Vanderlyn, John (b. Oct. 15, 1776, Kingston, N.Y., U.S.—d. Sept. 23, 1852, Kingston) U.S. painter. He studied with Gilbert Stuart and later at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. He remained in Paris, where he enjoyed great popularity for his paintings in the Neoclassical style (including Ariadne Asleep on Naxos, 1812). At age 40 he returned to the U.S., but failing to receive the federal commissions he had anticipated, he retired embittered to Kingston. In 1832 he finally received a government commission for a full-length portrait of George Washington and in 1839 another for The Landing of Columbus in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.
Vane, Sir Henry known as Sir Henry Vane the Younger (b.
1613—d. June 14, 1662, London, Eng.) English politician. Son of the royal adviser Henry Vane the Elder (1589-1655), he was converted to Puritanism and in 1635 sailed to New England, where he served as gov¬ ernor of Massachusetts (1636-37). After returning to England, he became treasurer of the navy (1639), then served with his father in the Long Par¬ liament, where they helped secure the impeachment of Thomas Wentworth, 1st earl of Strafford. The chief English negotiator of the Solemn League and Covenant, Vane became leader of the House of Commons (from 1643) and a member of the Commonwealth’s Council of State (1649-53). After the Restoration, he was arrested, imprisoned (1660-62), and executed for treason.
Vanern Vva-nsmX Lake, southwestern Sweden. The largest lake in Swe¬ den and the third largest in Europe, it is about 90 mi (145 km) long, as much as 322 ft (98 m) deep, and covers an area of 2,156 sq mi (5,585 sq km). Fed by numerous rivers, it drains into the Kattegat strait via the Gota River.
Vanguard Any of three unmanned U.S. experimental satellites. Van¬ guard I (1958), the second U.S. satellite placed in orbit around Earth (after Explorer 1), was a tiny 3.25-lb (1.47-kg) sphere with two radio transmit¬ ters. Its flight path revealed that Earth is almost imperceptibly pear- shaped, confirming earlier theories. Vanguard II (1959) carried light- sensitive photocells to provide information about Earth’s cloud cover, but its tumbling motion rendered the data unreadable. Vanguard III (1959) was used to map Earth’s magnetic field.
vanilla Any member of a group of tropical climbing orchids that make up the genus Vanilla, and the flavouring agent extracted from its seed- pods. The plant has a long, fleshy climbing stem that attaches itself by aerial rootlets to trees; roots also penetrate the soil. Numerous flowers open a few at a time and last only a day. The fruit, a bean pod about 8 in. (20 cm) long at maturity, is harvested as soon as it turns golden green at the base. Curing and processing turn the pods a deep chocolate brown. Vanilla is used in a variety of sweet foods and beverages as well as in perfumery.
Vanir \'va-,nir\ In Germanic religion, the group of gods responsible for wealth, fertility, and commerce. They included Njord and his children, Freyr and Freyja, among others. They were originally subordinate to the warlike Aesir, but, after defeating the Aesir in battle, they were granted equal status. The Vanir sent Njord and Freyr to live with the Aesir and received Hoenir and Mimir in exchange. The birth of Kvasir resulted from the peace ritual between the two groups.
Vanua Levu V.van-.wa-'la-viA Island (pop., including adjacent islands, 1996: 139,526), Fiji. Fiji’s second largest island, it is 2,137 sq mi (5,535 sq km) in area. Sighted by the Dutch navigator Abel Janszoon Tasman in 1643, the volcanic Vanua Levu (meaning “Great Land”) has a central mountain range, culminating at Mount Nasorolevu (3,386 ft [1,032 m]), which divides the island into wet and dry sections. The chief river is the Ndreketi.
Vanuatu V.van-wa-'tiiX officially Republic of Vanuatu Island coun¬ try, South Pacific Ocean. It consists of a chain of 13 principal and many smaller islands. Area: 4,707 sq mi (12,190 sq km). Population (2005 est.): 211,000. Capitaclass="underline" Vila. The population is nearly all indigenous Melane-
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vapor lamp ► variation I 1987
sian. Languages: Bislama, English, French (ah official); Melanesian lan¬ guages and dialects. Religions: Christianity (mostly Protestant; also Roman Catholic); also traditional beliefs. Currency: vatu. Extending north-south some 400 mi (650 km), Vanuatu includes the islands of Espiritu Santo, Pentecost (Pentecote), Malakula, Efate, Ambrym, Erromango, Tanna, Aoba, Epi, and Maewo. The larger islands are volcanic in origin and mountainous; there are several active volcanoes. Some of them, espe¬ cially Efate and Malakula, have good harbours. The highest point is Mount Tabwemasana (6,165 ft [1,879 m]) on Espiritu Santo. The devel¬ oping free-market economy is based mainly on agriculture, cattle raising, and fishing. Tourism is increasingly important. Vanuatu is a republic with a single legislative house; its chief of state is the president, and the head of government is the prime minister. The islands were inhabited for at least 3,000 years by Melanesian peoples before being discovered in 1606 by the Portuguese. They were rediscovered by French navigator Louis- Antoine de Bougainville in 1768, then explored by English mariner Capt. James Cook in 1774 and named New Hebrides. Sandalwood merchants and European missionaries arrived in the mid-19th century; they were followed by British and French cotton planters. Control of the islands was sought by both the French and British, who agreed in 1906 to form a con¬ dominium government. During World War II a major Allied naval base was on Espiritu Santo; Vanuatu escaped Japanese invasion. New Hebrides became the independent Republic of Vanuatu in 1980. Much of its his¬ tory since then has been marked by political instability.
vapor lamp See electric discharge lamp
vaporization Conversion of a substance from the liquid or solid phase into the gaseous (see gas), or vapour, phase. It includes boiling, in which vapour bubbles form in a liquid, and sublimation, in which a solid is con¬ verted directly to vapour. Vaporization requires that HEAT (the substance’s latent heat of vaporization) be supplied to the liquid or solid; the same amount of heat is released by the substance in condensation, the reverse of vaporization. If the surroundings do not supply enough heat, the tem¬ perature of the remaining substance undergoing vaporization drops. See also evaporation.
Varanasi \va-'ra-n3-se\ or Benares Vbo-'nar-osV City (pop., 2001 pre¬ lim.: 1,100,748), Uttar Pradesh, India. Located on the Ganges River in southeastern Uttar Pradesh, it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and was the site of an Aryan settlement before the 2nd millennium bc. It is one of the seven sacred cities of Hinduism and has numerous shrines, temples, and palaces and miles of steps for ritual bath¬ ing. More than a million Hindus visit the city each year. Just north of Varanasi is Sarnath, where the Buddha delivered his first sermon.
Vardan Mamikonian Vvar-don-.ma-mi-'ko-ne-onV, Saint (died 451) Armenian military commander. The Persian attempt to impose Zoro¬ astrianism on the Armenians provoked a rebellion, which ended when Var¬ dan and his companions were slain at the Battle of Avarayr. Despite their victory the Persians renounced their plans to convert Armenia by force, and they deposed the traitorous Armenian governor.
Vardon, Harry (b. May 9, 1870, Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands—d. March 20, 1937, Totteridge, Hertfordshire, Eng.) British golfer. While working as a manservant for an affluent amateur golfer on the island of Jersey, Vardon learned golf, and he turned professional at age 20. A technical innovator, he won the British Open six times (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, and 1914) and the U.S. Open once (1900). The Vardon Trophy is awarded annually by the Professional Golfers’ Asso¬ ciation of America to the profes¬ sional with the best scoring average.
Varese \va-'rez\, Edgard (-Victor-Achille-Charles) (b.