Canal Zone or Panama Canal Zone Strip of territory, a historic administrative entity in Panama over which the U.S. formerly exercised jurisdictional rights (1903-79). The zone came into being in 1904 when Panama granted the U.S., in return for annual payments, sole right to operate and control the Panama Canal, including a strip of land 10 mi (16 km) wide along the canal extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and bisecting the Isthmus of Panama. The zone was abolished by treaty in 1979, and civil control of the territory was returned to Panama. By the same treaty a commission under joint U.S.-Panamanian ownership was established to operate the canal until the year 2000, when Panama assumed full control.
Canaletto \,ka-n 3 l-'e-to\ orig. Giovanni Antonio Canal (b. Oct. 18, 1697, Venice, Republic of Venice—d. April 20, 1768, Venice) Italian painter and etcher. He was trained in the studio of his father, a theatrical scene painter. From 1719 to 1720 he worked in Rome, painting scenes for operas, until he turned to painting topographical images. After his return
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324 I Canaris ► cancer
Canal with a basic lock arrangement. Boats traveling upstream pass from the lower to the upper pool through the chamber (or pound) on the left; downstream traffic uses the pound on the right.
© MERRIAM-WEBSTER INC.
to Venice, he produced the picturesque views ( vedute ) that would bring him international fame. His pictures provide dramatic views of Venetian architecture and demonstrate skill in rendering sunlight and shadow. In the 1730s he was kept busy meeting foreign visitors’ demand for souvenir views of Venice. When the War of the Austrian Succession made foreign visitors scarce, he expanded his output to include imaginative views of Roman ruins, and in 1746 he went to England to paint views of London and the great English country houses. In 1763 he was elected to the Vene¬ tian Academy. The most famous topographical painter of the 18th century, he influenced succeeding generations of landscape artists. He is not to be confused with his nephew Bernardo Bellotto, also known as Canaletto.
Canaris \ka-'na-ros\, Wilhelm (Franz) (b. Jan. 1, 1887, Aplerbeck, Westphalia, Ger.—d. April 9, 1945, Flossenblirg concentration camp, Bavaria) German naval officer. Under Adolf Hitler, Canaris became head of military intelligence (Abwehr) in 1935. Believing that the Nazi regime would destroy traditional conservative values and that its foreign ambi¬ tions were dangerous to Germany, he enlisted some of the anti-Hitler con¬ spirators into the Abwehr and shielded their activities. After the abortive July Plot against Hitler in 1944, Canaris was arrested and executed.
canary Popular cage bird (Serinus canaria', in the goldfinch family, Carduelidae) that owes its coloration and sustained vocal powers to 400 years of selective breeding. Varieties called rollers trill almost continu¬ ously; choppers have a loud trill of distinct notes. Well-known breeds include Hartz Mountain, Norwich, and Yorkshire. The average life span of a caged canary is 10-15 years.
The canary is native to the Canary,
Azores, and Madeira islands. The wild form is streak-backed and mostly greenish brown.
Canary Islands Spanish Islas Canarias Island group and autonomous community (pop., 2005 est.: 1,968,280) of Spain located in the Atlantic Ocean 67 mi (108 km) off the
northwestern coast of Africa. The islands comprise two provinces, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas, with an area of 2,876 sq mi (7,447 sq km). The capital is Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Known in ancient times as the “Fortunate Islands,” they were written about by both Plutarch and Pliny the Elder. Believed to be the western limit of the world, they were visited in the Middle Ages by Arabs, Genoese, Majorcans, Portuguese, and French. They were taken by Castile (see Castile-Leon) in 1404, and their indigenous inhabitants, the Guanche and Canario, were gradually con¬ quered during the 15th century. The islands became a stop on the usual route for Spanish trading vessels with the New World. Today agriculture is an economic mainstay, as is an expanding tourist trade.
canasta \k3-'nas-t9\ Form of rummy, using two full decks, in which players or partnerships try to meld groups of three or more cards of the same rank and score bonuses for seven-card melds. Eleven cards are dealt to each player, the undealt portion of the pack is placed on the table, and the top card is turned up to start the discard pile. Each player in turn must draw, may meld, and must discard one card. A hand ends when a player melds his last card (goes out). Canasta originated in Uruguay in the late 1940s; its name (meaning “basket”) is probably a reference to the tray for holding discards.
Canaveral Vko-'na-vo-roL, Cape Cape, eastern Florida, U.S. It is the location of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center and the launch site of U.S. spaceflights, which included the first U.S. manned spaceflight (1961), the first lunar-landing flight (1969), and flights of the space shuttle Challenger, which exploded shortly after liftoff in 1986. After the death of Pres. John F. Kennedy in 1963, it was renamed Cape Kennedy; it reverted to its original name in 1973.
Canberra \'kan-ber-o\ City (pop., 2004 est.: metro, area, 377,074), capi¬ tal of Australia. Located in the Australian Capital Territory, on the Molon- glo River, it was chosen in 1909 as the site of the capital. An international competition held in 1911 chose the U.S. architect Walter Burley Griffin (b. 1876—d. 1937) to design the city, and construction began in 1913. The transfer of Parliament from Melbourne took place in 1927. The city continues to expand, with residential development taking place in satel¬ lite towns. There is light industry and a growing tourist trade, though government functions dominate.
A statue by Henry Moore sits on the grounds of the National Library of Australia in Canberra.
ROBIN SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY, NEW SOUTH WAlfS
cancer Uncontrolled multiplication of abnormal cells. Cancerous cells and tissues have abnormal growth rates, shapes, sizes, and functioning. Cancer may progress in stages from a localized tumour (confined to the site of origin) to direct extension (spread into nearby tissue or lymph nodes) and metastasis (spread to more distant sites via the blood or lymphatic sys¬ tem). This malignant growth pattern distinguishes cancerous tumours from benign ones. Cancer is also classified by grade, the extent to which cell characteristics remain specific to their tissue of origin. Both stage and grade affect the chances of survival. Genetic factors and immune status affect sus-
Canary (Serinus canaria).
ERIC HOSKING
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Cancer ► canna I 325
ceptibility. Triggers include hormones, viruses, smoking, diet, and radia¬ tion. Cancer can begin in almost any tissue, including blood (see leukemia) and lymph (see lymphoma). When it metastasizes, it remains a cancer of its tissue of origin. Early diagnosis and treatment increase the chance of cure. Treatment may include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy. See also BLADDER CANCER; BREAST CANCER; CARCINOGEN; COLORECTAL CANCER; KAPOSI SAR¬ COMA; LARYNGEAL CANCER; LUNG CANCER; OVARIAN CANCER; PANCREATIC CANCER; PROSTATE CANCER; SKIN CANCER; STOMACH CANCER; UTERINE CANCER.
Cancer (Latin: “Crab”) In astronomy, the constellation lying between Leo and Gemini; in astrology, the fourth sign of the zodiac, governing approximately the period June 22-July 22. It is represented as a crab (or crayfish), a reference to the crab in Greek mythology that pinched Her¬ acles while he was fighting the Lemaean hydra. Heracles crushed the crab, but his enemy Hera rewarded it by placing it in the sky as a constella¬ tion.