Encyclopedia Britannica 2009 - Book of the Year (Malestrom)

882 Pages·2009·55.15 MB·English

E N C Y C L O P Æ D I A
Britannica
2009
B Y
®
OOK OF THE EAR
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Chicago • London • New Delhi • Paris • Seoul • Sydney • Taipei • Tokyo
ENCYCLOPÆDIA
Britannica
2009
B Y ®
OOK OF THE EAR
DIRECTOR AND EDITOR COMPOSITION STAFF HEAD LIBRARIAN
Karen Jacobs Sparks Cate Nichols Henry Bolzon
SENIOR EDITOR MANAGER, MEDIA CURATOR/GEOGRAPHY
Melinda C. Shepherd ASSET MANAGEMENT Lars Mahinske
Jeannine Deubel
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ACQUISITION
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AND COMPOSITION Carmen-Maria Hetrea Senior Vice President,
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Foreword
T
he year 2008 was one of momentous change and wild uncertainty. Though
many concerns were raised about China’s prospects for mounting the
Olympic Games, Beijing triumphed in spectacular form and staged many
of the sporting events in uniquely designed venues. Later in the year, the
global economic collapse sent the financial markets plunging and investors
scrambling and forced consumers to tighten their belts. Worldwide, popu-
lations that were already struggling to meet basic needs were further ham-
pered by soaring food prices. Meanwhile, freegans, individuals dedicated to finding alter-
natives to a consumerist economy, munched on discarded vegetarian foodstuffs. A
fractious U.S. presidential campaign resulted in the election of Democrat Barack Obama,
who made history as the first African American to win that office. The presidential cam-
paign highlighted the emergence of “citizen journalists,” everyday people who reported
thenews.InTurkeythegovernmentgrappledwithmaintainingapoliticalbalancebetween
secularandIslamicinfluences.TheAnglicans,too,faceddiscontentasasplitinthechurch
left the communion fragmented. In India, Mumbai was paralyzed for nearly three days
owing to a coordinated terrorist attack. All of these topics are covered in Special Reports.
Early in the year, the price of gasoline soared in the U.S. to unprecedented heights, and
worries surfaced about fossil-fuel supplies and petroleum reserves in particular. The envi-
ronment was also of great concern as scientists pondered the cause of the collapse of mil-
lions of honey-bee colonies and, to prepare for an ecological calamity, secured seed sam-
ples from a prodigious variety of plants in seed banks for safekeeping. Some observers
were worried about CERN’s start-up of the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest and
highest-energy particle accelerator, which met delay after an initial successful test oper-
ation. The avenue of education called “distance learning” gained strength as students in
greater numbers embraced the concept to allow them to gain instruction without enter-
ing traditional classrooms. DARPA, a world leader in technical innovation, celebrated its
50th anniversary. The Paralympic Games in Beijing brought world attention to the feats
of disabled athletes. In The Sudan, however, strife continued in the Darfur region, where
300,000 people had been killed, many in acts of genocide. These subjects are showcased
in Sidebars.
A number of political figures gained new stature during the year, notably U.S. Democrat
Barack Obama, who became the country’s president-elect; Sarah Palin, the Alaskan gover-
nor who ran on the Republican ticket for vice president; and Dmitry Medvedev, the new
presidentofRussia.Inanot-so-seriousvein,actressTinaFeydelightedtelevisionaudiences
with her spot-on impersonation of Palin, while TV talk-show host Jay Leno poked fun at
the entire political campaign. These personalities have profiles in the Biographies section.
Hollywood was hit hard during the year, with the passing of acting legends Paul Scofield,
Charlton Heston, Paul Newman, and Van Johnson as well as with the deaths of director-
producer Sydney Pollack, dancer-actress Cyd Charisse, and sultry singer Eartha Kitt. The
literary world lost Nobel Prize-winning writers Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn of Russia and
Britain’s Harold Pinter, in addition to American oral historian Studs Terkel. New Zealand
explorer Sir Edmund Hillary, pioneering American cardiovascular surgeon Michael De-
Bakey, and Indonesian strongman Suharto also left the scene. Portraits of these lumi-
naries can be found in the Obituaries section.
