Encyclopædia Britannica Australia -

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Western Illinois University ... Westport

Western Illinois University: public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Macomb, Illinois, U.S. It was established in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. Instruction began in 1902. The school evolved into a four-year teachers college in 1921. It became Western Illinois State ...
Western Indian bronze: any of a style of metal sculpture that flourished in India during the 6th to the 12th century and later, mainly in the area of modern Gujarat and Rajasthan states. The bronzes are, for the most part, images of the ...
Western Indian painting: a highly conservative style of Indian miniature painting largely devoted to the illustration of Jaina religious texts of the 12th-16th century. Though examples of the school are most numerous from Gujarat state, paintings in Western Indian style have also been ...
Western Isles: council area of Scotland, in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwestern coast of the Scottish mainland, comprising the islands of the Outer Hebrides. Lewis, the northern part of the principal island of Lewis and Harris, is part of the historic ...
Western Kentucky University: public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Bowling Green, Kentucky, U.S. It comprises five colleges: Potter College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Gordon Ford College of Business; the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences; Ogden College of Science, Technology, ...
Western literature: history of literatures in the languages of the Indo-European family, along with a small number of other languages whose cultures became closely associated with the West, from ancient times to the present.
Western Michigan University: public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Kalamazoo, Mich., U.S. It comprises Haworth College of Business, the Graduate College, colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education, Engineering and Applied Sciences, Fine Arts, and Health and Human Services, and schools of Social ...
Western Port: circular bay, about 20 miles (32 km) across, indenting the south coast of Victoria, Australia, southeast of Melbourne. An inlet of Bass Strait, it is separated from Port Phillip Bay (12 miles [19 km] west) by Mornington Peninsula. Phillip Island ...
Western Reserve: in American history, territory of some 6,000 square miles (15,500 square km) along the southern shore of Lake Erie in what is now northeastern Ohio. After the Revolutionary War, when the United States was formed, most of the former colonies ...
Western Rift Valley: (Africa), branch of the East African Rift System (q.v.).
Western Sahara: former overseas province of Spain occupying an extensive desert Atlantic-coastal area (97,344 square miles [252,120 square km]) of northwest Africa. It is composed of the geographic regions of Rio de Oro ("River of Gold"), occupying the southern two-thirds of the ...
Western Scheldt: estuary, flowing westward for about 30 miles (50 km) through the Delta Islands in southwestern Netherlands to the North Sea. The former islands of Walcheren and Zuidbeveland (now a peninsula) are located to the north of the estuary. The Zeeuwsch ...
Western Schism: in the history of the Roman Catholic church, the period from 1378 to 1417, when there were two, and later three, rival popes, each with his own following, his own Sacred College of Cardinals, and his own administrative offices.
Western State College of Colorado: public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Gunnison, Colorado, U.S. A liberal arts college, Western State offers bachelor's degree programs. The college provides a general education program that includes requirements in basic skills and in the liberal arts areas of ...
Western Union Corporation: former telecommunications company that was the largest provider of telegraphic services in the United States.
Western Wall: in the Old City of Jerusalem, a place of prayer and pilgrimage sacred to the Jewish people. It is the only remains of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, held to be uniquely holy by the ancient Jews and destroyed by ...
Western Washington University: public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Bellingham, Washington, U.S. It comprises Fairhaven College (an interdisciplinary studies program); Woodring College of Education; Huxley College of Environmental Studies; colleges of business and economics, fine and performing arts, and arts and sciences; ...
western yew: (Taxus brevifolia), an evergreen timber tree of the yew family (Taxaceae). It is the only commercially important yew native to North America, where it is found from Alaska to California. Usually between 5 and 15 m (about 15 to 50 ...
Westernizer: in 19th-century Russia, especially in the 1840s and '50s, one of the intellectuals who emphasized Russia's common historic destiny with the West, as opposed to Slavophiles, who believed Russia's traditions and destiny to be unique. See Slavophile.
Westerwald: mountainous region in western Germany lying northeast of Koblenz and east-southeast of Bonn. It is on the right (east) bank of the Rhine and extends eastward for about 50 miles (80 km), between the Lahn River or the Taunus (south) ...
Westerwald stoneware: salt-glazed stoneware produced in German towns such as Hohr, Grenzau, and Grenzhausen in the area known as the Westerwald. Their products (jugs, tankards, and the like), made from the 15th century to the present day, are molded, stamped with dies, ...
Westfield: city, Hampden county, southwestern Massachusetts, U.S. It lies along the Westfield River, just west of Springfield. Originally part of Springfield, it was the site of the western frontier trading post (1660) of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and was incorporated as ...
Westfield State College: public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Westfield, Massachusetts, U.S. It is part of the Massachusetts Public Higher Education system. The college offers undergraduate degree programs in such areas as biology, computer science, education, humanities, physical science, and music. Master's ...
Westinghouse Electric Corporation: major American company that was a leading manufacturer of electrical equipment.
Westinghouse, George: American inventor and industrialist who was chiefly responsible for the adoption of alternating current for electric power transmission in the United States.
Westlake, John: English lawyer and social reformer who was influential in the field of law dealing with the resolution of problems between persons living in different legal jurisdictions (private international law, or conflict of laws).
