officials wanted the Kwakiutl to give up
their old ways. Potlatches were outlawed
by the Canadian government between
1889 and 1951. In the early 21st century
there were more than 4,000 Kwakiutl
living in Canada.
#More to explore
Native Americans • Smallpox
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a celebration of African family,
community, and culture. This African
American holiday was created in
1966 by a professor named Maulana
Karenga. It is based on African harvest
festivals. Its name comes from the African
language Swahili and means “first
fruits.” Kwanzaa takes place each year
from December 26 to January 1.
The symbols of the festival come from
different African cultures. The symbols
include a candleholder, seven candles,
ears of corn, gifts, and a unity cup. The
celebrants use the unity cup to salute
their ancestors and to show unity in the
family and community.
Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one
of seven principles, or ideas. The principles
are unity, self-determination, collective
responsibility, cooperative
economics, purpose, creativity, and
faith. Each night, one or more of the
seven candles is lit. Then, one of the
seven principles is discussed. Kwanzaa is
also celebrated with a community feast
on December 31.
Chief Hamasaka of the Kwakiutl
holds a ceremonial staff and
rattle.
A family dressed in traditional African
clothing lights candles for Kwanzaa. Other
symbols of Kwanzaa, including an ear of
corn and the unity cup, are on the table.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Kwanzaa 93
Kyrgyzstan
The Kyrgyz Republic, also known as
Kyrgyzstan, is an independent nation in
Central Asia. Until 1991 it was part of
the Soviet Union. The capital is Bishkek.
Geography
Kyrgyzstan borders Kazakhstan, China,
Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The massive
Tian Shan mountain system runs
throughout Kyrgyzstan. Its highest point
is Victory Peak, at 24,406 feet (7,439
meters) tall. In general, Kyrgyzstan’s
summers are hot and its winters are
cold. The lowest and highest areas are
deserts.
Plants and Animals
Evergreen forests grow in the lower valleys
and on some mountain slopes.
White spruce, larch, juniper, and walnut
trees are common. In the forests live
brown bears, wild pigs, lynx, gray
wolves, and ermines. Mountain sheep
and goats, deer, and snow leopards live
in the valleys. Hares, yellow gophers,
and large-eared hedgehogs live in the
deserts.
People
Most of the people are Kyrgyz. The largest
minority groups are Uzbeks and Russians.
Most people speak Kyrgyz, a
Turkic language, or Russian. About
three fourths of the people are Muslims.
More than half of the population lives in
rural areas.
Economy
About half of Kyrgyzstan’s workforce
works in agriculture. They raise sheep,
cattle, and horses. Crops include wheat,
potatoes, sugar beets, cotton, and
tobacco. Mines provide gold, coal,
antimony, and mercury. Industries
produce machinery and cloth.
Kyrgyzstan also uses waterpower to
produce electricity.
History
The ancient Kyrgyz were nomads, or
wanderers. Beginning in the 1200s the
Mongols, China, and neighboring Muslims
ruled the Kyrgyz region at different
times. In the late 1800s Russia gradually
took control. The Kyrgyz lands became
part of the Soviet Union in 1924. Kyrgyzstan
declared its independence in
1991. Protesters forced out Kyrgyzstan’s
first president in 2005.
..More to explore
Bishkek • Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics
Facts About
KYRGYZSTAN
Population
(2008 estimate)
5,281,000
Area
77,199 sq mi
(199,945 sq km)
Capital
Bishkek
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
Bishkek (Frunze),
Osh, Dzhalal-
Abad, Tokmak,
Karakol
94 Kyrgyzstan BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Lacrosse is the oldest team
sport in North America. Native
Americans invented the game.
(See Lacrosse.)
Rainstorms, melting snow, and
earthquakes can cause landslides.
(See Landslide.)
The word laser stands for “light
amplification by the stimulated
emission of radiation.”
(See Laser.)
In ancient Greece the winners
of athletic and poetry contests
wore crowns of bay laurel.
(See Laurel.)
A plant’s leaves use energy
from the sun to make food.
(See Leaf.)
The scientific name of the llama
is Lama glama.
(See Llama.)
L ll
Labor
Most people have to work to get food,
clothing, housing, and other things.
Their work is called labor. Even people
who do not work depend on the labor of
others.
Types of Labor
In the simplest societies people work in
small groups of family members or tribal
members. Not everyone does the same
work, however. For example, in some
societies men hunt animals and fight
enemies while women gather plants and
care for children. This is called a division
of labor.
In the past, many societies divided labor
between free workers and slaves. Slaves
got the worst jobs and could not leave
them. They did not receive pay. Their
owners punished them if they did not
obey orders. People throughout history
and in many different societies have
owned slaves. Between the 1500s and
the 1800s, Europeans made many Africans
into slaves and took them to work
in the Americas.
Like slaves, workers called serfs had to
work for no pay. There were many serfs
in Europe during the Middle Ages (from
about AD 500 to about 1500). Serfs did
