Galapagos finch See Darwin's finch
Galapagos \g9-Ta-p9-gos\ Islands Spanish Archipielago de Colon \,ar-che-'pya-la-go-tha-ko-T6n\ Island group, eastern Pacific Ocean. A province (pop., 2001: 18,640) of Ecuador, the Galapagos are a group of 19 islands lying on the Equator 600 mi (1,000 km) west of the mainland. Their total land area of 3,093 sq mi (8,010 sq km) is scattered over 23,000 sq mi (59,500 sq km) of ocean. Visited by the Spanish in 1535, they were unclaimed when Ecuador took official possession of them in 1832. They became internationally famous after being visited in 1835 by British naturalist Charles Darwin; their unusual fauna, including the giant tortoise (Spanish galapago), contributed to his ideas on natural selection. Ecuador made the Galapagos a wildlife sanctuary in 1935 and a national park in 1959; in 1978 they were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Galafi \ga-Tats, ga-'lat-se\ German Galatz \'ga-,lats\ City (pop., 2002: 298,584), southeastern Romania. Located at the confluence of the Danube and Siret rivers, it was occupied by the Turks from the early 16th cen¬ tury until 1829; its growth was encouraged by its status as a free port (1837-83). During World War II, retreating German troops devastated the town and reduced the population, substantially Jewish, to less than half. Extensively rebuilt, it is one of Romania’s chief ports and the site of the country’s largest shipyard.
Galatia \g3-Ta-sho\ Ancient district, central Anatolia. It was occupied early in the 3rd century bc by Celtic tribes who were then overpowered by the Seleucid king Antiochus I (Soter) in 275 bc. At that point the Celts, called Galatae (Galatians) by 3rd-century-BC writers, settled in the terri¬ tory to which they gave their name. Passing successively under the rule of Pergamum and Pontus, Galatia became a Roman protectorate in 85 bc. By the 2nd century ad, the region had become absorbed into the Helle¬ nistic civilization.
galaxy Any of the billions of systems of stars and interstellar matter that make up the universe. Galaxies vary considerably in size, composi¬ tion, structure, and activity, but nearly all are arranged in groups, or clus¬ ters, containing from a few galaxies to as many as 10,000. Each is composed of millions to trillions of stars; in many, as in the Milky Way Galaxy, NEBULAe can be detected. A large fraction of the bright galaxies in the sky are spiral galaxies, with a main disk in which spiral arms wind out from the centre. The arms contain the greatest concentration of a spi¬
Bush babies, or galagos (Galago senegalensis).
GEORGE HOLTON/PHOTO RESEARCHERS
ral galaxy’s interstellar gas and dust, where stars can form. Surrounding the centre (nucleus) is a large, usually nearly spherical nuclear bulge. Outside this and the disk is a sparse, more or less spherical galactic halo. In elliptical galaxies, which vary greatly in size, stars are distributed sym¬ metrically in a spherical or spheroidal shape. Dwarf ellipticals (with only a few million stars) are by far the most common kind of galaxy, though none is conspicuous in the sky. Irregular galaxies, such as the Magellanic Clouds, are relatively rare. Radio galaxies are very strong sources of radio waves. Seyfert galaxies, with extremely bright nuclei, often emit radio waves and may be related to quasars.
Galba Vgal-bo, 'gol-bo\ in full Servius Galba Caesar Augustus orig. Servius Sulpicius Galba
(b. Dec. 24, 3 bc —d. Jan. 15, ad 69,
Rome) Roman emperor (68-69). A member of the Senate, he became consul in 33, received command of the Upper German Army in 39, and was made governor of Nearer Spain in 60. Fearing his own assassination, he led a rebellion in 68 against Nero, who committed suicide. After being accepted as emperor by the Senate,
Galba executed many important Romans, including some responsible for his accession. His seven-month administration was priggish and cruel, his advisers allegedly corrupt.
