and continued recording, performing,
and acting. In the 1970s Presley had
problems in his personal life. When not
performing, he spent almost all of his
time at Graceland, his mansion in Memphis.
Presley died on August 16, 1977.
#More to explore
Popular Music • Rock Music
Pretoria
Population
(2005 estimate),
urban area,
1,282,000
The country of South Africa has three
capitals—Pretoria, Cape Town, and
Bloemfontein. Pretoria is home to the
president’s office and many other government
offices.
Pretoria lies on the Apies River. The city
is famous for its jacaranda, a type of tree
that has purple flowers.
Most people in Pretoria work for the
government or in trade, banking, or
other service industries. Factories in the
city make metal products, processed
foods, cars, and other products.
A people called the Boers founded the
city in 1855. The Boers were descen-
Elvis Presley
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Pretoria 147
dants of earlier Dutch settlers. The city
was named Pretoria after Andries Pretorius,
a Boer leader.
In 1910 the country of South Africa
was created. Pretoria became one of its
capitals.
In 2000 Pretoria became a part of the
Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.
The municipality governs Pretoria and
surrounding cities. Tshwane was named
after an African chief who lived in the
area before the Boers arrived.
#More to explore
Bloemfontein • Cape Town • South
Africa
Primate
The primates are a group of mammals
that includes some of the most intelligent
animals. The major kinds of primates
are humans, apes, monkeys,
tarsiers, lemurs, and lorises. There are
more than 300 species, or types, of primate.
These different types have many
physical features in common. For this
reason scientists believe that they may
share a common ancestor.
Where Primates Live
Humans live nearly everywhere in the
world.Most other primates can be found
in hot and warm regions of Central and
South America, Africa, and Asia.
Nonhuman primates often live in trees.
Physical Features
Some primates are small, and others are
large. One type of mouse lemur weighs
only about an ounce (35 grams). On the
other hand, a gorilla may weigh 600
pounds (270 kilograms).
The bodies of primates share many common
features. For instance, primate
brains are large compared to the size of
their bodies. The brains of humans,
apes, and monkeys are especially large
and complex. Primates also have eyes
that face forward. The view from one
eye overlaps the view from the other eye.
This helps primates judge the depth and
distance of what they see. Special nerve
endings in the hands and feet give primates
a good sense of touch.
Most primates have thumbs that can
bend to meet the other fingers. This
allows them to grasp things with their
hands. All primates except humans have
big toes that can bend and grip in this
way, too. Most types also have flat nails
on their fingers and toes rather than
claws.
Pretoria has many tall buildings and several
large parks.
148 Primate BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Feeding and Reproduction
Primates eat a variety of plants and animals.
These may include fruits, flowers,
leaves, birds’ eggs, insects, and other
small animals.
Over the course of their lives, female
primates tend to have fewer young than
other animals do. Most primates give
birth to one baby at a time. The babies
take a long time to grow into adults.
Primates must take care of their young
for much longer than other animals do.
Deep emotional bonds often develop
between mother and child.
Primates Under Threat
While the human race keeps getting
larger, some other primates are in danger
of dying out. Human activities such as
logging and farming have destroyed the
habitats of some primates. Hunting is
another threat to many species.
#More to explore
Ape • Lemur • Loris • Mammal
• Monkey • Tarsier
Primates have many features in common. In general, they have large brains, eyes that face
forward, and thumbs that can bend to meet the other fingers.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Primate 149
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is Canada’s
smallest and most crowded province.
The British named the
island after Prince Edward, a son of
King George III. The capital is Charlottetown.
Geography
Prince Edward Island is on the east coast
of Canada. The province of Nova Scotia
lies south and east of the island. It protects
the island from the Atlantic Ocean.
The Confederation Bridge connects
Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick,
to the west. Bays cut deeply into
the long, narrow island. Most of the
island is a gently rolling plain with soil
that is good for growing crops. Tiny
islands dot the coastline. Sandy beaches
attract tourists in the summer.
People
Most of the people of Prince Edward
Island are Canadians of Scottish,
English, Irish, or French heritage. Some
are descended from Loyalists (American
colonists who did not want independence
from Great Britain) who settled
on the island after the American Revolution.
There are small numbers of American
Indians and people with other
European or Asian ancestors.
More than half of the people live in
rural areas. Still, the island has more
people per square mile than any other
