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Talk Talk - Communication terms
Category: General technical and industrial
Date & country: 28/05/2010, UK
Words: 18630


Perlis
Border state of northwestern Peninsular Malaysia, area 800 sq km/309 sq mi; population (2000 est) 198,300. The capital is Kangar, which is situated on the Perlis river. It produces rice, coconuts, and tin. Industries include sawmilling, rubber processing, and the manufacture of cement and paper

perjury
The offence of deliberately making a false statement on oath (or affirmation) when appearing as a witness in legal proceedings, on a point material to the question at issue. In Britain and the USA it is punishable by a fine, imprisonment, or both

periodontal disease
Disease of the gums and bone supporting the teeth, caused by the accumulation of plaque and micro-organisms; the gums recede, and the teeth eventually become loose and may drop out unless treatment is sought. Bacteria can eventually erode the bone that supports the teeth, so that surgery becomes necessary

Pergamum
Ancient Greek city in Mysia in western Asia Minor, which became the capital of an independent kingdom in 283 BC under the Attalid dynasty. As the ally of Rome it achieved great political importance in the 2nd century BC, and became a centre of art and culture. It had a famous library, the contents of...

Percy, Henry `Hotspur`
English soldier, son of the 1st Earl of Northumberland. In repelling a border raid, he defeated the Scots at Homildon Hill, Durham, in 1402. He was killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury while in revolt against Henry IV

percussion instrument
Musical instrument played by being struck with the hand or a beater, crashed, shaken, or scraped. Percussion instruments can be divided into those that can be tuned to produce a sound of definite pitch, such as the timpani, tubular bells, glockenspiel, xylophone, and piano, and those of indefinite pitch, including the bass drum, tambourine, triangl...

Perak
State of western Peninsular Malaysia; area 21,000 sq km/8,000 sq mi; population (2000 est) 2,030,400. The capital is Ipoh. The state consists largely of coastal plains, through which the Perak River flows. Tin mining has been important since the 18th century and remains an important industry, especially in the Kinta Valley. Plantation a...

Pepys, Samuel
English naval administrator and diarist. His Diary (1660–69) is a unique record of the daily life of the period, the historical events of the Restoration, the manners and scandals of the court, naval administration, and Pepys's own interests, weaknesses, and intimate feelings. Written in shorthand, it was not deciphered ...

Pepin the Short
King of the Franks from 751. The son of Charles Martel, he acted as Mayor of the Palace to the last Merovingian king, Childeric III, deposed him and assumed the royal title himself, founding the Carolingian dynasty. He was Charlemagne's father

Pentecostal movement
Christian revivalist movement inspired by the experience of the apostles after the resurrection of Jesus, when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit and able to speak in tongues. The Pentecostal movement represents a reaction against the rigid theology and formal worship of traditional churches. It originated in the USA in 1906. Pentecostalists bel...

Pentateuch
Greek (and Christian) name for the first five books of the Bible, ascribed to Moses, and called the Torah by Jews

Pentagon
The headquarters of the US Department of Defense, Arlington, Virginia from 1947, situated on the Potomac River opposite Washington, DC. One of the world's largest office buildings (five storeys high and five-sided, with a pentagonal central court), it houses the administrative and command headquarters for the US armed forces and has become ...

Pennines, the
Range of hills in northern England, known as the `the backbone of England`; length (from the Scottish border to the Peaks in Derbyshire) 400 km/250 mi. The highest peak in the Pennines (which are sometimes referred to mountains rather than hills) is Cross Fell (893 m/2,930 ft). It is the watershed for the main rivers of northe...

penicillin
Any of a group of antibiotic (bacteria killing) compounds obtained from filtrates of moulds of the genus Penicillium (especially P. notatum) or produced synthetically. Penicillin was the first antibiotic to be discovered (by Alexander Fleming); it kills a broad spectrum of bacteria, many of which cause dise...

Penelope
In Greek mythology, the wife of Odysseus, king of Ithaca; their son was Telemachus. She represented wifely faithfulness. While Odysseus was absent at the siege of Troy, she kept her many suitors at bay by asking them to wait while she completed a shroud for Laertes, her father-in-law; every night she unravelled her weaving. When Ody...

Penderecki, Krzysztof
Polish composer. His expressionist works, such as the Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima (1961) for strings, use cluster and percussion effects. He later turned to religious subjects and a more orthodox style, as in the Magnificat (1974) and the Polish Requiem (1980–83). His opera <...

