Browse the glossary using this index

Special | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL

Page: (Previous)   1  2  3  4  5  (Next)
  ALL

D

de San Martín, José

(1778-1850) Latin American revolutionary. He is one of the main leaders of the Latin American independence movement.

de Santa Anna, Antonio López

(1794-1876) Mexican general and dictator who controlled Mexico for more than 25 years. Lost war against the United States which cost Mexico present day California, Nevada, and New Mexico.

decimal system

Numeric system based on ten. Created by mathematicians during the Gupta golden age in India.

Declaration of the Rights of Man

Revolutionary document of the French Revolution. Written in 1789, it spelled out certain rights believed to be universal to all mankind. Patterned on the American Declaration of Independence.

deforestation

The widespread destruction of the world's forests. One of the largest areas of destruction are the tropical rainforests. These forest are cut down for the hardwood lumber, to clear space for farming, for building settlements, and for grazing animals.land bridge

Democracy

Government by people exercised either directly or through elected representstives.

democratic republic

A political system in which a country is ruled by law, has representative government, and is democratic in nature.

Deng Xiaoping

(1904-1997) Chinese Communist leader. Ruled from 1978 until 1997.

Descartes, Rene

(1596-1650) French intellectual who challenged traditional ideas. He said that human reason was capable of discovering and explaining the laws of nature and man. The idea of human reason being superior to tradition led to the beginning of the Enlightenment, a time of political awakening that became revolution.

desertification

The process in which land slowly dries out until little or no vegetation exists becoming a desert.


Page: (Previous)   1  2  3  4  5  (Next)
  ALL