Santa Cruz Islands, volcanic group of islands in the country of Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean, 345 miles (555 km) east of Guadalcanal. The main islands are Nendö (also called Ndeni Island or Santa Cruz Island), Utupua, Vanikolo, and Tinakula. Nendö is 25 miles (40 km) long and 14

Battle of Guadalcanal: The Battles of the Eastern Solomons, Cape Esperance, and Santa Cruz: …weeks later the much larger Battle of Santa Cruz occurred against the backdrop of a major Japanese ground offensive on Guadalcanal. U.S. commanders were anticipating a Japanese attack, and Vice Adm. William (“Bull”) Halsey, who had succeeded Ghormley as commander of U.S. naval forces in the South Pacific on October…

Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo: Following a massacre of peaceful demonstrators in Dili in 1991, Belo successfully campaigned for reforms in the military and the dismissal of two generals. A strong believer in nonviolent resistance, Belo sought peaceful means to settle the troubles in his homeland. In an open letter written in…

Cuzco school: …the late 17th-century indigenous painter Basilio de Santa Cruz Pumacallao. The Virgin of Belén, for example, reveals Santa Cruz’s use of dynamic composition and rich colouring.

Argentina: Drainage: Farther south the Santa Cruz River flows eastward out of the glacial Lake Argentino in the Andean foothills before reaching the Atlantic.

water lily: Major genera and species: …formerly Victoria regia) and the Santa Cruz water lily (V. cruziana) have upturned edges, giving each thickly veined leaf the appearance of a large shallow pan 60 to 180 cm (about 2 to 6 feet) across and accounting for its common name, water platter. The fragrant flowers of these species…

Latin American literature: Early novels: Francisco Javier Eugenio de Santa Cruz y Espejo, son of a Quechua father and a Spanish mother, penned satirical novels, treatises on medical and religious matters, and legal papers. His novel El nuevo Luciano de Quito (written in 1779; “The New Lucian of Quito”) and…

Álvaro de Bazán, Marqués de Santa Cruz was the foremost Spanish naval commander of his day. He was prominent in many successful naval engagements in a century that saw Spain rise to the zenith of its power and was the first proponent and planner of the Spanish Armada, the fleet that was to attempt

Argentina: Foreign policies: General Andrés de Santa Cruz, who had established a confederation of Peru and Bolivia, supported opponents of Rosas in Argentina. Rosas in turn aided the influential governor of the northern province of Tucumán when that governor decided to go to war against Santa Cruz’s confederation. The…

California: Education of California: Irvine, Santa Cruz, and San Diego. The campuses at Santa Cruz and San Diego were established on variations of the Oxford University system of numerous small independent colleges sharing limited central facilities or services. The original campus at Berkeley was founded in 1855 and has remained…

Santa Elena Peninsula, peninsula in western Ecuador that is the northernmost extension of the west-coast desert of South America. It is bounded by the Gulf of Guayaquil on the south and by Santa Elena Bay on the north. It is an arid region, but it has Ecuador’s important oil field at Ancón, as well

Ribeira, city, A Coruña provincia (province), in the comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of Galicia, northwestern Spain. The city lies on the Arousa Inlet across the inlet from Vilagarcia de Arousa, in the coastal zone. Remains of Roman fortifications and of a Phoenician port, La Covasa,

L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, city, Barcelona provincia (province), in the comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of Catalonia, northeastern Spain. It is a southwestern industrial suburb of Barcelona city and extends from the Marina Mountains to the coastal delta of the Llobregat River. First known

Tomás Eloy Martínez: …novela de Perón (1985) and Santa Evita (1995); the latter was translated into 30 languages and sold more than 10 million copies. In 2002 Martínez was awarded the prestigious Alfaguara Prize for his novel El vuelo de la reina. His other novels include Sagrado (1969), La mano del amo (1991),…

