(1936). In 1980 she became the first woman in history to be elected to the Academie Francaise.
youth hostel Supervised shelter providing inexpensive overnight lodg¬ ing, particularly for young people. Often located in scenic or historic areas, hostels range from simple farmhouses to hotels able to house sev¬ eral hundred people. Guests often cook their own meals, make their own beds, and do other chores; in return they receive lodging at much less than the usual commercial rate. Hostels place limits on the length of stay and formerly set a maximum-age limit for guests. The hosteling move¬ ment was founded by Richard Schirrmann, a German schoolteacher con-
Marguerite Yourcenar, 1971.
GIS^LE FREUND 1971
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
2100 I Ypres ► Yudenich
cemed about the health of young people breathing polluted air in industrial cities. Common in Germany in the early 1900s, youth hostels spread through Europe and other parts of the world after World War I, and an international organization was formed in 1932; currently known as Hos¬ telling International and based in London, its membership includes national federations in more than 60 countries, comprising some 4,000 hostels. Some hostels still impose age limits.
Ypres VeprA, Battles of Three costly battles in World War I in west¬ ern Flanders. In the first battle (Oct. 12-Nov. 11, 1914), the Germans were stopped on their march to the sea, but the Allied forces were then sur¬ rounded on three sides. The second battle (April 22-May 25, 1915) marked the Germans’ first use of poison gas as a weapon. In the third and longest battle (July 31-Nov. 6, 1917), also called the Battle of Pass- chendaele, the British were initially successful in breaking through the left wing of the German lines. The seasonal rains soon turned the Flanders countryside into an impassable swamp, but Gen. Douglas Haig persisted in his offensive. On November 6 Haig’s troops, including the Canadian Corps, occupied the ruins of Passchendaele, barely five miles from the start of the offensive. Total Allied and German casualties exceeded 850,000, including the deaths of 325,000 British soldiers.
Ypsilanti family \,ip-s3-'lan-te\ Greek family prominent in the 19th century. Early members were Greek Phanariots (residents of the Greek quarter of Constantinople) distinguished in the Ottoman imperial service. Constantine Ypsilanti (1760-1816) was governor of Moldavia (1799— 1801) and Walachia (1802-6) when he encouraged Serbians to rebel against Turkey. He was forced to flee to Russia, where his son Alexander Ypsilanti (1792-1828) became an officer in the Russian imperial guard. As the leader of the secret Greek organization Philikf Etaireia (1820), he promoted the cause of Greek freedom and led an unsuccessful attack on the Turks at Dragasani (1821). His brother, Demetrios Ypsilanti (1793— 1832), carried on the cause in the War of Greek Independence and served as commander of the Greek forces 1828-30.
Yrigoyen, Hipolito See Hipolito Irigoyen
Yser River \e-'zer\ River, northern France and Belgium. Rising in north¬ ern France, it flows through western Belgium and enters the North Sea near Nieuwpoort after a course of 48 mi (77 km). Its estuary was prob¬ ably as far inland as Loo into the 10th century, but gradual land reclama¬ tion has since reduced it to a narrow tidal creek. During World War I (1914) the German advance toward Calais and the English Channel coast was halted at the river when Nieuwpoort sluices were flooded; this checked the German advance and allowed the Allies to set up an impreg¬ nable position.
Ysyk .i-sik. Lake Russian Lake Issyk-Kul* \,i-sik-'k3l\ Lake, northeastern Kyrgyzstan. Situated in the northern Tien Shan, it is one of the largest mountain lakes in the world, having a surface area of some 2,425 sq mi (6,280 sq km) and reaching 2,303 ft (702 m) in depth. Its name (from the Kyrgyz word for “hot lake”) refers to the fact that it does not freeze during the winter. To conserve the lake’s wildlife, the Issyk- KuP Preserve was founded in 1948.
Yuan Chiang See Red River
Yuan dynasty or Yuan \yu-'an\ dynasty or Mongol dynasty
(1206-1368) Dynasty established in China by Mongol nomads. Genghis Khan occupied northern China in 1215, but not until 1279 did Kublai Khan take control of southern China. The Mongols established their capital at Beijing (then called Dadu). They rebuilt the Grand Canal and put the roads and postal stations in good order. Paper money, which had had lim¬ ited circulation under the Song, came to be used throughout the empire. Advances were made in astronomy, medicine, and mathematics, and trade was carried out throughout the Mongol empire from the plains of eastern Europe across the steppes to Mongolia and China. Many foreigners came to China (notably Marco Polo), and many Chinese traveled to Iran, Rus¬ sia, and even western Europe. The Chinese resented the Mongol conquer¬ ors, whose governmental system discriminated against them. Chinese artists demonstrated passive resistance by withdrawing and turning to personal expression. Literati painting became popular; the novel devel¬ oped, and new dramatic forms also appeared. Disputes over succession weakened the central government from 1300 on, and rebellions were fre¬ quent, many connected with secret societies such as the Red Turbans. The dynasty was overthrown in 1368 by the future Hongwu emperor. See also Ming dynasty.
Yuan Vywen, 'ywan\ River River, southeast-central China. It rises in Guizhou province, then flows northeast in Hunan province to Dongting Lake. It is some 635 mi (1,020 km) long and is navigable for most of its course.
Yuan Shikai or Yuan Shih-kai Vyu-'an-'shir-'kA (b. Sept. 16, 1859, Xiangcheng, Henan province, China—-d. June 6, 1916, Beijing) Chinese army leader and president of the Republic of China (1912-16). He began his military career serving in Korea in the 1880s. In 1885 he was made Chinese commissioner at Seoul; his promotion of China’s interests con¬ tributed to the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95). The war destroyed China’s navy and army, and the task of training a new army fell to Yuan. When his division was the only one to survive the Boxer Rebel¬ lion (1900), his political stature increased. He played a decisive part in China’s modernization and defense programs and enjoyed the support of the empress dowager Cixi. On her death he was dismissed, only to be called back following the overthrow of the Qing dynasty in 1911-12, when he became the first president of the new republic; Sun Yat-sen had previously served as the provisional president. Impatient with the new National Assembly, he ordered the assassination of Song Jiaoren, leader of the Nationalist Party in 1913. He quelled a subsequent revolt, but his efforts to found his own dynasty (1915-16) failed.
yuca See cassava
Yucatan \yu-ka-'tan\ State (pop., 2000: 1,658,210), northern Yucatan Peninsula, southeastern Mexico. It covers an area of 14,827 sq mi (38,402 sq km); its capital is Merida. Yucatan occupied virtually the entire pen¬ insula when it became a state in 1824, but the creation of the states of Campeche (1858) and Quintana Roo (1902) from parts of Yucatan, as well as later boundary changes, reduced it to its present size. Long occupied by rural Maya Indians who speak little Spanish, it is the site of many ancient Maya ruins.
Yucatan Peninsula Peninsula, northeastern Central America. It lies between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea; its 76,300-sq-mi (197,600-sq-km) territory includes the Mexican states of Campeche, Quin¬ tana Roo, and YucatAn and, in the south, large parts of Belize and Gua¬ temala. It is about 200 mi (320 km) wide and has a coastline of about 700 mi (1,100 km). The area had long been home to many pre-Columbian civilizations before Spanish explorer HernAn Cortes traversed its inland portion in 1525. Spanish rule was subsequently established, but since that time many independent Maya Indians have kept to its inland rural areas and resisted the authority of the central government. Its coastal area, with many beaches and resorts, and its ancient archaeological sites, including Chichen ItzA, Uaxactun, and Uxmal, are major tourist destinations, as is the resort city of Cancun.