Akita: …dotted with volcanoes such as Mount Komaga (5,371 feet [1,637 m]), near the eastern border with Iwate prefecture. The plateau is covered with white fir trees and alpine plants that grow amid fissures yielding steam, smoke, and boiling mud. In the extreme northeast, on the border with Aomori prefecture, is…

Akita: …dotted with volcanoes such as Mount Komaga (5,371 feet [1,637 m]), near the eastern border with Iwate prefecture. The plateau is covered with white fir trees and alpine plants that grow amid fissures yielding steam, smoke, and boiling mud. In the extreme northeast, on the border with Aomori prefecture, is…

Japanese music: Music of the left and of the right: …of the right was called komagaku and contained all Korean and Manchurian examples. In both categories there were pieces that by this time may have been Japanese arrangements or original compositions. The terms left and right were derived from the Confucian-based administration system of the new capital, which divided the…

Shintō: Shintō religious arts: …of sacred stone animals called komainu (“Korean dogs”) or karajishi (“Chinese lions”) are placed in front of a shrine. Originally they served to protect the sacred buildings from evil and defilements. After the 9th century they were used for ornamental purposes on ceremonial occasions at the Imperial Court and later…

Komaki, city, northwestern Aichi ken (prefecture), central Honshu, Japan. It is situated in the eastern Nōbi Plain, north of Nagoya. A narrow extension of the city’s northeastern area reaches into the mountainous terrain at the edge of the plain. Komaki was a post town during the Edo (Tokugawa)

Jayaram Jayalalithaa was an Indian film actress and politician who served as the leader of the All India Dravidian Progressive Federation (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam; AIADMK). She served a record six times (1991–96; May 14–September 21, 2001; 2002–06; 2011–14; May 23, 2015–May 22,

Komuz languages, a branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family formed by a group of related languages spoken in the border area that separates Ethiopia from Sudan and South Sudan. The Komuz group consists of Koma, Twampa (Uduk), Kwama, and Opo (Opo-Shita). Another variety of Komuz, known as Gule

Komandor Islands, group of four islands, Kamchatka oblast (province), extreme eastern Russia. Geographically part of the Aleutian Islands, the group is situated in the southwestern part of the Bering Sea, about 110 miles (180 km) east of Kamchatka Peninsula. Both the group and its largest island

Komandor Islands, group of four islands, Kamchatka oblast (province), extreme eastern Russia. Geographically part of the Aleutian Islands, the group is situated in the southwestern part of the Bering Sea, about 110 miles (180 km) east of Kamchatka Peninsula. Both the group and its largest island

Komani, town, Eastern Cape province, South Africa. The town lies in an upper valley of the Great Kei River. It has a distinctive hexagonal shape, designed by its founder, Sir George Cathcart (1853), as a precaution against attack. Cathcart named the settlement Queenstown in honor of Queen Victoria

Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid: Komar and Melamid both grew up in Moscow. Their educations followed the same path: they attended the Moscow Art School from 1958 to 1960 and then the Stroganov Institute of Art and Design, where they began their collaborative work. Rather than following the dictates of…

Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid were a Russian-born American artistic duo known for their collaborative works that commented on power and popular culture using a wide range of media. They worked together from 1965 to 2003. Komar and Melamid both grew up in Moscow. Their educations followed the same

Komárno, town, southwestern Slovakia. It lies at the confluence of the Vah and Nitra rivers with the Danube River below Bratislava, at the Hungarian border. The town of Komárom, part of Hungary, lies on the south bank of the Danube across from Komárno. Komárno occupies the extreme eastern end of an

Komárno, town, southwestern Slovakia. It lies at the confluence of the Vah and Nitra rivers with the Danube River below Bratislava, at the Hungarian border. The town of Komárom, part of Hungary, lies on the south bank of the Danube across from Komárno. Komárno occupies the extreme eastern end of an

Komárom-Esztergom: The town of Komárom is a rail centre and Danube port. At Lábatlan, cement, paper, and prefabricated building components are manufactured. Szőny has an oil refinery linked by pipeline with the Zala field. Almásfüzitő also refines oil. Nyergesújfalu specializes in plastics. Limestone is quarried at Dunaalmás and red…

Komárom-Esztergom, megye (county), northwestern Hungary. It is bordered by Slovakia to the north and by the counties of Pest to the east, Fejér to the south and southeast, Veszprém to the southwest, and Győr-Moson-Sopron to the west. It is the smallest of Hungary’s counties, excluding the county of

