Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Bophuthatswana

(Encyclopedia)Bophuthatswana bōpo͞oˈtätswänˌə [key], former black “homeland” and nominal republic, c.17,000 sq mi (44,000 sq km), N South Africa. Bophuthatswana comprised seven separate areas, one along ...

An Nasiriyah

(Encyclopedia)An Nasiriyah än näsĭrĭˈyä [key], city (1987 pop. 265,937), provincial capital, SE Iraq, on the Euphrates River. It is the center of a date-growing region. Founded in 1870, the city was captured ...

Tecumseh

(Encyclopedia)Tecumseh tĭkŭmˈsē [key], 1768?–1813, chief of the Shawnee, b. probably in Clark co., Ohio. Among his people he became distinguished for his prowess in battle, but he opposed the practice of tort...

Baladhuri, al-

(Encyclopedia)Baladhuri, al- äl-bäläˈᵺo͝orē [key], d. c.892, Arab historian. One of the most important Arab historians, he spent most of his life in Baghdad and enjoyed great influence at the court of the c...

nationalism

(Encyclopedia)nationalism, political or social philosophy in which the welfare of the nation-state as an entity is considered paramount. Nationalism is basically a collective state of mind or consciousness in which...

agrarian reform

(Encyclopedia)agrarian reform, redistribution of the agricultural resources of a country. Traditionally, agrarian, or land, reform is confined to the redistribution of land; in a broader sense it includes related c...

Jarring, Gunnar

(Encyclopedia)Jarring, Gunnar gŭnˈär yärˈĭng [key], 1907–2002, Swedish diplomat. He entered diplomatic service during World War II and was minister to India (1948–51), Ceylon (now Sri Lanka; 1950–51), a...

Al Kufah

(Encyclopedia)Al Kufah äl ko͞oˈfä [key], town, S central Iraq. Founded (638) by Caliph Umar I, it was one of the two Muslim centers (the other was Basra) of the early Ummayad caliphs. ...

electric and magnetic units

(Encyclopedia)electric and magnetic units, units used to express the magnitudes of various quantities in electricity and magnetism. Three systems of such units, all based on the metric system, are commonly used. On...

Alien and Sedition Acts

(Encyclopedia)Alien and Sedition Acts, 1798, four laws enacted by the Federalist-controlled U.S. Congress, allegedly in response to the hostile actions of the French Revolutionary government on the seas and in the ...

Browse by Subject