Santa Fe, county, a scenic area of northern New Mexico, U.S. The northeastern portion is in the Sangre de Cristo range of the Southern Rocky Mountains, featuring Santa Fe Baldy and Lake Peak, both more than 12,000 feet (3,650 metres) in elevation. At the mountains’ southern end is Glorieta Mesa, an

Santa Fe, capital of New Mexico, U.S., and seat (1852) of Santa Fe county, in the north-central part of the state, on the Santa Fe River. It lies in the northern Rio Grande valley at 6,996 feet (2,132 metres) above sea level, at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. A dry, invigorating

Santa Fe, city, capital of Santa Fe provincia (province), northeastern Argentina. It lies on a channel of the Paraná River, at the mouth of the Salado River, opposite the city of Paraná. It was founded in 1573 as Santa Fe de Vera Cruz at nearby Cayastá by Juan de Garay, lieutenant governor of

Santa Fe, provincia (province) of lowland plains, northeastern Argentina. It is bounded to the east by the Paraná River. Much of the province lies within the northern reaches of the Pampa, but in the subtropical northeast it has marshes, tall savannas, and clusters of woodland, and the subtropical

Santa Fe: …the Southern Rocky Mountains, featuring Santa Fe Baldy and Lake Peak, both more than 12,000 feet (3,650 metres) in elevation. At the mountains’ southern end is Glorieta Mesa, an area of hilly, grassy plains in the Basin and Range Province, with a landscape marked by colourful hills, mesas, and isolated…

Bogotá, capital of Colombia. It lies in central Colombia in a fertile upland basin 8,660 feet (2,640 meters) above sea level in the Cordillera Oriental of the Northern Andes Mountains. The city is divided into 20 localities, each with its own mayor and local administrative board. Bogotá is the

Bogotá, capital of Colombia. It lies in central Colombia in a fertile upland basin 8,660 feet (2,640 meters) above sea level in the Cordillera Oriental of the Northern Andes Mountains. The city is divided into 20 localities, each with its own mayor and local administrative board. Bogotá is the

Santa Fe, city, capital of Santa Fe provincia (province), northeastern Argentina. It lies on a channel of the Paraná River, at the mouth of the Salado River, opposite the city of Paraná. It was founded in 1573 as Santa Fe de Vera Cruz at nearby Cayastá by Juan de Garay, lieutenant governor of

Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, case in which the U.S. Supreme Court on June 19, 2000, ruled (6–3) that a Texas school board policy that allowed “student-led, student-initiated prayer” before varsity high-school football games was a violation of the First Amendment’s establishment

Murray Gell-Mann: In 1984 Gell-Mann cofounded the Santa Fe Institute, a nonprofit centre located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, that supports research concerning complex adaptive systems and emergent phenomena associated with complexity. In “Let’s Call It Plectics,” a 1995 article in the institute’s journal, Complexity, he coined the word plectics to describe…

Santa Fe Island, one of the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean, about 600 mi (965 km) west of Ecuador. Situated halfway between San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz islands, it is south of the vortex of the archipelago, is dotted with small volcanic cones, and has an area of 7 12 sq mi (19 sq

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company, former railway that was one of the largest in the United States. Chartered in Kansas as the Atchison and Topeka Railroad Company in 1859, it later exercised great influence on the settlement of the southwestern United States. It was renamed the

Santa Fe Trail, in U.S. history, famed wagon trail from Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, an important commercial route (1821–80). Opened by William Becknell, a trader, the trail was used by merchant wagon caravans traveling in parallel columns, which, when Native Americans attacked,

Michael Curtiz: The late 1930s and the 1940s: …of 1940, the misleadingly titled Santa Fe Trail, was a fanciful retelling of the story of abolitionist John Brown (Raymond Massey), with Flynn and Ronald Reagan along for the ride as Jeb Stuart and George Armstrong Custer, respectively.

