Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Russian Revolution

(Encyclopedia)Russian Revolution, violent upheaval in Russia in 1917 that overthrew the czarist government. The civil war between the Bolsheviks (Reds) and the anti-Bolsheviks (Whites) ravaged Russia until 1920. ...

Xinjiang

(Encyclopedia)Xinjiang shĭnˈjyängˈ, sĭnˈkyăng [key] [Chinese,=new frontier], officially Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Mandarin Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu), autonomous region (2010 pop. 21,813,334), c.637,000...

Schlüter, Poul Holmskov

(Encyclopedia)Schlüter, Poul Holmskov, 1929–, Danish political leader, prime minister of Denmark (1982–93). A member of the Conservative People's party, he served in the Danish parliament (1964–94) and becam...

Jívaro

(Encyclopedia)Jívaro hēˈvärō [key], linguistic stock of Native South Americans in Ecuador. The peoples, N of the Marañón River and E of the Andes, engage in farming, hunting, fishing, and weaving. They have ...

village

(Encyclopedia)village, small rural population unit, held together by common economic and political ties. Based on agricultural production, a village is smaller than a town and has been the normal unit of community ...

right of way

(Encyclopedia)right of way, in land and air traffic and in sea navigation, rules that determine precedence in the use of traffic lanes. The rules are framed in the simplest possible terms and with nearly absolute u...

showboat

(Encyclopedia)showboat. In the early 19th cent. entertainment was brought by boat to the pioneers that settled along the western rivers (especially the Mississippi and Ohio) of the United States. At first companies...

Ecevit, Bülent

(Encyclopedia)Ecevit, Bülent bülĕntˈ ĕjĕvĭtˈ [key], 1925–2006, Turkish political leader and journalist. An editor for Ulus, the organ of the Republican People's party, he was elected to parliament (1957�...

single tax

(Encyclopedia)single tax, any levy that serves as the government's only source of revenue. Generally, however, it is understood to mean a tax derived from economic rent and used as the sole source of public receipt...

O'Connor, Feargus

(Encyclopedia)O'Connor, Feargus fûrˈgəs [key], 1794–1855, Irish Chartist leader. Elected to the Parliament of 1832 as a supporter of Daniel O'Connell, he soon quarreled with O'Connell and was forced out of Par...