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American Library Association

(Encyclopedia)American Library Association, founded 1876, organization whose purpose is to increase the usefulness of books through the improvement and extension of library services. As the major professional assoc...

Fuzhou, city, Fujian province, China

(Encyclopedia)Fuzhou fo͞oˈchouˈ [key], city (1994 est. pop. 952,300), capital of Fujian prov., China, a port on the Min River delta c.25 mi (40 km) from the coast. A regional commercial and fishing center that u...

International Telecommunication Union

(Encyclopedia)International Telecommunication Union (ITU), specialized agency of the United Nations, with headquarters at Geneva. It was created in 1934 as a result of the merging of the International Telegraph Uni...

Business Roundtable

(Encyclopedia)Business Roundtable (BRT), an association consisting of the chief executive officers of major U.S. corporations that was founded in 1972 through the mer...

Martinez

(Encyclopedia)Martinez märtēˈnəs [key], city (1990 pop. 31,808), seat of Contra Costa co., W Calif., on Carquinez Strait between San Pablo and Suisun bays, in a farm area; inc. 1884. Its major industry is petro...

Illinois Waterway

(Encyclopedia)Illinois Waterway, 336 mi (541 km) long, linking Lake Michigan with the Mississippi River, N Ill.; an important part of the waterway connecting the Great Lakes with the Gulf of Mexico. The Illinois Wa...

propane

(Encyclopedia)propane, CH3CH2CH3, colorless, gaseous alkane. It is readily liquefied by compression and cooling. It melts at −189.9℃ and boils at −42.2℃. Propane occurs in nature in natural gas and (in diss...

Universal Postal Union

(Encyclopedia)Universal Postal Union (UPU), specialized agency of the United Nations since 1948, with headquarters at Bern, Switzerland. Established in 1875 following adoption of the Universal Postal Convention, it...

Colombo Plan

(Encyclopedia)Colombo Plan, international economic organization created in a cooperative attempt to strengthen the economic and social development of the nations of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Officially the Co...

Freemasonry

(Encyclopedia)Freemasonry, teachings and practices of the secret fraternal order officially known as the Free and Accepted Masons, or Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. Because of its identification with 19th-cent...