The Danube's vast drainage of some 315,000 square miles (817,000 square km) includes a variety of natural conditions .... squar river

The Danube's vast drainage of some 315,000 square miles (817,000 square km) includes a variety of natural conditions that affect the origins and the regimes of its watercourses. It covers about 18,000 square miles (47,000 square km) at the Inn confluence, 81,000 square miles (210,000 square km) after joining with the Drava, and 228,000 square miles (590,000 square km) below the confluences of its most affluent tributaries, the Sava and the Tisza. More than half of the entire Danube basin is drained by its right-bank tributaries, which collect their waters from the Alps and other mountain areas and contribute up to two-thirds of the total river runoff or outfall. To the south of the river course stretches the large Bavarian Plateau, covered with thick layers of river deposits from the numerous Alpine tributaries. Other major tributaries in the upper Danube course include the Iller, Lech, Isar, Traun, Enns, and Morava rivers. In its middle course the Danube looks more like a f! latland river, with low banks and a bed that reaches a width of more than one mile. A principal result of this deposition has been the formation of two islands, one on the Slovak side of the river and the other on the Hungarian side, which combined have an area of about 730 square miles (1,900 square km) that support some 190,000 inhabitants in more than 100 settlements. In this long stretch the river takes on the waters of its major tributariesthe Drava, the Tisza, and the Savawhich create substantial changes in the river's regime. The river valley looks most imposing there, and the river's depth and current velocity fluctuate widely. Beyond the Iron Gate the lower Danube flows across a wide plain; the river becomes shallower and broader, and its current slows down. The Danube covers an area of some 1,660 square miles (4,300 square km) and is a comparatively young formation. squar river

In addition to serving as a political boundary, the Yalu River constitutes a dividing line between Chin.... feet river

In addition to serving as a political boundary, the Yalu River constitutes a dividing line between Chinese and Korean cultures. The Yalu rises in T'ien Lake (known in Korean as Ch'on Lake), a body of water of indeterminate depth on top of Pai-t'ou Mountain on the ChineseNorth Korean border, at a height of 9,000 feet (2,700 m) above sea level. Winding southward as far as Hyesan, North Korea, and then meandering northwestward for 80 miles (130 km), the river reaches Lin-chiang, Kirin province, from which it flows southwestward for 200 miles (320 km) before emptying into Korea Bay. Except for small areas of basaltic lava along the easternmost part of the river's course, the Yalu flows over Precambrian rock (more than 570 million years old) before its alluvium begins to spread out as it approaches its estuary. It is supposed that these tributaries once were connected with the Sungari River, a tributary to the Amur, only to be separated from it and connected with the Yalu when an! eruption of Pai-t'ou Mountain produced a flow of basaltic lava during the Quaternary Period (within the last 1.6 million years). Ever since a tribe called the Yojin was driven into Manchuria in the 16th century, the Korean side of the river has been inhabited only by Koreans. Rice is the main crop grown along the river's lower course; corn (maize), millet, soybeans, barley, and sweet potatoes are raised further upstream in the mountainous middle and upper reaches of the river. The river measures about 460 feet (140 m) in width and 3 feet (one metre) in depth at Hyesan and is 640 to 800 feet (200 to 250 m) wide and 4.5 feet (1.4 m) deep at Chunggang. In its estuary the river is 3 miles (5 km) wide and 8 feet (2.5 m) deep. feet river

Wiyot settlements were located on streams or bays, rather than on the ocean itself. The.... wiyot mainli

Wiyot settlements were located on streams or bays, rather than on the ocean itself. The Wiyot were mainly fishers, catching salmon and other fish on the rivers and ocean shore. Wiyot shamans were mainly women; they acquired their powers on mountaintops at night. Some shamans only diagnosed disease; others cured by sucking out disease objects and blood. Although the Wiyot belonged to the Northwest Coast cultural area, their religion contained elements from the culture of central California, including a creator-god and many animal characters. wiyot mainli

