Some animals other than mollusks also
have hard coverings called shells. Sea
animals from the crustacean family—for
example, crabs, lobsters, and shrimps—
have shells that do not grow. Turtles and
tortoises have shells made from bone.
The covering of an egg is also called a
shell. Eggshells protect developing birds
and reptiles until they hatch. The coverings
of many nuts and seeds are known
as shells, too.
#More to explore
Bivalve • Exoskeleton • Mollusk
Shinto
More than 100 million people follow a
system of religious beliefs and practices
known as Shinto. They are called Shintoists.
Most of them live in Japan.
The word Shinto means “the way of
kami.” Kami are superior powers that
Shintoists honor. They may be natural
objects and creatures (such as the spirits
About
100,000
different
shell-making
mollusks are
known to exist.
Strips of paper with prayers written
on them hang outside a
Shinto temple in Japan.
80 Shinto BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
of mountains and animals), worthy
human beings (such as emperors), or
gods and goddesses. Shintoists believe
that the kami are the source of human
life. The kami reveal truth to people and
guide them.
One of the most important kami is the
sun goddess, Amaterasu. Shintoists
believe that she was the ancestor of the
first emperor of Japan. A major Shinto
shrine, or place of worship, in the city of
Ise honors this goddess.
Shinto does not have a central book to
guide followers or regular weekly
services. Shintoists can visit shrines any
time they wish. Some people go every
day. Many Shintoists also practice
Buddhism. Some houses have both
Shinto and Buddhist altars set up for
prayer.
Festivals during the year bring
Shintoists together. There may be
cleansing rituals, food offerings, prayers,
music, and dance. Major celebrations
include a kind of thanksgiving and a
new year festival.
Little is known about Shinto’s origins. It
was already strong by the time Buddhism
came to Japan in the AD 500s.
The two religions mixed for hundreds of
years.
In the late 1800s the Japanese government
made Shinto the main religion of
Japan. It encouraged people to worship
at Shinto shrines. It made people believe
that the emperor of Japan was a god.
These efforts ended in 1945, after
Japan’s loss inWorldWar II.
#More to explore
Buddhism • Japan
Ship
A ship is a large boat that can carry passengers
or cargo for long distances over
water. People have been using ships for
transportation, exploration, and war
since ancient times.
Parts of a Ship
Most ships are much larger than most
boats, but they have many of the same
parts. As on boats, the front of a ship is
called the bow. The back is the stern. A
ship’s left side is known as the port side.
The right is the starboard side.
A ship’s frame, or body, is called the
hull. The keel is like the ship’s backbone.
It is a central beam that runs
along the bottom of the ship from front
A cargo ship loaded with freight containers
passes the Golden Gate Bridge near San
Francisco, in the U.S. state of California.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Ship 81
to back. The keel keeps the ship from
tipping over.
Ships usually have many decks. The
decks are like the floors of a building.
Cabins for passengers, engine and control
rooms, and spaces for cargo are
often on different decks.
An engine inside the ship provides
energy to propellers at the back of the
ship. The propellers push the ship
through the water. The rudder, which is
also at the back of the ship, helps in
steering. When the ship is not moving, a
heavy metal anchor may be lowered into
the water. This keeps the ship from
floating away.
Types and Uses of Ships
People use different types of ships for
many different purposes. Some of the
main types are trade ships, warships,
industrial ships, and pleasure vessels, or
cruise ships.
Trade ships carry different types of
cargo. Container ships carry cargo packaged
in large containers. General cargo
ships carry lumber, farm products, and
other goods that are hard to ship in containers.
Bulk ships carry coal, grains, and
other loose cargo. Tankers carry oil and
other liquid cargo. Refrigerated ships, or
reefers, carry meat, fish, and other products
that need to stay cold.
Navies use several different kinds of warships.
The largest are aircraft carriers. A
carrier has a large flat surface called a
flight deck that airplanes can use for
takeoffs and landings. Other types of
military ships include cruisers, destroyers,
and submarines. Submarines are
ships that can travel underwater.
Industrial ships are sometimes called
factory ships. Some industrial ships are
oil rigs. They have big machinery that
pumps oil from the ocean floor. Another
type of factory ship processes fish that
the crew catches at sea.
Many airplanes can be seen on the flight
deck of an aircraft carrier.
A cruise ship towers over pleasure
boats in a harbor.
82 Ship BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Before airplanes made long-distance
travel quick and easy, people traveled in
ships called ocean liners. Ocean liners
had dining rooms and cabins where
guests could sleep. Today this type of
ship is called a cruise ship. Cruise ships
