Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

archaeologist, found Tutankhamen’s

tomb and opened it. (An archaeologist is

a scientist who studies things that people

made in the past.) Carter found Tutankhamen’s

mummy, or preserved body,

within a nest of three coffins. The inner

coffin was solid gold. A gold mask with

the face of the pharaoh covered the

mummy’s head. The tomb also con-

Tutankhamen’s tomb was opened in 1922.

One of the most spectacular objects in the

tomb was a gold mask. It covered the head

of the king’s mummy.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Tutankhamen 119

 

tained furniture, statues, clothes, a

chariot, weapons, staffs, and various

other objects. The government of Egypt

now owns these treasures.

#More to explore

Egypt, Ancient • Mummy • Pharaoh

Tutu, Desmond

Desmond Tutu is a religious leader in

South Africa. His protests helped to

bring an end to South Africa’s apartheid

laws. Apartheid was a system that kept

blacks separate from whites. In 1984

Tutu received the Nobel peace prize for

his work.

Early Life

Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born on

October 7, 1931, in Klerksdorp, South

Africa. His father was a schoolteacher.

Tutu graduated from the University of

South Africa in 1954.

Tutu taught school for three years. Then

he went back to college to study religion.

In 1961 he became a priest in the

Anglican church. He then taught religion

in South Africa and Lesotho

(another country in southern Africa).

Career

Between 1972 and 1975 Tutu worked in

Great Britain for a Christian group

called theWorld Council of Churches.

Then he returned to Africa to serve the

Anglican church.

Between 1978 and 1985 Tutu led the

South African Council of Churches.

During this time he frequently made

nonviolent protests against apartheid

laws. The apartheid system made life

hard for blacks. They did not have the

same rights as whites.

In 1986 Tutu became archbishop of

Cape Town, South Africa. This made

him the leader of South Africa’s 1.6-

million-member Anglican church. He

was the first black to hold this job. In

1988 Tutu also became chancellor

(president) of the University of the

Western Cape in Bellville, South Africa.

He continued to protest against apartheid.

Apartheid finally ended in the early

1990s. In 1995 Tutu led a committee

that investigated the crimes of apartheid.

He retired as archbishop in 1996, but he

continued to teach.

#More to explore

Desmond Tutu Apartheid • South Africa

120 Tutu, Desmond BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Tuvalu

The country of Tuvalu is made up of

nine small island groups in the Pacific

Ocean. Tuvalu’s capital is Vaiaku, on the

island group called Funafuti Atoll.

Geography

Tuvalu is in Polynesia, a part of the large

region called Oceania. Tuvalu’s islands

are made of coral. Five of the island

groups are atolls. Atolls are groups of

islets (small islands) that surround a

pool of water. Most of Tuvalu’s land is

only about 15 feet (4.5 meters) above

sea level. There are no rivers. Tuvalu’s

climate is hot and rainy.

Plants and Animals

Coconut palms, screw pines, ferns, and

grasses grow on the islands.Wildlife

includes Polynesian rats, lizards, and

turtles. Octopuses, crustaceans, and

many fish live in Tuvalu’s waters.

People

Almost all the people are Polynesians.

Most people speak a language called

Tuvaluan. English is also common. Most

people are Christians. Nearly half of the

population lives on Funafuti Atoll.

Economy

Most people work in agriculture and

fishing. Crops include coconuts, tropical

fruit, and sweet potatoes. Many people

leave the country to find work. Tuvalu’s

government sells its stamps to stamp

collectors around the world. Tuvalu also

sells the use of its Internet name, “.tv.”

History

The first settlers in Tuvalu came from

the islands of Samoa in about the AD

1300s. In 1892 Great Britain took over

Tuvalu, which was then called the Ellice

Islands. In 1916 Britain joined the Ellice

Islands with the Gilbert Islands (now the

country of Kiribati). The Ellice Islands

gained independence as Tuvalu in 1978.

..More to explore

Coral • Funafuti Atoll • Oceania

A traditional hut sits among palm trees on

Funafuti Atoll in Tuvalu.

Facts About

TUVALU

Population

(2008 estimate)

9,600

Area

10 sq mi (26 sq

km)

Capital

Vaiaku, on

Funafuti Atoll

Form of

government

Constitutional

monarchy

Major town

Fongafale islet

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Tuvalu 121

 

Twain, Mark

The U.S. author Mark Twain wrote stories

of youthful adventures. His stories

are treasured by readers around the

world. He created Tom Sawyer, Huck

Finn, and other memorable characters.

Twain’s real name was Samuel Langhorne

Clemens. Mark Twain was the

name he used as a writer. He was born

on November 30, 1835, in the small

town of Florida, Missouri. When he was

4 years old he moved with his family to

Hannibal, Missouri, on the Mississippi

River.

In 1847 Samuel’s father died. From then

on Samuel had to help support the family.

At age 13 he started working with a

local printer. Later he worked as a

printer for newspapers in Saint Louis,

Missouri; New York City; and Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania. In the late 1850s

and early 1860s he piloted steamboats

on the Mississippi.

Clemens also wrote humorous stories for