Originally the word torpedo referred to any explosive charge, including the type of weapon no.... torpedo type

Originally the word torpedo referred to any explosive charge, including the type of weapon now known as a ( q.v. During the Napoleonic Wars the American inventor experimented with a naval mine and called it a torpedo, apparently deriving its name from a fish that emits an electric discharge that incapacitates its enemies. During the 19th century some naval vessels used the spar torpedo, which was simply an explosive charge attached to the end of a long pole or spar; it exploded when it touched the hull of an enemy vessel. Further modifications permitted the introduction of a set angle (up to 90) into the torpedo's course before the steering rudders took full control. This feature allowed a ship to launch torpedoes without having to face broadside to the target, greatly opening up the field of torpedo tactics. Modern torpedoes are grouped according to source of propulsive power, method of control during water travel, type of target, and type of launching craft. Torpedoes are ! an important element in antisubmarine warfare; attack submarines, designed to hunt missile submarines, are armed with torpedoes, including combination missile-torpedo weapons. torpedo type

genus of fishes belonging to the family Cichlidae (order Perciformes), represented by numerous, mostly freshw.... readili diet

Their commercial advantages include fast growth, resistance to disease, and a diet of readily abundant algae and zooplankton. readili diet

The American shad ( Alosa sapidissima ), formerly found only on the Atlantic c.... shad ),

The American shad ( Alosa sapidissima ), formerly found only on the Atlantic coast from Florida to Newfoundland, was introduced into the Pacific Ocean in 1871 and now ranges from San Diego to British Columbia. Young shad hatch in 6 to 15 days, enter the sea in fall, and mature in about three years. Other fishes known as shad and having similar life cycles are those of the genera Caspialosa of the Black and Caspian seas, and Hilsa , which range from East Africa to China. The gizzard shads ( Dorosoma ), of both marine waters and freshwaters, have a muscular stomach and filamentous last dorsal fin rays. cepedianum ), also called hickory shad and fall herring, ranges through the southern United States. shad ),

The largest of these creatures were certain plesiosaurs that attained a l.... million year

Characteristic of the sauropterygians are their long, flat skulls with curved, rounded teeth and complex palates; they also had long, flexible necks with up to 80 vertebrae. The first sauropterygians to appear were the nothosaurs of the (248 million to 206 million years ago). The limbs were comparable to those of terrestrial reptiles, and the animals probably moved through the water by undulating the body and paddling with the limbs. Plesiosaurs appeared at the end of the Triassic and remained prominent into the Late (99 million to 65 million years ago). Fossilized remains are most common in deposits of the (206 million to 144 million years ago) in England and Germany and of the Late Cretaceous in the United States. Formerly considered a subgroup of Sauropterygia are the of the Middle (242 million to 227 million years ago). million year

Although never a calculated feature of gardens, existing ponds or fish stews (tanks) were sometimes later i.... style: piscina.

A stone vessel having a drain that leads directly to the ground, located near an altar of a church, and used for disposing of water from ablutions is also known as a piscina. MLA style: "piscina." APA style: piscina. style: piscina.