Komarov Botanical Institute, major botanical research centre in St. Petersburg, Russia. The 22-hectare (54-acre) garden has about 6,700 species of plants, many of which were obtained through a series of plant-collecting expeditions sent to all parts of the world. Its most important collections

Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov was a Soviet cosmonaut, the first man known to have died during a space mission. Komarov joined the Soviet air force at the age of 15 and was educated in air force schools, becoming a pilot in 1949. He graduated from the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy, Moscow,

Mirra Komarovsky was a Russian-born sociologist, one of the first to engage in theory and research on the cultural and structural barriers to women’s equality and to write about problems men and women face because of their designated roles in American society. Born in tsarist Russia to

Komati River, river rising near Breyten in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Running generally eastward, it descends from a plateau, cutting a valley 3,000 feet (900 metres) deep in northwestern Swaziland before reaching the Lebombo Mountains, at which point it is joined by the Krokodil River and

Africa: General considerations: The rock type komatiite is particularly diagnostic of those volcanic sequences and is almost exclusively restricted to the Archean Eon. The cratons were tectonically stabilized by voluminous granite intrusions toward the end of the Archean and were then covered by clastic sediments, some of which contain economically important…

Komatsu, city, southern Ishikawa ken (prefecture), central Honshu, Japan. It lies along the Sea of Japan (East Sea), about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Kanazawa. The city centre lies just inland on the Kakehashi River. Komatsu was founded as a castle town in 1639, and it served as a post station

Shōtetsu was a priest-poet who is considered the last truly important tanka poet before the 20th century. Shōtetsu was born into a middle-rank samurai family in the provinces but was taken by his family to Kyōto when he was a boy. He showed precocious ability at composing tanka. Probably by his

Komatsushima, city, eastern Tokushima ken (prefecture), eastern Shikoku, Japan. It lies on Komatsushima Bay on the east coast of Shikoku and adjoins Tokushima to the north and west. Komatsushima was originally a small fishing village and a temple town of Ninna Temple in Kyōto. It developed as a

kombucha, beverage made of fermented green or black tea, usually consumed as a health food. Kombucha is often brewed at home, though commercial products are increasingly available in many places. The fermentation process involves a number of microorganisms, including a variety of yeasts and

miso: …rice and soybeans is called kome miso, while miso made of barley and soybeans is mugi miso. It is estimated that there are at least 1,000 varieties of miso, although only a few regularly figure in Japanese household cuisine. Many of these varieties have their basis in the kind of…

Polish literature: Other literary forms: …anonymous literature, exemplified by the komedia rybałtowska (“ribald comedies”). These were generally popular satiric comedies and broad farces written mainly by playwrights of plebeian birth. Piotr Baryka is one of the few of these playwrights whose names are known. He wrote a carnival comedy, Z chłopa król (1637; “From Peasant…

The Comedians, Op. 26, incidental music composed by Dmitry Kabalevsky in 1938 to accompany a stage play called Inventor and Comedian at the Central Children’s Theatre of Moscow. The play, centred on a group of traveling entertainers, is seldom seen today, but the lighthearted and energetic songs,

New Kōmeitō, Japanese political party that was founded in 1964 as the political wing of the Buddhist lay movement Sōka-gakkai. It advocates “humanitarian socialism,” an open, independent foreign policy, and, among other things, the gradual abolition of the Japan-U.S. security treaty. After the 1962

New Kōmeitō, Japanese political party that was founded in 1964 as the political wing of the Buddhist lay movement Sōka-gakkai. It advocates “humanitarian socialism,” an open, independent foreign policy, and, among other things, the gradual abolition of the Japan-U.S. security treaty. After the 1962

Slovakia: Education: …the largest and oldest is Comenius University in Bratislava (founded 1919). Also in Bratislava are the Slovak University of Technology, the University of Economics, and several arts academies. Košice also has universities and a school of veterinary medicine. Since independence, additional colleges and universities have opened in Trnava, Banská Bystrica,…

John Amos Comenius was a Czech educational reformer and religious leader, remembered mainly for his innovations in methods of teaching, especially languages. He favoured the learning of Latin to facilitate the study of European culture. Janua Linguarum Reserata (1632; The Gate of Tongues Unlocked)

textile: Weft knitting: …hosiery machines, such as the Komet machine, employ double-hooked needles directly opposite each other in the same plane to knit the leg and foot portions, the heel and the toe. The toe is later closed in a separate operation. In the Getaz toe, the seam is placed under the toes…