Penda
King of Mercia, an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in England, from about 632. He raised Mercia to a powerful kingdom, and defeated and killed two Northumbrian kings, Edwin in 632 and Oswald in 642. He was killed in battle by Oswy, king of Northumbria

Penang
State in western Peninsular Malaysia, formed of Penang Island, Province Wellesley, and the Dindings on the mainland, total area 1,030 sq km/398 sq mi; population (2000 est) 1,225,500. The capital is George Town. The island and the mainland are linked by the 8.4 km/5.2 mi-long Penang Bridge (1985). Rubber, produced on large-scale...

penance
Roman Catholic sacrament, involving confession of sins and receiving absolution, and works performed (or punishment self-inflicted) in atonement for sin. Penance is worked out nowadays in terms of good deeds rather than routine repetition of prayers

Pembrokeshire
Unitary authority in southwest Wales; a former county, from 1974 to 1996 it was part of the county of Dyfed. Area 1,588 sq km/613 sq mi Towns Haverfordwest (administrative headquarters), Milford Haven Physical bounded on the south by the Bristol Channel; valleys and hills inland; rive...

Peloponnesian War
War fought 431–404 BC between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies, involving most of the Greek world from Asia Minor to Sicily and from Byzantium (present-day Istanbul, Turkey) to Crete. Sparked by Spartan fears about the growth of Athenian power, it continued until the Spartan general Lysander captured the Athenian fleet in 405 ...

Peloponnese
Mainly mountainous peninsula forming the southern part of Greece; area 21,549 sq km/8,320 sq mi; population (2003 est) 1,166,000. It is joined to the mainland by the narrow isthmus of Corinth and is divided into the nomes (administrative areas) of Argolis, Arcadia, Achaea, Elis, Corinth, Lakonia, and Messenia, representing its seven anc...

pellagra
Chronic disease mostly seen in subtropical countries in which the staple food is maize. It is caused by deficiency of nicotinic acid (one of the B vitamins), which is contained in protein foods, beans and peas, and yeast. Symptoms include diarrhoea, skin eruptions, and mental disturbances

Pelée, Mont
Volcano on the island of Martinique in the West Indies; height 1,350 m/4,428 ft. It destroyed the town of St Pierre during its eruption in 1902

Pelham, Henry
English Whig politician. He held a succession of offices in Robert Walpole's cabinet 1721–42, and was prime minister 1743–54. His influence in the House of Commons was based on systematic corruption rather than ability. He concluded the War of the Austrian Succession and was an able financier. Prime minister Having held a number of po...

Pelagius
British theologian. He taught that each person possesses free will (and hence the possibility of salvation), denying Augustine's doctrines of predestination and original sin. Cleared of heresy by a synod in Jerusalem 415, he was later condemned by the pope and the emperor

Peiping
Name of Beijing in China from 1928 to 1949

Pegasus
(mythology) In Greek mythology, the winged horse that sprang from the blood of the Gorgon Medusa when she was decapitated by the hero Perseus. He carried Bellerophon in his fight with the chimera, and was later transformed into a constellation. Pegasus was also regarded as a symbol of poetic g...

peepul
Another name for the bo tree

peerage
The high nobility; in the UK, holders, in descending order, of the titles of duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. In the late 19th century the peerage was augmented by the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (the nonhereditary life peers) and, from 1958, by a number of specially created life peers of either sex (usually long-standing members ...

Peel, Robert
Click images to enlargeBritish Conservative politician. As home secretary 1822–27 and 1828–30, he founded the modern police force and in 1829 introduced Roman Catholic emancipation. He was prime minister 1834–35 and 1841–46, when his repeal of the Corn Laws caused him and his followers to break with th...

pediment
(architecture) In architecture, the triangular structure crowning the portico of a classical building. The pediment was a distinctive feature of Greek temples

Peasants' Revolt
The rising of the English peasantry in June 1381, the result of economic, social, and political discontent. It was sparked off by the attempt to levy a new poll tax in the village of Fobbing, Essex, three times the rates of those imposed in 1377 and 1379. The poll tax was a common tax, paid by all, w...