Italy: Collapse of the republics: Their Armata della Santa Fede (“Army of the Holy Faith”) was the most important peasant uprising in the history of modern Italy. Invoking God and king, they devastated the castles of the aristocracy and occupied communal lands that the local barons had usurped; they also killed…

Santa Gertrudis, breed of beef cattle developed in the 20th century by the King Ranch in Texas, U.S., by crossing Brahman bulls and Shorthorn cows. Years of selective breeding, in which preference was given to coat color without sacrificing type and conformation, have resulted in the present-day

Italy: Socioeconomic developments in the countryside: …example, those of Bobbio and Santa Giulia at Brescia, whose estate records survive. They produced a sizable agricultural surplus, which the estates’ owners often sold in the cities (Santa Giulia, at least, had its own merchants). Not all estates, however, were organized this tightly; elsewhere demesnes, though common, tended to…

Benedictine: …and became known as the Cassinese Congregation.

Santa Hermandad, constabulary created in the late 15th century by the Catholic Monarchs (Ferdinand and Isabella) to maintain law and order throughout Spain. See

Malabo, city, Equatorial Guinea. It lies on the northern edge of the island of Bioko (or Fernando Po) on the rim of a sunken volcano. With an average temperature of 77 °F (25 °C) and an annual rainfall of 75 inches (1,900 mm), it has one of the more onerous climates in the Bight of Biafra (Gulf of

Santa Isabel, island, central Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean, 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Guadalcanal. About 130 miles (209 km) long and 20 miles (32 km) across at its widest point, it has a mountainous backbone with Mount Marescot (4,000 feet [1,219 metres]) as its highest peak. A

Bioko: …with its highest point being Santa Isabel Peak (9,869 feet [3,008 meters]). Malabo, Equatorial Guinea’s chief port, stands on the island near a crater breached by the sea.

Mongolian languages: …Monguor (Tu), Bao’an (Bonan), and Santa (Dongxiang) in the south—were isolated from the main body of Mongolian languages when the tide of Mongol conquest receded. These languages diverged from the main group of Mongolian dialects and to this day retain archaic features characteristic of Middle Mongolian that have been lost…

Santiago: History: … and by Huelén (later renamed Santa Lucía) Hill to the east, which served as a lookout.

Santa Lucia Range, segment of the Coast Ranges (see Pacific mountain system), west-central California, U.S. The rugged range extends southeastward for about 140 miles (225 km) from Carmel Bay to the Cuyama River in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. Lowest in the south, the range rises to 5,862

Mossoró, city, northwestern Rio Grande do Norte estado (state), northeastern Brazil. It lies on the Apodi River, about 30 miles (50 km) from its mouth on the Atlantic coast, at 66 feet (20 metres) above sea level. Formerly known as Santa Luzia de Mossoró, it was given city status in 1870 and is now

Santa Luzia Island, island of Cape Verde, situated in the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles (640 km) off the West African coast between the islands of São Nicolau and São Vicente. It has an area of 14 square miles (35 square km) and rises to an altitude of 1,296 feet (395 metres). The island is

South America: Tropical and subtropical rainforests: Characteristic trees are, among others, jacareúbas (Calophyllum brasiliense), which is a tall tree with hard reddish brown wood used for heavy construction, araparis (Macrolobium acaciaefolium), abiuranas (Lucuma species), piranheiras (Piranhea trifoliata), and louros-do-igapo (Nectandra amazonum). Undergrowth is dense.

