Insurance, Group annuities

An annuity in the literal sense is a series of annual payments. More broadly it may be defined as a series of equal payments over equal intervals of time. A life annuity, a subclass of annuities in general, is one in which the payments are guaranteed for the lifetime of one or more individuals. A group annuity differs from an individual annuity in that the annuity payments

Wolffish

Any of nine species of large, long-bodied blennies of the family Anarhichadidae (order Perciformes), found in northern Atlantic and Pacific waters. Wolffishes are much larger than most other blennies, the largest species growing to a length of about 2.3 m (7.5 feet). Wolffishes have a large head and a long, tapered body surmounted by a single, long dorsal

Karankawa

Several groups of North American Indians (now extinct) that lived along the Gulf of Mexico from about Galveston Bay to Corpus Christi Bay. They were first encountered by the French explorer La Salle in the late 17th century, and their rapid decline began with the arrival of Stephen Austin and other white settlers in the 1820s and 1830s. The Karankawa fought on the side of the Texans

China, The Hsi (Western) Chin (AD 265–316/317)

This was a period of relative order and prosperity, a short interlude between the turbulent age of the San-kuo and the devastating barbarian invasions. The empire had been nominally reunited (AD 280), and for a short time the central government attempted important fiscal and political reforms, mainly intended to curb the great families, which threatened the ruler's authority.

Khorram-dinan

The doctrinal beliefs of the Khorram-dinan are not altogether clear. Although the sect accepted the general principles of Islam, its members also believed in transmigration of the soul and placed special emphasis on the

Usufruct

In Roman-based legal systems, the temporary right to the use and enjoyment of the property of another, without changing the character of the property. This legal concept developed in Roman law and found significant application in the determination of the property interests between a slave held under a usus fructus (Latin: “use and enjoyment”) bond and a temporary master.

Sinkiang, Uygur Autonomous Region Of, Relief

In the north the Northern Highlands extend in a semicircle along the Mongolian border.

Strangles

Horse disease caused by Streptococcus equi, a bacterium that invades nasal and throat passages and forms abscesses in lymph nodes and other parts of the body. It is one of a group of diseases called distemper of horses. Young horses are most susceptible to it, and outbreaks of the disease usually occur where a number of horses are stabled. Mortality is low. Treatment

Strangles

International organization founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. Members in the late 1990s included Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United

Kerry, John

Kerry wrote The New War: The Web of Crime That Threatens America's Security (1997) and A Call to Service (2003).

Qatar, Government

The emir's power is constrained

Seton, Ernest Thompson

Seton was raised in North America, his family having emigrated to Canada in 1866. Drawn to nature, Seton resisted his family's attempt to make an artist of him. He gained experience as a naturalist by trailing and