Golden Bull of 1356 Constitution for the Holy Roman Empire promul¬ gated by Charles IV. Stamped with a golden seal, the document gave seven electors the power to choose the ruler of Germany by a simple majority. It also specified the electors and established succession by primogeniture. Intended to eliminate papal influence in German political affairs, it did away with the pope’s previous right to examine rivals and approve results, and also increased the power of the princes.
golden eagle Dark-brown eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) with golden, leaf¬ shaped nape feathers, dark eyes, gray beak, fully feathered legs, large yel¬ low feet, and large talons. Its wing- spread reaches almost 8 ft (2.3 m). It ranges from central Mexico (where it is the national bird) along the Pacific coast and through the Rocky Moun¬ tains to Alaska, and small numbers are found from Newfoundland to North Carolina. Also found in North Africa, it is more common across Russia, to southern China and Japan.
It nests in cliff caves or in lone trees.
The species is protected in the U.S.
Golden Gate Bridge Suspen¬ sion bridge spanning the Golden Gate, San Francisco. From its completion in 1937 until the comple¬ tion of New York’s Verrazano- Narrows Bridge in 1964, it had the longest main span in the world, 4,200 ft (1,280 m). It remains incomparable in its magnificence. Its construction, supervised by Joseph B. Strauss (1870-1938), involved many difficulties:
Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos).
© ALAN AND SANDY CAREY
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
776 I Golden Horde ► Goldmark
rapidly running tides, frequent storms and fogs, and the problem of blasting rock under deep water to plant earthquake-resistant founda¬ tions.
Golden Horde Russian designa¬ tion for the western part of the Mon¬ gol empire. The Golden Horde flourished from the mid-13th century to the end of the 14th century. The name is traditionally said to derive from the golden tent of Batu, a grand¬ son of Genghis Khan, who expanded the domain of the Golden Horde in a series of brilliant campaigns that included the sacking and burning of Kiev in 1240. At its peak, its terri¬ tory included most of European Rus¬ sia. The outbreak of the Black Death in 1346 marked the beginning of its disintegration; in the 15th century it broke into several smaller khanates.
golden lion tamarin or golden lion marmoset Species of tam- arin ( Leontideus rosalia ), having a thick, lionlike mane, black face, and long, silky, golden fur. A striking-looking animal, it is found in South America, where it is listed as critically endangered.
golden ratio/rectangle/section Numerical proportion considered to be an aesthetic ideal in classical design. It refers to the ratio of the base to the height of a rectangle or to the division of a line segment into two in such a way that the ratio of the shorter part to the longer is equal to that of the longer to the whole. It works out to about 1.61803:1. A rect¬ angle constructed from golden sections (segments in this ratio) is called a golden rectangle.
Golden Temple Punjabi Darbar Sahib or Harimandir Chief house of worship for the Sikhs of India (see Sikhism) and their most impor¬ tant pilgrimage site, located in the city of Amritsar in Punjab state. Founded by Guru Ramdas (1574-81) and completed by Guru Arjan Dev in 1604, the temple has entrances on four sides, signifying a welcome to all creeds and castes. Though destroyed in the 1760s by Afghan invad¬ ers, it was rebuilt, and in the early 19th century it acquired its marble walls and gold-plated copper domes. The surrounding buildings include a meeting hall, reference library, and museum, as well as the shrine known as the Akal Takhat. In 1984 the complex was seriously damaged during a confrontation between Sikh separatists and government troops; it was subsequently restored.
goldeneye or whistler Either of two species of small, yellow-eyed diving ducks that produce a whistling sound with their rapidly beating wings. The common goldeneye ( Bucephala clangula) breeds throughout the Northern Hemisphere; Barrow’s goldeneye ( B. islandica) breeds pri¬ marily in northwestern North America and Iceland. Both winter mainly in northern coastal waters. Both are about 18 in. (46 cm) long and have a black back marked with white, white sides and breast, and conspicuous white patches in front of the eyes. The head of the common is dark green; that of the Barrow’s is purplish black. Both nest in tree cavities and pre¬ fer a diet of aquatic invertebrates. They are prized as game birds.
golden rod Any of the approximately 100 species of weedy, usually perennial herbaceous plants that make up the genus Solidago, in the COM¬ POSITE family. Most are native to North America; a few grow in Europe and Asia. They have toothed leaves and clustered yellow flower heads com¬ posed of both disk and ray flowers. Characteristic plants in eastern North America, they are found almost everywhere—in woodlands, swamps, on mountains, in fields, and along roadsides—and are a prominent feature of autumn from the Great Plains east to the Atlantic. Unlike ragweed, which blooms at the same time, they are not a cause of hay fever.
goldenseal Perennial herb (. Hydrastis canadensis) native to woods of the eastern U.S. Its rootstocks have medicinal properties. The plant has a single greenish-white flower, the sepals of which fall as they open. The fruits grow in clusters of small red berries. Goldenseal is sometimes planted in shady wild gardens but is also grown commercially for the yel¬
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco.
GEORGE HAI1/WOODFIN CAMP AND ASSOCIATES
low rootstocks, which yield hydras- tine, an alkaloid. Used medicinally by Native Americans, it is now a popular herbal supplement taken for minor pain and infections.
goldfinch Any of several species (genus Carduelis, family Carduel- idae) of songbirds that have a short, notched tail and much yellow in the plumage. All have a bill that is more delicate and sharply pointed than that of most finches. They live in flocks, feeding on weeds in fields and gardens. They have high, lisping calls. Various species live in western Eurasia and North and South America and have been introduced into New Zealand and Australia. They are typically 4-5.5 in. (10-14 cm) long. The male of the American goldfinch (or wild canary), found across North America, is bright yel¬ low, with black cap, wings, and tail.
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis).
KITTY KOHOUT/ROOT RESOURCES
goldfish Ornamental aquarium and carp family, native to East Asia but introduced into many other areas. The goldfish was domesticated by the Chinese at least as early as the Song dynasty (960-1279). It is natu¬ rally greenish brown or gray, but its colour varies. Selective breeding has produced more than 125 breeds, including the veiltail, with a three- lobed, flowing tail, and the common, pet-shop comet. They feed on plants and small animals and, in captivity, on small crustaceans and other foods. They have become natural¬ ized in many parts of the eastern U.S.
fish ( Carassius auratus) of the
Goldfish (Carassius auratus)
W.S. PTIT-ERIC HOSKING
Golding, Sir William (Gerald) (b. Sept. 19, 1911, St. Columb Minor, near Newquay, Cornwall, Eng.—d. June 19, 1993, Perranar- worthal, near Falmouth, Cornwall) British novelist. Educated at the Uni¬ versity of Oxford, Golding worked as a schoolmaster until 1960. His first and best-known novel was Lord of the Flies (1954; film, 1963, 1990), about a group of boys isolated on an island who revert to savagery. Later works, several of which are likewise parables of the human condition that show the thinness of the veneer of civilization, include The Inheritors (1955), Fincher Martin (1956), The Spire (1964), Rites of Passage (1980, Booker Prize), and Close Quarters (1987). He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983.