An article on the newly independent country of Kosovo makes a debut, along with a
statistics page about Kosovo that appears in the World Data section of the volume. The
wrap-up of 2008 awaits your perusal and promises to provide a historical look at one of
the most memorable years in history.
Karen Sparks
Director and Editor
Contents
2009
DATES OF 2008 Computers and THEPARALYMPICGAMES: A FORUMFOR
Information Systems . . . . . . . . . .219 DISABLEDATHLETES; Volleyball;
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Weightlifting; Wrestling; Sporting Record
Earth Sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225
Disasters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Geology and Geochemistry, Geophysics, THE WORLD IN 2008
Meteorology and Climate
PEOPLE OF 2008
World Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .354
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229
Nobel Prizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 United Nations, European Union,
Primary and Secondary Education,
Multinational and Regional
Biographies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Higher Education, DISTANCE Organizations, Dependent States,
LEARNING—EDUCATIONBEYOND Antarctica, Arctic Regions
Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
BUILDINGS
Countries of the World . . . . . . . .363
SPECIAL REPORTS The Environment . . . . . . . . . . . .233
COMBATINGTHECRISISINDARFUR
International Activities, National
The Financial Crisis of 2008 . . . .170
Developments, Environmental Issues,
By Joel Havemann
Wildlife Conservation, SEEDBANKS— CONTRIBUTORS . . . . . . . . . . .493
The U.S. Election of 2008 . . . . . .176 PRESERVINGCROPDIVERSITY
By David C. Beckwith WORLD DATA . . . . . . . . .497
Fashions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
Citizen Journalism:
A News [R]evolution . . . . . . . . . .180 Health and Disease . . . . . . . . . . .242 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .857
By Lawrence Albarado
Life Sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
Skyrocketing Food Prices:
Zoology, Botany, Molecular Biology and
A Global Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182
Genetics, Paleontology, HONEYBEESAND
By Janet H. Clark
COLONYCOLLAPSEDISORDER
The Freegans—the Ultimate
Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254
Recyclers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184
English,German,French,Italian,Spanish,
By Mary Grigsby
Portuguese,Russian,Persian,Arabic,
The Precepts of Traditional
Chinese,Japanese
Chinese Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . .186
By Nan Lu Military Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . .270
WMD, Arms Control, and Disarmament;
A Serious Fracture in the
Anglican Church . . . . . . . . . . . . .188 Conflicts; Military Technology; Armed
By R. Scott Appleby Forces and Politics; Military and Society;
DARPA—50 YEARSOFINNOVATION
Turkey’s Secular/Islamic
Conundrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190 Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . .273
By Metin Heper Music, Dance, Theatre, Motion Pictures
Terror in Mumbai . . . . . . . . . . . .192
Physical Sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . .290
By Dr. Shanthie Mariet D’Souza
Chemistry, Physics, THELARGEHADRON
Games of the XXIX Olympiad . . .194 COLLIDER—THEWORLD’SMOST
By Melinda C. Shepherd POWERFULPARTICLEACCELERATOR,
Astronomy, Space Exploration
EVENTS OF 2008
Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .298
Anthropology and Archaeology . .200
Sports and Games . . . . . . . . . . . .304
Architecture and Automobile Racing; Baseball; Basketball;
Civil Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . .204 Bobsleigh, Skeleton, and Luge; Boxing;
Cricket; Curling; Cycling; Equestrian
Art and Art Exhibitions . . . . . . . .209
Sports; Football; Golf; Gymnastics; Ice
Art, Art Exhibitions, Photography
Hockey; Ice Skating; Sailing (Yachting);
Business Overview . . . . . . . . . . . .214 Skiing; Squash; Swimming; Tennis; Track
THEFUTUREOFFOSSILFUEL and Field Sports (Athletics);
Mourners attend the funeral of one of
the victims killed in the terrorist
attacks in Mumbai that turned India's
financial capital into a war zone for
nearly three days in late November.
