Livorno English Leghorn City (pop., 2001 prelim.: 148,143), Tuscany region, central Italy, on the Ligurian Sea. Originally a fishing village, it came under Florentine rule in 1421. Cosimo I began construction of the Medici Harbour in the 16th century, and under Ferdinand I of Tuscany (1549-1609) the city became a haven for refugees. In the 18th century Leopold II enlarged the harbour and gave privileges to foreign merchants. Livorno became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1860. One of Italy’s larg¬ est ports, it has extensive commercial activities and a large shipbuilding yard. Historic sites include a cathedral and a 16th-century fort.
Livy \Ti-ve\ orig. Titus Livius (b. 59/64 bc, Patavium, Venetia—d. ad 17, Patavium) Roman historian. Little is known of his life, most of which must have been spent in Rome. His lifework was a history of the city, written in 142 books; Books 11-20 and 46-142 have been lost, and those
after Book 45 are known only from fragments and later summaries. Unlike earlier Roman historians, Livy played no part in politics, and as a result he presented history not as partisan politics but in terms of character and morality. The Latin prose style he developed suited his subject matter. His history, a classic in his lifetime, profoundly influenced the style and phi¬ losophy of historical writing down to the 18th century.
lizard Any of about 3,000 species of reptiles constituting the suborder Sauria. They are most diverse and abundant in the tropics but are found from the Arctic Circle (one species) to southern Africa, South America, and Australia. Like snakes, lizards have scales, paired male copulatory organs, and a flexible skull. Typical lizards have a moderately cylindrical body, four well-developed legs (although some lizards are legless), a tail slightly longer than the head and body combined, and movable lower eyelids. They range in size from 1-in. (3-cm) geckos to the 10-ft (3-m) Komodo dragon, but most are about 12 in. (30 cm) long. Ornamentation includes crests on the head, back, or tail; spines; brightly coloured throat fans; and throat frills. Most species feed on insects and rodents, but some, such as the iguana, eat plants. See also Gila monster; horned toad.
Ljubljana Me-.u-ble-'a-noV City (pop., 2002 prelim.: 257,338), capital of Slovenia. Located on the Ljubljanica River, it is surrounded by the north¬ ern Dinaric Alps. The site of the Roman city of Emona in the 1st century bc, it was destroyed in the 5th century ad and rebuilt by the Slavs as Luvi- gana. It passed to Carniola in the 12th century and came under Habsburg rule in 1277. Taken by the French in 1809, it was the administrative seat of the Illyrian Provinces until 1813 and the capital of the kingdom of Illyria from 1816 to 1849. It was the centre of Slovene nationalism under Aus¬ trian rule, and in 1918 it became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). It remained the Slovene capital after Slo¬ venia’s independence in 1992. A railroad and commercial centre, it is the site of the University of Ljubljana (founded 1595).
llama \'la-mo\ Domesticated South American lamoid (see alpaca), main¬ tained in herds in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina. The llama {Lama glama) is used primarily as a pack animal but also as a source of food, wool, hides, tallow for candles, and dried dung for fuel. A 250-lb (113-kg) llama can carry a load of 100-130 lb (45-60 kg) and travel 15-20 mi (25-30 km) a day. It can subsist on little water and a wide variety of plant materials. Though usually white, it may be solid black or brown, or white with black or brown markings. It is usually gentle, but when over¬ loaded or mistreated it will lie down, hiss, spit and kick, and refuse to move. Not known to exist in the wild state, it appears to have been bred from guanacos during or before the Inca civilization.
Llandrindod Uilan-'drin-.dadX Wells Town (pop., 1991: 4,362), administrative centre of Powys county, historic county of Radnorshire, eastern Wales. Its medicinal waters were first discovered c. 1696, and in the 19th century it became a popular spa. The spa declined after World War II and closed in the 1960s but reopened in 1983. To the northwest lie the remains of a Roman fort.