He reneged on promises to the army; when he chose a successor unaccept¬ able to the Praetorian Guard, they killed him and his chosen heir.
Galbraith \'gal-,brath\, John Kenneth (b. Oct. 15, 1908, Iona Station, Ont., Can.) Canadian-U.S. economist and public servant. After studying at the Universities of Toronto and California (Ph.D., 1934) he held important government posts during the New Deal and World War II. As a professor at Harvard University (1949-75) he was active in public affairs, serving as an adviser to Pres. John F. Kennedy and as ambassador to India (1961-63). His influential liberal writings, often praised for their literary merit, examine the strengths and weaknesses of U.S. capitalism and con¬ sumerism. The Affluent Society (1958) called for less emphasis on production and more attention to public services, and The New Industrial State (1967) traced similarities between “managerial” capitalism and socialism.
Galba, marble bust; in the Uffizi, Flo¬ rence
AUNARI—ART RESOURCE/EB INC.
Galdan See Dga'l-dan
Galdos, Benito Perez See Benito Perez Galdos
Galen Vga-lonV Latin Galenus (b. ad 129, Pergamum, Mysia, Anatolia—d. c. 216) Greek physician, writer, and philosopher. He became chief physician to the gladiators in ad 157. Later, in Rome, he became a friend of Marcus Aurelius and physician to Commodus. Galen saw anatomy as fundamental and, based on animal experiments, described cranial nerves and heart valves and showed that arteries carry blood, not air. How¬ ever, in extending his findings to human anatomy he was often in error. Following Hippocratic concepts (see Hippocrates), he believed in three connected body systems—brain and nerves for sensation and thought, heart and arteries for life energy, and liver and veins for nutrition and growth—and four humours (body fluids)—blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm—that needed to be in balance. Few had the skills to challenge his seductive physiological theory. He wrote about 300 works, of which about 150 survive. As they were translated, his influence spread to the Byzantine Empire, Arabia, and then western Europe. A revival of interest in the 16th century led to new anatomical investigations, which caused the overthrow of his ideas when Andreas Vesalius found anatomical errors and William Harvey correctly explained blood circulation.
galena \g3-Te-no\ or lead glance Gray lead sulfide (PbS), the chief ore mineral of lead. One of the most widely distributed sulfide minerals, it occurs in many types of deposits and in many localities. In the U.S., galena is mined principally in the Mississippi River Valley. Galena often contains silver and so is often mined for that metal as well as for lead. Other commercially important minerals that frequently occur in close association with galena are antimony, copper, and zinc.
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728 i Galerius ► Gallaudet
Galerius \g3-'lir-e-3s\ in full Gaius Galerius Valerius Maxim- ianus (b. near Serdica, Thrace—d. 311) Roman emperor (305-311) notorious for his persecution of Christians. As caesar and a victorious commander, he apparently induced Diocletian to begin the persecutions. In 305 Galerius became augustus (senior emperor) of the East and briefly made himself supreme ruler. He imposed a harsh poll tax on the urban population and kept up the ruthless persecution of Christians. He fell ill in 311; fearing the Christian God was taking vengeance, he issued an edict of tolerance.
Galicia Vgo-'li-shoV Polish Galicja Vhal-ich\ Russian Galytsiya \g3-Tet-se-yo\ Historical region, eastern Europe. It included the northern slopes of the Carpathian Mountains and the valleys of the upper Vistula, Dniester, Bug, and Seret rivers. In 1199 eastern Galicia, situated near the principalities of Kiev and Volhynia, was taken by Prince Roman of Vol- hynia, who united Volhynia and Galicia. In 1349 the Polish king Casimir III annexed Galicia. When Poland was partitioned, beginning in 1772, the territory passed to Austria. Restored to Poland after World War I, eastern Galicia was taken by the Soviet Union in World War II and united to the Ukrainian S.S.R. After the war, eastern Galicia remained a part of the U.S.S.R. (after 1991, part of Ukraine), and western Galicia was attached to Poland.