country in 1979.
..More to explore
Carib • Kingstown •West Indies
Facts About
SAINT VINCENT
AND THE
GRENADINES
Population
(2008 estimate)
106,000
Area
150 sq mi (389
sq km)
Capital
Kingstown
Form of
government
Constitutional
monarchy
Major city
Kingstown
18 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Salamander
A salamander is an amphibian with a
slender body and a long tail. They are
related to frogs and toads. Salamanders
look rather like lizards. But unlike lizards,
they are covered with smooth,
shiny skin. There are about 400 species,
or kinds, of salamander. They include
newts and mud puppies.
Salamanders live mainly in the northern
half of the world. Like other amphibians,
they can live either in water or on
land. Salamanders especially like dark,
wet places, like the woods.
Most salamanders are about 4 to 6
inches (10 to 15 centimeters) long. They
have four short legs. They are usually
brightly colored, often with spots or
stripes. Salamanders can breathe
through lungs or through special organs
called gills. Some salamanders can take
in oxygen through their skin.
Salamanders usually hide during the day
and come out at night. They eat insects,
small fish, worms, snails, and smaller
salamanders. Salamanders have several
ways to protect themselves from
enemies. Most kinds can release a poison
that tastes bad or causes pain. A salamander
can also lash its tail to defend
itself. If the tail breaks off, a salamander
can grow a new one.
Salamanders hatch from eggs. Most
salamanders begin life in water in a
form called larvae. Larvae go through a
series of changes, called metamorphosis,
to become adults. Salamanders that
hatch on land come out as miniature
adults.
..More to explore
Amphibian • Metamorphosis
Salem
Population
(2000 census),
city, 136,924;
(2007 estimate)
151,913
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of
Oregon. It lies on theWillamette River
in an area with many farms. Dairy farming
and fruit growing are common.
Many people in Salem work for the government
or in health care, trade, or
other service industries. Factories in the
city process the foods grown on nearby
farms. Other factories in Salem make
metal products, electronics, and other
goods.
A salamander often has bright colors or
patterns on its body.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Salem 19
The Kalapuya Indians lived in the Salem
area for thousands of years. In the 1800s
a preacher named Jason Lee came to the
area to try to convert the Indians to the
Methodist religion. Lee led a group of
Methodists who settled Salem in 1840.
Salem developed quickly. Many pioneers
who traveled to the area on a major
route called the Oregon Trail settled in
Salem. In 1851 Salem became the capital
of the Oregon Territory. In 1859
Oregon became a U.S. state with Salem
as its capital.
#More to explore
Oregon • Oregon Trail
SalemWitch
Trials
In 1692 many people in Salem, Massachusetts,
came to believe that there were
witches among them. As fear gripped
the town, they put their fellow townspeople
on trial for witchcraft. The Salem
witch trials caused 19 people to be put
to death.
In 1692 Massachusetts was one of Great
Britain’s North American colonies. It
had been settled by strict Christians
called Puritans. The witchcraft scare
probably began when a slave named
Tituba told a group of girls stories about
African witchcraft. A few of the girls
then claimed to be possessed by the
devil. They accused Tituba and two
other women of witchcraft. Colonial
officials believed the girls and arrested
the women. Tituba confessed to being a
witch.
The town panicked. Between May and
September townspeople accused hundreds
of men and women of witchcraft.
The colony set up a special court to try
A statue of a pioneer stands on top of the
unusual dome of the Oregon state Capitol
in Salem, Oregon.
An illustration shows a trial of
two women accused of witchcraft
in Salem, Massachusetts, in
1692.
20 Salem Witch Trials BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
them. Under pressure, many of the
people on trial falsely accused others.
About 150 people were put in prison.
Nineteen people were found guilty and
hanged.
By October the panic was over. The
governor of Massachusetts stopped the
trials and released the prisoners. The
government later reversed the guilty
decisions.
#More to explore
Massachusetts Bay Colony • Puritans
Salish
#see Flathead.
Salk, Jonas
Jonas Salk was a pioneer in the field of
medical research. His research focused
on creating vaccines, or substances that
protect people from diseases. He is best
known for making the first safe and successful
vaccine to prevent polio.
Polio is a disease caused by a tiny germ
called a virus. The virus can damage the
nerves in the spine. Some people with
this damage lose their ability to walk.
U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt
had polio. He used a wheelchair for the
rest of his life. Others lose their ability
to breathe on their own, which can
cause death.
Jonas Edward Salk was born in New
York City on October 28, 1914. His
parents were immigrants from Russia.
After graduating from high school at
only 15 years old, Salk entered the City
College of New York. He went on to
