K The letter K is the eleventh letter in the Latin alphabet. It comes from the Greek Kappa or Kappa developed from the Semitic Kap, symbol for an open hand. This in turn was likely adapted by Semites who had lived in Egypt, from the hieroglyph for "hand" representing D for the Egyptian word for hand, d-r-t.
	K2 K2 is the second List of highest mountains mountain on Earth, located in the Karakoram segment of the Himalayan mountain range located in Pakistan. At 1 E3 m , there is only one third as much oxygen available to a climber on the summit of K2 as there is at sea level.
	Kaaba The Kaaba also known as al-Kaabatul-Musharrafat, al-Baytu l-Atiq, or al-Baytul-?aram, is a building located inside the mosque known as Masjid al Haram in Mecca. The mosque was built around the original Kaaba. The Kaaba is the holiest place in Islam. The qibla, the direction Muslims face during salat, is the direction from any point to the Kaaba.
	Kabbalah Kabbalah literally means a "receiving", in the sense of a "received tradition". It is an esoteric form of Judaism mysticism, which attempts to reveal hidden mystical insights in the Tanakh and offers mystical insight into divinity nature. The term "Kabbalah" was originally used in Talmudic texts, among the Geonim and by Rishonim as a reference to the full body of the oral tradition of Jewish teaching, which was publicly available.
	Kabul Kabul, Kb'l , is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan with a population variously estimated at 5 to 6 million. It is an economic and cultural centre strategically situated in a narrow valley along the Kabul River, high in the mountains before the Khyber Pass. Kabul is linked with the Tajikistan border via a tunnel under the Hindu Kush Mountains.
	Kachina In Pueblo religious practices, Kachina refers to three related things: * Supernatural entities or spirits capable of influencing the natural world. * The men of the tribe dressed and masked to represent the Kachinas in traditional dances/ceremonies. Their belief is that such dancers actually become the spirits they represent for the duration of the ceremony.
	Kaftan A kaftan is a man's cotton or silk cloak buttoned down the front, with full sleeves, reaching to the ankles and worn with a sash. It is traditional wear in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The kaftans worn by the Ottoman sultans constitute one of the most splendid collections of Topkapi Palace in Istanbul.
	Kahlúa Kahla is a famous American coffee liqueur. It is heavy and sweet, with a very distinct taste of Mexico coffee, which gives it a dark brown colour. It has been produced by Allied Domecq which was acquired in 2005 by Pernod Ricard. *ethanol content: formerly 26.5%, recently lowered to 20% in most markets to be more compatible with liquor laws.
	Kahoolawe Kahoolawe is the smallest of the 8 main volcanic islands in the Hawaiian Islands. It is located 7 miles southwest of Maui and southeast of Lanai and is 18 km long by 10 km across. Total area is 115.595 km. The highest point is the Volcanic crater of Lua Makika at the summit of Puu Moaulanui, which is 450 m above sea level.
	KAIL KAIL is a UHF television station affiliated with Fox Entertainment Group owned My Network TV television network, based in Fresno, California, operating on channel 53 analog, digital 7. Its transmitter is on top of Auberry Mountain. MyNetworkTV is a television network in the United States, owned by News Corporation launched on September 4, 2006.
	Kalahari Desert The Kalahari Desert is a large arid to semi-arid sandy area in southern Africa extending 1 E11 m square kilometre, covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa, as semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains. The surrounding Kalahari Basin covers over 2.5 million km extending farther into Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, and encroaching into parts of Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
	Kale Kale is a form of cabbage in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms. The species Brassica oleracea contains a wide array of vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.
	Kaleidoscope The kaleidoscope is a tube of mirrors containing loose coloured beads or pebbles, or other small coloured objects. The viewer looks in one end and light enters the other end, Reflection off the mirrors. Typically there are two rectangular lengthways mirrors. Setting of the mirrors at 45degree creates eight duplicate images of the objects, six at 60, and four at 90.
	Kali Kali is a goddess with a long and complex history in Hinduism . Her earliest history as a figure of annihilation still has some influence, while more complex Tantric beliefs sometimes extend her role so far as to be the Ultimate Reality and Source of Being. Finally, the comparatively recent devotional movement largely conceives of Kali as a straightforwardly benevolent mother-goddess.
	Kalimantan Kalimantan is the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. It occupies the central and southern regions of the island. Kalimantan is bordered to the north by the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah.
	Kalmia Kalmia is a genus of about 7 species of evergreen shrubs from 0.2-5 m tall, in the family Ericaceae. They are native to North America and Cuba. They grow in acidic soils, with different species in wet acid bog habitats and dry, sandy soils. The leaf are 2-12 cm long, simple lanceolate, and arranged spirally on the stems.