Komi, a Permic-speaking people living mainly between the Pechora and Vychegda rivers, southeast of the White Sea, in the northern European area of Russia. They speak a Permic language of the Finno-Ugric branch of the Uralic family. The Komi comprise three major groups: the Komi-Zyryan of Komi

Komi, republic in northwestern Russia. Syktyvkar is the capital. The republic extends from the crest line of the Northern Urals on the east to the Timan Ridge and the upper basins of the Mezen and Vychegda rivers on the west. The republic lies mainly in the flat, featureless basin of the Pechora

Komi, republic in northwestern Russia. Syktyvkar is the capital. The republic extends from the crest line of the Northern Urals on the east to the Timan Ridge and the upper basins of the Mezen and Vychegda rivers on the west. The republic lies mainly in the flat, featureless basin of the Pechora

Saint Stephen of Perm: …to the territory of the Komi (then known as Zyryans), located in the frigid lands southeast of the White Sea between the Pechora and Vychegda rivers.

Komi: …Komi-Zyryan of Komi republic; the Komi-Permyaks (or Permyaks) of Komi-Permyak autonomous okrug (district) to the south; and the Komi-Yazua to the east of the okrug and south of Komi republic. The economic activities of the Komi vary from reindeer herding, hunting, fishing, and lumbering in the north (with a mining…

Komi-Permyak, former autonomous okrug (district), western Russia. In 2005 Komi-Permyak merged with Perm oblast (region) to form Perm kray (territory). The autonomous district was formed in 1925 for the Komi-Permyaks, a branch of the Finno-Ugric Komi people. The area consists of low, rolling

Permic languages: Udmurt (Votyak), Komi (Zyryan), and Permyak (Komi-Permyak) languages. The Permic languages are spoken along the northern and western reaches of the Ural Mountains in Russia in and around Udmurtia and Komi. Udmurt has little dialectal variation, but Komi has many distinctive dialects divided into two major groups: Northern (Zyryan) Komi…

Komi: …to the south; and the Komi-Yazua to the east of the okrug and south of Komi republic. The economic activities of the Komi vary from reindeer herding, hunting, fishing, and lumbering in the north (with a mining centre above the Arctic Circle at Vorkuta) to agriculture, industry, and mining in…

Komi: …comprise three major groups: the Komi-Zyryan of Komi republic; the Komi-Permyaks (or Permyaks) of Komi-Permyak autonomous okrug (district) to the south; and the Komi-Yazua to the east of the okrug and south of Komi republic. The economic activities of the Komi vary from reindeer herding, hunting, fishing, and lumbering in…

Saint Stephen of Perm: …to the territory of the Komi (then known as Zyryans), located in the frigid lands southeast of the White Sea between the Pechora and Vychegda rivers.

Danny Kaye was an energetic, multitalented American actor and comedian who later became known for his involvement with humanitarian causes. The son of Ukrainian immigrants, Kaye began his performing career in the 1930s as a comic entertainer in hotels in the Catskill Mountains and in nightclubs

Alan Arkin: …and in the Netflix series The Kominsky Method (2018–21) he starred as the longtime agent of an aging actor turned acting coach; for his performance, he received Emmy nominations in 2019 and 2020. Arkin also played a boxing coach in the Netflix action-comedy Spenser Confidential (2020).

Theodore Komisarjevsky was a Russian theatrical director and designer, one of the most colourful figures of the European theatre of his time. Of Russian parentage—his father was the opera singer Fyodor Petrovich Komissarzhevsky—he immigrated to England in 1919 and lived primarily in the United

Vera Komissarzhevskaya was a Russian actress and producer whose career linked the practice of the aristocratic Russian theatre with many of those who would eventually establish the avant-garde theatre after the Russian Revolution. Komissarzhevskaya’s father, Fyodor, was a prominent opera star and

Vera Komissarzhevskaya was a Russian actress and producer whose career linked the practice of the aristocratic Russian theatre with many of those who would eventually establish the avant-garde theatre after the Russian Revolution. Komissarzhevskaya’s father, Fyodor, was a prominent opera star and

Theodore Komisarjevsky was a Russian theatrical director and designer, one of the most colourful figures of the European theatre of his time. Of Russian parentage—his father was the opera singer Fyodor Petrovich Komissarzhevsky—he immigrated to England in 1919 and lived primarily in the United

