wool

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Natural hair covering of the sheep, and also of the llama, angora goat, and some other mammals. The domestic sheep Ovis aries provides the great bulk of the fibres used in textile production. A by-product of wool production is lanolin.

History
Sheep have been bred for their wool since ancient times. Hundreds of breeds were developed in the Middle East, Europe, and Britain over the centuries, several dozen of which are still raised for their wool today. Most of the world's finest wool comes from the merino sheep, originally from Spain. In 1797 it was introduced into Australia, which has become the world's largest producer of merino wool; South Africa and South America are also large producers. Wool from crossbred sheep (usually a cross of one of the British breeds with a merino) are produced in New Zealand. Since the 1940s, blends of wool with synthetic fibre have been developed for textiles.

Green and red replaced blue and white as the national colours in 1910. The armillary sphere surrounds the shield of Portugal. Effective date: 30 June 1911. >>