	Kalmia latifolia Kalmia latifolia is a flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to the eastern United States, from southern Maine south to northern Florida, and west to Indiana and Louisiana. It is an evergreen shrub growing to 3-9 m tall. The leaf are 3-12 cm long and 1-4 cm wide.
	Kaluga Kaluga is a city in central Russia on the Oka River 188 km southwest of Moscow, the administrative center of Kaluga Oblast. Geographical coordinates: Population: 334,751. Kaluga was founded in the mid-14th century as a border fortress on the southwestern borders of the Muscovy.
	Kamchatka Peninsula Kamchatka Peninsula is a 1,250-kilometer long peninsula in the Russian Far East, with the area of 472,300 km. It lies between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk. Between the peninsula and the Pacific Ocean runs the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench with the depth of 10,500 m.
	Kamehameha I Kamehameha, also known as Kamehameha I and Kamehameha the Great , unified the Hawaiian Islands in battle and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. By developing friendships with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaii's independence and guaranteed peace and prosperity for future generations.
	Kami is the Japanese language word for the objects of worship in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity," Shinto scholars point out that such a translation can cause a serious misunderstanding of the term . In some instances, such as Izanagi and Izanami, kami are personified deities, similar to the gods of ancient Greece or Rome.
	Kamikaze Kamikaze is a word of Japanese origin, which in the English language usually refers to the suicide attacks by Empire of Japan aircraft against Allies Of World War II shipping in the closing stages of the Pacific War of World War II.
	Kanamycin Kanamycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic, available in both and intravenous forms, and used to treat a wide variety of infections.
	Kananga Kananga, formerly known as Luluabourg, is the capital of the Kasai-Occidental province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has a population of 393,000. The city lies on the Sanguru River and the Ilebo Lubumbashi railway. An important commerce and administrative centre, it is home to a museum and an airport.
	Kanawha River The Kanawha River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, it has formed a significant industrial region of the state since the middle of the 19th century. It is formed at the town of Gauley Bridge, West Virginia in northwestern Fayette County, West Virginia, approximately 35 mi SE of Charleston, West Virginia, by the Confluence of the New River and
	Kandahar Kandahar is a city in southern Afghanistan, the capital of Kandahar Province on the Helmund River. The province has 886,000 people, while the city has about 316,000 . It is the second-largest city in Afghanistan, a major trading centre, especially for agricultural produce. It has an international airport and extensive road links.
	Kandy Kandy is a city in the centre of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of Central Province, Sri Lanka and Kandy District. It lies in the midst of hills of rare vegetal species. The Kandy Valley crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea.
	Kangaroo A kangaroo is any of several large macropods . The term kangaroo is sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to all members of the macropod family. Kangaroos are native to the continent of Australia, while tree-kangaroos are found in both Australia and New Guinea.
	Kangaroo paw Kangaroo paw is a common name for a number of species in the family Haemodoraceae that are endemic to Western Australia. From the genus Anigozanthos these include: * Anigozanthos bicolor Endl. * Anigozanthos flavidus DC. * Anigozanthos gabrielae Domin
	Kangaroo rat Kangaroo rats, genus Dipodomys, are small rodents native to North America and Central America. The name derives from their bipedal form but the resemblance is purely visual: kangaroo rats and kangaroos are only distantly related, as both are mammals. Kangaroo rats also have a good defence mechanisim.
	Kansas Kansas is a Midwest U.S. state in the Central United States United States. The state is named after the Kansas River that flows through it, which in turn derived its name from the Sioux word Kansa meaning "People of the south wind."
	Kansas City Kansas City may refer to:
	Kansas River The Kansas (or Kaw) River is a river in eastern Kansas in the United States. It was named for the Kaw people who once inhabited the Great Plains wilderness areas along its banks and supporting streams. The Kaw is formed by the confluence of the Republican River and Smoky Hill River rivers near Junction City, Kansas.
	Kaoliang Kaoliang is a strong distilled liquor, made from fermented sorghum. It is made and sold in both China and Taiwan, and also popular in Korea. Kaoliang is an important product of the Taiwanese islands of Kinmen and Matsu Islands . Kaoliang ranges between 54 and 63 percent alcohol by volume.
	Kaolinite Kaolinite is a clay mineral with the chemical composition Aluminium2Silicon2Oxygen54. It is a layered Silicate minerals, with one tetrahedron sheet linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedron sheet of alumina octahedra.
