religious center for Serbian Orthodox
Christians.
The economy of Pristina relies on services,
including trade, health care, government,
and businesses that are related
to tourism. Lead, silver, and zinc are
mined in mountains near Pristina.
Pristina has a long history. It was the
capital of all of Serbia, which included
Kosovo, until 1389. In that year the
Turkish Ottoman Empire conquered
Serbia. Serbia and Kosovo then developed
different identities. Serbian leaders
made Belgrade their capital.
Serbia eventually gained independence
from the Ottomans and regained
Kosovo. But by the late 1900s Kosovo
wanted independence from Serbia. During
fighting in the late 1900s and early
2000s several cities in Kosovo were
heavily damaged. Pristina did not suffer
as much damage. Many people moved
to the city because of that. Kosovo
declared its independence from Serbia in
2008 with Pristina as its capital.
..More to explore
Kosovo
Prometheus
In ancient Greek mythology Prometheus
was a god of fire. He was also a trickster
and a master craftsman. Prometheus was
one of the Titans. The Titans were
giants who once ruled the world.
In one story Zeus, the chief god, had
Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus
create the animals and people.
Epimetheus made the animals first. He
gave them all the best qualities, such as
strength and speed. He also protected
them with fur and feathers.
Epimetheus then realized that he had
little left to give people. He asked
Prometheus for help. Prometheus stole
fire from the gods and gave it to
humans.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Prometheus 155
Zeus saw what Prometheus had done
and became angry. He had Prometheus
tied to a rock. Every day an eagle ate
Prometheus’ liver. Every night he grew a
new liver for the bird to eat the next day.
Eventually the hero Heracles (or Hercules)
freed him.
Zeus also punished humans after
Prometheus gave them fire. Zeus sent
the first woman, named Pandora, to
Earth. Her curiosity is said to have
brought troubles into the world.
#More to explore
Heracles • Mythology • Pandora • Zeus
Protective
Coloration
Some animals have special colors or
markings called protective coloration.
These markings protect animals from
predators, or animals that will eat them.
Some markings are a kind of camouflage,
meaning that they help the animal
blend in with its surroundings. Others
help scare predators away by making the
animal appear dangerous.
Camouflage
Many animals have body colors that
match their usual surroundings. This
helps them to hide from predators.
Snowshoe hares, for example, have
white fur in winter to blend in with
snow. For the rest of the year their fur
is brown, to match the ground. Insects
known as walkingsticks are long, thin,
and green or brown. Their color and
shape make them look like parts of the
plants on which they feed. Some
animals, such as cuttlefish, can even
In ancient Greek mythology, Prometheus
stole fire from the gods and gave it to
humans.
156 Protective Coloration BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
change their color and pattern to match
their surroundings.
Spots, stripes, and other color patterns
help to mask the true shape of some
animals. For example, the stripes on
zebras make it hard for predators to tell
exactly where each zebra is. But patterned
fur also helps some predators.
The spots or stripes of many big cats
help them to hide as they move closer to
their prey.
Warning Colors
Some animals use color to warn others
not to bother them. These animals often
have poison or other weapons to defend
themselves. Some poisonous snakes and
frogs are brightly colored. Bees, which
are known for their stings, often have
bold stripes of yellow and black. Predators
may avoid these animals because
they have learned to associate bright
colors with pain.
Some harmless animals have the same
colors as dangerous or bad-tasting animals.
These colors trick predators into
staying away. This type of coloration is
called mimicry.
How Coloration Develops
Animals gain helpful traits through a
process called natural selection. If an
animal happens to be born with such a
trait, it is more likely than others to survive.
It therefore has a better chance of
having offspring. If the animal passes on
the trait, the offspring, too, will have a
better chance to survive. They can pass
on the marking or coloring to their own
offspring. After many generations, the
entire population has the useful trait.
#More to explore
Animal • Mimicry
Protestantism
With more than 400 million followers,
Protestantism is the second largest
branch of Christianity. Protestantism is
divided into many different churches.
The first Protestant churches broke away
A toad’s coloring allows it to blend in with
a clump of leaves.
Women serve as ministers in some Protestant
churches. Other Protestant churches
accept only men as ministers.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Protestantism 157
from Roman Catholicism, the largest
branch of Christianity.
Beliefs and Practices
Although many Protestant churches
have different beliefs, all Protestants
reject Roman Catholicism and the
power of its leader, the pope. They base
their beliefs on the Christian Bible.
