Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

The modern-looking Quadracci Pavilion of

the Milwaukee Art Museum was designed

by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava

and completed in 2001.

Cheesemakers work on a large vat of

cheese at a plant in Wisconsin. Wisconsin

is known for its cheese and other dairy

products.

Facts About

WISCONSIN

Flag

Population

(2000 census)

5,363,675—

rank, 18th state;

(2008 estimate)

5,627,967—

rank, 20th state

Capital

Madison

Area

65,498 sq mi

(169,639 sq

km)—rank, 23rd

state

Statehood

May 29, 1848

Motto

Forward

State bird

Robin

State flower

Wood violet

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Wisconsin 53

 

Woden

#see Odin.

Wolf

Wolves are members of the dog family.

They are known for their intelligence

and courage.Wolves are also noted for

traveling very long distances. North

American Indians named their most

powerful warriors after wolves.

WhereWolves Live

There are three species, or types, of wolf.

The best known is the gray wolf. It lives

in North America, Europe, and Asia.

The red wolf once lived throughout the

southeastern United States. Now most

red wolves live in captivity. Some can

still be found in the wild in North Carolina.

The Ethiopian wolf was once considered

a jackal. Many people now

believe it is a wolf. It lives in Ethiopia.

Physical Features

The gray, or timber, wolf has long legs

and large feet. The males are larger than

the females. A male gray wolf usually

weighs about 100 pounds (45 kilograms).

Including the tail, it may be

about 6.5 feet (2 meters) long. The gray

wolf’s fur is usually gray. It may also be

brown, red, white, or black. The legs

and belly are yellowish white.

The red wolf weighs 44 to 82 pounds

(20 to 37 kilograms). Its coat is reddish

brown or sandy colored. The Ethiopian

wolf also has reddish brown fur. A male

Ethiopian wolf weighs only about 35

pounds (16 kilograms).

Behavior

Wolves are social animals. They live in

groups called packs. A wolf pack usually

has a pair of adult wolves and their offspring.

The male and female leaders are

known as the alpha pair.Wolves normally

hunt at night in groups. They eat

deer, moose, squirrels, and mice.

Survival

All species of wolf are in danger of dying

out. This is partly because their habitats

are being destroyed. People also kill

wolves because the wolves attack cattle.

Today there are many programs to protect

wolves.

#More to explore

Dog • Jackal

Wolof Empire

TheWolof Empire was an African state

that was powerful from about 1200 to

the 1550s. The empire covered parts of

Gray wolf, or timber wolf what is now Senegal, in western Africa.

54 Woden BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

A king called a burba ruled the empire.

He also served as the empire’s religious

leader.

TheWolof people came from what is

now the country of Mali in the 1000s.

They set up a kingdom soon after 1200.

During the 1300sWolof took over

neighboring kingdoms. One of these

kingdoms, called Cayor, controlled

lands along the coast of the Atlantic

Ocean. By the 1400sWolof had become

a powerful empire.

In about 1440 Portuguese traders came

to the area. They traded many goods

with theWolof Empire. They also tried

to take control of theWolof people. But

theWolof kept their independence.

In 1556 the Cayor people became independent

of theWolof Empire. They set

up a state of their own on the coast. This

weakened theWolof because now they

had no way to reach the ocean. As a

result theWolof were cut off from trade

with Europeans.

Over the next 300 years Europeans set

up more trading centers along the coast.

The power of theWolof shrank further.

During the 1800s the French settled in

theWolof lands and fought theWolof

people. In 1895 theWolof lands became

part of a colony of France.

#More to explore

Empire • Senegal

Wolverine

The wolverine is a mammal of the weasel

family. Like its relative the skunk, the

wolverine can give off an unpleasant

smell. It is sometimes called a skunk

bear. Its scientific name is Gulo gulo.

The wolverine is found mostly in the

northern parts of North America,

Europe, and Asia. It is known for its

great strength and big appetite.

The wolverine looks like a small, thickbodied

bear. It ranges from about 26 to

The wolverine is a strong animal. It has a

thick neck and big claws.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Wolverine 55

 

36 inches (66 to 91 centimeters) in

length and has a long, bushy tail. It can

weigh from 20 to 66 pounds (9 to 30

kilograms). The wolverine has short legs

and ears, strong teeth, and sharp claws.

The thick coat is blackish brown. A light

brown stripe runs from each side of the

neck down to where the tail starts.

The wolverine lives alone and is usually

active at night. It can travel up to 40

miles (64 kilometers) a day looking for

food. The wolverine eats small animals

that it kills and larger animals that it

finds dead. Some wolverines will attack

large animals such as sheep and deer.

The wolverine has no enemies except for

people.

#More to explore

Skunk •Weasel

Women’s Rights

In many countries today women have

the same rights as men. They have the

right to own property. They have the

right to get an education. They have the

right to work at any job they choose.

They have the right to vote. They have