	Kaon In particle physics, a kaon is any one of a group of four mesons distinguished by the fact that they carry a quantum number called strangeness. In the quark model they are understood to contain a single strange quark.
	Kaopectate Kaopectate, known medically as BISMUTH SUBSALICYLATE is an orally taken medication from Pfizer for the treatment of mild diarrhoea. It is used primarily to relieve symptoms of diarrhoea, but can also be used as treatment for indigestion, nausea and stomach ulcers.
	Kapok Kapok is a tropical tree of the order Malvales and the family Malvaceae , native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, and to tropical west Africa. The word is also used for the fibre obtained from its seed pods.
	Kappa Kappa is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet, used to represent the voiceless velar stop, or "k", sound in Ancient Greek and Modern Greek. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 20. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Kaph. Letters that arose from kappa include the Roman K and Cyrillic Ka.
	Kapuka Kapuka is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree growing up to 20 m tall, though often much less, particularly in coastal exposure. It is native to New Zealand, where it typically grows in coastal locations. It is widely cultivated both in New Zealand and in other areas with mild oceanic climates such as Britain, where it is valued for its tolerance of sodium chloride carried on sea gales.
	Kara Sea The Kara Sea is part of the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia. It is separated from the Barents Sea to the west by the Kara Strait and Novaya Zemlya, and the Laptev Sea to the east by the Severnaya Zemlya. It is roughly 1,450 kilometres long and 970 kilometres wide with an area of around 880,000 km and a mean depth of 110 m.
	Karachi Karachi is the capital of the province of Sindh, and the most populated city in Pakistan, sometimes known as the City of Quaid , after Muhammad Ali Jinnah the founder of Pakistan. It is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea in southeastern Pakistan, northwest of the Indus River Delta.
	Karakoram Karakoram is a mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, China, and India, located in the regions of Gilgit, Ladakh and Baltistan. It is one of the Greater Ranges of Asia, often considered together with the Himalaya, but not technically part of that range.
	Karaoke Karaoke is a form of entertainment in which an amateur singer or singers sing along with recorded music on microphone. The music is typically of a well-known song in which the voice of the original singer is absent or reduced in volume. Lyrics are usually also displayed, sometimes including color changes synchronized with the music, on music video to guide the sing-along.
	Karate Karate or karate-do is a martial arts of Okinawan origin. Recent research indicates that it developed from a synthesis of indigenous Ryukyuan fighting methods and southern Chinese martial arts. Karate is known primarily as a striking art, featuring punching, kicking, knee/elbow strikes and open handed techniques.
	Karbala Karbala is a city in Iraq, located about 100 km southwest of Baghdad at 32.61N, 44.08E. In the time of Husayn ibn Ali's life, the place was also known as al-Ghadiriya, Nainawa, and Shathi'ul-Furat. The estimated population in 2003 was 572,300 people. It is the capital of Al Karbala Province.
	Karel Capek Karel Capek was one of the most influential Czech language writers of the 20th century. He introduced and made popular the frequently used international word robot, which first appeared in his play R.U.R. in 1921 in literature. The true inventor of the term robot was Karel's brother Josef Capek.
	Karelia Karelia is the land of the Karelians and is a vast inhabited area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden. It is currently divided between the Russian Republic of Karelia, the Russian Leningrad Oblast, and two Regions of Finland, South Karelia and North Karelia.
	Karelian Isthmus The Karelian Isthmus is the narrow stretch of land between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia. The city of Vyborg and the town of Priozersk are situated on the northwestern end of the isthmus. In the southeast it reaches to Saint Petersburg.
	Karelians The Karelians is a name used to denote two related, yet different ethnic groups of Finnic-language speakers. The so called "Russian Karelians" inhabit the Russian Republic of Karelia. The "Finnish people" live in eastern Finland. During the Second World War many Finnish Karelians were forced to leave the Karelian provinces that Finland had to cede to the Soviet Union.
	Karen Blixen Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke , ne Dinesen, was a Denmark author also known under her pen name Isak Dinesen. Blixen wrote works both in Danish language and in English language. She is best known, at least in English, for Out of Africa, her account of living in Kenya, and for a film based on one of her stories, Babette's Feast.
	Karen Horney Karen Horney [horn-eye], ne Danielsen was a Germany Freudian psychoanalyst of Norway and Netherlands descent. Her theories questioned some traditional Freudian views, particularly his theory of sexuality, as well as the instinct orientation of psychoanalysis and its genetic psychology.