Santa María, Christopher Columbus’ flagship on his first voyage to America. About 117 feet (36 metres) long, the “Santa María” had a deck, three masts, and forecastle and sterncastle and was armed with bombards that fired granite balls. She performed well in the voyage but ran aground off Haiti on

Santa Maria, largest of the Banks Islands in Vanuatu, southwestern Pacific Ocean. The island, with an area of 132 square miles (342 square km), is rugged and rises to Garet, an active volcano (2,615 feet [797 metres]) that contains a lake in its caldera at 1,404 feet (428 metres). The volcano has

Santa Maria, city, central Rio Grande do Sul estado (state), southern Brazil, lying in the Jacuí River valley at an elevation of 502 feet (153 metres). Founded in 1797, it was given city status in 1876. The community was once called Santa Maria da Bôca do Monte (“St. Mary of the Mountain’s Mouth”)

Capua, in ancient times, the chief city of the Campania region of Italy; it was located 16 miles (26 km) north of Neapolis (Naples) on the site of modern Santa Maria Capua Vetere. The nearby modern city of Capua was called Casilinum in antiquity. Ancient Capua was founded in c. 600 bce, probably by

Capua, in ancient times, the chief city of the Campania region of Italy; it was located 16 miles (26 km) north of Neapolis (Naples) on the site of modern Santa Maria Capua Vetere. The nearby modern city of Capua was called Casilinum in antiquity. Ancient Capua was founded in c. 600 bce, probably by

Rome: The Capitoline: The church of Santa Maria d’Aracoeli, built before the 6th century and remade in its present form in the 13th, is lined with columns rifled from Classical buildings. It is the home of “Il Bambino,” a wooden statue (originally a 15th-century statue; now a copy) of the Christ…

Santa Maria, city, central Rio Grande do Sul estado (state), southern Brazil, lying in the Jacuí River valley at an elevation of 502 feet (153 metres). Founded in 1797, it was given city status in 1876. The community was once called Santa Maria da Bôca do Monte (“St. Mary of the Mountain’s Mouth”)

Batalha: …the great Dominican monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória, also known simply as the monastery of Batalha (“Battle”), which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.

Belém, freguesia (parish) within the western limits of the city of Lisbon, Portugal. It is situated on the northern shore of the Tagus (Tejo) River estuary near its outlet to the Atlantic Ocean. A former royal residence, Belém (Bethlehem) is known for its Manueline (early 16th-century)

Vasco Núñez de Balboa: Career in the New World: …they founded the town of Santa María de la Antigua, the first stable settlement on the continent, and began to acquire gold by barter or war with the local Indians. The colonists soon deposed Enciso, Ojeda’s second in command, and elected a town council; one of its two alcaldes, or…

Vasco Núñez de Balboa: Career in the New World: …they founded the town of Santa María de la Antigua, the first stable settlement on the continent, and began to acquire gold by barter or war with the local Indians. The colonists soon deposed Enciso, Ojeda’s second in command, and elected a town council; one of its two alcaldes, or…

Vasco Núñez de Balboa: Career in the New World: …they founded the town of Santa María de la Antigua, the first stable settlement on the continent, and began to acquire gold by barter or war with the local Indians. The colonists soon deposed Enciso, Ojeda’s second in command, and elected a town council; one of its two alcaldes, or…

Granada: …stands the Gothic Cathedral of Santa María de la Encarnación (1523–1703), containing the Royal Chapel (Capilla Real) with the tomb of Ferdinand and Isabella and a display of heraldic decoration. The cathedral is profusely ornamented with jasper and coloured marble, and its interior contains many fine paintings and sculptures by…

Catedral de Sevilla, cathedral in Sevilla, Spain, that, in addition to being the world’s third-largest church, is an excellent example of Gothic and Renaissance architecture and represents some seven centuries of history. Originally it was the site of a large mosque that was built in the 12th

Montserrat: …and the Benedictine monastery of Santa María de Montserrat, which houses an ancient wooden statue of the Virgin and Child that was supposedly carved by St. Luke, taken to Spain by St. Peter, and hidden in a cave during the Moorish occupation. The statue was found in 880 and has…

Camagüey, city, capital of Camagüey provincia (province), east-central Cuba. It is situated on the San Pedro River, about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Florida. The city was founded in 1514 as Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe (also called Puerto Príncipe), at the site of present-day Nuevitas,