The island arcs of Micronesia rise abruptly from the deep o.... island high

The island arcs of Micronesia rise abruptly from the deep ocean and comprise volcanic mountain ranges built up from lava from the fractured ocean floor. Termed high islands because of their high elevations, these islands are often fringed with coral reefs. By contrast, low islands are composed exclusively of coral formations, which result in either single coral islands or, more commonly, coral atolls. Western Micronesia (comprising Palau and the Mariana Islands) was probably settled by peoples from Indonesia or the Philippines some 3,500 years ago, and eastern Micronesia was possibly settled from eastern Melanesia at about the same time. Among the high-island cultures of Micronesia there are seven major cultures: the Chamorros, most of whom live on the four southernmost of the Marianas; the Palauans; the Yapese; the Chuukese, of the dozen or so islands in the Chuuk Lagoon; the Pohnpeians; the Kosraeans; and some of the Nauruans. Early Micronesians lived by subsistence hortic! ulture and fishing; horticulture was a more likely enterprise on the high islands and fishing among the atoll inhabitants. On the larger high islands, some of the interior land was communally owned. Feasts were an important aspect of island life, providing one of many types of exchange common in Micronesia. In recent times substantial movements of indigenous population have occurred within Micronesia, generally from the low islands to the nearest high island. The economies of most Micronesian islands still are based largely on subsistence farming and fishing. Guam and some other large islands rear some cattle and water buffalo, but pigs and chickens predominate on all the islands. Construction is concentrated on projects sponsored by the military on islands associated with the United States and on roads, housing, and basic infrastructure elsewhere. The periodic devastation wrought by typhoons requires that all Micronesian islands have facilities for repair and maintenance. ! The islands were heavily fortified by the Japanese before Worl! d War II and were occupied by the United States after bitter fighting in 1944. island high

semienclosed arm of the North Atlantic Ocean, lying between the New York�Connect.... mile east

Covering 1,180 square miles (3,056 square km), it is 90 miles (145 km) long and 320 miles (532 km) wide and is limited on the east by Orient Point (Long Island) and Plum, Gull, and Fishers islands and on the west by the narrow Throgs Neck, which leads into Upper New York Bay via the East River. Two glacial advances have deepened the sound's water to more than 100 feet (30 m); near its eastern limits it reaches a maximum depth of 330 feet (100 m). mile east

Natural gas and oil are extracted in nearby Bass Strai.... style: "lake

MLA style: "Lakes Entrance." APA style: Lakes Entrance. style: "Lakes Entrance." style: "lake

Several deep inlets of the Kara Sea cut into the mainland. The largest rivers flowing into the sea are the.... sea kara

The largest rivers flowing into the sea are the Yenisey, Ob, Pyasina, and Kara, from which the sea derives its name. The Kara Sea lies on the Siberian Shelf; thus, about 40 percent of it is less than 160 feet (50 m) deep, and only 2 percent is over 1,600 feet (500 m) deep. The Kara Sea formed as a result of deglaciation during the last Ice Age, traces of glacial ice being found under a thin layer of silty sediment. In the winter the water temperature averages 29.1 F (-1.6 C); in the summer it reaches 43 F (6 C) in the southwestern part of the sea and 36 F (2 C) in the north. Fish found in the Kara Sea include cod, salmon, and sturgeon. The sea's mammals include the seal, sea hare, white whale, walrus, and polar bear. The Kara Sea is on the Russian Northern Sea route. sea kara

inland body of water, southwestern , U.S. It lies west of ( ), near (north) and (south). Named by India.... mile km)

The second largest freshwater lake entirely within the United States (after ), it is 80 miles (130 km) long and 25 miles (40 km) wide and covers an area of 1,150 square miles (3,000 square km). The shores of the lake are dotted with small communities, inhabited predominantly by Alaskan natives; tourism is economically important for the town of Iliamna, on the lake's north side. mile km)

The rate of flow of the falls may rise to a maximum of 450,000 cubic feet (12,750 cubic metres) per second during the rai.... brazilian park

The rate of flow of the falls may rise to a maximum of 450,000 cubic feet (12,750 cubic metres) per second during the rainy season from November to March. Excellent views of this section (also called Union Falls) can be obtained from both the Brazilian and Argentine sides. Among the many islands along the falls, the most notable is Isla Grande San Mart which is situated downstream from the Garganta do Diabo (on the Argentine side). From the Brazilian shore, an impressive panorama of falls can also be seen; among individual Brazilian falls are those known as Benjamin Constant, Deodoro, and Floriano. In 1897 Edmundo de Barros, a Brazilian army officer, envisaged the establishment of a national park at Igua Falls. Following boundary rectifications between Brazil and Argentina, two separate national parks were established, one by each country (1939) in Brazil and Iguaz National Park (1934) in Argentina. brazilian park

