Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

Later several other foreign powers

invaded the city.

In 1921 Iraq became an independent

country with Baghdad as its capital. The

city began to grow again in size and

importance.

Iraq’s long war with Iran in the 1980s

hurt Baghdad’s development. During

The American badger is usually found in

open, dry areas of western North America.

Like other badgers it has large front claws

that it uses for digging.

6 Baghdad BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

the Persian GulfWar of 1991, the

United States and its allies dropped

bombs on the city. Baghdad suffered

further damage when forces led by the

United States invaded the city in 2003.

#More to explore

Iraq

Baha#i Faith

In the middle of the 1800s a religion

called the Baha#i faith started in what is

now Iran. It later spread around the

world. Its followers, called Baha#is, seek

to bring together all people in one religion.

Beliefs and Practices

Baha#is believe that all religions are one

and all people are one. They also believe

that God is beyond understanding. They

teach that people should worship God

and try to make the world a better place.

At services, members listen to readings

from the scriptures of all religions.

Baha#is have no priests or special ceremonies.

There are rules about prayer

and fasting, however. Also, a person is

supposed to marry only once and should

not use alcohol or tobacco.

History

A man named Mirza !Ali Mohammad

started a group called the Babi in Persia

(now Iran) in 1844. He believed that a

new prophet, or messenger of God,

would soon appear. Muslim leaders and

the government opposed his ideas. He

was arrested, and in 1850 he was killed.

One of the first Babis was Mirza

Hoseyn !Ali Nuri. After he joined the

group, he called himself Baha# Ullah.

He was arrested in 1852. While in jail,

he realized that he was the new

prophet. In 1853 he was released and

sent to Iraq. He led the Babi

community there. The Babis who

believed that he was the new prophet

were called the Baha#is.

Baha# Ullah died in 1892. After his

death, his oldest son led the group. He

helped spread the faith to North

America, Europe, and other continents.

By the end of the 1900s, it had about 7

million followers around the world.

#More to explore

Iran

All Baha#i houses of worship

have nine sides and a dome.

The House of Worship in Wilmette,

Illinois, is the only one in

the United States.

The Baha#i

calendar has

19 months of

19 days each

because the

religion

started with

19 followers.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Baha#i Faith 7

 

Bahamas, The

Located just southeast of Florida, the

country of The Bahamas is a chain of

islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The capital

is Nassau on New Providence Island.

The Bahamas includes about 700 islands,

but people live on only about 30 of them.

The islands are low and flat. There are no

rivers. The climate is tropical, with warm

weather year-round. From July to

November, hurricanes may occur.

Forests of pine, broadleaf, and palm

trees grow on some islands. Animals of

The Bahamas include frogs, lizards, and

snakes. The surrounding waters are filled

with fish, conchs, crayfish, and other

marine animals.

Most people in The Bahamas trace their

roots to slaves fromWest Africa. Smaller

groups include mulattos (people with

both black and white ancestors), British

and U.S. whites, and Haitians.

The economy of The Bahamas depends

on tourism. Tourists come to enjoy the

beaches and crystal blue waters. Banking

is another important industry. Crayfish,

poultry, and fruit are the main agricultural

products. Bahamians also mine

limestone, harvest salt from the sea, and

make rum.

The peaceful Arawak people lived on the

islands before Europeans arrived.

Christopher Columbus landed in The

Bahamas in 1492 and claimed the islands

for Spain.Within 30 years the Arawak

had completely disappeared fromThe

Bahamas.

British settlers arrived on Eleuthera

Island in 1648. Except for brief control

by both the United States and Spain in

the late 1700s, The Bahamas stayed

British until 1973. That year the islands

gained independence.

..More to explore

Arawak • Columbus, Christopher

• Nassau

Many tourists arrive in The Bahamas on

cruise ships.

Facts About

THE BAHAMAS

Population

(2008 estimate)

335,000

Area

5,382 sq mi

(13,939 sq km)

Capital

Nassau

Form of

government

Constitutional

monarchy

Major cities

Nassau, Freeport,

West End, Cooper’s

Town,

Marsh Harbour

8 Bahamas, The BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Bahrain

Bahrain is a small country in the Persian

Gulf. It is made up of one main island,

called Bahrain Island, and about 30

smaller islands off the coast of Saudi

Arabia. The capital is Manama.

Fruit trees grow on the northwestern

coast of Bahrain Island. Desert plants

grow in the dry areas. Animals include

gazelles, hares, lizards, jerboas (desert

rats), and mongooses.

The majority of the country’s people are

Arabs. There are also groups of South

Asians and Persians. Arabic is the official

language, and Islam is the official religion.

Most of the people live in cities.

Bahrain is a center for more than 60

foreign banks. Its major industries

depend on its reserves of petroleum (oil)

and natural gas. Bahrain also manufactures