Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

Apartheid divided South Africans into

four groups: white, Bantu (black), Col-

An Apache woman holds a child in a

cradleboard. Many Native American

women used cradleboards to carry small

children on their back.

144 Apache BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

ored (of mixed descent), and Asian. The

policy created separate areas in cities for

each group. Members of a group were

not allowed to live, operate businesses,

or own land outside of their area. Under

“pass” laws, nonwhites had to carry

passes while in white areas. Other laws

set up separate schools and restricted

each race to different types of jobs. The

government also created 10 territories

called “homelands” and forced all blacks

to move to them.

With the support of some whites, many

blacks in South Africa protested against

apartheid. The African National Congress

(ANC) led the fight. The protests

sometimes turned violent. A district

called Soweto rioted in 1976 against a

requirement that blacks learn Afrikaans.

Other countries also condemned apartheid.

In 1985 Great Britain and the

United States restricted trade with South

Africa.

In response to the protests, the South

African government granted nonwhites

some rights in the late 1980s. In

1990–91 the government led by President

F.W. de Klerk ended most of the

apartheid laws. In 1994 all races were

allowed to vote in a national election.

Nelson Mandela, leader of the ANC,

was elected president. Apartheid was

over, but its effects remained. Racial

discrimination continued in South

Africa.

#More to explore

African National Congress

• Discrimination • Mandela, Nelson

• South Africa

Apatosaurus

A massive dinosaur, the Apatosaurus

weighed as much as five elephants. The

name Apatosaurus means “deceptive lizard.”

It used to be called Brontosaurus,

which means “thunder lizard.” Apatosaurus

belongs to the group of dinosaurs

known as sauropods, which also includes

Brachiosaurus. The sauropods were large,

plant-eating dinosaurs with a long neck,

a massive body, and four pillarlike legs.

When and Where Apatosaurus

Lived

Apatosaurus lived about 147 to 137 million

years ago. Most Apatosaurus remains

have been found in North America,

Scientists once

thought that

Apatosaurus

needed to live

in water to

support the

weight of its

heavy body.

Modern scientists

now

agree that the

dinosaur was

mainly a land

animal.

During the period of apartheid

blacks and whites were kept

apart in many ways. A sign from

that time says that a beach is for

whites only.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Apatosaurus 145

 

particularly inWyoming, Utah, Oklahoma,

and Colorado.

Physical Features

Apatosaurus was one of the largest land

animals of all time. It reached a length

of 70 feet (21 meters), weighed 30 to 36

tons, and stood 15 feet (4.6 meters) tall

at the hips. This dinosaur also had a very

long neck and tail. Apatosaurus stood

and walked on all four legs. It had claws

on its large feet. Its head was small and

horselike, with long, peg-shaped teeth.

Behavior

Apatosaurus fed on the leaves and

needles of trees and plants. Its long neck

may have let it reach trees as high as 35

feet (10.6 meters). It swallowed small

stones to help grind up the plants in its

stomach. Apatosaurus probably lived and

traveled in herds. Like other dinosaurs,

it reproduced by laying eggs.

#More to explore

Brachiosaurus • Dinosaur

Ape

Apes are the animals that are most

closely related to humans. Both apes and

humans are members of the scientific

group of animals called primates. Monkeys

are primates, too. However, apes

differ from monkeys in several ways. For

instance, apes have more complex brains

than monkeys do. Also, monkeys have

tails but apes do not.

The apes are divided into two categories:

great apes and lesser apes. Gorillas, orangutans,

chimpanzees, and bonobos are

great apes. They are larger and more

intelligent than the lesser apes. The gibbons

are lesser apes.

Where Apes Live

Apes live in warm or hot rain forests.

Gibbons and orangutans are found in

southeastern Asia. Gorillas and chimpanzees

are found in western and central

Africa. Bonobos have the smallest range.

They are found only in part of the

Apatosaurus

146 Ape BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Democratic Republic of the Congo, a

country in central Africa.

Gibbons and orangutans live mainly in

trees. On the other hand, gorillas spend

most of their time on the ground.

Chimpanzees and bonobos tend to eat

and sleep in trees, but they travel mostly

on the ground.

Physical Features

The smallest apes are the gibbons. Most

gibbons are about 16 to 26 inches (40 to

65 centimeters) long. Gorillas are the

largest apes. They may grow to about 66

inches (170 centimeters) in length and

weigh 300 to 600 pounds (135 to 275

kilograms).

All apes have a coat of hair, which is

usually tan, brown, black, gray, or reddish.

They have long arms and shorter

legs. Gorillas, orangutans, and chimpanzees

generally have powerful arms and

broad chests. Bonobos and gibbons are

more slender. Like humans, all apes have

thumbs that can bend to meet the other

fingers.

Behavior

Most apes are active during the day.

They usually sleep in trees at night. All