and other countries outlawed the
slave trade in the 1800s Dahomey
started selling palm oil instead of slaves.
At the end of the 1800s France conquered
Dahomey. The French combined
it with other regions to form a colony
that was also called Dahomey. This
colony gained its independence in 1960.
It kept the name of Dahomey until
1975, when it became Benin.
..More to explore
Benin • Slavery
Daisy
Daisies are flowers with flat petals that
surround a round center. Daisies belong
to the aster family, which also includes
chrysanthemums, dahlias, marigolds,
sunflowers, and zinnias.
Common types of daisy include the
oxeye daisy; the English, or true, daisy;
and the Shasta daisy. These daisies grow
in Europe, North America, and other
parts of the world. Oxeye and English
daisies grow in gardens and in the wild.
The Shasta daisy is mainly a garden
plant.
Daisy plants often grow to about 2 to 3
feet (61 to 91 centimeters) tall. Two
types of flower make up each flower
head. Ray flowers are what people call
petals. The ray flowers may be long or
short. Tiny disk flowers make up the
center. The center may be flat or
rounded. Depending on the type of
daisy, the flower heads are from 1 to 4
inches (2.5 to 10 centimeters) wide.
Oxeye and Shasta daisies have a ring of
white ray flowers around a bright yellow
center. The ray flowers of the English
daisy may be white, purple, pink, or red.
..More to explore
Flower • Marigold • Plant • Sunflower
Dakar
Population
(2007
estimate), urban
area,
2,243,400
Dakar is the capital of Senegal, a country
in West Africa. It is the largest city in
People often use colorful daisies to brighten
flower arrangements.
Daisies are
perennials,
which means
that they
bloom year
after year
without having
to be
replanted.
6 Daisy BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Senegal by far. The city lies on a piece of
land that sticks out into the Atlantic
Ocean.
Dakar is one of the main seaports of
West Africa. The city is also a leading
center of industry and services. Factories
in Dakar process peanuts, fish, and
petroleum (oil). Other factories put
together trucks and make cloth, fertilizer,
and medicines. Tourism also brings
money to the city.
Goree Island lies just south of Dakar.
Europeans used the island as a base for
trading slaves from the 1500s to the
1800s. The French founded Dakar in
1857.
West Africa’s first railway opened in
1885. It connected Dakar with the city
of Saint-Louis. Dakar soon grew into an
important center for growing and shipping
peanuts.
In 1904 Dakar became the capital of the
colonies called FrenchWest Africa. In
1960 Senegal became an independent
country with Dakar as its capital.
#More to explore
Senegal
Dakota
#see Sioux.
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is the leader of the main
sect, or group, of Buddhists in Tibet.
Tibetan Buddhists believe that the Dalai
Lama is the god of compassion who
comes to Earth to help people. Until
1959 the Dalai Lama also ruled Tibet.
Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism
that began in Tibet some 1,400
years ago. Its followers believe in reincarnation,
which is the idea that after death
a person’s soul is born again in a new
body. They believe that each Dalai Lama
is a rebirth of the first Dalai Lama, who
died in 1475.
Many people in Dakar are Muslim and
worship at mosques.
The 14th Dalai Lama leads a prayer meeting
in Varanasi, India.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Dalai Lama 7
When a Dalai Lama dies, Tibetan Buddhist
leaders use different ways to discover
where he will be reborn. They may
consult an oracle, who is a holy person
believed to have a message from a god.
The leaders look for a child born soon
after the previous Dalai Lama dies. The
child must pass many tests to prove that
he is the Dalai Lama. For example, the
child is usually asked to identify objects
that belonged to the previous Dalai
Lama.
Once the child has passed the tests, he
officially takes the throne. The Dalai
Lama spends much of his time studying
Buddhism and meditating.
The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso,
is the 14th Dalai Lama. He was born in
1935 to a peasant family. Before his 5th
birthday he was named as the Dalai
Lama. In 1950 he became the head of
Tibet’s government. In the same year the
Chinese entered Tibet and took control
of the area.
In 1959 the Chinese killed more than
80,000 Tibetans who were protesting
Chinese rule. The Dalai Lama and some
followers fled to India and settled in the
mountains.
The 14th Dalai Lama travels around the
world to promote peace and to speak
about the Tibetans’ desire for political
independence. In 1989 he won the
Nobel peace prize for his nonviolent
work to end Chinese control of Tibet.
..More to explore
Buddhism • Tibet
Dallas
Population
(2000 census),
city, 1,188,580;
(2007 estimate)
1,240,499
Dallas is one of the largest cities in the
United States. It is located in the northeastern
part of the state of Texas. Dallas
lies on the Trinity River, near where the
river’s three branches come together.
Dallas is a center of banking, insurance,
and publishing. Trade, health care, and
business services are also important to
the city’s economy. Factories in Dallas
make such products as computers, software,