Peary, Robert Edwin
US polar explorer who, after several unsuccessful attempts, became the first person to reach the North Pole on 6 April 1909. In 1988 an astronomer claimed Peary's measurements were incorrect

Pearson, Lester Bowles
Canadian politician, leader of the Liberal Party from 1958, prime minister 1963–68. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1957 for playing a key role in settling the Suez Crisis of 1956 when as foreign minister 1948–57, he represented Canada at the United Nations (UN). Pearson served as president of the UN General Assembly 1952–...

Pearse, Patrick Henry
Irish writer, educationalist and revolutionary. He was prominent in the Gaelic revival, and a leader of the Easter Rising in 1916. Proclaimed president of the provisional government, he was court-martialled and shot after its suppression. Pearse was a founding member of the Irish Volunteers, and ...

Pears, Peter Neville Luard
English tenor. He was the life companion of Benjamin Britten and with him co-founded the Aldeburgh Festival. He inspired and collaborated with Britten in a rich catalogue of song cycles and operatic roles, exploiting a distinctively airy and luminous tone, from the title role in Peter Grimes (1947) to Aschenbach in D...

Pearl Harbor
US Pacific naval base on Oahu island, Hawaii, USA, the scene of a Japanese aerial attack on 7 December 1941, which brought the USA into World War II. The attack took place while Japanese envoys were holding so-called peace talks in Washington. More than 2,000 members of the US armed forces were k...

Peak District
Elevated plateau of the south Pennines in northwest Derbyshire, central England; area 1,438 sq km/555 sq mi. It is a tourist region and part of it forms a national park. The highest point is Kinder Scout (636 m/2,087 ft), part of High Peak. In the surrounding area the main cities are Manchester, Sheffield, and Derby, and the town of Bak...

Peacock, Thomas Love
English satirical novelist and poet. His unique whimsical novels are full of paradox, prejudice, curious learning, and witty dialogue, interspersed with occasional poems, and he satirizes contemporary ideas, outlooks, and attitudes in a prevailing comic tone. They include Headlong Hall (1816), Melincourt (1817)...

Peace Corps
US organization of trained men and women, established by President Kennedy in 1961. The Peace Corps provides skilled volunteer workers for developing countries, especially in the fields of teaching, agriculture, and health, for a period of two years. Living among the country's inhabitants, workers are paid only a small allowance to cover their ...

Perseus
(astronomy) A bright constellation of the northern hemisphere, near Cassiopeia. It is represented as the mythological hero; the head of the decapitated Gorgon, Medusa, is marked by Algol (Beta Persei), the best known of the eclipsing binary stars. During the second half of July and the fir...

Pegasus
(astronomy) A constellation of the northern hemisphere, near Cygnus, represented as the winged horse of Greek mythology

periodic table of the elements
A table in which the elements are arranged in order of their atomic number. There are eight groups of elements, plus a block of transition metals in the centre. Group 1 contains the alkali metals; Group 2 the alkaline-earth metals; Group 7 the halogens; and Group 0 the noble gases (rare gases). A zigzag line through the groups separ...

pentanol
Clear, colourless, oily liquid, usually with a characteristic choking odour. It is obtained by the fermentation of starches and from the distillation of petroleum. There are eight possible isomers

periwinkle
(plant) In botany, any of several trailing blue-flowered evergreen plants of the dogbane family, native to Europe and Asia. They range in length from 20 cm/8 in to 1 m/3 ft. (Genus Vinca, family Apocynaceae.) The related Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanth...

petrel
Any of various families of seabirds in the order Procellariiforme, including the worldwide storm petrels (family Hydrobatidae), which include the smallest seabirds (some only 13 cm/5 in long), and the diving petrels (family Pelecanoididae) of the southern hemisphere. All have a hooked bill, rudim...

perch
Any of the largest order of spiny-finned bony fishes, the Perciformes, with some 8,000 species. This order includes the sea basses, cichlids, damselfishes, mullets, barracudas, wrasses, and gobies. Perches of the freshwater genus Perca are found in Europe, Asia, and North America. They have varied shapes and are usually a gre...

penguin
Click images to enlargeMarine flightless bird, family Spheniscidae, order Sphenisciformes, mostly black and white, found in the southern hemisphere. They comprise 18 species in six genera. Males are usually larger than the females. Penguins range in size from 40 cm/1.6 ft to 1.2 m/4 ft tall, and have thick feather...