Komitas was an ethnomusicologist and composer who created the basis for a distinctive national musical style in Armenia. Orphaned at age 11, he was sent to study liturgical singing at a seminary in Vagarshapat (now Ejmiadzin) in Armenia. He graduated in 1893 and adopted the name Komitas, that of a

KGB, foreign intelligence and domestic security agency of the Soviet Union. During the Soviet era the KGB’s responsibilities also included the protection of the country’s political leadership, the supervision of border troops, and the general surveillance of the population. Established in 1954, the

Poland: Communist Poland: A Workers’ Defense Committee (KOR) arose and sought to bridge the gap between the intelligentsia, which had been isolated in 1968, and the workers, who had received no support in 1970. The names of such dissidents as Jacek Kuroń and Adam Michnik became internationally known. Other…

Baranya: Komló, 8 miles (13 km) north of Pécs, developed as a planned coal-mining town in the 1950s, but mining ceased there in 2000https://journals.openedition.org/geomorphologie/7989. Baranya is also known for thermal springs and mineral waters.

Bartók String Quartet, Hungarian musical ensemble that is one of the world’s most renowned string quartets. It was founded in 1957 as the Komlós Quartet by graduates of the College of Musical Arts in Budapest: first violinist Péter Komlós, second violinist Sándor Devich, violist Géza Németh, and

Buckingham Canal, navigation canal in eastern Andhra Pradesh state and northeastern Tamil Nadu state, southeastern India. It was constructed section by section between 1806 and 1882 along the backwaters of the Coromandel Coast, which extends for a distance of 1,100 km (680 miles) from Cape Comorin

limited liability: …amounts of capital in industry, limited partnerships became popular. Known as the société en commandite in France and Kommanditgesellschaft in Germany, the limited-partnership arrangement required at least one partner to be totally liable as in a regular partnership and allowed other partners to be liable only for the amounts invested…

Alchevsk, city, eastern Ukraine. It lies along the railway from Luhansk to Debaltseve. Alchevsk was founded in 1895 with the establishment of the Donetsko-Yuryevsky ironworks. The plant developed into a large, integrated ironworks and steelworks, which was expanded greatly in the 1950s and ’60s.

Sweden: Local government: …government is allocated to the kommuner (municipalities), each with an elected assembly and the right to levy income taxes and to charge fees for various services. Municipalities have a strong independent position. Streets, sewerage, water supply, schools, public assistance, child welfare, housing, and care for elderly people are among their…

Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF), Russian political party that opposes many of the democratic and economic reforms introduced in Russia after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation was officially established in 1993, but it is

Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), the major political party of Russia and the Soviet Union from the Russian Revolution of October 1917 to 1991. (Read Leon Trotsky’s 1926 Britannica essay on Lenin.) The Communist Party of the Soviet Union arose from the Bolshevik wing of the Russian Social

Markos Vafiades: …insurgent, founding member of the Greek Communist Party, and commander of the communist-led Democratic Army in the civil war against the Greek government (1946–49).

Friedrich Ebert: …the SPD to form the Communist Party of Germany (KPD). The leftists who had withdrawn from the SPD sought a social revolution, while Ebert and his party wanted to establish a German parliamentary democracy. Even in the midst of the war, the Catholic Centre Party, the Democratic Party (previously the…

Comnenus family, Byzantine family from Paphlagonia, members of which occupied the throne of Constantinople for more than a century (1081–1185). Manuel Eroticus Comnenus was the first member of the family to figure in Byzantine history; an able general, he served the emperor Basil II in the East.

African art: Bambara (Bamana): The Komo is the custodian of tradition and is concerned with all aspects of community life—agriculture, judicial processes, and passage rites. Its masks, which are considered to be enormously powerful, are shaped in an elongated animal form decorated with actual horns of antelope, quills of porcupine,…

Komodo, island of the Lesser Sunda Islands, Nusa Tenggara Timur provinsi (province), Indonesia. The island, which has an area of approximately 200 square miles (520 square km), lies on the Sape Strait between Flores and Sumbawa islands. It is rather hilly, reaching a maximum elevation of 2,700 feet

Komodo dragon, (Varanus komodoensis), largest extant lizard species. The dragon is a monitor lizard of the family Varanidae. It occurs on Komodo Island and a few neighbouring islands of the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. The popular interest in the lizard’s large size and predatory habits has