Westland National Park: park in west-central South Island, New Zealand. Established in 1960, it shares a common boundary with Mount Cook National Park along the main divide of the Southern Alps. With an area of 454 square miles (1,175 square km), it extends ...
Westmeath: county in the province of Leinster, central Ireland. It is bounded by Counties Cavan (north), Meath (east), Offaly (south), Roscommon (west), and Longford (northwest). The western boundary is the lower part of Lough (Lake) Ree and the River Shannon, but ...
Westminster: city, Adams and Jefferson counties, north-central Colorado, U.S., a northern suburb of Denver. Settled in 1863 by Pleasant DeSpain, a homesteader, it was named DeSpain Junction and developed as a shipping point for local farm produce. Later renamed Harris, the ...
Westminster: city, seat (1837) of Carroll county, northern Maryland, U.S., 31 miles (50 km) northwest of Baltimore. It was founded in 1764 by William Winchester and was commonly called Winchester in its early years. Because the town was confused with Winchester, ...
Westminster Abbey: London church that is the site of coronations and other ceremonies of national significance. It stands just west of the Houses of Parliament in the Greater London borough of Westminster. Situated on the grounds of a former Benedictine monastery, it ...
Westminster Assembly: (1643-52), assembly called by the English Long Parliament to reform the Church of England, wrote the Larger and Shorter Westminster catechisms, the Westminster Confession, and the Directory of Public Worship. It was made up of 30 laymen (20 from the ...
Westminster Catechism: either of two works, the Larger Westminster Catechism and the Shorter Westminster Catechism, used by English-speaking Presbyterians and by some Congregationalists and Baptists. Written by the Westminster Assembly, which met regularly from 1643 until 1649 during the English Civil War, ...
Westminster Confession: confession of faith of English-speaking Presbyterians. It was produced by the Westminster Assembly, which was called together by the Long Parliament in 1643, during the English Civil War, and met regularly in Westminster Abbey until 1649. The confession was completed ...
Westminster School: distinguished public (privately endowed) school near Westminster Abbey in the borough of Westminster, London. It originated as a charity school (1179) founded by Benedictine monks. In 1540 Henry VIII made it secular, and in 1560 it was refounded by Elizabeth ...
Westminster, City of: inner borough of London, lying on the north bank of the River Thames at the heart of London's West End. The City of Westminster is flanked to the west by Kensington and Chelsea and to the east by the City ...
Westminster, Statute of: (1931), statute of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that effected the equality of Britain and the then dominions of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, and Newfoundland.
Westminster, Statutes of: (1275, 1285, 1290), three statutes important in medieval English history, issued in "parliaments" held by Edward I at Westminster. Each comprised a miscellaneous series of clauses designed to amend or clarify extremely diverse aspects of the law, both civil and ...
Westmore Family: family of Hollywood makeup artists credited with having introduced the art of makeup to the motion-picture industry.
Westmoreland: county, southwestern Pennsylvania, U.S., located just east of Pittsburgh and bounded to the north and northeast by the Kiskiminetas and Conemaugh rivers, to the east by Laurel Hill, to the south by Jacobs Creek, to the west by the Youghiogheny ...
Westmorland: historic county of northwestern England, bounded on the north and west by Cumberland, on the southwest and southeast by Lancashire, on the east by Yorkshire, and on the northeast by Durham. It is now part of the districts of Eden ...
Westmorland, Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of, 4th Baron Neville Of Raby: English noble who, though created earl by King Richard II, supported the usurpation of the crown by Henry IV and did much to establish the Lancastrian dynasty.
Weston: city, seat of Lewis county, central West Virginia, U.S., on the West Fork River. The site was surveyed by Colonel Edward Jackson, grandfather of the American Civil War general Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. Originally named Preston, the town was founded ...
Weston, Edward: British-born American electrical engineer and industrialist who founded the Weston Electrical Instrument Company.
Weston, Edward: major American photographer of the early to mid-20th century, best known for his carefully composed, sharply focused images of natural forms, landscapes, and nudes. His work influenced a generation of American photographers.
Weston, Randy: American jazz pianist and composer, noted for his use of African rhythms.
Weston-super-Mare: town, North Somerset unitary authority, historic county of Somerset, England, on the Bristol Channel. It is situated on a sandy bay between the promontory of Brean Down (now owned by the National Trust) and Worlebury Hill at the western end ...
Westphalia: historic region of northwestern Germany, comprising (with the former state of Lippe) the present federal Land (state) of North Rhine-Westphalia and parts of the Lander (states) of Lower Saxony and Hesse.
Westphalia, Peace of: the European settlements of 1648, which brought to an end the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch and the German phase of the Thirty Years' War. The peace was negotiated, from 1644, in the Westphalian towns of Munster ...
Westport: urban town (township), Fairfield county, southwestern Connecticut, U.S. It lies along Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Saugatuck River just east of Norwalk. The area, which the local Indians called Saugatuck, was settled about 1648; it was renamed ...
Westport: port town, West Coast local government region, northwestern South Island, New Zealand. It lies at the mouth of the Buller River. Coal and gold were discovered in the area in 1859, and the town was surveyed in 1862. Gold was ...