National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Independent agency of the U.S. government that supports the creation, dissemination, and per¬ formance of the arts. It was created by the U.S. Congress in 1965 and funds projects in literature, music, theatre, film, dance, fine arts, sculp¬ ture, and crafts. The majority of NEA grants go directly to institutions such as art museums, not-for-profit theatres, and symphony orchestras; to arts programs in schools; and to support events such as folk arts festivals. Some individual artists are funded for specific projects as well. Grants are often awarded by the NEA in cooperation with state and local arts agen¬ cies. NEA funding dropped in the 1990s, as Congressional opposition arose in response to certain NEA-supported projects.
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) U.S. inde¬ pendent agency. Founded in 1965, it supports research, education, pres¬ ervation, and public programs in the humanities. It provides grants to museums, libraries, archives, television programs, historic sites, transla¬ tion and editorial projects by academic presses, educational and research institutions, and individuals.
National Film Board of Canada (NFB) Canadian department of film production. It was established in 1939 and directed by John Grier¬ son (1898-1972), who developed the studio into a leading producer of documentaries, including the World War II propaganda films Canada Car¬ ries On and The World in Action. The studio also made high-quality ani¬ mated movies by Norman McLaren (1914-87) and others, and it later expanded to produce feature films, including The Luck of Ginger Coffey (1964), The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974), and The Company of Strangers (1990).
L_
M
N
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
1332 I National Football League ► National League
L_
N
National Football League (NFL) Major professional football orga¬ nization in the U.S. It was founded in 1920 at Canton, Ohio; its first presi¬ dent was Jim Thorpe. In 1970 it merged with the rival American Football League (founded 1959). Beginning with the 2002 season, it was divided into two conferences, each with four divisions. The National Conference consists of the East Division (Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Phila¬ delphia Eagles, and Washington Redskins), the South Division (Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Bucca¬ neers), the North Division (Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings), and the West Division (Arizona Cardi¬ nals, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco Forty-Niners, and Seattle Seahawks). The American Conference consists of the East Division (Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and New York Jets), the South Division (Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tennessee Titans), the North Division (Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Ben- gals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers), and the West Division (Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and San Diego Chargers). The league season culminates with the Super Bowl, the annual championship game between the winners of the National and American conferences.
national forest In the U.S., any of numerous forest areas under fed¬ eral supervision for the purposes of conserving water, timber, wildlife, fish, and other renewable resources and providing public recreation areas. Administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, in the early 21st century the forests numbered 155 and occupied 352,000 sq mi (911,700 sq km) in 40 states and Puerto Rico. They were founded in 1891 as a system of forest reserves and were renamed national forests in 1907. See also Gifford Pinchot.
National Gallery of Art Museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. It was founded in 1937 when Andrew W. Mellon donated his collection of European paintings to the U.S. He also donated funds to construct the gallery’s Neoclassical building, opened in 1941. Now known as the West Building, it is connected by plaza and under¬ ground concourse to the East Building, designed by I.M. Pei (completed 1978). The museum houses an extensive collection of U.S. and European paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, and graphic arts from the 12th to 21st centuries; especially well represented are works by Italian Renaissance, 17th-century Dutch, and 18th- and 19th-century French artists.
National Gallery of Canada National art museum founded in Ottawa in 1880. Its holdings include extensive collections of Canadian art as well as important European works. Its nucleus was formed with the donation of diploma works by members of the Royal Canadian Academy. In 1911 the drawing collection was formed (1913-24) with important works by Albrecht DOrer and Rembrandt, and the photography collection was begun in 1967. A new building opened in 1988; the Canadian Cen¬ tre for the Visual Arts opened in 1991 and a multimedia learning centre in 1996. The museum circulates several hundred exhibitions to other cit¬ ies throughout the country each year.
National Geographic Society U.S. scientific society founded in 1888 in Washington, D.C., by a small group of eminent explorers and scientists “for the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge.” At the turn of the 21st century it had approximately nine million members. It has supported more than 7,000 major scientific projects and expedi¬ tions, including those of Robert E. Peary, Richard E. Byrd, the Leakey family, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Jane Goodall, and Dian Fossey. It has published numerous books, atlases, and bulletins and has created hundreds of tele¬ vision documentaries. National Geographic Magazine is a monthly maga¬ zine of geography, archaeology, anthropology, and exploration. It became a leader in reproducing colour photographs and printing photographs of undersea life, views from the stratosphere, and animals in their natural habitats. It also became famous for articles containing substantial infor¬ mation on environmental, social, and cultural aspects of the regions cov¬ ered. See also Gilbert Grosvenor.
National Guard, U.S. Reserve group organized by the U.S. Army and Air Force. Every state and territory of the U.S. has a National Guard, which can be called on by state governors during emergencies such as riots and natural disasters. Guard units may also be ordered into active duty for up to two years by the U.S. president in the event of a national emergency. Enlistment in the National Guard is voluntary.
National Health Service (NHS) Comprehensive government public-health service in Britain covering virtually the entire population,
established in 1946. Financed primarily by general taxes, most services are free. General practitioners and dentists are paid per patient registered with them and may also have private patients. Hospital and specialist ser¬ vices are provided in government hospitals and other facilities by sala¬ ried professionals. Local health authority services provide maternity and child welfare, home nursing, and other preventive services. The NHS has provided generally good health care at relatively low cost, but the increas¬ ing expense of hospital stays has caused financial strain.
National Hockey League (NHL) Organization of professional North American ice-hockey teams. The league was formed in 1917 by five Canadian teams; the first U.S. team, the Boston Bruins, was added in 1924. It today consists of 30 teams in two conferences and six divi¬ sions. The Eastern Conference includes the Atlantic Division (New Jer¬ sey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins), the Northeast Division (Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and Toronto Maple Leafs), and the Southeast Division (Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Washington Capitals). The Western Conference includes the Central Division (Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues), the Northwest Division (Calgary Flames, Colorado Ava¬ lanche, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, and Vancouver Canucks), and the Pacific Division (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Dallas Stars, Los Ange¬ les Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, and San Jose Sharks). At the end of the regu¬ lar winter season, the top teams in each division engage in a play-off for the Stanley Cup.