|
303 Encyclopædia Britannica articles, from the full 32 volume encyclopedia |
> | Phoenix in Greek mythology, son of Amyntor, king of Thessalian Hellas. After a violent quarrel Amyntor cursed him with childlessness, and Phoenix escaped to Peleus (king of the Myrmidons in Thessaly), who made him responsible for the upbringing of his son Achilles. Phoenix accompanied the young Achilles to Troy and was one of the envoys who tried to reconcile him with Agamemnon, ...
|
> | phoenix in ancient Egypt and in classical antiquity, a fabulous bird associated with the worship of the sun. The Egyptian phoenix was said to be as large as an eagle, with brilliant scarlet and gold plumage and a melodious cry. Only one phoenix existed at any time, and it was very long-livedno ancient authority gave it a life span of less than 500 years. As its end approached, ...
|
> | Phoenix city, seat (1871) of Maricopa county and capital of Arizona, U.S. It lies along the Salt River in the south-central part of the state, about 120 miles (190 km) north of the Mexico border and midway between El Paso, Texas, and Los Angeles, Calif. The Salt River valley, popularly called the Valley of the Sun, includes not only Phoenix but also nearby cities such as Mesa, ...
|
> | Vacoas-Phoenix town (township) on the island of Mauritius, in the western Indian Ocean. It lies in the western highlands region of the country, about 10 miles (16 km) south of Port Louis, the national capital. Vacoas and Phoenix were separate villages until 1963, when they became a single administrative unit; later (1968) the town became independently administered. Major industries ...
|
> | Phoenix Islands group of coral atolls, part of Kiribati, in the west-central Pacific Ocean, 1,650 miles (2,650 km) southwest of Hawaii. The group comprises Rawaki (Phoenix), Manra (Sydney), McKean, Nikumaroro (Gardner), Birnie, Orona (Hull), Kanton (Canton), and Enderbury atolls. They have a total land area of approximately 11 square miles (28 square km). All are low, sandy atolls that ...
|
More results > |
79 Student Encyclopedia Britannica articles, specially written for elementary and high school students |
| Phoenix According to an ancient Egyptian legend, every 500 years a fabulous bird, the phoenix, is consumed by fire only to rise again from its own ashes. Thus from the ancient ruins of a Hohokam Indian settlement rose the city of Phoenix, the capital of Arizona. Phoenix has blended metropolitan and traditional cultures and has grown into a manufacturing and tourist center.
|
| Phoenix in astronomy, a constellation of the Southern Hemisphere bordered by the constellations Fornax, Sculptor, Grus, Tucana, and the southern end of Eridanus. Phoenix can be located from Northern Hemisphere areas in early November when it is on the southern horizon. From locations in the Southern Hemisphere, Phoenix is most visible in the late spring. Along with the 11 ...
|
| Phoenix Islands eight small islands in Pacific Ocean, s. of equator and e. of Gilbert Islands; belong to Kiribati; Birnie, McKean, Phoenix, Hull, Sydney, and Gardner were part of British dependency of Gilbert Islands until 1979; Canton and Enderbury were administered jointly by U.S. and United Kingdom under 50-year agreement reached 1939, released by U.S. 1979
|
| Thunderbird, Phoenix, Roc
from the animal, legendary article Early humans were very interested in birds and attributed magic and religious powers to them. The connection between birds and death that humans have imagined since prehistoric times still persists strongly in some modern folklore. There are also early hints of humans forming an association between birds and human reproduction. Somewhat later birds were regarded as ...
|
| Cities
from the Arizona article Phoenix, the state capital and largest city, is a shipping point for truck crops, cotton, fruits, and beef and an important industrial city. The second largest city, Tucson is a manufacturing and resort center in the cotton and mining area.
|
More articles > |