Mako shark (Isurus glaucus)
PAINTING BY RICHARD ELUS
Maktum \mak-'tum\ dynasty or Al Maktum ("Maktum fam-
ily") Ruling family of the emirate of Dubayy (Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). One of the two members of the Al Bu Falasah family to emigrate from Abu Dhabi to Dubayy in 1833 was Bat! ibn Suhayl, father of Maktum ibn Batl, the first ruler of Dubayy (r. 1833-52). The current ruler, Maktum ibn Rashid, who is also vice president of the UAE, is the ninth of the dynasty. The Maktum are a branch of the same Banu Yas confederation that includes the Nahyan, rulers of Abu Dhabi.
Malabar Coast Vma-b-,bar\ Region, southwestern coast of India, stretching from the Western Ghats to the Arabian Sea. It now includes most of Kerala state and the coastal region of Karnataka state. It has sometimes been used to refer to the entire western coast of peninsular India. A large part of it was within the ancient kingdom of Keralaputra. The Portuguese established trading posts there; they were followed by the Dutch in the 17th century and the French in the 18th century. The British gained control of the region in the late 18th century.
Makarios III
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Malabo \ma-'la-bo\ formerly (until 1973) Santa Isabel City (pop., 1995 est.: 47,500), capital of Equatorial Guinea. Located on the northern edge of the island of Bioko, it is the republic’s commercial and financial centre. The main activity of its harbour is the export of cocoa, timber, and coffee. Its population fluctuated in the 1960s and ’70s: the European population declined after 1969 riots there, and the African population declined when Nigerian contract workers returned to Nigeria in the mid 1970s.
Malacca \m3-'la-k3\, Strait of Channel connecting the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. It lies between Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. It is 500 mi (800 km) long and is funnel-shaped; only 40 mi (65 km) wide in the south, it broadens in the north to 155 mi (249 km). Numerous islets hinder passage at its southern entrance. The shortest sea route between India and China, it is one of the most heavily traveled shipping channels in the world.
Malacca, sultanate of (1403? -1511) Malay dynasty that ruled the great entrepot of Malacca (Melaka) and its dependencies. Malacca, which commanded the main sea route between India and China, was founded by Paramesvara (died 1424), who converted to Islam and took the title Sul¬ tan Iskandar Shah in 1414. It benefited from the rearoused desire of Ming- dynasty China to trade with the West. By the mid-1430s it had become a major commercial emporium; by the mid-15th century it was an impor¬ tant territorial power as well. The wealthy state encouraged literature, learning, and a lively political and religious life; the period of its ascen¬ dancy is considered the golden age of Malay history. The city fell to the Portuguese in 1511.
Malachi \'ma-l3-,kl\ The anonymous author of the biblical book of Mal- achi and the last of the Twelve (Minor) Prophets. The name comes from a Hebrew word meaning “my messenger.” The book consists of dialogues in question-and-answer form, in which the prophet defends the justice of God to a community doubtful because its expectations of salvation for Israel are unfulfilled. Malachi calls for faithfulness to God’s covenant and promises that the day of judgment will soon arrive. The book was prob¬ ably written in the 5 th century bc.
malachite \'ma-b-,klt\ Widespread carbonate mineral of copper, a hydrous copper carbonate, Cu 2 C0 3 (0H) 2 . Because of its distinctive, bright green colour and its presence in the weathered zone of nearly all copper deposits, malachite serves as a prospecting guide. It is found in Siberia, France, Namibia, and Arizona. Malachite has been used as an ornamental stone and as a gemstone.
Malachy Vma-lo-keV Saint (b. 1094, Armagh, County Armagh, Ire.—d. Nov. 2/3, 1148, Clairvaux, France; canonized 1190; feast day November 3) Irish archbishop and religious reformer. He studied at Armagh and was ordained a priest in 1119. While serving as vicar to the archbishop of Armagh, he persuaded the Irish church to accept reforms promoted by Pope Gregory VII in the 11th century, and he introduced the Roman liturgy into Ireland. He served as bishop in Counties Down and Antrim before being named abbot of Iveragh, County Kerry. He became archbishop of Armagh in 1129 but resigned in 1137. In 1142 he intro¬ duced the Cistercians into Ireland. In 1190 he became the first Irish Catho¬ lic to be canonized.