Llano Estacado Vla-no-.es-to-'ka-doX or Staked Plain Plateau, southeastern New Mexico and western Texas, U.S. Occupying an area of about 30,000 sq mi (78,000 sq km), it is a semiarid plain with occasional pools of rainwater. Its soil supports grazing, dryland farming of grains, and irrigated cotton production. Production of petroleum and natural gas is also important. Lubbock and Amarillo, Texas, are its most important cit¬ ies.
Llanquihue \laq-'ke-w9. Lake Lake, south-central Chile. The coun¬ try’s largest lake, it has an area of about 330 sq mi (860 sq km); it is 22 mi (35 km) long and 25 mi (40 km) wide. In the distance stand volca¬ noes and beyond them, on the Argentine border, Mount Tronador (11,660 ft [3,554 m]). Popular resort towns are located on its shores.
Llosa, Mario Vargas See Mario Vargas Llosa
Lloyd, Chris Evert See Chris Evert
Lloyd, Harold (b. April 20, 1893, Burchard, Neb., U.S.—d. March 8, 1971, Hollywood, Calif.) U.S. film comedian. He began to appear in one- reel comedies in 1913 and mastered the comic chase scene as a member of Mack Sennett’s troupe. He joined Hal Roach’s company and created his Lonesome Luke character in popular movies such as Just Nuts (1915). He developed his trademark white-faced character wearing round glasses in 1918. Noted for his use of physical danger as a source of laughter, he performed his own daring stunts, hanging from the hands of a clock far
David Livingstone, oil painting by F. Havill after photographs; in the National Portrait Gallery, London
COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, LONDON
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Lloyd George of Dwyfor ► Lobengulo I 1127
above the street in Safety Last (1923) and standing in for a football tackling-dummy in The Freshman (1925). He was the highest paid star of the 1920s. He received a special Academy Award in 1952.
Lloyd George of Dwyfor, David Lloyd George, Earl (b. Jan. 17, 1863, Manchester, Eng.—-d. March 26, 1945, Ty-newydd, near Llanystumdwy, Caernarvonshire, Wales) British prime minister (1916— 22). He entered Parliament in 1890 as a Liberal and retained his seat for 55 years. He served as president of the Board of Trade (1905-08), then as chancellor of the Exchequer (1908-15). Rejection of his controversial “People’s Budget” (to raise taxes for social programs) in 1909 by the House of Lords led to a constitutional crisis and passage of the Parliament Act of 1911. He devised the National Insurance Act of 1911, which laid the foundation of the British welfare state. As minister of munitions (1915- lb), he used unorthodox methods to ensure that war supplies were forth¬ coming during World War I. He replaced H.H. Asquith as prime minister in 1916, with Conservative support in his coalition government. His small war cabinet ensured speedy decisions. Distrustful of the competence of the British high command, he was constantly at odds with Gen. Douglas Haig. In the 1918 elections his decision to continue a coalition govern¬ ment further split the Liberal Party. He was one of the three great states¬ men responsible for the Treaty of Versailles at the Paris Peace Conference. He began the negotiations that culminated in the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921. He resigned in 1922 and headed an ailing Liberal Party (1926-31).
Lloyd Webber, Andrew later Baron Lloyd Webber (b. March 22, 1948, London, Eng.) British composer. He studied at Oxford and at the Royal College of Music. His first collaboration with lyricist Tim Rice (b. 1944), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1968), was followed by the “rock opera” Jesus Christ Superstar (1971), which blended classical forms with rock music. Their last major collaboration was Evita (1978). Lloyd Webber’s eclectic, rock-based works helped revi¬ talize musical theatre. In both London and New York City, his musical Cats (1981), based on poems by T.S. Eliot, became the longest-running musical in history. He later collaborated on Starlight Express (1984), Phantom of the Opera (1986), and Sunset Boulevard (1993), among other stage works. He was knighted in 1992 and ennobled in 1996.