checks and balances Principle of government under which separate branches are empowered to prevent actions by other branches and are induced to share power. Checks and balances are applied primarily in constitutional governments. They are of fundamental importance in tri¬
partite governments, such as that of the U.S., that separate powers among legislative, executive, and judicial departments. Checks and balances, which modify the separation of powers, may operate under parliamentary systems through exercise of a parliament’s prerogative to adopt a no-confidence vote against a government; the government, or cabinet, in turn, ordinarily may dissolve the parliament. In one-party political sys¬ tems, informal checks and balances may operate when organs of an authoritarian or totalitarian regime compete for power. See also Federalist papers; judicial review; separation of powers.
cheese Food consisting of the coagulated, compressed, and usually rip¬ ened curd of milk separated from the whey. When milk sours, it forms both a protein-rich gel, or curd, and a lactose-rich fluid, or whey. Coagu¬ lation is often facilitated by adding rennin, an enzyme that acts on the milk’s chief protein, casein. The resulting curd is then cut or broken to release most of the whey. Ripening and curing are affected by moisture content, acidity, presence of microorganisms, and other factors. Cheese is made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, water buffalo, llamas, yaks, and other animals; in the West, cow’s milk is most common. Products vary according to fat content of the milk, heating or pasteurization, and addition of enzymes or cultures of bacteria, molds, or yeasts. Cheese vari¬ eties include hard cheeses (e.g., cheddar, Edam, Emmental, Gouda, Pro- volone, Romano, Swiss), semisoft cheeses (Gorgonzola, Limburger, Muenster, Roquefort), and soft cheeses (Brie, Camembert, cottage, Neu- fchatel, and ricotta). Cheese is a source of protein, fat, minerals (calcium, phosphorus, sulfur, iron), and vitamin A.
cheetah Slender, long-legged cat ( Acinonyx jubatus ) that lives on open plains of southern, central, and eastern Africa, and in the Middle East, where it is all but extinct. The fastest land animal in the world over short distances, it can reach a speed as great as 71 mph (114 kph). Its claws differ from those of other cats in being only partly retractable and in lack¬ ing protective sheaths. Like cats in the genus Felis, cheetahs purr rather than roar. The cheetah grows to about 55 in. (140 cm) long, excluding the 29-31-in. (75-80-cm) tail, and weighs 75-119 lbs (34-54 kg). The adult’s coarse fur is sandy yellow above, white below, and covered with small black spots; a black streak runs down the face from the corner of each eye. The cheetah hunts by day, alone or in small groups.
Cheever, John (b. May 27, 1912, Quincy, Mass., U.S.—d. June 18, 1982, Ossining, N.Y.) U.S. short-story writer and novelist. Cheever lived principally in southern Connecticut. His stories appeared notably in The New Yorker , his clear and elegant prose delineating the drama and sad¬ ness of life in comfortable suburban America, often through fantasy and ironic comedy. He has been called the Chekhov of the suburbs. His col¬ lections include The Enormous Radio (1953), The Brigadier and the Golf Widow (1964), and The Stories of John Cheever (1978, Pulitzer Prize). Among his novels are The Wapshot Chronicle (1957), The Wapshot Scan¬ dal (1964), and Falconer (1977). His revealing journals were published in 1991. Two of his children, Susan and Benjamin, also became writers.
Cheke Vchek\, Sir John (b. June 16, 1514—d. Sept. 13, 1557, London, Eng.) English humanist. A supporter of the Reformation, he was named pro¬ fessor of Greek at Cambridge University by Henry VIII and knighted by Edward VI. With his friend, the statesman Thomas Smith (1513-77), he ably defended the historical pronunciation of Attic Greek, introduced by Erasmus, in opposition to the post- Classical pronunciation that was then the norm. Cheke was imprisoned briefly on the accession of Mary I; he fled abroad but was captured in the Netherlands in 1556 and confined to the Tower of London. He recanted Protestantism to avoid execution and died the following year, allegedly depressed by his forced abjuration.