Malaga \'ma-la-ga\ Port city (pop., 2001: 524,414), southern Spain. It lies on a bay of the Mediterranean Sea at the mouth of the Guadalmedina River. It was founded by the Phoenicians in the 12th century bc and was later conquered by the Romans and the Visigoths. Under Moorish rule from 711 ad, it became one of the chief cities of Andalusia. It fell to Span¬ ish rulers Ferdinand II and Isabella I in 1487. It is the foremost Spanish Mediterranean port after Barcelona; among its exports are fruit and Mal¬ aga wine. It was the birthplace of Pablo Picasso.
Malagasy Vma-b-'ga-seV peoples Complex of about 20 ethnic groups in Madagascar. The largest group is the Merina (“Elevated People”), who primarily inhabit the central plateau. The second-largest group is the Betsimisaraka, who live generally in the east. The third is the Betsileo, who inhabit the plateau around Fianarantsoa. Others include the Tsimihety, the Sakalava, the Antandroy, the Tanala, the Antaimoro, and the Bara. All Malagasy peoples speak a dialect of Malagasy, an Austro- nesian language. The written language is a standardized version of the Merina dialect. Most Malagasy peoples live in rural areas and grow rice, cassava, and other crops. About half are Christian, while the rest practice their traditional religion based on ancestor worship.
Malaita \ma-'la-ta\ Volcanic island, Solomon Islands, South Pacific Ocean. Located northeast of Guadalcanal, it is about 115 mi (185 km) long and 22 mi (35 km) across at its widest point and has an area of 1,870 sq mi (4,843 sq km). It is mountainous and covered with dense forests, and its interior has not yet been extensively explored.
Malamatiyyah V.ma-la-ma-'te-oV Muslim mystic group in the Sufi tra¬ dition that flourished in Iran during the 8th century. The name, derived from the Arabic la’ma (“to be wicked”), refers to the group’s focus on their own failings and misdeeds. The Malamatiyyahs saw self-blame as conducive to detachment from worldly things and disinterested service to God. To avoid praise and respect, they hid their knowledge and piety, and they made known their faults as a reminder of the need for self- improvement, while remaining tolerant and forgiving toward others. See also Sufism.
Malamud Vma-b-.modV Bernard (b. April 26, 1914, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.—d. March 18, 1986, New York, N.Y.) U.S. novelist and short-story writer. Born to Russian-Jewish immigrants, he was educated at City Col¬ lege of New York and Columbia University, and he later taught princi¬ pally at Bennington College. His novels, which often make parables out of Jewish immigrant life, include The Natural (1952), about a baseball hero; The Assistant (1957), about a Jewish grocer and a Gentile hoodlum; and The Fixer (1966, Pulitzer Prize), often considered his finest novel. His genius is most apparent in his stories, collected in The Magic Barrel (1958), Idiots First (1963), Pictures ofFidelman (1969), and Rembrandt’s Hat (1973).
malamute, Alaskan See Alaskan malamute
Malan Vmo-'lanX, Daniel F(rancois) (b. May 22,1874, near Riebeeck West, Cape Colony—d. Feb. 7, 1959, Stellenbosch, S.Af.) South African politician. Malan obtained a doctorate in divinity (1905) and became a Dutch Reformed minister before entering parliament in 1918. He joined J.B.M. Hertzog’s cabinet (1924-33) but broke with Hertzog to form the Purified Nationalist Party (1934). He reconciled with Hertzog in 1939 and assumed leadership of the National Party after Hertzog withdrew (1940). His party won the 1948 elections by appealing to Afrikaner racial senti¬ ments. He formed South Africa’s first exclusively Afrikaner government (1948-54) and instituted apartheid.