Because of a pleasant climate, level topography, fertile soil, and relatively abundant water, the rivers f.... jordan river

Because of a pleasant climate, level topography, fertile soil, and relatively abundant water, the rivers flowing into the lake and the adjacent plains have throughout history been the source of livelihood for various peoples. At El-?Ubeidiya, 2 miles (3 km) south of the lake, lacustrine formations dating from about 400,000 to 500,000 years ago have revealed prehistoric tools and two human fragments, which are among the oldest in the Middle East. In the mid-eastern sections, the cliffs of the Plateau of Golan overlook the lake; the plateau reappears again in the southeast, becoming larger as it approaches the valley of the Yarmuk River, a tributary that has its confluence with the Jordan a few miles to the south of the lake. Also to the south, the Plain of al-Ghawr begins, but the Sea of Galilee is separated from it by a narrow ridge through which the Jordan River flows. The greatest part of the region is covered by basalts that have been formed since the Miocene Epoch began ! about 26,000,000 years ago and that are part of the vast area of Mount Duruz, located in Syria. During the last pluvial period, about 20,000 years ago, a great lake, called the Lake of Lisan, covered the region. The Sea of Galilee is fed primarily by the Jordan River. In the rivers associated with the lake and at the bottom of the lake itself are many mineral deposits. The lake's fish life has an affinity with that of the eastern African lakes. In the 1960s the Sea of Galilee became the starting point of the National Water Carrier (also called Kinneret-Negev Conduit), a canal that conveys water from the Jordan River to Israel's densely populated coastal region, as well as south to the Negev Desert. jordan river

MLA style: "four-eyed fish." . . Chicago: , . APA style: four-eyed fish. ).... style: four-ei

MLA style: "four-eyed fish." APA style: four-eyed fish. style: four-ei

The architecture of the walled complex adheres rigidly to traditional spati.... hall gate

Among the more notable landmarks are the Meridian Gate (Wu men), the Hall of Supreme Harmony (T'ai-ho tien), and the Imperial Garden (Yu-hua yuan). The Meridian Gate is the imposing formal entrance to the southern side of the Forbidden City. The gate is also one of the tallest buildings of the complex, standing 125 feet (38 metres) high at its roof ridge. North of the Gate of Supreme Harmony lies the heart of the Forbidden City, where the three main halls stand atop a three-tiered marble terrace overlooking an immense plaza. To the north, on the same triple terrace, stand the Hall of Central Harmony (Chung-ho tien) and the Hall of Preserving Harmony (Pao-ho tien), also loci of government functions. Adjacent to these palaces, at the northernmost limit of the Forbidden City, is the 3-acre (1.2-hectare) Imperial Garden, the organic design of which seems to depart from the rigid symmetry of the rest of the compound. In its centre stands the Hall of Imperial Peace (Ch'in-an tien)! , a temple where the emperor would retreat for contemplation. hall gate

Today, fishing, often called sport fishing to distinguish it from commercial fishing, is, despite the growth of t.... reel line

Today, fishing, often called sport fishing to distinguish it from commercial fishing, is, despite the growth of towns and the increase of pollution in many sources, one of man's principal relaxations and in is many countries the most popular participant sport. When a fish swallowed the gorge, a pull on the line wedged it across the gullet of the fish, which could then be pulled in. The practice of attaching the line in turn to a rod, at first probably a stick or tree branch, made it possible to fish from the bank or shore and even to reach over vegetation bordering the water. About this time some unknown angler attached a wire loop or ring at the tip end of the rod, which allowed a running line, useful for both casting and playing a hooked fish. By 1770 a rod with guides for the line along its length and a reel was in common use. The first true reel was a geared multiplying reel attached under the rod, in which one turn of the handle moved the spool through several revolutio! ns. Never popular in Great Britain, such reels became the prototype of the bait-casting reel as devised by two Kentucky watchmakers in the early 1800s. It was a wide-drum, ungeared, very free-running reel, ideal for allowing line and bait or lure to float downstream with the current and suitable for casting lures for predatory fish in various kinds of sea fishing. The average angler could cast three times farther with these lines, and such methods as dry-fly and wet-fly fishing became possible. During casting, the reel was turned 90, bringing it in line with rod guides, so that the line slipped easily off the end of the spool. The reel was used mainly for casting heavy lures for salmon fishing, but it influenced the reel invented by the English textile magnate Holden Illingworth, which the British called a fixed-spool reel and the Americans a spinning reel. In this kind of reel, the spool permanently faces up the rod and the line peels off in the cast as with the Malloch re! el. re! el line

