ANC See African National Congress
ancestor worship Religious beliefs or practices that involve address¬ ing prayers or offerings to the spirits of dead relatives. It existed among the ancient Greeks, other Mediterranean peoples, and the ancient Euro¬ peans; it also plays a major role in traditional African religions. The dead are related to the family, clan, tribe, or village; mythical ancestors may be included. They may be friendly, or they may be displeased and require propitiation. Commemorative ceremonies are sometimes held at graves or monuments and may include prayers, offerings, sacrifices, and festi¬ vals of honor. Worship of individual ancestors is common; it may be combined with communal forms of worship, as in the case of the Roman emperor cult. An ancestor whose deeds are heroic may attain the status of a god. In China and Japan, ancestor worship (more accurately, ances¬ tor reverence) has declined with the decline in the size and importance of kinship groups.
Anchorage Seaport, largest city (pop., 2000: 260,283), and chief com¬ mercial centre of Alaska, U.S. It lies at the head of Cook Inlet near the base of the Kenai Peninsula. It was founded in 1914 as a construction camp for the building of a railroad to Fairbanks. It became a key aviation and defense centre in World War II and is now a regular stop on air routes from the U.S. to East Asia. Anchorage experienced rapid population growth in the late 20th century. In 1964 a severe earthquake caused a number of deaths and extensive property damage.
anchovy Any of more than 100 species of schooling saltwater fishes (family Engraulidae) related to the herring. Anchovies are distinguished by a large mouth, almost always extending behind the eye, and by a pointed snout. Most species live in shallow tropical or warm temperate seas, where they often enter brackish water around river mouths. Adults are 4-10 in. (10-25 cm) long. Temperate species such as the northern and
Anaximander, represented with a sun¬ dial, mosaic, 3rd century ad; in the Rhineland Museum, Trier, Ger.
BY COURTESY OF THE LANDESMUSEUM, TRIER, GER.
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
68 I ancien regime ► Anderson
European anchovies are important food fishes; tropical species such as the tropical anchovy, or anchoveta, are important bait fishes. See also SCHOOLING BEHAVIOUR.
ancien regime \a n s-ya n -ra-'zhem\
(French: “old order”) Political and social system of France prior to the French Revolution. Under the regime, everyone was a subject of the king of France as well as a member of an estate and province. All rights and status flowed from the social institu¬ tions, divided into three orders: clergy, nobility, and others (the Third Estate). There was no national citizenship.
Ancona Seaport (pop., 2001: 100,402), capital of the Marche region, central Italy. Founded by colonists from Syracuse c. 390 bc, it was taken by Rome in the 2nd century bc. It became a flourishing port particularly favoured by Trajan, who enlarged the harbour. It was attached to the Holy Roman Empire in the 12th century; in the 16th century it came under papal protection, which was largely maintained until Ancona became part of Italy in 1861. It underwent severe bombing in World War II, but many notable Roman and medieval landmarks survive.
Anda See Altan
Andalusia X.an-do-lii-'se-oV Spanish Andalucia Autonomous com¬ munity (pop., 2001: 7,357,558) and historic region, southern Spain. It occupies an area of 33,821 sq mi (87,597 sq km); the capital is Sevilla. It is traversed by mountain ranges, including the Sierra Morena and Sierra Nevada; its main river is the Guadalquivir. Andalusia has a long history of inhabitation: by the Phoenicians (9th century bc), the Carthaginians (5th century bc), and the Romans (3rd century bc). The Arabic name Al-Andalus was originally applied by the Moors to the whole Iberian Peninsula. When the Umayyad dynasty established its court at Cordoba, this area became the peninsula’s intellectual and political centre. It returned to Spanish Christian rule in 1492 and remained a province until divided in 1833 into the eight modern provinces. A mining and agricul¬ tural region, Andalusia also features beaches along the Costa del Sol that attract the tourist trade.
Andaman and Nicobar \'an-d3-m3n... , nik-6- 1 bar\ Islands Union territory (pop., 2001: 356,152), India. It consists of two groups of islands in the Bay of Bengal about 800 mi (1,300 km) east of the Indian subcon¬ tinent and Sri Lanka; the total area is 3,185 sq mi (8,249 sq km). The chief islands are North Andaman, Middle Andaman, and South Andaman (known collectively as Great Andaman), and Little Andaman. The Nico¬ bar group includes Car Nicobar, Camorta (Kamorta) and Nancowry, and Great Nicobar. Most of the population lives in the Andaman group. Port Blair on South Andaman, established by the British in 1858, is the terri¬ torial capital.
Andaman Sea Sea, eastern extension of the Bay of Bengal. Bounded by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Myanmar, the Malay Peninsula, and the Strait of Malacca and Sumatra, it covers some 308,000 sq mi (798,000 sq km). Trading vessels have plied the sea since ancient times. Part of the early coastal trade route between India and China, from the 8th century it formed a route between India (and Sri Lanka) and Myanmar. Its larg¬ est modem ports are George Town (Malaysia) and Yangon (Myanmar). A large earthquake-generated tsunami in 2004 inundated many of the sea’s coastal areas.
Andania mysteries Ancient Greek mystery cult, held in honor of the goddess Demeter and her daughter Kore (Persephone) at Andania in Mes- senia. It was performed by “holy ones” of both sexes from various tribes. Initiation was open to all. Costumes were plain and inexpensive, except for those costumed as deities. There was a procession, and a pageant or drama may have been performed; sacrifices were made to several deities before the main ceremony.
Andean bear See spectacled bear
Andean civilization Complex of aboriginal cultures that evolved in the Andean region (see Andes Mountains) of western South America before the arrival of the Spanish coNQUiSTADORes in the 16th century. Unlike the peoples of the Mesoamerican civilization to the north, none of the aboriginal Andean peoples developed a system of writing, though the
Inca devised a sophisticated system of recording numbers. In its level of cultural development and technical expertise in the arts and crafts, how¬ ever, this civilization constitutes a New World counterpart to those of ancient Egypt, China, and Mesopotamia. See also Chibcha; Chimu; Moche; Tiahuanaco.
Andean Geosyncline Linear trough in the Earth’s crust in which rocks were deposited in South America in the Mesozoic Era (248-65 mil¬ lion years ago) and Cenozoic Era (65 million years ago to the present). A complex history of volcanism, uplift, block faulting, and erosion led even¬ tually to the present configuration of the Andes Mountains.
Andersen, Hans Christian (b. April 2, 1805, Odense, near Copen¬ hagen, Den.—d. Aug. 4, 1875, Copenhagen) Danish writer of fairy tales. Though reared in poverty, he received a university education. In his many collections of tales, published 1835-72, he broke with literary tradition and employed the idioms and constructions of spoken language. His sto¬ ries are imaginative combinations of universal elements from folk legend and include such favourites as “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” While some reveal an optimistic belief in the ultimate tri¬ umph of goodness and beauty (e.g., “The Snow Queen”), others are deeply pessimistic. Part of what makes his tales compelling is the way they iden¬ tify with the unfortunate and outcast. He also wrote plays, novels, poems, travel books, and several autobiographies.