Big Cypress Swamp Swamp region whose eastern half is a national preserve, southern Florida, U.S. Covering 2,400 sq mi (6,200 sq km), the region merges with the swampy Everglades on the east and south. It is dominated by cypress trees, and wildlife is abundant. The Seminole Indi¬ ans have reservations in the area.
Big Stick Policy Policy named by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt to describe the assertion of U.S. dominance as a moral imperative. It was taken from an African proverb, “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” Roosevelt first used it when he asked Congress for money to increase U.S. naval preparedness to support his diplomatic objectives. The press used the phrase to describe Roosevelt’s Latin America policy and his domes¬ tic policy of regulating monopolies.
Big Sur Scenic region along the Pacific coast of California, U.S. It com¬ prises a ruggedly beautiful stretch of seacoast 100 mi (160 km) long. Popular with tourists and naturalists, it extends southward from Carmel to the Hearst Castle at San Simeon. A narrow, mountainous coastal road affords views of the Pacific Ocean and the wilderness areas of the Los Padres National Forest. The Pfeiffer-Big Sur State Park contains the town of Big Sur and borders the Big Sur River. The home of Robinson Jeffers is a local landmark.
big tree or giant sequoia or Sierra redwood Coniferous ever¬ green ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ; see conifer) found in scattered groves on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada range of California, U.S. The largest of all trees in bulk, the big tree is distinguished from the coastal redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens) by having uniformly scalelike, or awl- shaped, leaves that lie close against the branches, scaleless winter buds, and cones requiring two seasons to mature. The pyramidal tree shape, reddish brown furrowed bark, and drooping branches are common to both genera. The largest specimen (in total bulk) is the General Sherman tree in Sequoia National Park —101.5 ft (31 m) in circumference at its base, 272.4 ft (83 m) tall, and weighing an estimated 6,167 tons (5,593 metric tons). Because big-tree lumber is more brittle than redwood lumber and thus less desirable, the big tree has been easier to preserve; though some groves have been cut, most of the 70 remaining groves are now protected by state or national forests or parks.
Bigfoot or Sasquatch Large, hairy, humanlike creature that report¬ edly lives in isolated areas of the northwestern U.S. and western Canada. Descriptions of Bigfoot are similar to those of the Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas. It is said to be a primate 6-15 ft (2-4.5 m) in height, walking upright and either moving silently or emitting a high-pitched cry. Supposed footprints (some are hoaxes) have measured up to 24 in. (60 cm) in length. Despite many reported sightings, there is still no solid evi¬ dence that Bigfoot exists.
bighorn or mountain sheep Stocky, climbing hoofed mammal (Ovis canadensis ) of western North America. Both sexes have horns that in the male may curve in a spiral more than 39 in. (1 m) long. Their fur is usually brown with a whitish rump patch. The related thinhom, or Dali’s sheep ( O. dalli ), of Alaska and Canada is similar to the bighorn.
Both species are about 39 in. (1 m) tall at the shoulder, but the bighorn is heavier, weighing up to 300 lb (136 kg). They live in small groups among remote crags and cliffs of mountainous areas and feed mainly on grasses. Bighorn rams compete for females by launching themselves at each other from a few yards’ dis¬ tance and clashing horns.
Bighorn Mountains Mountain range, southern Montana and northern Wyoming, U.S. It is a range of the northern Rocky Mountains extending 120 mi (193 km), rising abruptly 4,000-5,000 ft (1,200-1,500 m) above
the Great Plains and Bighorn Basin. The highest summit is Wyoming’s Cloud Peak, at 13,165 ft (4,013 m). Bighorn National Forest covers part of the range. On Medicine Mountain is the Medicine Wheel, a prehistoric stone-spoked circle 70 ft (20 m) in diameter.
Bighorn River River, Wyoming and Montana, U.S. Formed by the confluence of the Popo Agie and Wind rivers in west-central Wyoming, it flows north 336 mi (541 km) into the Yellowstone River in southeastern Montana. The Little Bighorn joins the main stream at Hardin, Mont. The Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area stretches along the Montana- Wyoming border. See also Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Bihar \bi-'har\ State (pop., 2001: 82,998,509), northeastern India. Bor¬ dered by Nepal and West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh states, it occupies 38,301 sq mi (99,200 sq km); its capital is Patna. Its limits are nearly the same as those of the ancient kingdoms of Videha and Magadha. In the 4th century ad the area came under the Gupta empire, whose capi¬ tal was at Pataliputra (Patna). Overcome by the Muslims c. 1200, Bihar was annexed to Delhi in 1497. Taken by the British in 1765, it was made part of Bengal. The area was the scene of revolts against the British in the mid-19th century and of Mohandas K. Gandhi’s nonviolent movement in the early 20th century. Bihar was made a province of British India in 1936; in 1950 it became a state in independent India. It is one of India’s least urbanized states, and most of its population engages in agriculture. In 2000 the state of Jharkhand was created from Bihar’s southern districts.
Bikini Atoll, western Marshall Islands, central Pacific Ocean. It consists of a ring of 20 small coral islands. Administered by the U.S. from 1947 as part of a UN-sanctioned U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, it was used for U.S. nuclear-weapons testing in 1946-58. The 166 inhab¬ itants were removed before the tests began and returned in 1969, but they were evacuated again in 1978 because of high radiation levels. Cleanup there continued, and in the late 1990s Bikini was again deemed safe for habitation. The atoll became part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in 1979.
Biko Vbe-ko\, Stephen (b. Dec. 18, 1946, King William’s Town, S.Af.—d. Sept. 12, 1977, Pretoria) South African political activist. A former medical student, in 1968 he founded the Black Consciousness movement, designed to raise black awareness of apartheid oppression. He was officially “banned” by the South African government in 1973 and was arrested several times in 1976-77. His death from head injuries suffered in police custody made him an international martyr for South African black nationalism. The initial inquest absolved the police of wrongdoing, but in 1997 five former officers confessed to Biko’s murder.
Bilbao \bil-'ba-,o, bil-'bau\ Port city (pop., 2001: city, 349,972; metro, area, 947,334), northern Spain. It is located 7 mi (11 km) inland from the Bay of Biscay. The largest city in the Basque Country, it originated as a settlement of mariners and ironworkers and was chartered in 1300. In the 18th century it prospered through trade with Spain’s New World colonies. The city was sacked by French troops in the Peninsular War (1808) and besieged during the Carlist Wars (see Carlism). It is a chief port in Spain and a centre of the metallurgical industries, shipbuilding, and banking. Landmarks include the 14th-century Cathedral of Santiago and the 20th- century Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
bilberry Low-growing deciduous shrub ( Vaccinium myrtillus) of the heath family, found in woods and on heaths, chiefly in hilly districts of Britain, northern Europe, and Asia. The stiff stems bear small egg-shaped leaves and small rosy flowers tinged with green. The dark blue, waxy ber¬ ries are an important food of the grouse and are used for tarts and pre¬ serves. They are borne singly, unlike those of the much more productive cultivated blueberries of the U.S. ( V. australe ), which are borne in long clusters.
bildungsroman \'bil- l duqz-ro-,man\ German "novel of character development" Class of novel in Gentian and other literature that deals with the formative years of the main character, whose moral and psycho¬ logical development is depicted. It ends on a positive note, with the hero’s foolish mistakes and painful disappointments behind him and a life of usefulness ahead. It grew out of folklore tales in which a dunce goes out into the world seeking adventure. The first novelistic development of the theme, Johann W. von Goethe’s Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship (1795— 96), remains a classic example.