Fishes’ nests vary from shallow depressions in sand to enclosed structures constructed of vegetation.
Certain frog species build mud-basin nests or floating masses of hardened froth. Alligators use mud and veg¬ etation and cobras use leaves and forest litter to build a nest for their eggs. The most common type of bird nest is a cup-shaped or domed struc¬ ture of twigs, leaves, mud, and feath¬ ers. Many mammals, especially small ones, build nests in trees, on the ground, or in burrows.
Nestle SA Multinational manufac¬ turer of food products. Headquar¬ tered in Vevey, Switz., it operates branches and subsidiaries in more than 70 countries. Its products include condensed and powdered milk, baby foods, chocolate, cheese, instant coffee and tea, condiments, and frozen foods. Its history dates to 1866, when two Swiss firms were established, the Anglo-Swiss Con¬ densed Milk Co. and a company founded by Henri Nestle to manufacture the first infant formula. In 1905 they merged to become the Nestle and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Co. Nestle created the first milk chocolate and in 1937 the first instant coffee, which it produced under the name Nescafe. It acquired various other firms, including Crosse & Blackwell in 1960, Stouffer Corp. in 1973, Carnation Co. in 1984, and Ralston Purina pet foods in 2001. Acquisitions have helped the company maintain its ranking as the world’s largest food company. Nestle adopted its present name in 1977.
Nestor In Greek legend, the king of Pylos in Eus. All his brothers were killed by Heracles, but Nestor survived. In Homer’s Iliad he appeared as an elder statesman who entertained the warriors with tales of his youth¬ ful exploits. He brought 90 ships to aid the Greeks in their war against Troy. When, at the war’s end, the Greeks sailed for home, Nestor went in a different direction and missed the storm Athena sent to disperse their ships. In the Odyssey Telemachus, son of Odysseus, came to Elis looking for his father, and Nestor entertained him.
Nestorian Member of a Christian sect that originated in Asia Minor and Syria in the 5th century ad, inspired by the views of Nestorius. Nesto- rians stressed the independence of Christ’s divine and human natures. Nestorian scholars played a prominent role in the formation of Arab cul¬ ture after the Arab conquest of Persia; Nestorianism also spread to India, China, Egypt, and Central Asia, where certain tribes were almost entirely converted. Today the Nestorians are represented by the Church of the East, or Persian church, usually referred to in the West as the Assyrian or Nestorian church. Most of its members, who number more than 200,000, live in Iraq, Syria, and Iran.
Nestorius (b. 4th century, Germanicia, Syria Euphratensis, Asia Minor—d. c. 451, Panopolis, Egypt) Founder of Nestorian Christianity. Born of Persian parents, he studied in Antioch and was ordained a priest. As bishop of Constantinople from 428, he aroused controversy when he objected to Cyril of Alexandria’s granting Mary the title of Theotokos (“God-Bearer”), which he believed compromised Christ’s full humanity. In 431 the Council of Ephesus condemned his teaching as heresy on the ground that he denied the reality of Christ’s incarnation, and Nestorius went into exile, first in the Libyan desert and then in Upper Egypt. Nesto¬ rianism was adopted by the Persian church, whose members still adhere to his ideas.
Nestos River or Mesta River River, southwestern Bulgaria and northeastern Greece. It rises in the northwestern Rhodope Mountains and flows southeast for 150 mi (240 km) into the northern Aegean Sea oppo¬ site the island of ThAsos. As it crosses the Bulgarian frontier into Greece, it divides Macedonia from Thrace.
Netherlands, Austrian See Austrian Netherlands
Netherlands, Republic of the United See Dutch Republic Netherlands, Spanish See Spanish Netherlands
Netherlands, The officially Kingdom of The Netherlands byname Holland Country, northwestern Europe. Area: 16,034 sq mi (41,528 sq km). Population (2005 est.): 16,300,000. Capitaclass="underline" Amsterdam.
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Seat of government: The Hague. Most of the people are Dutch. Languages: Dutch (official), English. Religions: Christianity (Roman Catholic, Protestant); also Islam.
Currency: euro. The Netherlands’ southern and eastern region consists mostly of plains and a few high ridges; its western and northern region is lower and includes polders on the site of the Zuiderzee and the common delta of the Rhine, Meuse, and Schelde riv¬ ers. Coastal areas are almost completely below sea level and are protected by dunes and artificial dikes. Although densely populated, the country has a low birthrate. Its developed market economy is based largely on finan¬ cial services, light and heavy industries, and trade. It is a constitutional monarchy with a parliament comprising two legislative houses; its chief of state is the monarch, and the head of government is the prime minis¬ ter. Celtic and Germanic tribes inhabited the region at the time of the Roman conquest. Under the Romans trade and industry flourished, but by the mid-3rd century ad Roman power had waned, eroded by resurgent Germanic tribes and the encroachment of the sea. A Germanic invasion (406^107) ended Roman control. The Merovingian dynasty followed the Romans but was supplanted in the 7th century by the Carolingian dynasty, which converted the area to Christianity. After Charlemagne’s death in 814, the area was increasingly the target of Viking attacks. It became part of the medieval kingdom of Lotharingia (see Lorraine), which avoided incorporation into the Holy Roman Empire by investing its bishops and abbots with secular powers, leading to the establishment of an Imperial Church. Beginning in the 12th century, much land was reclaimed from the sea as dike building occurred on a large scale; Flanders developed as a textiles centre. The dukes of Burgundy gained control in the late 14th century. By the early 16th century the Low Countries came to be ruled by the Spanish Habsburgs. The Dutch had taken the lead in fishing and shipbuilding, which laid the foundation for Holland’s remarkable 17th- century prosperity. Culturally, this was the period of Jan van Eyck, Tho¬ mas a Kempis, and Desiderius Erasmus. Calvinism and Anabaptist doctrines attracted many followers. In 1581 the seven northern provinces, led by Calvinists, declared their independence from Spain, and in 1648, follow¬ ing the Thirty Years' War, Spain recognized Dutch independence. The 17th century was the golden age of Dutch civilization. Benedict de Spinoza and Rene Descartes enjoyed the intellectual freedom, and Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer painted their masterpieces. The Dutch East India Co.
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secured Asian colonies, and the country’s standard of living soared. In the 18th century Dutch maritime power declined; the region was conquered by the French during the French revolutionary wars and became the King¬ dom of Holland under Napoleon (1806). The Netherlands remained neu¬ tral in World War I and declared neutrality in World War II but was occupied by Germany. After the war it lost the Netherlands Indies (Indo¬ nesia from 1949) and Netherlands New Guinea (in 1962; now Irian Jaya). It joined NATO in 1949 and was a founding member of the European Eco¬ nomic Community (later renamed the European Community and now embedded in the European Union). At the outset of the 21st century The Netherlands benefitted from a strong, highly regulated mixed economy but struggled with the social and economic challenges of immigration.