monks believe that being alone will help
them get closer to God.
The second type of monk lives with
other monks. The place where they live
is called a monastery. Monks in monasteries
have set times to pray, work, and
study.
Roles
Some monks have helped the sick and
the poor.Monks have also spread culture
and education.Many years ago, they
were often the only members of society
who could read and write. They copied
the Bible and other texts and set up some
of the first libraries. They also did
Mongooses are bold snake fighters. scientific research and taught farming.
Roman
Catholic
monks are
usually called
brothers.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Monk 165
Monks in Different Religions
Monks are found in several religions,
including Christianity, Hinduism,
Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism. Some
of these religions allow female monks.
They are called nuns. Monks are not
officially a part of Islam or Judaism.
However, people of those religions have
formed religious communities.
Christianity
Saint Pachomius was a Christian who
lived in Egypt in the AD 300s. He
founded the first community of Christian
monks.
During the Middle Ages (AD 500–1500)
several orders (groups) of Catholic
monks developed. The Benedictine,
Dominican, and Franciscan orders of
monks still exist today.
Eastern Orthodox monks helped to
spread Christianity throughout eastern
Europe. They did not form orders like
Catholic monks, but they often lived
together in communities.
Hinduism
Hindu monks in India appeared much
earlier than Christian monks. Hindu
monks spend most of their time in deep
thought. Many live in monasteries.
Sikhism
Sikhism, centered in India, has some
believers who are similar to Hindu
monks. Some act as missionaries to
spread Sikh beliefs.
Jainism
Jainism, also practiced in India, has two
sects (divisions) of monks. Jain monks
are vegetarian because they do not wish
to harm any living creatures.
Buddhism
There are groups of Buddhist monks in
many parts of Asia. Some Buddhist
monks live in monasteries, where they
study and teach their religion. Other
monks wander alone. Buddhist monks
do not generally work. They survive by
begging for food.
#More to explore
Buddhism • Christianity • Hinduism
• Jainism • Sikhism
Monkey
Monkeys are clever, social animals. They
are known for running and leaping
through trees with ease. Like apes and
humans, monkeys belong to the group
of mammals called primates.
Monkeys look somewhat like apes—for
example, chimpanzees and orangutans.
Buddhist monks line up to receive food from
a woman in Southeast Asia.
166 Monkey BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
But monkeys differ from apes in several
ways. For instance, every monkey has a
tail, even if it is just a tiny nub. Apes do
not have tails.Monkeys also generally
have narrower chests than apes do.
There are about 200 species, or types,
of monkey. Scientists divide them into
two groups, Old World monkeys and
New World monkeys. Old World
monkeys include baboons, drills,
mandrills, macaques, guenons, langurs,
and colobus monkeys. Among the New
World monkeys are marmosets,
tamarins, howler monkeys, spider
monkeys, squirrel monkeys, woolly
monkeys, and capuchins.
Where Monkeys Live
OldWorld monkeys are found in Africa
and parts of Asia. NewWorld monkeys
are found in the tropical regions of Central
and South America. Most monkeys
live mainly in trees in rain forests.
Baboons and some other kinds live
mostly on the ground in grasslands or
rocky areas.
Physical Features
Monkeys vary greatly in size. The pygmy
marmoset is only about 6 inches (14
centimeters) long, not including the tail.
The largest baboons may grow to 45
inches (115 centimeters) in length.
Sakis and tamarins are New World monkeys. Mangabeys, drills, and colobus are Old
World monkeys.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Monkey 167
On the whole, OldWorld monkeys are
larger than NewWorld monkeys. Old
World monkeys also have narrower
noses than NewWorld monkeys do.
NewWorld monkeys usually have long
tails. Some kinds even use their tails to
hold onto branches. By contrast, Old
World monkeys cannot hold things with
their tails. And some have only short
stubs for tails.
Monkeys use all four limbs—two arms
and two legs—to walk, run, and jump.
Their hands and feet are good for
grasping tree branches. Monkeys have a
coat of hair on most of the body. Many
types have bare areas of skin on the face
and buttocks. Male mandrills and some
other types have brightly colored skin
in these bare areas. Most monkeys have
fairly flat faces. However, baboons and
mandrills have doglike faces, with
snouts that stick out.
Behavior
Most monkey species are active mostly
during the day. But owl monkeys are
active at night. They are also called night
monkeys. Monkeys leap from tree to
tree. They can sit and stand upright.
Most species run along branches rather
than swinging like apes do.
Monkeys are intelligent animals that are
good at solving problems. Almost all
types live together in groups. A monkey
group commonly includes several related
females, their young, and one or more
males.
Monkeys use facial expressions, body
movements, and various noises to communicate
