Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Shechem, town, West Bank

(Encyclopedia)Shechem shēˈkəm [key], town, central ancient Palestine, the modern Tell Balatan, between Mts. Gerizim and Ebal, near Nablus. Archaeological excavations indicate a village there c.3500 b.c. Shechem'...

Bethlehem, town, West Bank

(Encyclopedia)Bethlehem bĕthˈlĭhĕm, –lēəm [key] [Heb.,=house of bread or house of Lahm, a g...

Safra

(Encyclopedia)Safra, family of Brazilian bankers with Sephardic Jewish roots. They began as merchant bankers in Syria and Lebanon, financing caravans throughout the Middle East. The Safras are also noted philanthro...

Economic Community of West African States

(Encyclopedia)Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), organization established in 1975 to increase economic cooperation and development in West Africa. Members include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, C...

United Nations Industrial Development Organization

(Encyclopedia)United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), specialized agency of the United Nations. Headquartered in Vienna, it was organized in 1966 and made a specialized UN agency in 1985. UNIDO'...

Robinson, Arthur Napoleon Raymond

(Encyclopedia)Robinson, Arthur Napoleon Raymond, 1926–2014, Trinidadian political leader, b. Tobago. A barrister before being elected (1961) to parliament, he was a founding member of the People's National Moveme...

Ruggles, Samuel Bulkley

(Encyclopedia)Ruggles, Samuel Bulkley, 1800–1881, American public figure, b. New Milford, Conn. He was a successful lawyer in New York City, but between 1831 and 1851 gave up his practice to devote himself to pub...

Palestinian Authority

(Encyclopedia)Palestinian Authority (PA) or Palestinian National Authority, interim self-government body responsible for areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip under Palestinian control. The terrritory is officially...

Kampala

(Encyclopedia)Kampala kämpäˈlä [key], city (2002 pop. 1,189,142), capital of Uganda, on Lake Victoria. It is Uganda's largest city and its administrative, communications, economic, and transportation center. Ma...

Organization of Islamic Cooperation

(Encyclopedia)Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), international organization of 57 countries whose inhabitants are mainly Muslim, est. 1969 as the Organization of the Islamic Conference, renamed 2011. It is ...