Basque pelota form of the word "" which may relate to a hard linen or leather ball filled with "" (fur or hair) or to the Latin words for strike or and is related to the English word "pellet". Today, Basque pelota is played in several countries. In Europe, this sport is concentrated in Spain and France, especially in the Basque Country. The sport is also played in Latin American countries such as Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Cuba. Operated as a gaming enterprise called Jai Alai, it is seen in parts of the U.S. such as Florida, Connecticut, Nevada, and Rhode Island.
Cyrus Alai Cyrus Alai Cyrus Alai (Persian: سیروس علایی) is a Persian-British engineer, map collector and the author of the book "General Maps of Persia". Alai was born in Tehran and studied at Technical University of Berlin. Before the 1979 revolution he was a lecturer at Tehran University. Shortly after the revolution he moved to London. Alai has contributed to various publications such as the Encyclopedia Iranica for the entries related to cartography of Persia. He is the author of two books "General Maps of Persia" and "Special Maps of Persia" which have been published by Brill Publications in the Netherlands in