with each other. For example,
squirrel monkeys have more than 25
different calls. These calls can sound like
barks, purrs, screams, peeps, and
squawks. The deep howls of howler
monkeys can be heard from 2 to 3 miles
(3 to 5 kilometers) away.
An ebony langur climbs using all
four of its limbs. An Old World
monkey, the ebony langur is an
endangered species that lives on
Java, an island of Indonesia.
A family of anubis baboons in Kenya eats
seeds together. An animal called a wildebeest
is in the distance.
168 Monkey BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Most monkeys eat mainly plants. Different
types eat fruits, flowers, seeds,
shoots, roots, and leaves. Some types of
monkey also eat birds’ eggs, insects, and
other small animals.
Reproduction
The period of pregnancy in monkeys
ranges from about five months to more
than seven months. In most species the
female usually has one baby at a time.
The babies are born helpless. Monkeys
depend heavily on their parents for care
during their early life. In most types the
young monkeys become adults at about
3 to 4 years of age.
Under Threat
Many types of monkey are endangered,
or at risk of dying out completely.
People have cut down the trees in large
parts of the rain forests where monkeys
live. People also hunt monkeys for their
meat and fur. In addition, some monkeys
are captured and sold as pets.
#More to explore
Ape • Endangered Species • Mammal
• Primate • Rain Forest
Monomotapa
Monomotapa (or Mwene Matapa) was
the title of a line of kings in southeastern
Africa. The name is also used for the
empire that they ruled from the 1300s
to the 1600s. The Monomotapa lands
lay between the Zambezi and Limpopo
rivers in what are now Zimbabwe and
Mozambique.
The Monomotapa people were members
of the Shona ethnic group. They may
have been related to the people of a
nearby empire. That empire was centered
on a city that is now known as
Great Zimbabwe.
The people of the Monomotapa empire
were mainly farmers. They also traded
gold and ivory along the coast of the
Indian Ocean.
According to legend, a ruler named
Mbire founded the Monomotapa line of
kings in the 1300s. His great-greatgrandson
Nyatsimba built up the empire
in the late 1400s. Nyatsimba was the
first king to have the title Monomotapa.
Portuguese explorers arrived in the area
in the 1500s. In 1629 they put a king
named Mavura on the throne. Mavura
became a Christian and welcomed Portuguese
traders and missionaries (Christians
who worked to spread their
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Monomotapa 169
religion). Late in the 1600s the nearby
Rozwi kingdom took power away from
the Monomotapa.
#More to explore
Great Zimbabwe
Mononucleosis
Mononucleosis is a common disease that
mostly affects teenagers and young
adults. It is also called mono, glandular
fever, or the “kissing disease.” Mononucleosis
can last several weeks, but it is
usually not serious. A virus found in
saliva causes the disease.
The first symptoms, or signs, of mononucleosis
include headache, fever,
muscle aches, and tiredness. People with
the disease may sleep 12 to 16 hours a
day. A sore throat, joint pain, swollen
glands, loss of appetite, a rash, and
stomach pain may follow the first symptoms.
In rare cases mononucleosis can
lead to swelling and rupture of the organ
called the spleen. The symptoms usually
last for one to two weeks. However, the
tiredness may last up to several months.
Scientists think that a kind of germ
called the Epstein-Barr virus causes
mononucleosis. People infected with the
virus can spread it by kissing, coughing,
or sharing food and drinks. The virus
stays in the body for life. After having
mononucleosis, people are immune to
the disease. This means that they will
not get it again.
There is no cure for mononucleosis.
Treatment involves making sick people
more comfortable. They need plenty of
rest and lots of fluids. People with
mononucleosis should also avoid exercise
and hard work until all the symptoms
are gone.
#More to explore
Disease, Human • Virus
Monroe, James
James Monroe was the fifth president of
the United States. He is best known for
the Monroe Doctrine, a warning to
European nations to stay out of the
Americas. During Monroe’s two terms
the country expanded and enjoyed
growing wealth.
Early Life and Career
James Monroe was born inWestmoreland
County, Virginia, on April 28,
1758. He was one of the five children of
James Monroe was the fifth president of the
United States.
Many people
become
infected with
the Epstein-
Barr virus
without getting
mononucleosis.
170 Mononucleosis BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Spence and Elizabeth Monroe. The
American Revolution interrupted
James’s studies at the College ofWilliam
and Mary. In 1776 Monroe left school
to serve in the Army.
After the war Monroe studied law under
Thomas Jefferson. Monroe was elected
to the Virginia legislature in 1782. From
1783 to 1786 he served in the Continental
Congress. Monroe married Elizabeth
Kortright in 1786. They had three
children.
Political Career
In 1790 Monroe was elected to the U.S.
Senate, where he strongly opposed President
GeorgeWashington. Monroe
became minister to France in 1794, but
