"Near Abiquiu, New Mexico," oil on canvas by Georgia O'Keeffe, 1930; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK CITY, ALFRED STIEGUT2 COLLECTION, 1963 (63.204), REPRODUCED BY PERMISSION OF THE ESTATE OF GEORGIA O'KEEFFE, COPYRIGHT 1984/85 BY THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART; PHOTOGRAPH BY MALCOLM VARON
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Okefenokee Swamp ► Olaf II Haraldsson I 1403
husband’s death in 1946. She is regarded by critics as one of the most original and important American artists, and her works are highly popu¬ lar among the general public.
Okefenokee V.o-ko-fo-'no-keV Swamp Swamp and wildlife refuge, southeastern Georgia and northeastern Florida, U.S. It has an area of more than 600 sq mi (1,550 sq km). Located about 50 mi (80 km) inland from the Atlantic coast, it is bounded by the low, sandy Trail Ridge, which pre¬ vents direct drainage into the Atlantic. It has diverse and abundant wild¬ life. Exotic flowers, such as rare orchids, abound. In 1937 a large area of the swamp, almost all in Georgia, was made the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
Okhotsk \o-'k6tsk\ / Sea of Ann of the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Bounded by the Siberian coast, the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril Islands, Hokkaido, and Sakhalin Island, it covers 611,000 sq mi (1,580,000 sq km). It connects the ports of the Russian Far East. Ice floes impede navigation in winter, and dense fog is a hindrance during the summer.
Okinawa \,o-ke-'na-wa\ Island of Japan, located in the Ryukyu archi¬ pelago, in the East China Sea. The largest island in the Ryukyu chain, it is about 70 mi (112 km) long and 7 mi (11 km) wide, with an area of 463 sq mi (1,199 sq km). It was the site of severe fighting between the U.S. and Japan in World War II. In April 1945 U.S. troops made an amphibi¬ ous landing on Okinawa, which was heavily defended by the Japanese. In a three-month-long campaign, both sides sustained heavy casualties before U.S. forces gained control of the island. In 1972 the United States returned jurisdiction over Okinawa to Japan, though U.S. military instal¬ lations remained.
Oklahoma State (pop., 2000: 3,450,654), southwest-central U.S. Bor¬ dered by Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, and New Mexico, it covers 69,898 sq mi (181,035 sq km). Its capital is Oklahoma City. The Red River forms its southern boundary; the Arkansas River flows across northeastern Oklahoma. Its highest point is Black Mesa (4,973 ft [1,516 m]), located in the Panhandle. Evidence of inhabitation by the Clovis and Folsom cultures 15,000-10,000 years ago has been found. Until the expe¬ dition of Francisco Vazquez de Coronado in 1541, the area was home to representatives of at least three major Indian language groups. Spanish control of the area lasted until 1800, when it passed to the French. In 1803 the area became part of the U.S. with the Louisiana Purchase. In 1828 the U.S. Congress reserved Oklahoma for settlement by Indians, and it became known as Indian Territory. In 1890 the western part was organized as Oklahoma Territory. The two were merged and admitted to the union as the 46th state in 1907. Cattle raising and farming are the mainstays of the economy. Mineral products include natural gas, petroleum, coal, and stone. The state’s heritage is reflected in Indian and cowboy museums. A barge system links the state’s second major city, Tulsa, to the Gulf of Mexico.
Oklahoma City City (pop., 2000: 506,132), capital of Oklahoma, U.S. Settled during the Oklahoma land rush in 1889, it was incorporated as a city in 1890 and became the state capital in 1910. It expanded rapidly after the discovery of petroleum in the area in 1928. The largest city in the state and its main commercial, financial, industrial, and transportation centre, it is the chief marketing and processing point for the livestock industry. It is home to the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, Myriad Gar¬ dens, and an annual rodeo competi¬ tion. In 1995 it was the site of a deadly act of domestic terrorism, when the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was bombed, killing 168 people and injuring 500.
okra Herbaceous, hairy, annual plant {Hibiscus esculentus or Abel- moschus esculentus ), of the mallow family, grown for its edible fruit. Okra leaves are deeply notched; flowers are yellow with a crimson centre.
The fruit, or pod, is a tapering,
10-angled capsule 4-10 in. (10-25 cm) long. Only the tender, unripe fruit is eaten; it is prepared in a num¬ ber of ways and is a defining ingre¬ dient of the gumbos of the southern
U.S. Because of its large amount of mucilage (a gelatinous substance), okra is used to thicken broths. In some countries the seeds are used as a substitute for coffee.
Oktoberfest Annual festival in Munich, Germany, lasting two weeks and ending on the first Sunday of October. It began in 1810 as a horse race celebrating the wedding of the crown prince of Bavaria, later King Louis I (1786-1868). The race was soon combined with the state agri¬ cultural fair, and food and drink were offered. In the late 20th century the Munich breweries celebrated Oktoberfest by setting up large temporary beer halls, each seating 3,000-5,000 people, and hiring bands to entertain the crowds as they ate and drank. Total beer consumption during the fes¬ tival exceeds a million gallons.
Okubo Toshimichi Vo-ku-bo-.to-she-'me-cheV (b. Sept. 26, 1830, Kagoshima, Japan—d. May 14, 1878, Tokyo) Japanese samurai leader from the domain of Satsuma who, with Saigo Takamori, arranged an alli¬ ance with the domain of ChoshO to work for the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate (see Tokugawa period) and the restoration of the emperor as head of government. After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Okubo became a dominant figure in the new government. He traveled to the West and returned convinced that Japan needed rapid economic devel¬ opment and modernization to survive. He supported the establishment of technical schools, loans to private businesses, and government-sponsored factory development. In 1873 he argued against those who favoured invading Korea and prevailed. He was assassinated in 1878 by discon¬ tented samurai. See also Kido Takayoshi; Meiji period.
Okuma Shigenobu Vo-ku-ma-.she-ge-'no-biA (b. March 11, 1838, Saga, Japan— d. Jan. 10, 1922, Tokyo) Japanese politician of the Meiji period who twice served as prime minister. His initial contribution to the new government was to oversee the reorganization of Japan’s fiscal sys¬ tem. Later, after making radical proposals for a new Japanese constitu¬ tion and exposing corruption in proposed sales of government property, he was forced out of government. In 1882 he formed the Rikken Kaish- into (“Progressive Party”), which favoured English parliamentary gov¬ ernment. With Itagaki Taisuke he created a new party in 1898, the Kenseito (^‘Constitutional Party”). They formed a short-lived government with Okuma as prime minister. Okuma’s second tenure as prime minister (1914-16) was more successful. He is also remembered as the founder of Waseda University (1882). See also Meiji Constitution.
Okumura Masanobu \ 1 6-ku- , mur-a- I ma-sa- , no-bu\ or Genpachi
\gen-'pa-che\ orig. Okumura Shinmyo (b. 1686, Edo, Japan—d. 1764/68, Edo) Japanese painter and publisher of illustrated books. His style is noted for its vividness and graceful, restrained lines. He was one of the first Japanese artists to adopt Western perspective, to which he was intro¬ duced by Chinese prints. He produced large-scale prints depicting scenes such as the insides of theatres and stores. Such prints were called uki-e (“looming picture”) for their foreshortened perspective. He is also said to have founded the format of habahiro hashira-e, or wide, vertical prints.