On Easter, Christians attend special
church services. A number of popular
folk customs are also associated with
Easter. These have to do with rabbits
and colored eggs, which are ancient
symbols of new life. In some countries
children color eggs and then the eggs are
hidden for them to find. According to
tradition the Easter Bunny also leaves
eggs and candy for children on Easter
morning.
#More to explore
Christianity
Eastern
Orthodox
Churches
Eastern Orthodoxy is one of the main
branches of Christianity. Eastern Orthodoxy
consists of a group of churches,
Christians attend an Easter service at sunrise
near the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Eastern Orthodox Churches 93
most of which are associated with a particular
country. The patriarch, or leader,
of Constantinople (present-day Istanbul,
Turkey) is the general representative of
Eastern Orthodoxy. But each church is
independent and selects its own head.
There are more than 200 million Orthodox
Christians in all.
Beliefs and Practices
The Orthodox Christians trace their
history back to the beginnings of Christianity.
They believe that they follow
Christianity in the same way that the
first Christians did. Unlike Roman
Catholics, they do not recognize the
authority of the pope.
Every Sunday, Orthodox churches celebrate
their most important service, the
Divine Liturgy. During the service,
church members eat bread in memory of
Jesus’ Last Supper. As in other Christian
churches, this is known as Communion.
It is one of the seven sacraments, or holy
ceremonies, of the Orthodox church.
History
Christianity became the official religion
of the Roman Empire in the AD 300s. In
the 400s the western part of the empire
fell to invaders. But the eastern part
survived for another 1,000 years as the
Byzantine Empire. The pope emerged as
the leader of theWestern church, and
the patriarch of Constantinople became
the head of the Eastern church.
The Eastern andWestern churches disagreed
on several issues. They grew apart
over several centuries and finally officially
separated in 1054. They came to
be called the Eastern Orthodox churches
and the Roman Catholic church.
Muslim Turks conquered the last part of
the Byzantine Empire in 1453. The
Russian church, which was outside the
empire, was the only Orthodox church
that remained free of Turkish rule. It
thus took a leadership role among the
Orthodox churches.
#More to explore
Byzantine Empire • Christianity • Jesus
Christ • Roman Catholicism • Rome,
Ancient
East Indies
The East Indies is the world’s largest
island group. It is sometimes known as
the Malay Archipelago. The East Indies
includes the Moluccas, which were once
fabled as the Spice Islands.
The islands extend for more than 3,800
miles (6,100 kilometers). They lie
between the Asian mainland in the
Some Eastern Orthodox churches have
onion-shaped domes.
94 East Indies BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
north and west and Australia to the
south. The term East Indies has been
used at different times to refer to different
sections of these islands. In a general
sense the term East Indies includes all of
the islands in the area, as well as all of
mainland Southeast Asia and India.
More specifically, the group consists of
the more than 13,000 islands that make
up Indonesia, parts of Malaysia, Brunei,
and Papua New Guinea. The islands of
the Philippines are also sometimes
included in the East Indies.
The East Indies were famous for their
spices at least 4,000 years ago. For many
years spices were considered very valuable.
People traveled far to buy and sell
them, and important cities started as
trading centers. Europeans looking for
new routes to the East Indies discovered
the lands of the Americas. For centuries
European powers also fought over the
riches of the East Indies. They took control
of much of the area and established
colonies there. No European colonies
remain in the East Indies today, however.
#More to explore
Brunei • Indonesia • Malaysia • Papua
New Guinea • Philippines
On an island in the East Indies, baskets of garlic and spices are ready for sale at a market.
The islands have long been known for their spices.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA East Indies 95
East Timor
East Timor is one of the world’s newest
countries. Its capital is Dili.
Geography
East Timor covers the eastern half of the
island of Timor in Southeast Asia. The
western half is part of Indonesia. East
Timor also includes an area called
Ambeno (on the northwestern coast of
Timor) and two small islands.
East Timor is mountainous and dry.
Sandalwood trees grow in hilly areas.
Shrubs, grass, coconut palms, and eucalyptus
trees grow in the lowlands.Wildlife
includes monkeys, deer, civet cats,
snakes, and crocodiles.
People
Most of the people of East Timor have
Southeast Asian or South Pacific roots.
Christianity is the chief religion. The
major languages are Tetum, Portuguese,
Indonesian, and English.
Economy
Most of the people of East Timor work
as farmers. Important crops include
corn, rice, cassava, sweet potatoes, and
coconuts. The country also produces
coffee, livestock, and clothing. Supplies
