Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

teacher in Springfield, Massachusetts.

His school asked him to create a

sport that students could play indoors

during the winter. The first basketball

game had peach baskets as the goals.

That is why the sport was named basketball.

The metal hoop was not invented

until 1906.

Basketball quickly became popular

throughout the United States. Both men

and women started playing basketball at

the college level in the early 1890s. The

first professional basketball league in the

United States was formed in 1898. The

National Basketball Association (NBA)

started in 1949. It is the main professional

league in the United States today.

Outside the United States, basketball

developed more slowly. Men’s basketball

became an Olympic event in 1936.

International world championships

began in 1950 for men and in 1953 for

women.Women’s basketball was added

to the Olympics in 1976.

The NBA grew especially popular in the

1980s. More games were televised than

ever before. Outstanding players such as

Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael

Jordan attracted many new fans.

The first women’s professional leagues

in the United States began during the

1970s. They failed after a year or two.

The currentWomen’s National Basketball

Association (WNBA) began in

1997.

As one player tries to get the ball in the

basket another raises his hand to try to stop

him.

James

Naismith’s

original rules

of basketball

did not allow

players to run

with the ball.

They had to

throw it from

the spot where

they caught it.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Basketball 35

 

High school and college championship

tournaments are traditionally held in

March. There are separate tournaments

for both men’s and women’s teams.

#More to explore

Johnson, Magic • Jordan, Michael

Basque

The Basques are a people with a unique

history and culture. Most Basques live in

northern Spain, but some live in southern

France. They have lived in this

region for many hundreds of years.

Some Basques have moved away from

Europe, mostly to South America and

the United States.

The Basques have a unique language

called Euskara. It is unlike any other

European language. Some Basques who

live in the mountains still speak Euskara.

However, most Basques speak either

Spanish or French.

The Basques traditionally were farmers.

They also sailed far over the Atlantic

Ocean to fish and hunt whales. In more

recent times they have built large industrial

towns. Their factories make lumber,

furniture, iron, and steel.

For many years some Basques living in

Spain have not liked being under Spain’s

control. They have worked to get more

control over their region. In 1978 the

Spanish government gave the Basques in

Spain some of the freedom they wanted.

For example, the Basques won the right

to make their own laws.

However, some Basques want to break

away from Spain completely. Their goal

is to form an independent Basque

nation. Some of these Basques belong to

a terrorist group known as the ETA.

People carrying Basque flags attend a rally

for Basque independence held near Bilbao,

Spain.

Basketball is a very popular sport at the

college level for both men and women.

36 Basque BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

They have killed Spanish officials and

performed other acts of violence.

..More to explore

France • Spain

Bass

The fish called bass are valued all over

the world as a source of food. There are

hundreds of different species, or types,

of bass. Many of them belong to the sea

bass family. Others, such as black bass,

belong to the sunfish family. Some fish

in other families are also called bass.

Most bass have a spiky fin running

along their back. Many are dark on top

with a pale belly. Bass vary greatly in

size. Rock bass are about 6 inches (15

centimeters) long. By contrast, giant sea

bass may be more than 6 feet (2 meters)

long and more than 500 pounds (225

kilograms) in weight.

Sea bass are large-mouthed ocean fishes

that usually prefer warmer waters. They

are usually large. Some can change color.

Sea bass feed on fish, mollusks, and

other small animals without spines.

They also eat crustaceans, which are

animals that live in shells.

Black bass live in the freshwater ponds,

rivers, and lakes of North America.

Largemouth black bass have an upper

jawbone that extends beyond their eyes.

Their body varies in color from green to

black, with a dark, horizontal stripe.

Smallmouth black bass are smaller and

have a green to brownish color. Black

bass feed on smaller fishes.

..More to explore

Fish

Basseterre

Population

(2006 estimate)

12,900

Basseterre is the capital of Saint Kitts

and Nevis, an island country in the Caribbean

Sea. The town is located on the

coast of Saint Kitts Island. It is the

country’s largest town and main port.

Basseterre is also a center for shipping

goods to nearby islands. Its chief industries

are tourism and sugar processing.

The French founded Basseterre in 1627.

The British took over Basseterre and the

rest of Saint Kitts and Nevis in 1783. A

fire destroyed Basseterre in 1867, but

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Basseterre 37

 

the town was rebuilt. In 1983 Saint

Kitts and Nevis became an independent

country. Basseterre became its capital.