Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

volleyball became a sport for both men

and women in the Summer Olympics.

Many people enjoy playing a casual game

of volleyball at the beach or in a backyard.

Players from Cuba and China face each

other during an international volleyball

tournament.

104 Volleyball BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Today the FIVB sponsors several other

international tournaments as well.

#More to explore

Olympic Games • Sports

Voting

Voting is a process by which a group of

people can decide things fairly when

they do not all agree. Voting is an

important part of the type of government

called democracy. In a democracy

people use voting to choose government

leaders. They also may vote for or

against certain laws or projects in their

community. The right to vote is called

suffrage.

Elections

When a group of people votes, it is

called an election. In an election for a

government job, the people who want

the job are called the candidates. Candidates

often run a campaign before an

election. During a campaign a candidate

tries to convince voters that he or she is

right for the job. Candidates often make

speeches and run advertisements on television.

On election day people usually go to a

polling place to vote. Polling places are

often in schools, community centers, or

other public buildings. At the polling

place people vote for their favorite candidate.

They use a machine to make

their choice, or they mark their choice

on a form called a ballot. Everyone’s

choice remains secret. After the election,

machines or election workers count the

votes for each candidate. The candidate

with the most votes usually wins the

election.

The Right to Vote

Every country that holds elections sets

its own rules about who can vote. Today

most countries allow nearly all adult

citizens to vote. Sometimes people who

have committed serious crimes cannot

vote. People who have certain mental

disabilities sometimes cannot vote either.

In the past many countries allowed only

white men to vote. In the United States

African American men gained the right

to vote in 1870, after the end of slavery.

Women in New Zealand, Australia, the

United Kingdom, and the United States

won the right to vote by 1920.Women

in most other countries gained suffrage

by the end of the 1900s. Black men and

women in South Africa first voted in

national elections in 1994.

#More to explore

Citizenship • Civil Rights • Democracy

•Women’s Rights

Workers in India learn how to use a new

voting machine.

Voting is a

duty in

Australia and

some other

countries.

Australians

who fail to

vote must pay

a fine.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Voting 105

 

Vulcan

#see Hephaestus.

Vulture

Vultures are large birds of prey. Unlike

other birds of prey, vultures usually do

not hunt for live animals. They mostly

eat dead meat and garbage instead.

When one vulture finds a dead or dying

animal, others fly in from miles away to

share in the meal.

Some of the biggest of all flying birds are

vultures. Vultures can fly for hours, soaring

gracefully on their long, broad

wings. Their feathers are usually brown,

black, or white. However, most vultures

do not have feathers on their heads and

necks. Vultures have excellent eyesight.

Vultures live mainly in warm regions.

There are two groups of vultures, New

World vultures and OldWorld vultures.

They have many similar characteristics,

but they are not closely related.

NewWorld Vultures

The NewWorld vultures live in North

and South America. They are probably

related to storks. These vultures do not

build nests. Females lay their eggs on

cliffs or in trees. Larger types of New

World vulture lay one egg at a time.

Smaller types lay two.

The black vulture is a NewWorld vulture

that is about 24 inches (61 centimeters)

long. The California condor is a

huge NewWorld vulture. It may reach

55 inches (139 centimeters) long with a

wingspread of about 9.5 feet (2.9

meters). The California condor nearly

died out in the late 20th century, but

scientists are trying to save it. Other

NewWorld vultures include the turkey

vulture and the Andean condor.

OldWorld Vultures

The OldWorld vultures live in Europe,

Asia, and Africa. They are closely related

to eagles and hawks. OldWorld vultures

build nests out of sticks on cliffs or in

trees. Sometimes many vultures build

nests in groups called colonies. The

larger types usually lay one egg at a time.

The cinereous vulture is a large bird in

this group. It is about 39 inches (99

centimeters) long. The lappet-faced vulture

is about the same size. Large folds

of skin, called lappets, hang down from

its head. Other OldWorld vultures

include the griffon vulture and Egyptian

vulture.

#More to explore

Bird • Bird of Prey • Eagle • Hawk

• Stork

A source of food attracts crowds of vultures

in Africa. Dead animals and garbage form

most of their diet.

106 Vulcan BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

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2010 Britannica Student Encyclopedia

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