Chekhov Vchek-ofA English \'chek-of\, Anton (Pavlovich)
(b. Jan. 29, 1860, Taganrog,
Russia—d. July 14/15, 1904, Baden- weiler, Ger.) Russian playwright and short-story writer. The son of a former serf, he supported his family by writing popular comic sketches Anton Chekhov, 1902. while studying medicine in Moscow, david magarshack
Chayote (Sechium edule)
EUGENE BELT-SHOSTAL
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
382 I Chekiang ► chemical hydrology
While practicing as a doctor, he had his first full-length play, Ivanov (1887), produced, but it was not well-received. He took up serious themes with stories such as “The Steppe” (1888) and “A Dreary Story” (1889); later stories include “The Black Monk” (1894) and “Peasants” (1897). He converted his second long play, The Wood Demon (1889), into the mas¬ terpiece Uncle Vanya (1897). His play The Seagull (1896) was badly received until its successful revival in 1899 by Konstantin Stanislavsky and the Moscow Art Theatre. He moved to the Crimea to nurse his even¬ tually fatal tuberculosis, and there he wrote his great last plays. Three Sis¬ ters (1901) and The Cherry Orchard (1904), for the Moscow Art Theatre. Chekhov’s plays, which take a tragicomic view of the staleness of pro¬ vincial life and the passing of the Russian gentry, received international acclaim after their translation into English and other languages, and as a short-story writer he is still regarded as virtually unmatched.
Chekiang See Zhejiang
chelate Vke-,lat\ Any of a class of coordination or complex compounds consisting of a central atom of a metal (usually a transition element) attached to a large molecule (ligand). Any ligand that can bind to the metal at two or more points to form a ring structure, more stable than a nonchelated compound of the same general chemical formula, is a chelating agent. The process of binding to the metal is called chelation. Chelating agents such as EDTA salts are used in medicine to remove toxic metals (e.g., lead, cadmium) from the body. Others are used in analysis as indicators and in industry to extract metals. The iron-binding porphyrin group in hemoglo¬ bin, the magnesium-binding porphyrin in chlorophyll, and the cobalt¬ binding porphyrin in vitamin B 12 are natural chelators.
Chelif \sha-'lef\ River River, Algeria. Rising in the Atlas Mountains, it flows north and west into the Mediterranean Sea east of the city of Oran. At 422 mi (679 km) in length, it is Algeria’s longest river, though it is mostly unnavigable and has an irregular flow.
Chelmsford Vchelmz-fordV Town and borough (pop., 2001: 157,053), county seat of Essex, southeastern England. It lies on the northeastern periphery of Greater London. There are remains of the Roman settlement of Caesaromagus. In 1227 Chelms¬ ford became the regular seat of the county judicial gatherings known as assizes. The world’s first wireless telegraph service was transmitted in 1920 from the local premises of Guglielmo Marconi’s company. Light engineering, especially electronics, is important to the economy.
Chelmsford (of Chelmsford),
Frederic John Napier Thesiger, 1 st Viscount (b. Aug.
12, 1868, London, Eng.—d. April 1,
1933, London) English colonial administrator. In 1905 he was appointed governor of Queensland, Austl., and in 1909 of New South Wales. He left Australia in 1913 to serve in India as a captain in the Dor¬ setshire regiment. As viceroy of India in a time of surging Indian nation¬ alism (1916-21), he helped to institute reforms increasing Indian representation in government but provoked opposition by his severe mea¬ sures against nationalists.
Chelsea porcelain Soft-paste porcelain made in the London borough of Chelsea. The factory, established c. 1743, produced its greatest wares— tableware and bird figures, with designs inspired by Meissen porcelain and marked with a raised anchor on an oval medallion—from 1750 to 1752. Later marks used were the red anchor (1752-58) and the gold anchor (1758-70). Production from 1770 to 1784, when the factory was main¬ tained by William Duesbury of Derby, is known as Chelsea-Derbyware. Reproductions and forgeries are numerous. See photograph opposite.