Dow Chemical Company

Dow Chemical Company was founded in 1897 by chemist Herbert H. Dow of Midland to supplement the Midland Chemical Company (1890) and Dow Process Company (1895). Created in part because Dow required

Schaerbeek

Flemish  Schaarbeek  municipality, Brabant province, central Belgium. A village until 1795, it is now an industrial suburb northeast of Brussels and one of the 19 communes that make up Greater Brussels. A rail junction with switch and freight yards, it has an electric power station and manufactures clothing, chemicals, and machinery. The conspicuous domed Church of Sainte-Marie (1845–53) is built in the

Auk

Birds of the auk family, often called alcids, range in length from about 15 to 40 cm (6 to 16 inches), though

Paraguay, Climate

The climate is subtropical in most of eastern Paraguay, which mainly lies south of the Tropic of Capricorn, and tropical in most of the Chaco Boreal extending to its north. Masses of humid air blanket the country in the summers, and the winters are subject to cold southern winds. Summer temperatures between October and March generally range from 77° F to 104° F (25° C to 40° C). Winter temperatures

Tsu

Capital, Mie ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. It lies along the mouth of the Ano River, facing Ise Bay. Tsu developed around a 16th-century castle and served as a post town and trade centre for cotton during the Tokugawa era (1603–1867). A modern cotton mill established in Tsu in 1898 was followed after World War II by factories producing electrical machines, glass, and appliances. During the

Low Comedy

Dramatic or literary entertainment with no underlying purpose except to provoke laughter by boasting, boisterous jokes, drunkenness, scolding, fighting, buffoonery, and other riotous activity. Used either alone or added as comic relief to more serious forms, low comedy has origins in the comic improvisations of actors in ancient Greek and Roman comedy. Low comedy

Omagh

Irish  An Ómaigh  town and seat of Omagh district, Northern Ireland. Situated on the River Strule, Omagh is a market, shopping, and light-manufacturing centre for the district. Traditional crafts (such as table linens and crochet lace) continue to be produced in the town. Tourism is important, and Omagh's numerous festivals and events attract many visitors; the town's West Tyrone Feis annually

Flórez, Enrique

In 1718 Flórez entered the Augustinian order and studied philosophy with the priests of Piedrahita, moving a year later

Encephalitis

Plural  encephalitides  inflammation of the brain, from Greek enkephalos (“brain”) and itis (“inflammation”). Inflammation affecting the brain may also involve adjoining structures; encephalomyelitis is inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, and meningoencephalitis is inflammation of the brain and meninges (the membranes covering the brain). Encephalitis is most often caused by an infectious

Aerospace Industry, Spacecraft, launch vehicle, and missile development

The research effort that goes into the development of missiles, launch vehicles, and spacecraft parallels that of the airplane in the design and ground-test stages but differs for the flight-test stage. For major launch vehicles and strategic missiles, the absence of a pilot on board, the great expense of a single launch, and the inability to recover and reuse the test

Finland, Education

School attendance in Finland is compulsory beginning at the age of seven. The national and local governments support the schools, and tuition is free. The introduction of a new nine-year comprehensive school system, consisting of a six-year primary stage and a three-year secondary stage, was completed during the 1970s. The English language is taught beginning in the third

Ocean, Antarctic Circumpolar Current

The Southern Ocean links the major oceans by a deep circumpolar belt in the 50°–60° S range. In this belt flows the Antarctic Circumpolar Current from west to east, encircling the globe at high latitudes. It transports 125 million cubic metres of seawater per second over a path of about 24,000 kilometres and is the most important factor in diminishing the differences between oceans.

Salaberry-de-valleyfield

English  Valleyfield  city and port, Montérégie region, southern Quebec province, Canada. It lies on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, at the east end of Lake Saint-François (St. Francis), which is a widening of the river. The settlement was built on a group of small islands in the river 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Montreal after a paper mill was established there in 1870. The abundant water and hydroelectric