eastern islands (now American Samoa).
Germany took the western islands,
which were calledWestern Samoa.
New Zealand ruledWestern Samoa
from 1920 to 1961. The country
became independent on January 1,
1962, and changed its name to Samoa
in 1997.
..More to explore
Apia • Oceania
A village in Samoa has both
traditional and modern buildings.
Facts About
SAMOA
Population
(2008 estimate)
180,000
Area
1,093 sq mi
(2,831 sq km)
Capital
Apia
Form of
government
Constitutional
monarchy
Major towns
Apia, Vaitele,
Faleasi’u
24 Samoa BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Samurai
For hundreds of years warriors called
samurai controlled Japan. The Japanese
emperor took away the power of the
samurai in 1871. But even after that,
many Japanese people continued to
honor the samurai for their fighting
spirit.
Rise of the Samurai
The first samurai protected vast lands
owned by members of Japan’s upper
class. Gradually the samurai spread out
across the country and got their own
pieces of land. They also built up their
own armies. The samurai became more
and more powerful.
In 1185 one of the samurai gained military
control of all Japan. In 1192 this
person took the title of shogun. The
samurai then became the ruling class of
Japan. Shoguns ruled Japan until 1867.
Japan also had emperors during this
time, but the emperors had less power
than the shoguns.
Bushido
The samurai followed a set of rules
called Bushido. The word Bushido
means “way of the warrior.” A samurai
built up his body and learned all the
skills of a soldier. He was brave and honest.
He honored his parents. But above
all, he obeyed his leader. A samurai who
lost a battle, or whose leader was killed,
would often kill himself because he felt
he had not done his duty.
End of the Samurai
Japan was mostly at peace between the
1600s and the 1800s. During this
period most samurai worked for the
government instead of fighting. But they
were still called samurai because the rank
was handed down from father to son.
By the mid-1860s many samurai were
unhappy with the conditions in the
country. They thought that the country
needed to be more modern so they took
part in a revolution that brought down
the shogun.
An emperor named Meiji took power
during the revolution. The samurai
wanted Meiji to make Japan stronger.
He did, but he also took away the power
of the samurai. He created a modern
army to replace them.
#More to explore
Japan • Meiji
The samurai’s
method of killing
himself
was called
seppuku, or
hara-kiri,
meaning
“belly cutting.”
A photograph from the 1860s shows a
samurai in armor.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Samurai 25
Sanaa
Population
(2007 estimate)
2,006,620
Sanaa is the capital of Yemen, a country
in the Middle East. It is Yemen’s largest
city. It is also one of the oldest cities in
the world. The city has thousands of
stone houses built more than 1,000
years ago. Parts of the Great Mosque in
Sanaa date back to the time of Muhammad,
the founder of Islam.
Many people in Sanaa work for the government
or in trade. Factories in the city
make cotton cloth, food products, and
other goods.
Sanaa is more than 2,000 years old. The
city’s people converted to Islam in 632.
After that Muslim leaders ruled the city.
Sanaa was part of the Turkish Ottoman
Empire from the 1500s to the early
1900s.
For most of the 1900s Yemen was
divided into two parts. In 1918 North
Yemen became an independent country
with Sanaa as its capital. In 1990 North
Yemen and South Yemen united to form
one country. Sanaa then became the
capital of all of Yemen.
..More to explore
Yemen
Sand
Sand is made up of small, loose pieces of
rock, soil, minerals, and even gemstones.
It may also contain the remains of living
things. Sand particles, called grains, are
smaller than gravel. They are larger than
particles of mud or clay.
Sand grains can be described by their
size, color, and shape as well as the way
they feel to the touch. Some grains are
hard, while others are softer. Some are
jagged or rough. Others are smooth and
polished. Sand particles may be flat,
oval, or round in shape.
How Sand Forms
Nature forms sand constantly. Tiny
chips of rock are always breaking off
from boulders, cliffs, and mountainsides.
As the weather and water wear
down the chips, they create sand. This is
the most common kind of sand.
A second type of sand comes from living
things, such as corals and clams. After
Rugged mountains tower behind the ancient
city of Sanaa, Yemen.
26 Sanaa BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
the animal dies, the ocean slowly wears
down its skeleton or shell into tiny particles.
This type of sand is common on
tropical beaches.
A third type of sand comes from minerals
dissolved in water. When the water
dries up, it leaves behind the minerals in
the form of sandlike crystals.
Where Sand Is Found
Sand is found in many places all over
the world. It collects at beaches and in
lakes and rivers. It lies at the bottom of
oceans. In some deserts and on some
beaches, the wind blows sand into large
hills called dunes. Sometimes sand gathers
at the openings of deep canyons.
Schools and parks often provide sandboxes
for children to play in.
Because sand grains are so small and