Gurinder Osan/AP
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cceerreemmoonniieess ooff tthhee 22000088
OOllyymmppiicc GGaammeess iinn
BBeeiijjiinngg,, ppeerrffoorrmmeerrss ddaannccee
aarroouunndd aa ggiiaanntt gglloobbee
iilllluummiinnaatteedd wwiitthh iimmaaggeess
ooff OOllyymmppiicc aatthhlleetteess..
FFaabbrriiccee CCooffffrriinnii——AAFFPP//GGeettttyy IImmaaggeess
January
As we meet tonight, our economy is undergoing
a period of uncertainty. . . . At kitchen tables across our country,
there is a concern about our economic future.
U.S. Pres. George W. Bush,
in his final state of the union address, January 28
With the beginning of The military govern- Other Fairly Stupid Tales,to after a brief state of emer-
the new year, Prime ment of Myanmar the newly created position gency in November 2007 are
Minister Janez Jansa (Burma) orders the of ambassador for young held in Georgia; Saakashvili
of Slovenia assumes the tax on satellite television to people’s literature. wins narrowly.
presidency of the European be increased by a factor of
Union. 160, which brings it to about
• three times the average The movie studio The Arab League
The Kenya Assemblies of annual income; the action Warner Brothers approves of a plan for
God church in the village effectively cuts off any out- announces that in a new government in
of Kiambaa, where hun- side source of news. future it will release its Lebanon, which has been
dreds of Kikuyu people are • movies on Sony’s Blu-ray without a president since
taking refuge from the vio- ThegovernmentofSriLanka discs rather than Toshiba’s Nov. 23, 2007.
lence that broke out after formallyannulsacease-fire HD DVDs; industry insiders •
the disputed election of withtheLiberationTigersof feel that this has decided Near Mexican Hat, Utah, a
Dec. 27, 2007, is attacked TamilEelamthathadbeen which high-definition for- bus carrying people to
by a mob and set on fire; agreedtosixyearsearlier; mat will become the indus- Phoenix from a ski trip in
some 50 people are burned forpracticalpurposesthe try standard. Telluride, Colo., goes off the
to death. agreementhadnotbeen • road in the midst of a wide-
• observedsinceearly2006. The British utility Scottish spread and heavy storm and
The government of Pakistan • and Southern Energy agrees rolls down an embankment;
chooses to postpone until The price of a barrel of light to buy Airtricity, Ireland’s at least nine passengers are
February the national and sweet crude oil for the first biggest wind-farm operator, killed.
provincial elections sched- time reaches $100 on the for>1.83 billion (about $2.7
uled for January 8. New York Mercantile billion).
• Exchange, though it closes • Italiangovernment
At a house in Baghdad at $99.62. The 30th annual Dakar troopsbeginclearing
where people are gathered Rally, which was to begin garbagefromthe
to commemorate a man who January 5 in Lisbon with streetsofNaples,whereit
had died in a car bombing A bomb goes off near some 550 competitors and hasbeenpilingupsince
three days earlier, a suicide a shopping mall in to end January 20 in Dakar, municipaldumpsbegan
bomber detonates his Diyarbakir, Tur., Senegal, is canceled; organ- overflowingonDec.21,2007.
weapon, killing 30 of those killing 5 people and injuring izers say that terrorist •
present. more than 60. organizations had made ThelegislatureoftheMar-
• • threats to disrupt the race. shallIslandselectsLitokwa
The euro replaces the Cypri- James H. Billington, the Tomeingpresidentofthe
ot pound as Cyprus’s curren- U.S. librarian of Congress, country;hereplacesKessai
cy and the Maltese lira as announces the appointment Presidential elections Noteand,unlikeNote,
Malta’s currency as the euro of Jon Scieszka, author of called by Pres. opposestheCompactofFree
zone expands. The Stinky Cheese Man and Mikheil Saakashvili AssociationwiththeU.S.
