Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

humans because they eat insect pests,

garbage, or decaying meat. Other kinds

are harmful. They destroy crops, spread

disease, or eat clothing and carpet.

Beethoven

could not hear

the audience

clapping when

his Ninth Symphony

was

first played.

He did not

know that they

liked it until he

turned to look

at them.

48 Beetle BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Many beetles produce light and sound to

attract a mate or frighten an enemy. They

make light by mixing chemicals inside

special organs. They make a high-pitched

sound by rubbing together two hard

body parts.

Beetles hatch from eggs. The newborn

beetles do not look like adult beetles.

Over the course of their lives, their

form changes completely. Their bodies

change in three stages: larva, pupa, and

adult. This process is called

metamorphosis.

..More to explore

Firefly • Insect • Metamorphosis

Beijing

Population

(2007

estimate), urban

area,

11,106,000

Beijing is the capital of China, a country

in eastern Asia. The city sits between

two rivers on a plain in northeastern

China. Beijing is an old city that has

played an important role in China’s history.

It has been China’s center of government

for almost 800 years. It is also

the country’s main center of industry,

education, and culture.

Beetles come in many different sizes and colors.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Beijing 49

 

Places of Interest

A huge plaza called Tiananmen Square

is often the site of political celebrations.

Many museums and monuments are

located there. At one end of the square is

a large gate called the Tiananmen. It has

become a symbol of China.

Through this gate is the Forbidden

City, a group of buildings from the

1400s. It contained the palaces of

several emperors. The Forbidden City

was so named because for many years

common people were not allowed there.

It is now a museum that is open to the

public.

Beijing is famous for its many parks.

The Summer Palace is known for its

beautiful landscaping and buildings,

including temples and bridges. Tiantan

Park contains the Temple of Heaven,

where emperors used to pray. Beihai

Park was built in the 1600s. Today, its

large lake is filled with boats in the summer

and ice skaters in the winter.

Economy

Factories in Beijing make cloth, cars,

electronics, computers, and machinery.

Unlike in many large cities, farmers

grow fruits and vegetables in the city

itself. Tourism also brings money to

Beijing.

History

People have lived in the Beijing area for

thousands of years. Several towns were

built on the site and later destroyed. In

the 1200s the Mongol leader Kublai

Khan built the city of Dadu on the site.

He made Dadu the capital of China.

Except for a few brief periods, the city

has been China’s capital ever since.

The city was renamed Beijing in the

early 1400s. It was known as Peking in

the United States and otherWestern

countries until the early 1980s. “Beijing”

is now the official way to write the city’s

name in English.

The Temple of Heaven in Beijing is more

than 500 years old.

Hundreds of children show their martial arts

skills in Beijing, China.

50 Beijing BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

In 1989 students held a protest against

the government in Tiananmen Square.

Government forces brought in tanks

and killed many people to break up the

protest. People around the world

criticized the government for its actions.

In the 1980s and ’90s, three of Beijing’s

historical areas were named World

Heritage sites by a branch of the United

Nations. They were the Forbidden City,

the Summer Palace, and the Temple of

Heaven.

#More to explore

China • Mongol Empire

Beirut

Population

(2003 estimate)

1,171,000

Beirut is the capital of Lebanon, a country

in the Middle East. The city spreads

over two hills along the coast of the

Mediterranean Sea. Beirut is Lebanon’s

main port and largest city. It was once

the most modern city in the Middle

East. However, a war in the late 20th

century caused a lot of damage there.

Tourism, banking, and other services are

important to the economy. Trade

through the port also brings money to

the city. Other major industries include

printing and food processing.

Beirut is an ancient city. It has been

conquered, destroyed, and rebuilt a

number of times. Over the centuries it

was ruled by Romans, Christian

Crusaders, and Arabs. Beirut was part

of the Turkish Ottoman Empire from

the 1500s to the early 1900s. After

World War I (1914–18) the French

ruled Lebanon. They made Beirut the

capital. Lebanon became an

independent country in 1943. Beirut

remained its capital.

Groups of Lebanese Muslims and Lebanese

Christians fought each other in a

civil war from 1975 to 1991. During the

war Beirut was divided into two

sections—a Christian East Beirut and a

Muslim West Beirut. After the war the

city remained divided, but it began to

rebuild its damaged buildings and

economy. In 2006 the city was damaged

again in fighting between the Lebanese

Muslim group known as Hezbollah and

forces from Israel.

#More to explore

Lebanon

Modern buildings stand among the ruins of

ancient structures in Beirut.

Beirut has

been a center

for education

since ancient

times. The

American University

of

Beirut became

a respected

school during