Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 01.djvu/134

ALBERT OF BRANDENBURG ALBERT, MARGRAVE OF BRANDENBURG, and first Duke of Prussia, was born in 1490. He was elected, in 1511, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, which held dominion over Prussia proper, that part of the former Kingdom of Prussia which borders on the Baltic Sea. He fought against Sigismund, King of Poland, for the defense of his order, which had been for ages at war with the Poles. Peace was made in 1525, at Cracow, in which Albert managed to have the Duchy of Prussia secured to himself and his descendants as a fief of the crown of Poland, thus laying aside the rights of the order. Albert, some time after, embraced the Protestant faith, and married a princess of Denmark. One of his descendants, Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, threw off the allegiance of Poland, and his son, Frederick I., changed the title of duke into that of King of Prussia in 1701.

ALBERT, PRINCE CONSORT, was born at Schloss Rosenau, near Coburg, Aug. 26, 1819, the younger son of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, by his first marriage with Louisa, daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. After a careful domestic education, the prince, along with his elder brother, studied at Brussels and Bonn (1836-1838). This prince the young Queen of Great Britain selected as her partner for life. They met first in 1836, and the marriage was celebrated in London on Feb. 10, 1840, when Prince Albert received the title of Royal Highness, was naturalized as a subject of Great Britain, and obtained the rank of field-marshal. The title of Consort of Her Most Gracious Majesty was formally conferred in 1842, and that of Prince Consort in 1857. Notwithstanding his high and favored position, he abstained from undue meddling with state affairs, and thus escaped the jealousy and detraction of parties. He devoted himself to the encouragement and promotion of science and art, appearing as the patron of many useful associations and public undertakings. The Exhibition of 1851 owed much to his strong interest. As regards Continental politics, his ruling idea was that Prussia should be supreme in Germany. He died of typhoid fever at Windsor Castle, Dec. 14, 1861.

ALBERT, PRINCE OF MECKLENBURG, was called to the throne of Sweden, 1364, by the nobility, who had deposed King Magnus. The Swedes being dissatisfied with Albert, who favored his German countrymen at their expense, offered the crown to Margaret, Queen of Denmark and Norway. After several years of war, Albert lost the decisive battle of Falköping, 1388, and was made a prisoner. Peace, however, was not reestablished in Sweden till 1395, when Albert consented to give up his claims to the crown. He then retired to Mecklenburg, where he died.

ALBERT EDWARD NYANZA (Muta-Nzige, southern Luto Nzige), a lake of equatorial Africa, discovered by Stanley in 1876, and again visited by him in 1889. It occupies the southern end of a vast natural depression, of which the Albert Nyanza fills the northern extremity. It is 3,242 feet above sea-level; and beyond the depression in which it lies is a table land from 5,500 to 6,500 feet high. The water of the lake flows into the Albert Nyanza by the Semliki river.

ALBERT LEA, a city of Minnesota, the county-seat of Freeborn co., about 100 miles S. of Minneapolis. It is on the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, the Minneapolis and St. Louis, and Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, the Iowa Central, and the Illinois Central railroads. Its fine natural surroundings make it a popular summer resort. It has two lakes, parks, and boulevards. In the city are a handsome court house, Albert Lea College for Women, and Luther Academy. It is the center of an extensive agricultural and dairying region. Its industries include gas-engine works and a paper-box factory, tank factories, creameries, packing houses. Pop. (1910) 6,112; (1920) 8,056.

ALBERTA, a Province of northwest Canada, east of British Columbia and west of Saskatchewan. It has an area of 253,540 square miles. Pop. about 500,000. The chief cities are Calgary, (pop, about 5,700), and Edmonton (pop. about 5,400). The latter is the capital. The constitution under which the Province is governed was established in 1905. The executive power is nominally in the hands of the Lieutenant-Governor, but actually is carried on by the Executive Council or Cabinet of the Legislature. The legislative power is vested in the assembly elected by universal suffrage. Women have the right to vote.

Alberta is of great importance agriculturally. The production of fall wheat in 1919 was about 616,000 bushels; of spring wheat, about 26,000,000 bushels; oats, about 27,000,000 bushels; barley, about 10,000,000; rye, about 1,300,000. Dairy products in 1918 were valued at $27,500,000. There were in the same year 1,317 manufacturing establishments with a capital of $63,215,444, and the value of products, $71,669,423. The live stock