Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

saxifrage

(Encyclopedia)saxifrage săkˈsĭfrĭj [key], common name for several members of the Saxifragaceae, a family of widely varying herbs, shrubs, and small trees of cosmopolitan distribution. They are found especially ...

Mesozoic era

(Encyclopedia)Mesozoic era mĕzˌəzōˈĭk [key] [Gr.,=middle life], major division of geologic time (see Geologic Timescale, tablegeologic timescale, table) from 65 to 225 million years ago. Great crustal disturb...

Alagoas

(Encyclopedia)Alagoas älägōˈəs [key] [Port.,=lagoons], state, 10,707 sq mi (27,331 sq km), NE Brazil, on the Atlantic Ocean. Maceió is the capital. ...

Hachijo-shima

(Encyclopedia)Hachijo-shima häˌchējōˈ-shĭmä [key], island, c.40 sq mi (100 sq km), S Japan, in the Pacific Ocean. Ogago is the chief town of this mountainous island, which has two active volcanoes. Dairying,...

Lempa

(Encyclopedia)Lempa lāmˈpä [key], river, c.200 mi (320 km) long, rising in Guatemala and flowing S through Honduras into El Salvador, then generally S to the Pacific Ocean. An important stream, it waters the fer...

Tsugaru Strait

(Encyclopedia)Tsugaru Strait tso͝ogäˈro͞o [key], c.100 mi (160 km) long and from 15 to 25 mi (24–40 km) wide, separating Honshu and Hokkaido, N Japan, and connecting the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean. ...

Waterville

(Encyclopedia)Waterville, city (1990 pop. 17,173), Kennebec co., S Maine, at the falls of the Kennebec River; settled 1754, inc. as a city 1888. It is the trade and medical center of a lake resort area, with textil...

Bermuda Triangle

(Encyclopedia)Bermuda Triangle, area in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida where a number of ships and aircraft have vanished. Also known as the Devil's Triangle, it is bounded at its points by Melbourne, Fla.; Bermuda...

Trinity Bay

(Encyclopedia)Trinity Bay, inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, 80 mi (129 km) long, SE Newfoundland, N.L., Canada, between the Avalon Peninsula and the mainland. With its small waterfront settlements, it preserves somethi...

Ungava Bay

(Encyclopedia)Ungava Bay ŭngˌgäˈvə, –gāˈ– [key], inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, N Que., Canada, extending c.200 mi (320 km) S from Hudson Strait between the N Quebec mainland and the north tip of the Labra...