also called Carp Louse, plural Fish Lice, or Carp Lice, any member of the crustacean subclass Branchiura, a.... lice, carp

also called Carp Louse, plural Fish Lice, or Carp Lice, any member of the crustacean subclass Branchiura, a group of parasites of migratory marine and freshwater fishes. Most fish lice are effective swimmers, but many species tend to move through the water by a somersaulting action. lice, carp

Some of the most popular marine game fishes are the amberjacks.... jack warm

The genus Caranx includes several species of smaller but popular game fish, such as the crevalle jack ( C. hippos ) of warm Atlantic waters and the yellow jack ( C. bartholomaei ), which frequents warm Atlantic waters and is noted for its golden-yellow sides and fins.

The bay is named for , who, in 1610, on board the aptly named Discovery, was seeking a to Asia. The eas.... f temperatur

The east coast of Hudson Bay proper was mapped two years later, the south coast was traced in 1631, and the explorer Luke Foxe lent his name to Foxe Channel in the same year. January temperatures average 20 F (29 C), while July temperatures are only 47 F (8 C). Annual averages are 9.3 F (12.6 C), but extremes range from 60 F (51 C) in the winter to 80 F (27 C) in the summer. Hudson Bay has much ice of local origin, and there is some influx of pack ice from Foxe Basin. Water temperatures can be as low as 29 F (2 C) at depth in August, although surface temperatures may reach 49 F (9 C) in September. f temperatur

Humpback whales live along the coasts of all oceans, occasional.... whale megaptera

Humpback whales live along the coasts of all oceans, occasionally swimming close to shore, even into harbours and rivers. Humpbacks use a unique method of feeding called bubblenetting, in which bubbles are exhaled as the whale swims in a spiral below a patch of water dense with food. MLA style: "humpback whale ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) ." APA style: humpback whale ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) . style: "humpback whale ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) ." whale megaptera

Hesperornis was clearly an actively swimming bird that probably chased and caught .... hesperorni )

MLA style: "Hesperornis (genus Hesperornis ) ." APA style: Hesperornis (genus Hesperornis ) . style: "Hesperornis (genus Hesperornis ) ." hesperorni )

Who knows but it might be a part of Fairyland? The capital of Greenland is (Godthåb). More than three.... mile f

state of Texas, Greenland extends about 1,660 miles (2,670 km) from north to south and more than 650 miles (1,050 km) from east to west at its widest point. The ice sheet has an average thickness of 5,000 feet (1,500 metres), reaches a maximum of about 10,000 feet (3,000 metres), and covers more than 700,000 square miles (1,800,000 square km), or nearly 85 percent of Greenland's total land area. The remaining ice-free land area occupies the country's coastal areas and consists largely of highlands; mountain chains parallel the island's east and west coasts, rising to 12,139 feet (3,700 metres) at in the southeast. Average winter (January) temperatures range from 21 F (6 C) in the south to 31 F (35 C) in the north. The average summer temperature in the far north is 39 F (4 C); Greenland experiences about two months of midnight sun during the summer. mile f

Their soft, very dense fur is blackish but slightly paler or white on the underparts. T.... water shrew

