Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Diego Garcia

(Encyclopedia)Diego Garcia, coral island, 11 sq mi (28 sq km). Indian Ocean, largest island of the Chagos Archipelago, SW of Sri Lanka. Part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, the island was leased (1970) to th...

Cimon

(Encyclopedia)Cimon sīˈmən [key], d. 449 b.c., Athenian general and statesman; son of Miltiades. He fought at Salamis and shared command (with Aristides) of the fleet sent to rescue the Asian Greek cities from P...

Sayan Mountains

(Encyclopedia)Sayan Mountains säyänˈ [key], central Asia, chiefly in S Siberia. The Eastern Sayan Mts. extend c.680 mi (1,090 km) from the lower Yenisei River to the southwest end of Lake Baykal and rise to 11,6...

Scaevola

(Encyclopedia)Scaevola (Quintus Mucius Scaevola), d. 82 b.c., Roman jurist. He was tribune of the people (106 b.c.) and consul (95 b.c.) with Lucius Licinius Crassus (see under Crassus, family); together they colla...

Roerich, Nicholas Konstantin

(Encyclopedia)Roerich, Nicholas Konstantin nēˈkōlous kənstəntyēnˈ rörˈĭkh [key], 1874–1947, Russian artist, scene designer, and archaeologist. He was connected with the Moscow Art Theatre and the Diaghi...

snakehead

(Encyclopedia)snakehead, common name for members of the family Channidae, hardy freshwater fish native to S and E Asia and tropical Africa, where they are a popular food fish. Snakeheads are elongated fishes with l...

timothy , in botany

(Encyclopedia)timothy or herd's-grass, perennial plant (Phleum pratense) of the family Poaceae (grass family), native to Europe and W Asia and one of the most widely cultivated hay grass of North America. Adaptable...

Thanom Kittikachorn

(Encyclopedia)Thanom Kittikachorn täˈno͝om kĭtˌəkəchôrnˈ [key], 1911–2004, Thai political and military leader. He entered the army in 1929, rising to command of a division by 1950. After supporting a cou...

publican

(Encyclopedia)publican [Lat.,=state employee], in ancient Rome, man who was employed by the state government under contract. As early as c.200 b.c. there was a class of men in Rome accustomed to undertaking contrac...

Przhevalsky, Nikolai Mikhailovich

(Encyclopedia)Przhevalsky, Nikolai Mikhailovich nyĭkəlīˈ mēkhīˈləvĭch pərzhĭvälˈskē [key], 1839–88, Russian geographer and explorer in central and E Asia. He made five major expeditions—one to the...

Browse by Subject