	Karl Baedeker Karl Baedeker was a Germans publisher whose company Baedeker set the standard for authoritative guidebooks for tourists. The son of a book Printer, Baedeker was born in Essen, Kingdom of Prussia, and started his publishing company in 1827 in Koblenz.
	Karl Jaspers Karl Theodor Jaspers, a Germany psychiatrist and philosopher, had a strong influence on modern theology, psychiatry and philosophy.
	Karl Landsteiner Karl Landsteiner , was an Austrian biologist and physician. He is noted for his development in 1901 of the modern system of classification of Blood type from his identification of the presence of agglutinins in the blood, and in 1930 he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
	Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx was an immensely influential German philosopher, political economy, and socialism revolutionary. While Marx addressed a wide range of issues, he is most famous for his analysis of history in terms of class conflict, summed up in the opening line of the introduction to the The Communist Manifesto: "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles."
	Karl von Frisch Karl Ritter von Frisch was an Austrian ethology who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1973, along with Nikolaas Tinbergen and Konrad Lorenz. He studied zoology with Richard von Hertwig whom he later succeeded as a professor of zoology at Munich, Germany.
	Karl Wernicke Karl Wernicke was a Polish physician, anatomist, psychiatrist and neuropathologist. Shortly after Paul Broca published his findings on language deficits caused by damage to what is now referred to as Broca's area, Wernicke began pursuing his own research into the effects of brain trauma on speech and language.
	Karnataka Karnataka is one of the four South India States and territories of Indias of India. The modern state of Karnataka came into existence with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act , with the incorporation of districts under the dominion of Bombay , Hyderabad , Madras State and Coorg within the existing state of Mysore State.
	Karyotype A karyotype is the complete set of all chromosomes of a cell of any living organism. The chromosomes are arranged and displayed in a standard format: in pairs, ordered by size and position of centromere for chromosomes of the same size which is known as an idiogram. Karyotypes are examined in searches for chromosomal aberrations, and may be used to determine other macroscopically visible aspects of an individual's genotype, such as sex.
	Kasbah The kasbah is a unique kind of Medina quarter, or Islamic city. It was the place for the local leader to live and as a defense when the city was under attack. A kasbah has high walls which usually have no windows. Sometimes, they were built on the top of hills to make them easier to defend.
	Kashmir For the Led Zeppelin song, see Kashmir . For the Danish rock band, see Kashmir . Kashmir , also known as Cashmere, is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Historically the term Kashmir was used to refer to the valley lying between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range.
	Katar A katar, also known as a Bundi dagger, is a type of short punching sword used in Persian Empire and northern India for swift and quick attacks. It is notable for its horizontal hand grip, which results in the blade of the sword sitting above the user's knuckles. Typically, katars were used in close range hand-to-hand combat, which is effective in armour piercing.
	Kate Chopin Katherine O'Flaherty , known by her married name Kate Chopin, was an United States author of short story and novels. She wrote The Awakening , The Story of an Hour and The Storm , among other works.
	Kate Smith Kathryn Elizabeth Smith was a Washington, D.C.-born singer best known for her rendition of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America". She was one of America's most beloved entertainers, with a radio, television and recording career that spanned five decades, and which reached its most-remembered zenith in the 1940s.
	Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an iconic four-time Academy Awards-winning United States star of film, television and theatre, widely recognized for her sharp wit, New England gentility and fierce independence. A screen legend, Hepburn holds the record for the most Best Actress Academy Awards nominations, with 12, and wins, with 4 .
	Katherine Mansfield Katherine Mansfield was a famous author. Born into a socially prominent Wellington family, Katherine's first published stories were in the High School Reporter, the Wellington Girls College magazine, in 1898 and 1899. Beauchamp moved to London in 1902.
	Kathmandu Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal and it is also the largest city in Nepal. It stands at an elevation of approximately 4,265 ft . It is an urban and suburban area of about 1.5 million inhabitants in the tri-city area in the Kathmandu Valley in central Nepal, along the Bagmati.
	Katowice Katowice is a city in Upper Silesia in southern Poland on the Klodnica and Rawa rivers. Katowice is the capital of the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of the Katowice Voivodeship. Katowice is the main city of the Upper Silesian Industry Area and one of the main districts of Metropolis Katowice.
	Katsina Katsina is an old city of Northern Nigeria 160 miles East of the city of Sokoto, and 84 m. N.W. of Kano, close to the border with Niger. Latitude 13 N., Long. 7.41'E. Katsina lies on the river of the same name, which is a tributary of the River Benue. Katsina is capital of Katsina State and the centre of an agricultural region producing groundnuts, cotton, hides, millet and guinea corn.