because of their traditions of common descent, and they were ruled by an uji chief who was

Japanese literature: Kamakura period (1192–1333): …the most enjoyable is the Uji shūi monogatari (A Collection of Tales from Uji), a compilation made over a period of years of some 197 brief stories. Although the incidents described in these tales are often similar to those found in Konjaku monogatari, they are told with considerably greater literary…

ujigami, in the Shintō religion of Japan, the tutelary deity of a village or geographic area. The meaning of ujigami has undergone considerable evolution over the centuries, mainly because of the historical migrations of clan communities in Japan. Originally the term referred to the ancestral deity

Ise, city, eastern Mie ken (prefecture), central Honshu, Japan. It is situated on the Shima Peninsula on the southern shore of Ise Bay (Ise-wan) of the Pacific Ocean, about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Matsuzaka. The city contains several major Shintō shrines. Central among those is the Ise Shrine

ujigami, in the Shintō religion of Japan, the tutelary deity of a village or geographic area. The meaning of ujigami has undergone considerable evolution over the centuries, mainly because of the historical migrations of clan communities in Japan. Originally the term referred to the ancestral deity

Lake Tanganyika: and John Hanning Speke reached Ujiji, on the lake’s eastern shore, in their quest for the source of the Nile River. In 1871 Henry (later Sir Henry) Morton Stanley “found” David Livingstone at Ujiji. Important ports situated along Lake Tanganyika are Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi, Kalemi in the DRC,…

Ujjain, city, western Madhya Pradesh state, central India. It is located on the Malwa Plateau on the east side of the Sipra (Shipra) River, a tributary of the Chambal River. Ujjain is one of seven sacred Hindu cities. Its name is derived from the Sanskrit jai (“victory”). The city, lying on the

Gir Range: …because of the ancient Jaina temple of Girnar (historically called Raivata or Ujjayanta) situated on one of the hills; the temple is a major place of pilgrimage.

Avanti: Ujjayini, one of the seven holy cities of the Hindus, renowned for its beauty and wealth, became a centre of early Buddhism and of Jainism.

ʿAjmān, constituent emirate of the United Arab Emirates (formerly Trucial States, or Trucial Oman). It is the smallest emirate of the country and is composed of three sections. The principal portion, on the Persian Gulf coast, is completely surrounded by the emirate of Al-Shāriqah and is the site

Korean music: Court instrumental music: Ujo is a variant on p’yŏngjo, usually a fourth (a musical interval equivalent to that spanning four white keys on the piano) higher. The exact pitch on which these modes are written or played varies.

Phuket: island, southern Thailand. The island lies in the Andaman Sea, off the west coast of peninsular Thailand. Phuket city, located in the southeastern portion of the island, is a major port and commercial centre. Its harbour exports tin, rubber, charcoal, lumber, and fish products south…

Ujung Kulon National Park, national park on the island of Java, in the province of Banten, Indonesia. It is best known as the last refuge of the one-horned Javan rhinoceros. A remote area of low hills and plateaus, with small lagoons and coastal dunes, it occupies 475 square miles (1,229 square km)

Makassar, kota (city), capital of South Sulawesi (Sulawesi Selatan) propinsi (or provinsi; province), Indonesia. It lies along the southwestern side of the southwestern peninsula of Celebes. The Makassarese, who account for the majority of the population, constitute a branch of the Malay people and

Makassar, kota (city), capital of South Sulawesi (Sulawesi Selatan) propinsi (or provinsi; province), Indonesia. It lies along the southwestern side of the southwestern peninsula of Celebes. The Makassarese, who account for the majority of the population, constitute a branch of the Malay people and

Novi Sad, city and administrative capital of the ethnically mixed autonomous region of Vojvodina in northern Serbia. It is a transit port on the heavily trafficked Danube River northwest of Belgrade and is also situated on the Belgrade-Budapest rail line. Before the 18th century Novi Sad was a

Inari, in Japanese mythology, god primarily known as the protector of rice cultivation. The god also furthers prosperity and is worshiped particularly by merchants and tradesmen, is the patron deity of swordsmiths and is associated with brothels and entertainers. In Shintō legends Inari is

Benue-Congo languages: Oko and Ukaan-Akpes: These two groups together consist of three languages spoken by relatively small numbers of people living near the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers.

Islamic arts: The pre-Islamic period: …the western Arabian town of ʿUkāẓ, competitions of poetry and musical performances were held periodically, attracting the most distinguished poet-musicians. Their music, more sophisticated than that practiced in the nomadic encampments, was related to that of the qaynāt (“singing girls”), who performed at court, in noble households, and in scattered…

ukulele, (Hawaiian: “flea”), small guitar derived from the machada, or machete, a four-stringed guitar introduced into Hawaii by the Portuguese in the 1870s. It is seldom more than 24 inches (60 cm) long. The ukulele has been played in Europe and the United States as a jazz and solo instrument in

Ukemochi no Kami, (Japanese: “Goddess Who Possesses Food”), in Shintō mythology, the goddess of food. She is also sometimes identified as Wakaukanome (“Young Woman with Food”) and is associated with Toyuke (Toyouke) Ōkami, the god of food, clothing, and housing, who is enshrined in the Outer Shrine

African art: Region of Lakes Victoria and Tanganyika: The Kerewe of Ukerewe Island in Lake Victoria carved large wooden figures, about 3 feet (90 cm) high, which appear to have been effigies of deceased chiefs. Other examples of wood sculpture, including figures and masks, are known, some showing possible influences from the Luba of Congo (Kinshasa).…

ceremonial object: Objects used in sacrifices and in sacred meals: …the Vedic Indian vessel (ukha) made of earth and fired in a pit on the sacrificial grounds and the urn (ātash-dān) of pre-Sāsānid Iranian fire altars. Sometimes the ashes were collected in cauldrons (the ancient Hebrews), and occasionally the viscera were placed separately in a gourd (Africa) or on…

Giant’s Castle: …Reserve, which is part of uKhahlamba/Drakensberg Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site noted for its natural and cultural value.