Komoé National Park, national park, northeastern Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Originally founded in 1953 as the Bouna-Komoé game reserve, in 1968 it was expanded and established as a national park. Comprising approximately 4,440 square miles (11,500 square km) of wooded savanna, Komoé contains the

Komoé River, river in western Africa, rising 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta), and forming part of the Burkina Faso–Côte d’Ivoire boundary before entering Côte d’Ivoire to flow southward and empty into its estuary on the Gulf of Guinea. Its total

Komoé National Park, national park, northeastern Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Originally founded in 1953 as the Bouna-Komoé game reserve, in 1968 it was expanded and established as a national park. Comprising approximately 4,440 square miles (11,500 square km) of wooded savanna, Komoé contains the

lokapāla: …Buddhist lokapālas are Dhṛtarāṣṭra (east), Virūḍhaka (south), and Virūpākṣa (west).

komondor, large Hungarian sheepdog breed taken to Europe in the 9th century by the Magyars, who kept it primarily to protect, rather than to herd, their flocks. A powerful, heavy-boned dog, the male komondor stands at least 27.5 inches (69.9 cm) and weighs 100 pounds (45 kg) or more; the female is

komondor, large Hungarian sheepdog breed taken to Europe in the 9th century by the Magyars, who kept it primarily to protect, rather than to herd, their flocks. A powerful, heavy-boned dog, the male komondor stands at least 27.5 inches (69.9 cm) and weighs 100 pounds (45 kg) or more; the female is

Komárno, town, southwestern Slovakia. It lies at the confluence of the Vah and Nitra rivers with the Danube River below Bratislava, at the Hungarian border. The town of Komárom, part of Hungary, lies on the south bank of the Danube across from Komárno. Komárno occupies the extreme eastern end of an

Władysław Orkan: …Stories”), as well as in Komornicy (1900; “Tenant Farmers”), Orkan gives a naturalistic account of highlander-peasant life in his native Tatra region. Later, influenced by the literary and political movement of Young Poland, he wrote the novel W roztokach (1903; “In the Mountain Valleys”), which presents a gloomy image of…

Bronisław Komorowski is a Polish politician who served as president of Poland (2010–15). Named acting president after the death of Lech Kaczyński in April 2010, Komorowski won the presidency in a special election that July. Komorowski was born to an aristocratic family, but the communist regime in

Chomutov, city, northwestern Czech Republic. It lies at the foot of the Ore Mountains (Krušné hory) near the German border, northwest of Prague. Probably Czech in origin, Chomutov was a command post of the Teutonic Knights in the 14th century and remained German until the end of World War II. It is

Manchester City FC: 2008 financial takeover: …and afterward are center back Vincent Kompany, midfielders Yaya Touré, David Silva, and Kevin De Bruyne, and forward Sergio Agüero.

Komparu Zempō was a nō dramatist and actor, grandson of nō actor and dramatist Komparu Zenchiku. Zempō was one of the last dramatists of nō’s classic period. He wrote one play, Hatsuyuki (“First Snow”), in the restrained and poetic manner of his grandfather. Most of his work, however, such as

Komparu Zenchiku was a nō actor and playwright who also wrote critical works on drama. Zenchiku, who married a daughter of the actor Zeami Motokiyo, was trained in drama by Zeami and Zeami’s son Motomasa. Zenchiku worked and performed in the Nara region and perhaps, therefore, was not as successful

Kâmpóng Cham, town, south-central Cambodia. The town lies on the right bank of the Mekong River and is an important river port about 45 miles (75 km) northeast of Phnom Penh, the national capital. It has an airfield, a cotton-textile mill, a rice mill, and agricultural-machinery and vehicle-repair

Kâmpóng Chhnăng, town, central Cambodia. Kâmpóng Chhnăng is located just west of the Sab River (the outlet for the Tonle Sap) and has port facilities. It is connected to Phnom Penh, the national capital, by a national highway route and railway. The surrounding area is occupied by Khmer peoples,

Kâmpóng Spœ, town, south-central Cambodia. The town lies along the Tnaôt River at the foot of the Dâmrei (“Elephant”) Mountains and astride a national highway linking Phnom Penh, the national capital, with Kâmpóng Saôm, the country’s principal seaport. The surrounding area supports rice, sugarcane,

Komsomol, in the history of the Soviet Union, organization for young people aged 14 to 28 that was primarily a political organ for spreading Communist teachings and preparing future members of the Communist Party. Closely associated with this organization were the Pioneers (All-Union Lenin Pioneer