pelican
Large water bird of family Pelecanidae, order Pelecaniformes, remarkable for the pouch beneath the bill, which is used as a fishing net and temporary store for catches of fish. Some species grow up to 1.8 m/6 ft and have wingspans of 3 m/10 ft. The legs are short and the feet large, with four...

pekingese
Breed of small long-haired dog first bred at the Chinese court as the `imperial lion dog`. It has a flat skull and flat face, is typically less than 25 cm/10 in tall, and weighs less than 5 kg/11 lb

pekan
North American marten (carnivorous mammal) Martes penanti about 1.2 m/4 ft long, with a doglike face, and brown fur with white patches on the chest. It eats porcupines

peccary
One of two species of the New World genus Tayassu of piglike hoofed mammals. A peccary has a gland in the middle of its back which secretes a strong-smelling substance. Peccaries are blackish in colour, covered with bristles, and have tusks that point downwards. Adults reach a height of 40 cm/16 in, and a weight of 25 kg&...

pearl
Shiny, hard, rounded abnormal growth composed of nacre (or mother-of-pearl), a chalky substance. Nacre is secreted by many molluscs, and deposited in thin layers on the inside of the shell around a parasite, a grain of sand, or some other irritant body. After several years of the mantle (the layer of tissue between the shell and the body ma...

peacock
Technically, the male of any of various large pheasants, order Galliformes. The name is most often used for the common peacock Pavo cristatus, a bird of the pheasant family, native to South Asia. It is rather larger than a pheasant. The male has a large fan-shaped tail, brightly coloured with blue, green, and purple `eye...

peristalsis
Wavelike contractions, produced by the contraction of smooth muscle, that pass along tubular organs, such as the intestines. The same term describes the wavelike motion of earthworms and other invertebrates, in which part of the body contracts as another part elongates

Permian
Period of geological time 290–245 million years ago, the last period of the Palaeozoic era. Its end was marked by a dramatic change in marine life – the greatest mass extinction in geological history – including the extinction of many corals and trilobites. Deserts were widespread, terrestrial amphibians and mammal-like reptiles ...

permafrost
Click images to enlargeCondition in which a deep layer of soil does not thaw out during the summer. Permafrost occurs under periglacial conditions. It is claimed that 26% of the world's land surface is permafrost. Permafrost gives rise to a poorly drained form of grassland typical of northern Canada, Siberia, and ...

petal
Part of a flower whose function is to attract pollinators such as insects or birds. Petals are frequently large and brightly coloured and may also be scented. Some have a nectary at the base and markings on the petal surface, known as honey guides, to direct pollinators to the source of the nectar. In wind-pollinated plants, however, the petals...

pericarp
Wall of a fruit. It encloses the seeds and is derived from the ovary wall. In fruits such as the acorn, the pericarp becomes dry and hard, forming a shell around the seed. In fleshy fruits the pericarp is typically made up of three distinct layers. The epicarp, or exocarp, forms the tough outer skin of the fruit, while the mesocarp is often fleshy ...

perennating organ
In plants, that part of a biennial plant or herbaceous perennial that allows it to survive the winter; usually a root, tuber, rhizome, bulb, or corm

perianth
In botany, a collective term for the outer whorls of the flower, which protect the reproductive parts during development. In most dicotyledons the perianth is composed of two distinct whorls, the calyx of sepals and the corolla of petals, whereas in many monocotyledons the sepals and petals are indistinguishable and the segments of the perianth are...

pedicel
Stalk of an individual flower, which attaches it to the main floral axis, often developing in the axil of a bract

perennial plant
Click images to enlargePlant that lives for more than two years. Herbaceous perennials have aerial stems and leaves that die each autumn. They survive the winter by means of an underground storage organ (perennating organ), such as a bulb or rhizome. Trees and shrubs or woody perennials have stems that persist above groun...

perspiration
Excretion of water and dissolved substances from the sweat glands of the skin of mammals. Perspiration has two main functions: body cooling by the evaporation of water from the skin surface, and excretion of waste products such as salts. In 2001, German researchers discovered an antibiotic protein, dermcidin, that is exuded in sweat. Dermcidin ...

peritoneum
Membrane lining the abdominal cavity and digestive organs of vertebrates. Peritonitis, inflammation within the peritoneum, can occur due to infection or other irritation. It is sometimes seen following a burst appendix and quickly proves fatal if not treated

peptide
Molecule comprising two or more amino acid molecules (not necessarily different) joined by peptide bonds, whereby the acid group of one acid is linked to the amino group of the other (CO.NH). The number of amino acid molecules in the peptide is indicated by referring to it as a di-, tri-, or polypeptide (two, three, or many amino acids). Pr...

