A partly enclosed coastal body of water in which river water is mixed with seawater is called an estuary. An estuary is thus defined by salinity rather than geography. Many coastal features designated by other names are in fact estuaries (for instance, Chesapeake Bay). Some of the oldest continuous civilizations have flourished in estuarine environments (for example, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the Nile delta, and the Ganges delta).
âFederal crimesâ refer specifically to offenses that violate U.S. federal laws. They are investigated by federal law enforcement and prosecuted by United States attorneys in federal courts with federal judges.
1968âthe first piece of federal legislation to distinguish criminal activity moti-. vated by bias against victims due to their actual or perceived race, religion, or. national origin.6 Concern over hate crimes in the 1980s and 1990s led to the pas-. sage of additional federal legislation.