Western architecture: Early Renaissance in Italy (1401–95): …a central-plan church, that of Santa Maria degli Angeli (begun 1434) at Florence, which was never completed. It was very important because it was the first central-plan church of the Renaissance, the type of plan which dominates Renaissance thinking. The plan is an octagon on the interior and 16-sided on…

Santa Maria dei Frari, Franciscan church in Venice, originally built in the mid-13th century but rebuilt in Gothic style in the 15th century. This important example of Venetian Gothic ecclesiastical architecture (often referred to simply as the Frari) contains many masterpieces of Venetian

Pietro Lombardo: …sculptor for the Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli (1481–89), which is considered one of the finest Renaissance buildings in Venice. In 1482 he executed the tomb of Dante in Ravenna and in 1485 began work on his most distinguished monument, the Zanetti tomb in the cathedral at Treviso, for…

Rome: Piazza del Popolo: …oval plan and dome, while Santa Maria dei Miracoli, on the narrower plot toward the Tiber on the west, has a round dome. Carlo Rainaldi, the architect, turned both facades slightly inward to frame the welcoming parades that would proceed up the Corso between the two churches. One of the…

Florence: City layout: …Arno lies the modest Carmelite church of Santa Maria del Carmine, whose Brancacci Chapel displays some of the most powerful early 15th-century frescoes by Masaccio and Masolino (c. 1425–27). The frescoes have been restored to their former glory, bringing out colours and details that had long been obscured.

Masaccio: Early life and works: …sizable, multi-paneled altarpiece for the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine at Pisa in 1426. This important commission demonstrates his growing reputation outside Florence. Unfortunately, the Pisa altarpiece was dismantled in the 18th century and many of its parts lost, but 13 sections of it have been rediscovered and identified…

the Duomo, Roman Catholic church in Florence, Italy. When it was consecrated in 1436, it was the world’s largest church, able to accommodate 30,000 worshippers. Among the building’s significant features are its stained-glass windows; its ornate green, red, and white marble facade; its collection of

Rome: Piazza del Popolo: …church next to the gate, Santa Maria del Popolo, which stood for centuries before the piazza existed and gives its name to the area, was founded in 1227 to replace a 1099 chapel built over what was presumed to be the emperor Nero’s tomb. It was replaced in 1472–77 by…

Western architecture: Italy: In the church of Santa Maria del Priorato, Piranesi incorporated Classical references that were to greatly influence the succeeding generation of architects.

Cento: …built in the church of Santa Maria del Rosario for the 17th-century Baroque painter Guercino (G.F. Barbieri), who is represented in the local art gallery and was born in Cento. Several churches, notably the Santa Maria del Rosario, also contain the painter’s works. The town, which is overlooked by the…

Matteo Carnelivari: Thus, in the church of Santa Maria della Catena (“Saint Mary of the Chain”)—a work not unanimously attributed to Carnelivari—the traditional architectonic structure, based on a plan with a nave and two aisles and a raised Greek cross presbytery, has been refined and made lighter and airier by the complex…

Western architecture: High Renaissance in Italy (1495–1520): The church of Santa Maria della Consolazione (1504–1617) at Todi, probably by Bramante, is likewise centralized in plan, being square with a semicircular or polygonal apse opening off each side. The mass is built up of simple geometric forms capped by the cylinder of a drum and a…

Donato Bramante: Roman period of Donato Bramante: …the monastery and cloister of Santa Maria della Pace (finished 1504). Bramante seems to have been engaged in 1502 to begin the small church known as the Tempietto in San Pietro in Montorio, on the site where St. Peter was said to have been crucified.