penis
Male reproductive organ containing the urethra, the channel through which urine and semen are voided. It transfers sperm to the female reproductive tract to fertilize the ovum. In mammals, the penis is made erect by vessels that fill with blood, and in most mammals (but not humans) is stiffened by a ...

pegmatite
Extremely coarse-grained igneous rock of any composition found in veins; pegmatites are usually associated with large granite masses

percentage
Way of representing a number as a fraction of 100. For example, 45 percent (45%) equals 45/100, and 45% of 20 is 45/100 × 20 = 9. Percentage increase/decrease In general, if a quantity changes from one value to another then percentage = 100 × (difference in the values)/old value For example, in a sale the p...

petrology
Branch of geology that deals with the study of rocks, their mineral compositions, their textures, and their origins

petrol engine
The most commonly used source of power for motor vehicles, introduced by the German engineers Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz in 1885. The petrol engine is a complex piece of machinery made up of about 150 moving parts. It is a reciprocating piston engine, in which a number of pistons move up and down in cylinders. A mixture of petrol and air is int...

pesticide
Click images to enlargeAny chemical used in farming, gardening, or in the home, to combat pests. Pesticides are of three main types: insecticides (to kill insects), fungicides (to kill fungal diseases), and herbicides (to kill plants, mainly those considered weeds). Pesticides cause a number of pollution problems thro...

personification
Figure of speech or literary device in which animals, plants, objects, and ideas are treated as if they were human or alive (`Clouds chased each other across the face of the Moon`; `Nature smiled on their work and gave it her blessing`; `The future beckoned eagerly to them`). See also anthropomorphism. Personif...

peace movement
Collective opposition to war. The Western peace movements of the late 20th century can trace their origins to the pacifists of the 19th century and conscientious objectors during World War I. The campaigns after World War II have tended to concentrate on nuclear weapons, but there are numerous organizations devoted to peace, some wholly pacifist, s...

Perseus
(mythology) In Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Danaë. He beheaded the Gorgon Medusa, watching the reflection in his shield to avoid being turned to stone. Having rescued and married Andromeda, he later became king of Tiryns. He used the Gorgon's head, set on his shield, to turn t...

Pericles
Athenian politician under whom Athens reached the height of power. He persuaded the Athenians to reject Sparta's ultimata in 432 BC, and was responsible for Athenian strategy in the opening years of the Peloponnesian War. His policies helped to transform the Delian League into an empire, but the disasters of the Peloponnesian War led to his rem...

Peking
Alternative transcription of Beijing, the capital of China

Peninsular War
War of 1808–14 caused by the French emperor Napoleon's invasion of Portugal and Spain. British expeditionary forces under Sir Arthur Wellesley (Duke of Wellington), combined with Spanish and Portuguese resistance, succeeded in defeating the French at Vimeiro in 1808, Talavera in 1809, Salama...

pepper
Climbing plant native to the East Indies. When gathered green, the berries are crushed to release the seeds for the spice called black pepper. When the berries are ripe, the seeds are removed and their outer skin is discarded, to produce white pepper. Chilli pepper, cayenne or red pepper, and the sweet peppers used as a vegetable come from capsicum...

peppermint
Perennial herb of the mint family, native to Europe, with oval aromatic leaves and purple flowers. Oil of peppermint is used in medicine and confectionery. (Mentha piperita, family Labiatae.)

periwinkle
(snail) In zoology, any marine snail of the family Littorinidae, found on the shores of Europe and eastern North America. Periwinkles have a conical spiral shell, and feed on algae

persimmon
Any of a group of tropical trees belonging to the ebony family, especially the common persimmon (D. virginiana) of the southeastern USA. Growing up to 19 m/60 ft high, the persimmon has alternate oval leaves and yellow-green flowers. The small, sweet, orange fruits are edib...

petroleum
Click images to enlargeNatural mineral oil, a thick greenish-brown flammable liquid found underground in permeable rocks. Petroleum consists of hydrocarbons mixed with oxygen, sulphur, nitrogen, and other elements in varying proportions. It is thought to be derived from ancient organic material that has been converted...

periscope
Optical instrument designed for observation from a concealed position such as from a submerged submarine. In its basic form it consists of a tube with parallel mirrors at each end, inclined at 45° to its axis. The periscope attained prominence in naval and military operations of World War I. Although most often thought of as a submarine observ...