The elegant water shrew ( Nectogale elegans ) of continental Southeast Asia is the most specialized for aquatic life. The elegant water shrew weighs up to 45 grams (1.6 ounces), with a body 10 to 14 cm (4 to 5.5 inches) long and a tail nearly as long as the body. Two of the 72 species in the genus Sorex are water shrews. The North American water shrew ( S. It is the smallest and least specialized species of water shrew, weighing up to 18 grams, with a body 6 to 9 cm long and a slightly shorter tail. In addition to the North American and elegant water shrews, there are several species of Oriental water shrews (genus Chimarrogale ) and three species of Old World water shrews (genus Neomys ). water shrew

The Galapagos Islands are formed of lava piles and dotted with s.... island galapago

The largest of the islands, , is approximately 82 miles (132 km) long and constitutes more than half of the total land area of the archipelago; it contains Mount Azul, at 5,541 feet (1,689 metres) the highest point of the Galapagos Islands. The climate of the Galapagos Islands is characterized by low rainfall, low humidity, and relatively low air and water temperatures. The close affinities of Galapagos animals to the fauna of South and Central America indicate that most of the islands' species originated there. A geologic study published in 1992 suggested that underwater seamounts near the Galapagos had formed islands between 5,000,000 and 9,000,000 years ago; this helped explain the great amount of endemic speciation, which many biologists believe could not have occurred in a lesser amount of time. The existing Galapagos Islands were formed between 700,000 and 5,000,000 years ago, making them geologically young. The islands' human inhabitants, mostly Ecuadorans, live in se! ttlements on , Santa Mar Isabela, and Santa Cruz islands; has an Ecuadoran military base. Steadman and Steven Zousmer, Gal gos: Discovery on Darwin's Islands (1988); and Isabel Castro and Antonia Phillips, A Guide to the Birds of the Gal gos Islands (1996). James (ed.), Gal gos Marine Invertebrates: Taxonomy, Biogeography, and Evolution in Darwin's Islands (1991); Paul Humann, Reef Fish Identification: Gal gos, ed. Lavenberg, The Fishes of the Gal gos Islands (1997). Guidebooks include Barry Boyce, A Traveler's Guide to the Galapagos Islands, 2nd ed. island galapago

Found in warm and tropical seas, flying gurnards are elongated fish with very large pectoral fins, each of which is divided.... fly fin

Found in warm and tropical seas, flying gurnards are elongated fish with very large pectoral fins, each of which is divided into a shorter forward portion and a much larger, winglike posterior section. Flying gurnards are further characterized by a covering of bony plates on their heads and by a single dorsal fin ray, separate from the rest of the fin and located on the nape of the neck. APA style: flying gurnard.stripslashes( Found in warm and tropical seas, flying gurnards are elongated fish with very large pectoral fins, each of which is divided.... fly fin)

any of about 30 species of slim, eel-like marine fishes of the family Ophi.... worldwid found

any of about 30 species of slim, eel-like marine fishes of the family Ophidiidae, found worldwide in warm and temperate waters.

Most copepods are 0.5 to 2 mm (0.02 to 0.08 inch) long. T.... reproduc i.e.,

Males of Sphaeronellopsis monothrix, a parasite of marine ostracods, are among the smallest copepods, attaining lengths of only 0.11 mm. Copepods lack compound ( i.e., multifaceted) eyes. Some species feed on microscopic plants or animals; others prey on animals as large as themselves. Most species reproduce sexually, but certain forms also reproduce by i.e., the eggs develop into new individuals without being fertilized by the male.

Other cave-dwelling fishes unrelated to the Amblyopsidae have, in adapting to their habitat, also tended toward blindness .... found famili

In Cuba and Yucat there are three species of brotula (family Ophidiidae or Brotulidae) found in caves. Among the large superorder Ostariophysi (minnows, carps, and catfish), one of the best known is Astyanax (or Anoptichthys ) jordani, an eyeless, 7.5-centimetre characin (family Characidae) found in Mexico and often kept in home aquariums. Others include Caecobarbus geertsi, an African member of the minnow family (Cyprinidae), and certain catfish belonging to several families and found in the United States, Mexico, South America, and Africa.