Ancona: …11th- to 12th-century Church of Santa Maria della Piazza, with an ornate facade dating from 1210 and remains of 5th- and 7th-century mosaics; and the 12th- to 13th-century Cathedral of San Ciriaco, which is supposed to occupy the site of a Roman temple of Venus and incorporates the remains of…

Baldassare Longhena: Longhena’s masterpiece, the Church of Santa Maria della Salute (1631/32–1687) at the entrance to the Grand Canal in Venice, was commissioned by the republic in thanksgiving to God for deliverance from the plague of 1630. Longhena’s unique design called for an octagonal church with a huge dome; sculptured figures standing…

Rome: Santa Maria della Vittoria: Built during 1605–26, Santa Maria della Vittoria harbours an unfailing crowd-pleaser, Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s The Ecstasy of St. Teresa (1645–52). It is conceived entirely in theatrical terms, even to having the Cornaro family (in marble) seated in opera boxes at the…

Last Supper: …1498 for the Dominican monastery Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. It depicts the dramatic scene described in several closely connected moments in the Gospels, including Matthew 26:21–28, in which Jesus declares that one of the Apostles will betray him and later institutes the Eucharist. According to Leonardo’s belief that…

Macerata: …the cathedral (1771–90), and the Church of Santa Maria delle Vergini (1555–73), with a painting by Tintoretto. Macerata is the seat of a university with a faculty of jurisprudence, founded in 1290, and of several other learned institutions.

Rome: Piazza del Popolo: Santa Maria in Montesanto, on the east, has an oval plan and dome, while Santa Maria dei Miracoli, on the narrower plot toward the Tiber on the west, has a round dome. Carlo Rainaldi, the architect, turned both facades slightly inward to frame the welcoming…

Naples: Layout and architecture: The nearby church of Santa Maria di Piedigrotta, centre of a now-diminished popular festival, is steeply overlooked by a small park encompassing the entrance to the Roman grotto called the Crypta Neapolitana. This poignant place also contains the Roman columbarium known as the Tomb of Virgil, and the sepulchre…

Manfredonia: The Romanesque church of Sta. Maria di Siponto (1117), 2 miles (3 km) southwest, marks the site of the ancient Sipontum, conquered by the Romans in 217 bc and the see of a bishop from the 1st century ad. Abandoned in the 13th century because nearby stagnant lagoons had…

Carlo Rainaldi: Generally regarded as his masterpiece, Santa Maria in Campitelli (1663–67) shows a northern Italian rather than Roman influence. The use in the facade of many freestanding columns, stressing verticality, also derives from north Italian tradition. Rainaldi’s last important work was the grand facade uniting the old apse of Santa Maria…

Rome: Trastevere: The Trastevere (“Across the Tiber”) district, long the home of powerful Roman families, features palaces built during the Renaissance (e.g., the Villa Farnesina) and later (e.g., the 18th-century Palazzo Corsini). Most of the streets are still narrow and without sidewalks. Every 100 paces or…

Santa María Island, one of the southernmost Galapagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean about 600 miles (965 km) west of mainland Ecuador. Originally named for the British king Charles II, it is also known as Isla Floreana, but the official Ecuadoran name is Isla Santa María. The island, with

Santa Maria Island, southeasternmost island of the Azores archipelago (a part of Portugal), in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has an area of 37 square miles (97 square km). Its economy is based chiefly on fishing and cattle raising, and cereals and vines are cultivated. On the island’s western

Burgos: …Esteban (1280–1350); the monastery of Santa María la Real de las Huelgas, which was originally a summer palace of the kings of Castile and was transformed into a Cistercian convent in 1187 by Alfonso VIII; and numerous convents and monasteries in the environs of the city.

