(2008 estimate)
2,855,390
rank, 32nd state
Capital
Little Rock
Area
53,179 sq mi
(137,732 sq
km)rank, 29th
state
Statehood
June 15, 1836
Motto
Regnat Populus
(The People Rule)
State bird
Mockingbird
State flower
Apple blossom
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Arkansas 181
Arm
Humans, apes, and monkeys have two
upper limbs called arms. Each arm
hangs from a shoulder and contains
bones, joints, and muscles. These parts
work together to give the arm a wide
range of movement. The arm can bend,
rotate, swing back and forth, and move
from side to side.
Structure
There are three bones in the arm. The
upper bone is called the humerus. The
top of the humerus fits into a cuplike
socket in the shoulder. Together they
make a joint that is held together by
tough strands called ligaments. This
joint allows the upper arm to swing and
rotate. A pair of muscles is attached to
the humerus. One muscle bends the
arm. The other muscle straightens it.
The lower end of the humerus connects
to a bone called the ulna at a joint in the
elbow. The ulna and another bone, the
radius, go from the elbow to the wrist.
This part of the arm is called the forearm.
A pair of muscles in the forearm
makes it twist from side to side. The
forearm ends in the hand.
Function
Humans, apes, and monkeys use their
arms and hands to push and pull objects,
to fight and defend themselves, and to
carry their young. Apes and monkeys also
use their arms to swing on branches and
to move around on the ground.
Arms in Other Animals
Many other animals have two front
limbs, but only primates have true arms.
The two front limbs of other animals are
known as legs, flippers, or wings. Both
starfishes and octopuses have limbs that
people sometimes call arms. But these
arms have no bones or joints. Starfish
arms are also called rays, and octopus
arms are also called tentacles.
#More to explore
Bone Hand Muscle Primate
The human arm is similar to the front limbs
of other animals.
182 Arm BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Armada, Spanish
The Spanish Armada was a fleet of ships
that Spain sent to attack England in
1588. The English defeated the Spanish,
which made Spain less powerful in
Europe.
The Armada sailed in May 1588 with
130 ships and 27,000 men. They
reached the English Channel in late July
and fought a few battles. On August 8
the English won a decisive victory. They
had fewer ships, but they had big guns
and could fire at long range. This was
unusual because at the time, sea battles
were fought at close range so that soldiers
could climb aboard enemy ships.
The defeat of the Spanish Armada saved
England from invasion. It also was the
first major gun battle at sea. For hundreds
of years afterward, gun-armed
warships ruled the seas.
#More to explore
England Spain
Armadillo
Armadillos are small mammals related to
sloths and anteaters. They have a tough
armor that protects them from enemies
and other dangers. The word armadillo
is Spanish for little armored one.
There are 20 species, or types, of armadillo.
They live mainly in or near the
tropical (hot) regions of Central and
South America. One species lives in the
southern United States. Most species live
in open areas, but some live in forests.
Armadillos are stout with short legs and
strong, curved claws. They range in
length from about 6 inches (15 centimeters)
to 5 feet (1.5 meters). Armadillos
are usually brownish black with some
yellow markings. Their armor is a type
of hardened skin. It is made up of solid
plates and flexible bands. It covers most
of the body, including the head and usually
the tail.
Most armadillos have very little hair.
The pink fairy armadillo, however, has a
coat of soft, white hair on its underparts
and sides.
Armadillos are usually active at night.
They live in burrows, or holes that they
dig in the ground. Armadillos also dig to
find food. They eat mainly termites and
other insects, worms, roots, and small
animals.
Female armadillos usually bear one to 12
identical young. All develop from a
single egg inside the mother.
#More to explore
Anteater Mammal Sloth
The nine-banded armadillo is the only kind
of armadillo that lives in the United States.
Some types of
armadillo are
able to roll
themselves into
a ball to protect
their
underparts
from enemies.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Armadillo 183
Armenia
The Republic of Armenia is one of the
worlds oldest centers of civilization.
Yerevan, the capital, is also one of the
worlds oldest cities.
Geography
Armenia is located in western Asia,
between the Black Sea and the Caspian
Sea. It is bordered by Georgia, Azerbaijan,
Iran, and Turkey. Armenia is a
mountainous country. The Lesser Caucasus
Mountains stretch across the
north. Armenias highest peak, Mount
Aragats, is 13,418 feet (4,090 meters)
high. The area has experienced many
earthquakes, including one in 1988 that
killed some 25,000 people.
Armenia has a dry climate. Summers are
generally hot.Winters are generally not
very cold, except in the mountains and
on the windy plateaus.
Plants and Animals
Junipers, dog roses, and honeysuckles
grow in the lower areas of Armenia.
Thorny bushes cover the mountain
slopes. There are beech forests in the
northeast and oak forests in the southeast.
Among the animals found in Armenia
are wild boars, wildcats, jackals, Syrian
bears, lynx, ibex (a kind of wild goat),
and mountain sheep.
People
About 98 percent of the people are ethnic
Armenians. There are small numbers
of Kurds and other groups. Armenian is
the official language. Most people are
The Khor Virap monastery is an important
religious site for Armenians. It is associated
with Gregory the Illuminator. He introduced
Christianity to the Armenians more than
1,700 years ago. Behind the monastery
rises Mount Ararat, in Turkey.
184 Armenia BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Christians of the Armenian Apostolic
church. Historically, the Armenian
church has been independent of both
the Roman Catholic and the Eastern
Orthodox churches.
Economy
Despite the growth of cities and industries,
agriculture is very important to
Armenias economy. Farmers raise potatoes,
wheat, tomatoes, barley, grapes,
watermelons, sheep, and cattle. Factories
make food products, metal products,
jewelry, machinery, chemicals, tobacco,
and textiles. Mines provide copper.
Transportation can be difficult because
of the mountains, but Armenia has a
network of roads and railways and an
airport.
History
Armenian civilization began as early as
the 500s BC. It reached its greatest size
and influence in the 1st century BC.
The Roman Empire conquered
Armenia in 30 BC. From the 300s to
the 1800s Persians, Byzantines, Arabs,
Mongols, Turks, Russians, and others
conquered and ruled Armenia at
different periods.
During 189596 Ottoman Turks killed
thousands of Armenians, who wanted
independence from the Ottoman
Empire. In 1915, at the beginning of