genes. In fact, there is no scientific basis
for dividing people into races.
Cultural Anthropology
Cultural anthropology is a social science,
or a field of study concerned with
human societies. Cultural anthropologists
study many aspects of human cultures,
in different places and times.
These may include art, language, religion,
clothing, customs, and social
structure. Anthropologists try not to
judge a cultures practices as good or
bad. Instead, they try to find out what
the practices mean to the people of that
culture. They also compare the practices
of various societies.
Some anthropologists study the bones and
other remains of humans.
Margaret
Mead of the
United States
was a famous
anthropologist.
She studied
the
peoples of
Oceania during
the mid-
1900s.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Anthropology 141
Archaeology is one type of cultural
anthropology. Archaeologists uncover
and study pottery, tools, and other
objects left by prehistoric and ancient
peoples. They try to learn how such
peoples lived.
In the 1800s and early 1900s most cultural
anthropologists were from western
Europe or the United States. They usually
traveled to another part of the
world, such as Africa or Asia, to study
different cultures. Today cultural anthropologists
from all around the world
study a wide variety of human groups.
For instance, they may study small fishing
villages, gangs in big cities, religious
groups, or large companies.
#More to explore
Archaeology Biology Culture
Evolution Genetics Human Origins
Social Science
Antibiotic
Doctors sometimes treat patients with a
type of medicine called an antibiotic.
Antibiotics treat illnesses and infections
caused by bacteria, or tiny organisms.
Antibiotics can come in the form of a
pill, a liquid, a cream, or a shot. One of
the first widely used antibiotics was
penicillin. It was discovered in 1928.
Doctors use antibiotics to cure serious
diseases such as pneumonia, tuberculosis,
and meningitis. Antibiotics can also
fight common problems such as acne
and strep throat. Antibiotics do not
work against common colds or other
illnesses caused by a virus.
Antibiotics work by killing bacteria or
by preventing them from multiplying.
Sometimes, however, not all the bacteria
die. The bacteria that survive are said to
have a resistance to the antibiotic. As
those bacteria multiply, they pass on the
resistance to new bacteria. The next time
those bacteria are exposed to the same
antibiotic, even fewer of them die. Eventually
the antibiotic does not kill enough
of the bacteria to make the illness go
away.
When enough types of bacteria become
resistant to an antibiotic, doctors no
longer use that antibiotic as medicine.
The number of resistant bacteria continues
to grow. Scientists are working to
find new antibiotics to replace the old
ones.
#More to explore
Bacteria Disease, Human Penicillin
Virus
A special test shows whether or not antibiotics
can stop the growth of certain bacteria.
Tablets that contain antibiotics are placed
on a surface with bacteria on it. The clear
areas around the tablets show that the antibiotics
have stopped the bacteria from growing.
Antibiotics
should always
be used carefully.
Some
people have
bad reactions
to certain antibiotics.
142 Antibiotic BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Antigua and Barbuda
The Caribbean island country of Antigua
and Barbuda is known for its powdery
beaches. The capital is Saint Johns.
Geography
The country consists of three islands:
Antigua, Barbuda, and Redonda. Antigua
has rolling hills and volcanic rocks.
Near the coast are coral reefs. Barbuda is
a flat island 25 miles (40 kilometers)
north of Antigua. No one lives on
Redonda, a large rock southwest of
Antigua.
The country has a warm, tropical climate.
Droughts often occur on Antigua.
Plants and Animals
Barbuda has rain forests and lush vegetation.
With its drier climate, Antigua has
no forests but many kinds of cactus.
Barbuda is home to many large seabirds
called frigate birds.
People
Most of the countrys people are descendants
of African slaves. Small populations
of whites, Asians, and American
Indians also live there. Most people are
Christian. The official language is
English.
Economy
Tourism is very important to Antigua
and Barbudas economy. Transportation,
communications, financial services, real
estate, and construction are also important.
There is little manufacturing,
mainly of beer and T-shirts. Agriculture
and fishing play a small role in the
economy. The main crops are tropical
fruits.
History
The first inhabitants of Antigua and
Barbuda were the Ciboney people and,
later, the Arawak people. The explorer
Christopher Columbus landed on Antigua
in 1493.
The English took over the islands in
1632. They brought in Africans to work
as slaves on large sugar plantations. The
slaves won freedom in 1834.
The islands were part of the British Leeward
Islands colony until 1956. Great
Britain then managed their foreign
affairs until 1981, when Antigua and
Barbuda gained independence.
..More to explore
Arawak Caribbean Sea Columbus,
Christopher Coral
Facts About
ANTIGUA AND
BARBUDA
Population
(2008 estimate)
87,500
Area
171 sq mi (442
sq km)
Capital
Saint Johns
Form of
government
Constitutional
monarchy
Major city
Saint Johns
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Antigua and Barbuda 143
Apache
The people known as the Apache
include several related Native American
groups. The Apache are familiar to many
people because of the WildWest stories
about Cochise and Geronimo. Both
men were famous Apache warriors who
fought to keep Apache lands free from
Mexico and the United States.
Historians believe that the ancestors of
the Apache lived in Canada. The Apache
probably migrated to the American
Southwest in about AD 1000. The traditional
Apache homelands are located in
what are now Arizona, Colorado, New
Mexico, Texas, and the Mexican states of
Chihuahua and Sonora.
The Apache were nomads who moved
from camp to camp depending on the
season and the food supply. They got
their food by hunting, gathering wild
plants, and farming. They also carried
out raids on other people to obtain
horses and supplies. The Apache made
dome-shaped shelters, known as wickiups,
by covering a wooden frame with
grass or branches.
Spanish explorers were the first non-
Indians to enter Apache lands. Mexicans
and Americans came later. American
settlement in Apache territory led to
fierce fighting between the Apache and
the U.S. military in the second half of
the 1800s. The last of the Apache wars
ended with Geronimos surrender in
1886. Some of the Apache settled in
Oklahoma; others moved to a reservation
in New Mexico. At the end of the
20th century there were about 57,000
Apache. Many lived on reservations in
the Southwest.
#More to explore
Geronimo Native Americans