8
January
Thomas Matthiesen—The Canadian Press/University of Minnesota/AP
• • stitutional assembly for government under Prime
Howard D. Schultz, the The World Health Organiza- April 10. Minister Ivo Sanader.
chairman of Starbucks Cof- tion publishes a study that •
fee, announces that he is estimates the number of For the first time, the price
taking over as CEO in place Iraqi civilians killed in the of gold futures rises above Jackie Selebi
of James L. Donald, saying war from its inception in $900 an ounce before clos- resigns as presi-
the company needs to regain 2003 until June 2006 at ing at $898.70 an ounce; it dent of Interpol
focus. about 151,000; previously reaches $914 on January 14 the day after he was put on
• the nongovernmental organ- before falling to $881.25 on leave as head of South
Louisiana State University ization the Iraqi Body Count January 16. Africa’s police because of the
defeats Ohio State Universi- had estimated the number • possibility that he will be
ty 38–24 in college football’s of deaths during that period The Bank of America charged with corruption.
Bowl Championship Series at 47,668. announces its planned pur- •
title game in New Orleans to chase of troubled mortgage Doris A. Taylor, head of a
win the NCAA Football Bowl company Countrywide team of scientists at the
Subdivision (formerly Divi- Plans to replace Financial Corp. University of Minnesota,
sion I-A) championship. older nuclear • reports that her team has
plants are U.S. Secretary of Homeland successfully created new
approved by the government Security Michael Chertoff beating hearts by growing
Pres. Mwai Kibaki of of the U.K. announces the standards heart cells from newborn
Kenya announces his • that state identity cards rats in the heart structure
choices for half of Shortly before a planned must meet to qualify as taken from dead rats.
the cabinet, and violence rally outside a courthouse in identification at airports and (Photo above.)
breaks out anew in several Lahore to protest the dis- federal buildings under the
cities; some 500 people have missal of Pakistani Chief Real ID act; several states
been killed since violence Justice Iftikhar Mohammed refuse to comply with the The spacecraft
erupted following the dis- Chaudhry, a suicide bomber legislation, for a variety of MESSENGER
puted election in 2007. sets off an explosion that reasons. passes within 200
• kills at least 23 people, near- km (124 mi) of Mercury’s
U.S. troops in Iraq begin a ly all police officers. surface, taking photographs
major offensive against • Iraq’s legislature and measurements, in the
Sunni insurgents in Diyala MembersoftheRevolution- passes a law to first of its three passes of the
province. aryArmedForcesofColom- allow former planet, which was last visit-
• bia(FARC)releasetoemis- Ba!thist officials to apply for ed by NASA’s Mariner 10 in
Philippe de Montebello, who sariesofVenezuelanPres. positions in the government; 1975.
has been director of the HugoCháveztwoColombian this is the first small step •
Metropolitan Museum of Art women:ConsueloGonzález toward meeting the political A suicide bomber attack at
in New York City for 30 dePerdomo,whowasa benchmarks set by the U.S. the luxury Serena Hotel in
years, announces his inten- memberofthelegislature government for Iraq. Kabul kills at least six peo-
tion to retire at the end of whenshewaskidnappedin • ple, mostly staff but also a
the year. 2001,andClaraRojas,who Legislative elections in Tai- Norwegian journalist and an
wasanaidetopresidential wan are won by the Nation- American.
candidateIngridBetancourt alist Party, which takes 81 of •
The legislature of the (herselfstillacaptive)when the 113 seats; Pres. Chen Malawi ends its diplomatic
UN-administered Ser- shewaskidnappedin2002. Shui-bian resigns as head of ties with Taiwan in favour of
bian province of the Democratic Progressive establishing them with
Kosovo chooses the former Party. China.
leader of the Kosovo Libera- The government • •
tion Army, Hashim Thaci, to of Nepal sets the The legislature of Croatia In the field of children’s lit-
be prime minister. election for a con- approves a new centre-right erature, the Newbery Medal
9