Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Barker, James Nelson

(Encyclopedia)Barker, James Nelson, 1784–1858, American playwright, b. Philadelphia. In 1838, Van Buren appointed him comptroller of the Treasury, and with slight interruptions he worked in the Treasury Dept. unt...

Ross, Sir Ronald

(Encyclopedia)Ross, Sir Ronald, 1857–1932, English physician, b. Almora, India. He studied malaria in India as a member (1881–99) of the Indian Medical Service, was professor of tropical medicine at University ...

Carpenter, Mary

(Encyclopedia)Carpenter, Mary, 1807–77, English educator. She devoted her life to the establishment of schools and institutions and the promotion of educational reforms. In 1835 she organized the Working and Visi...

Padang

(Encyclopedia)Padang pädängˈ [key], city (1990 pop. 631,263), capital of Sumatra Barat prov., on W Sumatra, Indonesia, on the Indian Ocean at the mouth of the small Padang River. An important port, it has a larg...

Himalayas

(Encyclopedia)Himalayas hĭmälˈəyəz, hĭməlāˈəz [key] [Sanskrit,=abode of snow], great Asian mountain system, extending c.1,500 mi (2,410 km) E from the Indus River in Pakistan through India, the Tibet regi...

Tamil Nadu

(Encyclopedia)Tamil Nadu mədrăsˈ, mədräsˈ [key], state (2001 provisional pop. 62,110,839), 50,180 sq mi (129,966 sq km), SE India, on the Bay of Bengal. The capital is Chennai (formerly Madras). On a low-lyin...

Mauritius

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Mauritius môrĭshˈēəs, –əs [key], officially Republic of Mauritius, republic (2015 est. pop. 1,259,000), 790 sq mi (2,046 sq km), in the SW Indian Ocean. It is part of the Mascarene Isla...

Elephanta

(Encyclopedia)Elephanta ĕlĭfănˈtə [key], island, c.2 sq mi (5.2 sq km), in Mumbai harbor, Maharashtra state, W India. It is noted for six Brahmanic caves, carved (8th cent.) from solid rock some 250 ft (76 m) ...

Dharamsala

(Encyclopedia)Dharamsala, town, Himachal Pradesh, N India. Located on the slopes of the Kangra valley at the edge of Dhauladhar range in the outer Himalayas. Dharamsa...

East London

(Encyclopedia)East London, city, now part and seat of Buffalo City metropolitan municipality, Eastern Cape prov., SE South Africa, on the Indian Ocean. East London grew around a British military post founded in 184...