Komsomolsk-na-Amure, city in Khabarovsk kray (territory), far eastern Russia, on the Amur River. Founded in 1932 on the site of the small village of Permskoye, the town was built by members of the Komsomol (Young Communist League), from which it derives its name. It rapidly developed into a major

Komsomolsk-na-Amure, city in Khabarovsk kray (territory), far eastern Russia, on the Amur River. Founded in 1932 on the site of the small village of Permskoye, the town was built by members of the Komsomol (Young Communist League), from which it derives its name. It rapidly developed into a major

Komsomolskaya Pravda, morning daily newspaper published in Moscow that was the official voice of the Central Council of the Komsomol, or communist youth league, for young people aged 14 to 28. Komsomolskaya Pravda was founded in 1925 and historically had its main offices in Moscow, with those of

kŏmungo, Korean long board zither that originated in the 7th century. The kŏmungo is about 150 cm (5 feet) long and has three movable bridges and 16 convex frets supporting six silk strings. The front plate of the instrument is made of paulownia wood and the back plate is made of chestnut wood.

Adam Zagajewski: His first collections of poetry, Komunikat (1972; “Communiqué”) and Sklepy mięsne (1975; “Meat Shops”), came out of the Polish New Wave movement, which rejected the falseness of official communist propaganda. Zagajewski was a major figure in the Solidarity movement of the 1980s, and his volume List: oda do wielości (1982;…

Yusef Komunyakaa is a poet and professor best known for his autobiographical poems about African American identity, the Vietnam War, and jazz and blues. He won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry for his collection Neon Vernacular: New and Selected Poems 1977–1989 (1993). (Read Britannica’s essay “War

Komura Jutarō was a Japanese diplomat of the Meiji period and negotiator of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Komura returned to Japan and entered the Japanese Ministry of Justice (1880), later transferring to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A year before the

Komura Jutarō was a Japanese diplomat of the Meiji period and negotiator of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Komura returned to Japan and entered the Japanese Ministry of Justice (1880), later transferring to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A year before the

Japanese music: Schools of shakuhachi flute music: The instrument was used by komusō, priests who begged or sometimes spied while wandering through the streets playing the flute incognito, their heads covered by special wicker basket hats. With the changes that had occurred in Japanese society, many former warriors no longer carried their swords, whereas young merchants carried…

Kyrgyzstan: Cultural life: …the accompaniment of the three-stringed komuz, which is plucked like a lute.

Komuz languages, a branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family formed by a group of related languages spoken in the border area that separates Ethiopia from Sudan and South Sudan. The Komuz group consists of Koma, Twampa (Uduk), Kwama, and Opo (Opo-Shita). Another variety of Komuz, known as Gule

Kon Tum, city in the central highlands, south-central Vietnam. In 1851 Roman Catholic missionaries established a settlement near Kon Tum, at a site 140 miles (225 km) south-southeast of Hue. Lying at an elevation of 1,720 feet (524 metres), the city is a traditional trading entrepôt for hides,

Kon-Tiki, raft in which the Norwegian scientist Thor Heyerdahl and five companions sailed in 1947 from the western coast of South America to the islands east of Tahiti. Heyerdahl was interested in demonstrating the possibility that ancient people from the Americas could have colonized Polynesia; to

Thor Heyerdahl: Kon-Tiki expedition: …was related in Heyerdahl’s book Kon-Tiki (1950) and in a documentary motion picture of the same name.

Kailua-Kona, resort area, Hawaii county, Hawaii, U.S., located on the west-central coast of Hawaii island. The western coast of the island of Hawaii is known as Kona, and Kailua is its largest town, hence the name Kailua-Kona for the entire region. The town of Kailua lies along Kailua Bay at the

Koolau Range: …point in the range is Konahuanui, which is actually two peaks (3,150 and 3,105 feet [960 and 946 metres]) and lies at the head of the Nuuanu Valley. Two cliff passes—Nuuanu and Waimanalo palis—cut through the range, there pierced by highway tunnels. The 1,200-foot (366-metre) Nuuanu Pali is associated with…

Conakry, national capital, largest city, and chief Atlantic port, western Guinea. Conakry lies on Tombo (Tumbo) Island and the Camayenne (Kaloum) Peninsula. Founded by the French in 1884, it derived its name from a local village inhabited by the Susu (Soussou) people. Subsequently it became capital