the original code. It also included extra
letters with special marks on them, such
Small fishing boats line the harbor at
Moroni on Ngazidja, Comoros.
SOS is an
international
call for help.
S (three dots)
and O (three
dashes) are
easy letters to
understand.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Morse Code 185
as c or n, that are used in some European
languages.
..More to explore
Communication • Telegraph
Moscow
Population
(2006 estimate)
10,425,075
Moscow is the capital of Russia, a country
that extends from eastern Europe to
the Pacific Ocean. It is Russia’s major
center of industry, science, and culture.
The city lies on the Moskva River.
Places of Interest
The collection of buildings called the
Kremlin forms the core of the city. It
was originally a fortress and has been the
center of the country’s government for
many years. Next to the Kremlin is Red
Square, which has been the scene of
many protests, parades, and speeches. A
famous building on the square is the
Cathedral of Saint Basil. Moscow also
has more than 30 major theaters and
concert halls, including the Bolshoi Theater
of Opera and Ballet.
Economy
Moscow is the largest industrial center
in Russia. Factories in the city make
many products, including machinery,
cars, ball bearings, and electrical equipment.
Many people in Moscow work in
businesses that serve the public, including
banks, stores, and restaurants. The
city is also a center for education and
research.
History
People have lived in the Moscow area
since ancient times. In the 1100s a
The American Morse Code and International
Morse Code use patterns of dots and
dashes to represent letters, punctuation, and
numbers. Dots stand for short sounds and
dashes stand for long sounds.
The colorful domes of the Cathedral of Saint
Basil tower over Red Square in Moscow.
186 Moscow BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
prince built a fort to protect the people
living there. A settlement close to the
fort grew into a town.
By the 1500s Moscow was a major city
and was the capital of Russia. However,
a new city called Saint Petersburg
became Russia’s capital in 1712. Most of
Moscow’s nobles and merchants moved
to the new capital. In 1812 there was a
great fire in Moscow. These events
slowed the city’s growth.
Moscow did not recover its role as capital
until after the Russian Revolution of
1917. As a result of the revolution, Russia
became part of a new country called
the Soviet Union. In 1918 Moscow
became the capital of the Soviet Union.
The city then grew rapidly.
In 1941, duringWorldWar II, German
troops tried to capture Moscow. However,
Soviet troops stopped the invaders
a few miles from the city.
The Soviet Union broke apart in 1991.
Russia became a separate country again,
and Moscow was its capital.
#More to explore
Kremlin • Russia • Saint Petersburg
• Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Moses
Moses is a central figure in Judaism. He
was the prophet who led the Hebrew
slaves out of Egypt. He also helped them
form a special relationship with God.
Moses is important to Christianity and
Islam too because of his role in communicating
God’s laws.
Early Life
Moses was probably born in the late
1300s BC in Egypt to Hebrew parents.
The Egyptians kept the Hebrews as
slaves. The Egyptian ruler, called the
pharaoh, had ordered that all newborn
male Hebrews be killed. According to
tradition, Moses’ mother sent him floating
down the Nile River in a basket to
save him. The pharaoh’s daughter found
the baby, and he grew up in the royal
court.
The Hebrews Leave Egypt
As a young man Moses killed an Egyptian
who was beating a Hebrew slave.
Then Moses fled to a neighboring land.
According to the Bible, he had his first
encounter with God there. At the base
of Mount Sinai Moses discovered a bush
that was burning but was not burned
An illustration shows the baby Moses being
found by the pharaoh’s daughter.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Moses 187
up. From out of the bush he heard the
voice of God telling him to ask the pharaoh
to free the Hebrews.
The Bible records that Moses pleaded
with the pharaoh, but the pharaoh
refused to free the Hebrews. God then
punished the Egyptians with 10 plagues.
The final plague took the life of the pharaoh’s
son, and the Hebrews left Egypt.
But the pharaoh’s army pursued them
until they were trapped at the Sea of
Reeds (once believed to be the Red Sea).
What many believe to be a miracle happened
there: winds created a dry path
through the sea that allowed the
Hebrews to cross, and the Egyptian
army was drowned as the waters
returned.
Ten Commandments
Moses brought the Hebrews to Mount
Sinai, where God again revealed himself
to Moses. On the mountain God gave
Moses the laws known as the Ten Commandments.
They told the people to
worship God only and forbade such
actions as lying, stealing, and killing.
God made a covenant, or agreement,
with the Hebrews. If they followed His
laws, He would be their God forever.
Later, these laws and others were
recorded in the Torah (part of the
Hebrew Bible).
Late Life
Moses spent the rest of his life leading
his people through the desert to Canaan
(Palestine), a land God had promised to