Islamic arts: Palaces: …comparable structure has been found—at Ukhayḍir in Iraq, which dates from the early Abbasid period. A number of princely residences of the Central Asian or North African countryside are still too little known but appear not to have had the same development. The other important lesson to draw from them…

Ukhta, industrial city, Komi republic, northwestern Russia, on the Ukhta River. It was founded as the village of Chibyu in 1931 and became a city in 1943, when it was linked to the Pechora railway. Ukhta lies within the Pechora Basin, a significant oil and natural gas area. Some oil is refined

Hokusai: Early years.: …historical and landscape subjects, especially uki-e (semi-historical landscapes using Western-influenced perspective techniques), as well as prints of children. The artist’s book illustrations and texts turned as well from the earlier themes to historical and didactic subjects. At the same time, Hokusai’s work in the surimono genre during the subsequent decade…

Ukiah, city, seat (1859) of Mendocino county, northwestern California, U.S. It lies on the Russian River, 60 miles (100 km) north-northwest of Santa Rosa and 100 miles (160 km) north of San Francisco. Settled in 1856, the city derived its name from the Pomo Indian word yokaya (probably “deep

Ukigumo, novel by Futabatei Shimei, published in 1887–89. It was published in three parts, at first under the name of the author’s more-famous friend, Tsubouchi Shōyō. It was published in English as Japan’s First Modern Novel: Ukigumo of Futabatei Shimei. Ukigumo was one of the first attempts to

Tiglath-pileser III: Military campaigns.: …these rebels were encouraged by Ukin-zer, the Chaldean chief who, in 734, had seized the throne of Babylon. Using consummate diplomacy, Tiglath-pileser sowed discord among other Aramaean tribes, one of whose chiefs he won over. His strategy now paid off. He could move the Assyrian army through areas held by…

Tiglath-pileser III: Military campaigns.: …these rebels were encouraged by Ukin-zer, the Chaldean chief who, in 734, had seized the throne of Babylon. Using consummate diplomacy, Tiglath-pileser sowed discord among other Aramaean tribes, one of whose chiefs he won over. His strategy now paid off. He could move the Assyrian army through areas held by…

United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), British political party founded in 1993. It espouses a populist libertarian philosophy centred on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. The party has its roots in the Anti-Federalist League, a group led by London School of Economics

infrared telescope: …an infrared telescope is the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT), which has a 3.8-metre (12.5-foot) mirror made of Cer-Vit, a glass ceramic that has a very low coefficient of expansion. This instrument, located at the Mauna Kea Observatories, is configured in a Cassegrain design and employs a thin monolithic primary…

Japanese literature: Early Tokugawa period (1603–c. 1770): His most famous novel, Ukiyo monogatari (c. 1661; “Tales of the Floating World”), is primitive both in technique and in plot, but under his mask of frivolity Ryōi attempted to treat the hardships of a society where the officially proclaimed Confucian philosophy concealed gross inequalities.

ukiyo-e, one of the most important genres of art of the Tokugawa period (1603–1867) in Japan. The style is a mixture of the realistic narrative of the emaki (“picture scrolls”) produced in the Kamakura period and the mature decorative style of the Momoyama and Tokugawa periods. The ukiyo-e style

Japan: Commerce, cities, and culture: …culture were Ihara Saikaku in ukiyo-zōshi (“tales of the floating world”) genre novels, Chikamatsu Monzaemon in jōruri (“puppet play”) drama, and Matsuo Bashō in haiku poetry. All three flourished during the Genroku era (1688–1704), the name more broadly denoting a golden age of cultural development roughly 50 years long during…

Ukko, in Finnish folk religion, the god of thunder, one of the most important deities. The name Ukko is derived from ukkonen, “thunder,” but it also means “old man” and is used as a term of respect. Ukko had his abode at the centre of the heavenly vault, the navel of the sky; hence he was often

Ukraine, country located in eastern Europe, the second largest on the continent after Russia. The capital is Kyiv, located on the Dnieper River in north-central Ukraine. A fully independent Ukraine emerged only late in the 20th century, after long periods of successive domination by

In 2014 Ukraine faced the greatest threat to its national security since the collapse of the Soviet Union, of which it had been part for most of the 20th century. Months of popular protest swept pro-Russian Pres. Viktor Yanukovych from office in February, and he was replaced by a pro-Western

Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 (PS752), flight of a passenger airliner that was shot down by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on January 8, 2020. It departed from Tehrān with the intended destination of Kyiv, Ukraine. The Iranian military had been on high alert after it