Redonda, the smallest of the three islands that constitute the nation of Antigua and Barbuda. Redonda is located among the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea, approximately 35 miles (55 km) from the nearest point in Antigua, to the east. Redonda is a rugged, uninhabited rock, the remnant

Como: …landmarks include the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore (14th–18th century), a fine example of the fusion of Gothic and Renaissance styles; the Broletto, or Communal Tower (1215; facade rebuilt 1435), the former city hall; and the Church of Sant’ Abbondio, formerly the cathedral, consecrated in 1095 on the site of…

Santa Maria Maggiore, one of four papal basilicas in Rome and the largest of the Marian churches (dedicated to the Virgin Mary) in the city. Founded in 432 ce, the basilica houses what is believed to be a relic of the manger in which the infant Jesus was laid in Bethlehem as well as the Marian icon

Santa Maria Novella, Italian Gothic-style church of the Dominicans in Florence. It was planned by two Dominican brothers, Sisto and Ristoro, and construction began c. 1278 and was completed in 1350, except for the facade, which was completed by Leon Battista Alberti in proto-Renaissance style

Donato Bramante: Lombard period: …working on the church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro, the first structure definitely attributed to him. Along with a certain adherence to local taste, this church shows traces of the influence of Alberti, Mantegna, Brunelleschi, and the Urbino school. This last influence is particularly evident in its choir, which…

Pantheon, building in Rome that was begun in 27 bc by the statesman Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, probably as a building of the ordinary Classical temple type—rectangular with a gabled roof supported by a colonnade on all sides. It was completely rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian sometime between ad 118

Pantheon, building in Rome that was begun in 27 bc by the statesman Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, probably as a building of the ordinary Classical temple type—rectangular with a gabled roof supported by a colonnade on all sides. It was completely rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian sometime between ad 118

Murcia: The 14th-century Gothic-style Cathedral of Santa María was restored in the 18th century. It contains the fine chapel of the Vélez family (1507). In the Hermitage of Jesus (Ermita de Jesús) are the majority of the Passion sculptures of Francisco Salzillo, which attract many visitors during Holy Week.…

Iguaçu Falls, series of cataracts on the Iguaçu River, 14 miles (23 km) above its confluence with the Alto (Upper) Paraná River, at the Argentina-Brazil border. The falls resemble an elongated horseshoe that extends for 1.7 miles (2.7 km)—nearly three times wider than Niagara Falls in North America

Osorno, city, southern Chile, lying at the junction of the Damas and Rahue rivers, 40 miles (64 km) inland from the Pacific coast. It was founded in 1553 under the name Santa Marina de Gaete, but this attempt failed. It was refounded in 1558 by García Hurtado de Mendoza, who named it Ciudad de San

Santa Marta, city, northern Colombia. It is situated on a small bay of the Caribbean Sea, 40 miles (64 km) east-northeast of the mouth of the Magdalena River, to which it is connected by swampy channels and lakes. Founded in 1525, it is the oldest city in Colombia. It became a port for colonial New

Santa Marta Mountains, Andean mountain range, northern Colombia, bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea and encircled on three sides by the coastal lowlands. The volcanic massif rises abruptly from the coast, culminating in snowcapped Pico (peak) Cristóbal Colón (18,947 feet [5,775 meters] above

Santa Marta Mountains, Andean mountain range, northern Colombia, bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea and encircled on three sides by the coastal lowlands. The volcanic massif rises abruptly from the coast, culminating in snowcapped Pico (peak) Cristóbal Colón (18,947 feet [5,775 meters] above

Leucas: The chief town, Levkás, lies at the northeastern corner, which in antiquity was separated by a marshy isthmus. It was formerly called Amaxíkhi or Santa Maura; the latter is also the Venetian name for the island. Most of the population inhabit the wooded east coast and its valleys.

Santa Monica, city, Los Angeles county, southern California, U.S. Lying on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded by the city of Los Angeles. Santa Monica was laid out in 1875 by Senator John P. Jones and named for Las Lágrimas de Santa Monica (Spanish: “The Tears of St. Monica”), a local spring. The

Santa Monica Mountains, mountain range in southern California, U.S., extending east-west for about 40 miles (64 km), paralleling the north shore of Santa Monica Bay. Elevations range from 1,000 to 3,000 feet (300 to 910 meters). Much of the range is within Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation