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The MG ZR 160 is a British sports hatchback car first marketed around 2001. The MG ZR 160 is produced in various options including a five door hatchback and a two litre turbo diesel engine rather than the standard 1.8 litre. The MG ZR 160 has a top speed of 130 mph and can reach 0 to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds. Fuel consumption has been measured at between 36 and 43 mpg.
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Za-Zen is a form of Buddhist meditation, introduced by the monk Dogen.
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The Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) is a guerrilla movement in Mexico, led by the mysterious masked figure of Comandante Marcos, it has campaigned especially for the rights of indigenous people (the Maya) in Chiapas Province since 1994. EZLN and government representatives signed the first of six peace accords in February 1996, recognising the right of Indians to adopt traditional forms of government within their communities, and to have adequate representation in the national parliament.
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The Zealots were a Jewish political party of the 1st century AD. Bitterly opposed to Roman rule in Judaea, they played a leading part in the revolt of 66 AD. Their last stronghold, Masada, fell in 73.
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In law, a zealous witness is a witness who displays undue favouritism towards one party in the case.
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A zebra crossing is a road crossing for pedestrians, identified by studs and alternating black and white stripes on the carriageway and lighted yellow globes (normally flashing) at each end. Pedestrians take precedence over vehicles on crossings uncontrolled by police or traffic wardens, and it is an offence for vehicles to wait or overtake within their limits.
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Zionism is a political movement advocating the re-establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, the 'promised land' of the Bible, with its capital Jerusalem, the 'city of Zion'. The movement commenced in 1896 when, as a response to European anti-Semitism, Theodor Herzl published his 'Jewish State', outlining a scheme for setting up an autonomous Jewish commonwealth under Ottoman suzerainty.
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The zodiac was the name given by the ancient Greeks to the heavens. It was an imaginary belt in the celestial sphere, extending about 80 degrees on either side of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun among the stars. The width of the zodiac was determined originally so as to include the orbits of the Sun and Moon and of the five planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) that were known to the people of ancient times.
The zodiac is divided into 12 sections of 300 degrees each, which are called the signs of the zodiac. Starting with the vernal equinox and then proceeding eastward along the ecliptic, each of the divisions is named for the constellation situated within its limits in the second century BC. The names of the zodiacal signs are Aries, the Ram; Taurus, the Bull; Gemini, the Twins; Cancer, the Crab; Leo, the Lion; Virgo, the Virgin; Libra, the Balance; Scorpio, the Scorpion; Sagittarius, the Archer; Capricorn, the Goat; Aquarius, the Water Bearer; and Pisces, the Fish. Because of the precession of the equinoxes about the ecliptic, a 26,000-year cycle, the first point of Aries retrogrades about 10 degrees in 70 years, so that the sign Aries today lies in the constellation Pisces. In about 24,000 years, when the retrogression will have completed the entire circuit of 3600, the zodiacal signs and constellations will again coincide.
It is believed that the zodiacal signs originated in Mesopotamia as early as 2000 BC . The Greeks adopted the symbols from the Babylonians and passed them on to the other ancient civilisations. The Egyptians assigned other names and symbols to the zodiacal divisions. The Chinese also adopted the 12-fold division, but called the signs rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, serpent, horse, sheep, monkey, hen, dog, and pig. Independently, the Aztec Indians devised a similar system.
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The zodiacal light is a faint luminous glow in the sky that can be observed on a moonless night on the western horizon after sunset or on the eastern horizon before sunrise. It is caused by the scattering of sunlight by dust particles in interplanetary space.
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The Zollverein was a 19th-century German customs union, begun under Prussian auspices in 1828; the union included most German-speaking states except Austria by 1834. Although designed to remove tariff barriers and facilitate trade within the German confederation, the Zollverein also had a political effect in isolating Austria. The Austrians were committed to trade tariffs to protect their agriculture and industry; thus their inability to join the Zollverein served to increase Prussian power in the confederation.
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In geography, a zone is any of the five divisions of the surface of the earth characterised by their latitude or temperature differences. From north to south the zones are divided by the Arctic Circle, the tropic of Cancer, the tropic of Capricorn, and the Antarctic Circle. At the polar extremes are the North Frigid Zone (lying north of the Arctic Circle) and the South Frigid Zone (south of the Antarctic Circle). The North Temperate Zone lies between the Arctic Circle and the tropic of Cancer; the South Temperate Zone lies between the Antarctic Circle and the tropic of Capricorn. The Torrid Zone forms a belt on both sides of the equator between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. This division of zones is a rough representation of the earth's temperature or climatic zones and does not take into account differences in elevation, proximity of oceans, or the movement of air masses. The distribution of climate and biomes is far more complex than these five zones suggest.
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The Zongli Yamen (Tsung Li Yamen) was an advisory body created in China after 1861 to deal with foreign affairs and other state modernisation projects. It consisted of national and provincial state officials but was limited by a lack of power and the creation of an admiralty in 1885 and a formal foreign office after 1901.
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Zoroastrianism is a Pre-Islamic Persian religion that was founded by the Persian prophet Zoroaster in the 6th century BC, and still practised by the Parsees in India. The Zend-Avesta are the sacred scriptures of the faith. The theology is dualistic, Ahura Mazda or Ormuzd (the good God) being perpetually in conflict with Ahriman (the evil God), but the former is assured of eventual victory. In 1991 there were approximately 100,000 Zoroastrians world-wide; membership being restricted to those with both parents belonging to the faith.
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In chess, a zugzwang is a position from which it is impossible to move without worsening one's situation.
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A zun was a Chinese ritual vessel for holding wine.
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A Zushi is a miniature shrine for personal use, used in Japan.
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