Agence France-Presse \a-zha n s-fra n s-'pres\ (AFP) French coopera¬ tive news agency. Based in Paris, it has roots in the Bureau Havas, cre¬ ated in 1832, which in 1835 became the Agence Havas, the world’s first true news agency. The Agence Havas was active until the German occu¬ pation of France in 1940, when many of its personnel went underground. After the liberation of Paris in 1944, underground journalists emerged to form AFP. The French government assigned the assets of Agence Havas to AFP, which quickly became one of the world’s leading wire news ser¬ vices. AFP operates bureaus in Africa, Asia-Pacific countries, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, and Europe.
agency In law, a relationship in which one party (the agent) acts on behalf of and under the control of another (the principal) in dealing with third parties. It has its roots in ancient servant-master relations. Agency becomes a legal issue when the agent injures or wrongs a third party. In Anglo-American law, principals are bound by and liable for the acts of such agents as stockbrokers, business agents, contractors, real-estate agents, lawyers, union representatives, managing partners, and private detectives. See also regulatory agency.
agenesis \a-'je-no-s9s\ Failure of all or part of an organ to develop dur¬ ing embryonic growth. Many forms of agenesis are lethal, such as absence of the entire brain (anencephaly), but agenesis of one organ of a pair may cause little problem. Agenesis of a kidney, bladder, testicle, ovary, thy¬ roid, and lung are known. Agenesis of the arms or legs is called mer- omelia (absence of one or both hands or feet), phocomelia (normal hands and feet but no arms or legs), and amelia (complete absence of a limb or limbs). Agenesis may be caused by absence of embryonic tissue or by chemical exposure in the uterus, and it is often associated with other con¬ genital disorders.
Agent Orange Mixture of herbicides. It contains approximately equal amounts of esters of 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and 2,4,5-T (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and trace amounts of dioxin. About 13 million gallons were sprayed by U.S. military forces onto Vietnam’s for¬ ests and crops during the Vietnam War, with the dual purpose of destroy¬ ing cover for enemy movements and destroying food sources. Exposure to Agent Orange has been blamed for an abnormally high incidence of miscarriages, skin diseases, cancers, birth defects, and malformations among Vietnamese and of cancers and other disorders in U.S., Australian, and New Zealand servicemen and their families.
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
28 I ageratum ► agouti
ageratum \ l a-j3- , ra-t3m\ Any plant of the genus Ageratum, of the com¬ posite family, native to tropical South America. Ageratum have toothed, oval leaves that are opposite each other on the stem; compact clusters of blue, pink, lilac, or white flowers; and small, dry fruits. Dwarf varieties are used as edging plants. Some ageratum are variously known as floss- flower and pussyfoot.
Agesilaus \3-je-s3-'la-9s\ II (b. c. 444 bc —d. 360, Cyrene, Cyrenaica) King of Sparta (399-360) and commander of its army during most of the era of Spartan supremacy (404-371). A member of the Eurypontid fam¬ ily, he took the throne with Lysander’s help while Sparta was fighting Per¬ sia. He defeated the allied Thebes, Athens, Argos, and Corinth in the Corinthian War (395-387), despite losing some ground in central Greece and a battle with the Persian fleet in 394. He dissolved the Boeotian League, but battles against the Boeotian Confederacy (371) and Thebes (370, 361) ended Sparta’s ascendancy. He died en route to Sparta from a mercenary engagement in Egypt.
agglomerate No-'gla-mo-roA Large, coarse, angular rock fragments associated with lava flow that are ejected during explosive volcanic erup¬ tions. Although they may appear to resemble sedimentary conglomerates, agglomerates are igneous rocks that consist almost wholly of angular or rounded lava fragments of varying size and shape. Some geologists sort agglomerates into bombs, blocks, and breccia. Bombs are ejected in a mol¬ ten state, becoming rounded upon solidification, and blocks are erupted as solid fragments. Upon accumulation and solidification of the angular fragments (also known as pyroclastics), they form agglomerates.
aggressive behaviour Any action of an animal intended to injure an opponent or prey animal or to cause an opponent to retreat. Aggres¬ sion may be caused by various stimuli. Within its own group, an animal must display aggressive postures to maintain its position within the hier¬ archy (e.g., the pecking order of chickens). A threat by itself, as in ruffled feathers or teeth revealed in a snarl, is usually sufficient to maintain an already-established social order. Aggression often occurs just before mat¬ ing season, when males win their choice of females and territories.
Agha Khan See Aga Khan
Aghlabid Vag-ls-bidX dynasty (800-909) Arab Muslim dynasty that ruled Ifriqiyyah (Tunisia and eastern Algeria) through a succession of 11 emirs. Nominally subject to the ‘Abbasid dynasty, they in fact were inde¬ pendent. High points of Aghlabid rule included the conquest of Sicily (827-829), the flowering of their capital city, Kairouan (9th century), and naval control of the central Mediterranean Sea. Public works included a system for conserving and distributing water.
Agiads \'a-je-odz\ Line of Spartan kings named after Agis I (11th cen¬ tury bc?). Agis was traditionally held to be the son of one of the legend¬ ary twins who founded Sparta. Agis II (d. 400/398 bc) commanded the Spartan army during most of the Peloponnesian War (431-404) against Athens. Agis III (d. 331 bc) led the Greek cities in an unsuccessful revolt against Alexander the Great. The last of the line was Agis IV (d. 241 bc), who failed in his attempt to reform the unequal distribution of land and wealth in Sparta, ultimately losing his crown and his life to Leonidas II.
Agincourt Va-jin-kort\, Battle of (October 25, 1415) Battle resulting in the decisive victory of the English over the French in the Hundred Years' War. In pursuit of his claim to the French throne, Henry V invaded Nor¬ mandy with an army of 11,000 men in August 1415. The English took Harfleur in September, but with their forces cut in half by battle and dis¬ ease, they resolved to return to England. At Agincourt they were cornered by a French army of 20,000-30,000 men, including many mounted knights in heavy armor. On a cramped battlefield where the superior French numbers offered little advantage, Henry made skillful use of his lightly equipped, mobile archers. The French were disastrously defeated, losing over 6,000 men, while the English lost fewer than 450.
aging Gradual change in an organism that leads to increased risk of weakness, disease, and death. It takes place in a cell, an organ, or the total organism over the entire adult life span of any living thing. There is a decline in biological functions and in ability to adapt to metabolic stress. Changes in organs include the replacement of functional cardiovascular cells with fibrous tissue. Overall effects of aging include reduced immunity, loss of muscle strength, decline in memory and other aspects of cognition, and loss of colour in the hair and elasticity in the skin. In women, the pro¬ cess accelerates after menopause. See also gerontology and geriatrics.
agitprop Va-jot-.prapX Political strategy in which techniques of agita¬ tion and propaganda are used to influence public opinion. Originally described by the Marxist theorist Georgy Plekhanov and then by Vladimir Ilich Lenin, it called for both emotional and reasoned arguments. The term, a shortened form for the Agitation and Propaganda Section of the Com¬ munist Party in the former Soviet Union, has been used in English, typi¬ cally with a negative connotation, to describe any work—especially in drama and other art forms—that aims to indoctrinate the public and achieve political goals.