Peru Current
Cold ocean current flowing north from the Antarctic along the west coast of South America to southern Ecuador, then west. It reduces the coastal temperature, making the western slopes of the Andes arid because winds are already chilled and dry when they meet the coast

Peltier effect
In physics, a change in temperature at the junction of two different metals produced when an electric current flows through them. The extent of the change depends on what the conducting metals are, and the nature of change (rise or fall in temperature) depends on the direction of current flow. It is the reverse of the Seebeck effect. It is named af...

pewter
Any of various alloys of mostly tin with varying amounts of lead, copper, or antimony. Pewter has been known for centuries and was once widely used for domestic utensils but is now used mainly for ornamental ware

perpetual motion
Idea that a machine can be designed and constructed in such a way that, once started, it will do work indefinitely without requiring any further input of energy (motive power). Such a device would contradict at least one of the two laws of thermodynamics that state that (1) energy can neither be created nor destroyed (the law of conservation of ene...

Peking man
Chinese representative of an early species of human, found as fossils, 500,000–750,000 years old, in the cave of Choukoutien in 1927 near Beijing (Peking). Peking man used chipped stone tools, hunted game, and used fire. Similar varieties of early human have been found in Java and East Africa. Their classification is disputed: some anthrop...

Pernambuco
Federal unit (state) of northeast Brazil, on the Atlantic coast; area 101,000 sq km/39,000 sq mi; population (1991) 7,122,500; capital Recife (former name Mauritzstaadt). The state is situated mainly on the northeastern plateau, with a narrow fertile coastal belt. The River San Francisco flows along much of its southern border. Suga...

peer group
In the social sciences, people who have a common identity based on such characteristics as similar social status, interests, age, or ethnic group. The concept has proved useful in analysing the power and influence of co-workers, school friends, and ethnic and religious groups in socialization and social behaviour

personality
Individual's characteristic way of behaving across a wide range of situations. Two broad dimensions of personality are extroversion and neuroticism. A number of more specific personal traits have also been described, including psychopathy (antisocial behaviour)

Perón, Eva
(`Evita`) Argentine populist leader. A successful radio actor, she became the second wife of Juan Perón in 1945. When he became president the following year, she became his chief adviser and virtually ran the health and labour ministries, devoting herself to helping the poor, im...

Pei, I(eoh) M(ing)
Chinese-born US modernist architect. He is noted for his innovative high-tech structures, particularly the use of glass walls. His projects include the 70-storey Bank of China, Hong Kong (1987; Asia's tallest building at 368 m/1,209 ft), the glass pyramid in front of the Louvre, Paris, France (1989), and the Miho Museum (199...

Peres, Shimon
Israeli Labour politician, prime minister 1984–86 and 1995–96. He was prime minister, then foreign minister, under a power-sharing agreement with the leader of the Likud Party, Yitzhak Shamir. From 1989 to 1990 he was finance minister in a Labour–Likud coalition. As foreign minister in Yitzhak Rabin's Labour government from 1...

Peri, Jacopo
Italian composer who lived in Florence in the service of the Medici. His experimental melodic opera Euridice (1600) established the opera form and influenced Monteverdi. His first opera, Dafne (1597), believed to be the earliest opera, is now lost

Petipa, Marius
French choreographer. He created some of the most important ballets in the classical repertory. For the Imperial Ballet in Russia he created masterpieces such as Don Quixote (1869), La Bayadère (1877), The Sleeping Beauty (1890), Swan Lake (1895) (with Ivanov), and <...

Peru
Click images to enlargeCountry in South America, on the Pacific, bounded north by Ecuador and Colombia, east by Brazil and Bolivia, and south by Chile. Government Peru is a multiparty democracy, with a presidential executive. The 1993 constitution provides for a president, as head of state and head of government, elected ...

Persian Wars
Series of conflicts between Greece and Persia in 499–479 BC. Greek involvement with Persia began when Cyrus (II) the Great (reigned 559–530 BC) conquered the Greek cities of western Asia Minor and ended with Alexander (III) the Great's conquest of Persia, but the term `Persian Wars` usually refers to the two Persian invasion...