Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Saint-Cyr-l'École

(Encyclopedia)Saint-Cyr-l'École săN-sēr-lākôlˈ [key], town (1990 pop. 14,832), Yvelines dept., N central France. A school for the daughters of impoverished noblemen was founded there in 1685 by Louis XIV and ...

Saint Elias, Mount

(Encyclopedia)Saint Elias, Mount ĭlīˈəs [key], 18,008 ft (5,489 m) high, in the St. Elias Mts. on the U.S.-Canadian border between SW Yukon and SE Alaska; fourth highest peak of North America. It was first seen...

Saint Elias Mountains

(Encyclopedia)Saint Elias Mountains, section of the Coast Ranges, SW Yukon, Canada, and SE Alaska, rising to 19,551 ft (5,959 m) at Mt. Logan, Canada's highest peak. Kluane National Park is there. ...

Saint Elmo's fire

(Encyclopedia)Saint Elmo's fire, luminous discharge of electricity extending into the atmosphere from some projecting or elevated object. It is usually observed (often during a snowstorm or a dust storm) as brushli...

Saint Francis, Lake

(Encyclopedia)Saint Francis, Lake, an expansion of the St. Lawrence River, SE Ont. and S Que., Canada, SW of Montreal, extending between Cornwall and Valleyfield. It is part of the St. Lawrence Seaway. ...

Saint-Gaudens, Augustus

(Encyclopedia)Saint-Gaudens, Augustus sānt-gôdˈənz [key], 1848–1907, American sculptor, b. Dublin, Ireland. His family immigrated to New York when he was an infant. An apprentice in cameo cutting at 13, he ga...

Saint George's Channel

(Encyclopedia)Saint George's Channel, strait, c.100 mi (160 km) long and 50 to 95 mi (80–153 km) wide, linking the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. It separates SE Ireland from Wales. ...

Saint Helens, Mount

(Encyclopedia)Saint Helens, Mount, volcanic peak, 8,363 ft (2,549 m; 9,677 ft/2,950 m before its 1980 eruption) high, SW Wash., historically the most active volcano in the Cascade Range. Dormant since 1857, Mt. St....

Browse by Subject