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dam

(Encyclopedia)dam, barrier, commonly across a watercourse, to hold back water, often forming a reservoir or lake; dams are also sometimes used to control or contain rockslides, mudflows, and the like in regions whe...

Belgrano, Manuel

(Encyclopedia)Belgrano, Manuel mänwĕlˈ bĕlgräˈnō [key], 1770–1820, Argentine revolutionist. Important as a political figure, he was appointed secretary of the commercial tribunal of Buenos Aires in 1794. H...

tagua

(Encyclopedia)tagua täˈgwä [key], fruit of the ivory, or ivory-nut, palms (Phytelephas species), which flourish in tropical America from Paraguay to Panama. The female palms bear large woody, burrlike fruits, ea...

Irala, Domingo Martínez de

(Encyclopedia)Irala, Domingo Martínez de dōmēngˈgō märtēˈnās dā ēräˈlä [key], d. 1556 or 1557, first governor of Paraguay. Of Basque origin, he accompanied Pedro de Mendoza on his expedition to La Pla...

Sarmiento, Domingo Faustino

(Encyclopedia)Sarmiento, Domingo Faustino dōmēngˈgō foustēˈnō särmyānˈtō [key], 1811–88, Argentine statesman, educator, and author, president of the republic (1868–74). An opponent of Juan Manuel de ...

Organization of American States

(Encyclopedia)Organization of American States (OAS), international organization, created Apr. 30, 1948, at Bogotá, Colombia, by agreement of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican R...

Brazil

(Encyclopedia) CE5 Brazil brəzĭlˈ [key], Port. Brasil, officially Federative Republic of Brazil, repub...

Madeira, river, Bolivia and Brazil

(Encyclopedia)Madeira mədāˈrə [key], river, c.2,100 mi (3,380 km) long, formed by the junction of the Beni and Mamoré rivers on the Bolivia-Brazil border. It flows north along the border for c.60 mi (100 km), ...

Amazon, river, Peru and Brazil

(Encyclopedia)Amazon, Port. Amazonas ämäzōˈnəs [key], world's second longest river, c.3,900 mi (6,280 km) long, formed by the junction in N Peru's Andes Mts. of two major headstreams, the Ucayali and the short...

Uruguay , country, South America

(Encyclopedia) CE5 Uruguay yo͝oˈrəgwā, gwī, Span. o͞oro͞ogwiˈ, o͞oro͞owīˈ [key], officially Oriental Republic of Uruguay, republic (2015 est. pop. 3,432,000), 68,536 sq mi (177,508 sq km), SE South Am...
 

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