fig Any plant of the genus Ficus , in the mulberry family, especially Ficus carica, the common fig. Yielding the well-known figs of commerce, F. carica is native to an area from Asiatic Turkey to northern India, but natural seedlings grow in most Mediterranean countries, where figs are used extensively, both fresh and dried. It is a bush or small tree with broad, rough, deciduous leaves (see deciduous tree). Hundreds of different vari¬
eties are grown in various parts of the world. The fig was one of the first fruit trees to come under cultivation. Its fruit contains significant amounts of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and iron.
Figaro, Le Morning daily newspaper published in Paris, once one of the great newspapers of France and of the world. Founded in 1826 as a witty gossip sheet on the arts, by 1866 it was a well-written daily filled with political discourse. Though the paper’s reputation faltered at times and it suspended publication during World War II, in the postwar years it became the voice of the French upper middle class, providing broad subject cov¬ erage while maintaining an independent editorial stance. In the 1960s and ’70s the staff was rent by conflicts over its leadership. In 1975 the paper was bought by the conservative Robert Hersant, who ran it until his death in 1996. U.S. investment firm Carlyle Group owned a minority share in Le Figaro Group from 1999 to 2002, when full ownership passed to Socpresse.
fighter aircraft Aircraft designed primarily to secure control of essen¬ tial airspace by destroying enemy aircraft in combat. Designed for high speed and maneuverability, they are armed with weapons capable of strik¬ ing other aircraft in flight. Developed early in World War I, they engaged in aerial combat with other fighters, shot down enemy bombers, and con¬ ducted various tactical missions. Most were biplanes with wooden frames and cloth skins, equipped with light machine guns synchronized to fire through the propeller. World War II saw the development of all-metal monoplanes that exceeded speeds of 450 mph (725 kph). Famous fight¬ ers of the period included the Focke-Wulf 190, the P-47 and P-51, and the Zero. Jet aircraft were produced at the end of the war, and jet fighters such as the U.S. Sabre and the Soviet MiG saw extensive service in the Korean War and later conflicts. See also air warfare, F-l 5, F-l 6.
Fighting Falcon See F-l 6 fighting fish See Siamese fighting fish
Figueres \fe-'ger-as\ (Ferrer), Jose (b. Sept. 25, 1906, San Ramon, Costa Rica—d. June 8, 1990, San Jose) Costa Rican statesman and presi¬ dent (1948-49, 1953—58, 1970-74). Educated in Costa Rica, Mexico, and the U.S., he became an opponent of the right-wing regime of Rafael Angel Calderon, and in 1948 he led an uprising to force Calderon to yield the presidency to the democratically elected Otilio Ulate. A junta dominated by Figueres wrote a new constitution that abolished the army and gave women the right to vote, and the presidency was turned over to Ulate in 1949. Figueres himself was elected president by a landslide in 1953; gov¬ erning as a moderate socialist, he adopted a pro-U.S. policy and quickly outlawed the Communist Party. Returned to power in 1970, he became a symbol of the democratic left and is given much credit for Costa Rica’s enduring stability and democracy.
figure of speech Form of expres¬ sion used to convey meaning or heighten effect, often by comparing or identifying one thing with another that has a meaning or connotation familiar to the reader or listener. An integral part of language, figures of speech are found in oral literatures as well as in polished poetry and prose and in everyday speech. Common figures of speech include simile, meta¬ phor, personification, hyperbole, irony, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and puns.
figure skating Sport in which ice skaters, singly or in pairs, perform various jumps, spins, and footwork. The figure skate blade has a special serrated toe pick, or toe rake, at the front. Figure-skating events, held in the 1908 and 1920 Olympic Games, have constituted part of the Winter Olympics since they were inaugu¬ rated in 1924. Until 1991, competi¬ tion included a compulsory section in which prescribed figures were traced. Competition for individuals includes two free-skating programs: a short
Michelle Kwan (U.S.) performing at the world figure-skating championships, Vancouver, B.C., Can., 2001.
JEFF HAYNES-AFP/GETTY IMAGES
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
figurehead ► film noir I 673
program with mandatory requirements and a long program designed to show the skater’s skill and grace. Jumps fall into two main groups: the edge jumps (such as the axel, the salchow, and the loop), which take off from one foot; and the toe jumps (such as the toe loop, the flip, and the lutz), which are edge jumps assisted by a vault off the toe pick of the other foot. Addi¬ tional pair moves, involving a man and a woman skating together, include lifts and throw jumps. Figure-skating programs are judged on both techni¬ cal merit and artistic impression. See also ice dancing.
figurehead Ornamental symbol or figure placed on a prominent part
of a ship, usually at the bow. It could be a religious symbol, a national emblem, or a figure symbolizing the ship’s name. The custom of decorat¬ ing a ship probably began in ancient Egypt or India and was followed by the Chinese, Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans. As early as 1000 bc, the stem- and sternposts were carved and painted to distinguish one ship from another. The Vikings built ships with high bows and a projecting stem bearing a menacing figurehead, simi¬ lar to the ships of William I the Con¬ queror as seen in the Bayeux Tapestry. Figureheads have historically varied in size from 18 in. (45 cm) to 8-9 ft (2.5 m). They remained popular until after World War I.
figwort Any of about 200 species of coarse plants that make up the genus Scrophularia (family Scro- phulariaceae), native to open wood¬ lands in the Northern Hemisphere, smelling plants with purple, greenish, spikes.
Figurehead from the Oseberg ship, Viking, about ad 800; in the Museum of National Antiquities, Oslo
© UNIVERSITETETS OLDSAKSAMLING, OSLO, NORWAY; PHOTOGRAPHER, EIRIK IRGENS JOHNSEN
Figworts are tall, frequently foul- or yellow flowers in large branched
Fiji officially Republic of Fiji Country and archipelago, South Pacific Ocean. It lies east of Vanuatu and southwest of Samoa. Area: 7,055 sq mi (18,272 sq km). Population (2005 est.): 846,000. Capitaclass="underline" Suva. The majority of Fijians are of mixed Melanesian-Polynesian ancestry, with a large South Asian minority. Languages: English (official), Fijian. Reli¬ gions: Christianity (mostly Protestant, also other Christians, Roman Catholic), Hinduism, Islam. Currency: Fiji dollar. Fiji lies 1,300 mi (2,100 km) north of New Zealand and comprises some 540 islets and 300 islands, of which about 100 are inhabited. The main islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Fiji also includes, since 1881, Rotuma, an island located about 400 mi (640 km) to the northwest. The two large islands are moun¬ tainous and volcanic in origin, rising abruptly from densely populated coasts to forested central mountains. The smaller islands are also volca¬ nic, and all are ringed by rocky shoals and coral reefs. The coastal deltas of the principal rivers contain most of the fertile arable land. The climate is tropical oceanic. Fiji has a market economy based largely on agricul¬ ture (particularly sugar production), tourism, and light industries; gold and silver are mined. Fiji is a republic with two legislative houses; its chief of state is the president, while the head of government is the prime min¬ ister. Archaeological evidence shows that the islands were occupied in the late 2nd millennium bc. The first European sighting was by the Dutch in the 16th century; in 1774 the islands were sighted by Capt. James Cook, and in 1792 Capt. William Bligh explored them. Traders and the first mis¬ sionaries arrived in 1835, and European settlers began arriving in the 1860s. In 1874 Fiji was proclaimed a crown colony. It became indepen¬ dent as a member of the Commonwealth in 1970 and was declared a republic in 1987 following a military coup. Elections in 1992 restored civilian rule. A new constitution was approved in 1997.