Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Downs, North, and South Downs

(Encyclopedia)Downs, North, and South Downs, parallel ranges of chalk hills, SE England. They rise to 965 ft (294 m) at Leith Hill, Surrey. The North Downs range, extending c.100 mi (160 km) from near Farnham, Surr...

drug addiction and drug abuse

(Encyclopedia)drug addiction and drug abuse, chronic or habitual use of any chemical substance to alter states of body or mind for other than medically warranted purposes. Traditional definitions of addiction, with...

Doubs, river, France and Switzerland

(Encyclopedia)Doubs, river, c.270 mi (435 km) long, rising in the Jura Mts., E France, and flowing northeast, forming part of the French-Swiss border, then looping into W Switzerland before turning back into France...

Comprehensive Employment and Training Act

(Encyclopedia)Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA), U.S. government program designed to assist economically disadvantaged, unemployed, or underemployed persons. Enacted in 1973, CETA provided block gran...

David and Lucile Packard Foundation

(Encyclopedia)David and Lucile Packard Foundation, private philanthropic institution that funds nonprofit organizations. It was founded in 1964 by David Packard (1912–96), co-founder of Hewlett-Packard Co., and h...

Christchurch, town and borough, England

(Encyclopedia)Christchurch, town and borough, Dorset, S central England, on Christchurch Bay at the confluence of the Avon and Stour rivers. The city's industries ran...

closed shop and open shop

(Encyclopedia)closed shop and open shop. The term “closed shop” is used to signify an establishment employing only members of a labor union. The union shop, a closely allied term, indicates a company where empl...

Browse by Subject