Carpathian Mountains \kar-'pa-the-3n\ Mountain system, eastern Europe. It extends along the Slovakia-Poland border and southward through Ukraine and eastern Romania about 900 mi (1,450 km). Its high¬ est peak, Gerlachovka (in Slovakia), rises 8,711 ft (2,655 m). The Little Carpathians and White Carpathians are its southwestern extensions; the Transylvanian Alps are sometimes called the South Carpathians. The mountains are the source for the Vistula, Dniester, and Tisza rivers. Agri¬ culture, forestry, and tourism are economically important.
carpel One of the leaflike, seed-bearing structures that constitute the innermost whorl of a flower. One or more carpels make up the pistil. Fer¬ tilization of an egg within a carpel by a pollen grain from another flower results in SEED development within the carpel.
Carpentaria \,kar-pen-'tar-e-9\, Gulf of Gulf, northeastern Australia. An inlet of the Arafura Sea, it is bordered by the Northern Territory and by Cape York Peninsula and extends north-south about 375 mi (600 km) and east-west 310 mi (500 km). It was explored by the Dutch 1605-28; its western coasts were discovered by Abel Janszoon Tasman in 1644. Neglected for centuries, it became economically significant from the late 20th century for its bauxite and manganese deposits and for its prawn- rich waters.
Carpenter Gothic U.S. domestic architecture style of the 19th cen¬ tury. The houses executed in this phase of the Gothic Revival style display little awareness of the original Gothic approach, but rather an eclectic and naive use of superficial Gothic decorative motifs. Turrets, spires, and pointed arches were liberally applied, as was much decorative gingerbread, made possible by the invention of the scroll saw. Carpenter Gothic houses were built throughout the U.S., but surviving structures are found chiefly in the Northeast and Midwest.
Carpentier, Ale jo (b. Dec. 26, 1904, Lausanne, Switz.—d. April 24, 1980, Paris, France) Latin American novelist, essayist, and playwright, a leading literary figure. Born to a French father and a Russian mother, Car¬ pentier spoke French before he learned Spanish, although he was taken to Havana, Cuba, as an infant. Educated in Havana, he helped found the Afro-Cuban movement that sought to incorporate African forms into the arts. He initiated the use of magic realism in his story collection Guerra del tiempo (1958; War of Time). His best-known novel, Los pasos perdi- dos (1953; The Lost Steps), portrays a character who travels to the Orinoco jungle in search of the origins of time. Carpentier fled Cuba in 1928 and settled in Paris. In 1945 he went to Venezuela, but in 1959 he returned to Cuba and became a diplomat in Fidel Castro’s regime.
carpet See rug and carpet
carpetbagger Epithet used during the Reconstruction period (1865— 77) to describe a Northerner in the South seeking private gain. The word referred to an unwelcome outsider arriving with nothing more than his belongings packed in a satchel or carpetbag. Many carpetbaggers were involved in corrupt financial schemes, but others helped rebuild the economy in the South and participated in educational and social reform.
Carpocration V.kar-po-'kra-shonV Follower of the 2nd-century Chris¬ tian Gnostic Carpocrates, whose sect flourished in Alexandria. Carpocra- tians revered Jesus as an ordinary man whose soul had not forgotten that its origin and true home was within the sphere of the unknown perfect God. They rejected the created world, claimed superiority due to their ability to communicate with demons, and subverted biblical law as the work of the evil angels who created the world. Their goal of transcendent freedom required having every possible experience, which required sev¬ eral lifetimes. The first sect known to have used pictures of Christ, they also made images of Plato, Pythagoras, and Aristotle. See also Gnosticism.
Carracci \ka-'rat-che\ family Family of Italian painters. Annibale Car¬ racci (1560-1609) was prominent in Bologna and Rome in the movement against Mannerism. In the 1580s, with his brother and cousin, he founded a teaching academy in Bologna, the Accademia degli Incamminati
(“Academy of the Progressives”). He specialized in fresco painting and monumental religious altarpieces but was also a pioneer in the develop¬ ment of ideal landscapes, genre subjects, and caricature. The fresco deco¬ ration of the Gallery of the Famese Palace in Rome (1597-1601), comprising scenes from the loves of the gods, remains his masterpiece; it was indispensable as a source of figure design and technical procedure for young painters into the 18th century. His elder brother, Agostino Car¬ racci (1557-1602), assisted him in decorating the Farnese Gallery but was known primarily as a teacher and engraver; his anatomical studies were used as teaching aids for nearly two centuries. His cousin Lodovico (or Ludovico) Carracci (1555-1619) collaborated with them on various fresco commissions. He directed the academy in Bologna after his cousins had gone to Rome, produced works of a passionate and poetic quality, and trained some of the major Bolognese artists of the next generation, includ¬ ing Domenichino, Guido Reni, and Alessandro Algardi. See also Bolognese school.
Carranza \kar-'ran-sa\, Venustiano (b. Dec. 29, 1859, Cuatro Ciene- gas, Mex.—d. May 20/21, 1920,
Tlaxcalantongo) First president of the post-PoRFiRio Diaz Mexican Republic (1917-20). The son of a landowner, he was active in politics from 1877. In 1910 he joined the struggle of Francisco Madero against Diaz. A moderate and a nationalist, he favoured political but not social reform. Because he did little to implement the far-reaching reforms called for in the constitution of 1917, his presidency was plagued by social unrest and clashes with the more radical leaders Pancho Villa and Emil- iano Zapata as well as by serious financial problems. His nationalism led him to oppose U.S. intervention in Mexican affairs, even when he stood to benefit from it. He is held responsible for Zapata’s assassina¬ tion and was himself murdered while fleeing an armed rebellion. See also Mexican Revolution.
Carre, John Le See John Le Carre
Carrel \k3-'rel\, Alexis (b. June 28, 1873, Sainte-Foy-les-Lyon, Fra.—d. Nov. 5, 1944, Paris) French surgeon, sociologist, and biologist. He received a 1912 Nobel Prize for developing a way to suture (stitch) blood vessels and laid the groundwork for further studies of blood-vessel and organ transplantation. He also researched preservation of tissues out¬ side the body and the application of the process to surgery, and he helped develop the Carrel-Dakin method of flushing wounds with an antiseptic. His writings include Man, the Unknown (1935), The Culture of Organs (with Charles A. Lindbergh, 1938), and Reflections on Life (1952).
Carrhae \'kar-e. Battle of (53 bc) Battle that stopped the Roman invasion of Parthian Mesopotamia (see Parthia). The Romans were led by Crassus, who wanted a victory to balance those of his fellow triumvirs Pompey and Julius Caesar. With seven legions (about 44,000 men) but little cavalry, he was defeated in the desert by 10,000 mounted Parthian archers and was killed while trying to negotiate. His defeat damaged Roman prestige, and his death gave impetus to Caesar’s quest for power.
carriage Four-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicle, mainly for private pas¬ senger use. It was the final refinement of the horse-drawn passenger con¬ veyance, having developed from the wagon, chariot, and coach. Light carriages with enhanced suspension for added comfort had been devel¬ oped by the 17th century. A variety of carriages were common in the 19th century, including the brougham and the buggy. Carriage manufacturers provided the very similar early designs for automobile bodies.