Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Krakatoa

(Encyclopedia)Krakatoa kräkätouˈ [key], volcanic island, c.5 sq mi (13 sq km), W Indonesia, in Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra; rising to 2,667 ft (813 m). A momentous volcanic explosion on Aug. 23, 1883, ...

Musi

(Encyclopedia)Musi mo͞oˈsē [key], river, c.325 mi (520 km) long, rising in the Pegunungan Barisan, S Sumatra, Indonesia. It flows SE to Palembang (head of oceangoing navigation), then northeast through the swamp...

Telford, Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Telford, Thomas, 1757–1834, Scottish civil engineer. He greatly improved road building in England and Scotland. He introduced the use of a base of large stones surfaced with compacted layers of smal...

Arafura Sea

(Encyclopedia)Arafura Sea ärəfo͞oˈrə [key], shallow part of the Pacific Ocean, between the Timor and Coral seas, separating Australia from New Guinea. It contains several islands of Indonesia. The Torres Strai...

Kattegat

(Encyclopedia)Kattegat kătˈĭgătˌ [key], strait, c.140 mi (230 km) long and from 40 to 100 mi (60–160 km) wide, between Sweden and Denmark. It is connected with the North Sea through the Skagerrak, which begi...

Canso

(Encyclopedia)Canso kănˈsō [key], town, S central N.S., Canada, on the Atlantic Ocean, near Cape Canso, ...

Invercargill

(Encyclopedia)Invercargill ĭnvərkärˈgĭl [key], city, extreme S South Island, New Zealand, on the Southland Plain. ...

Lynn Canal

(Encyclopedia)Lynn Canal, natural inlet, c.90 mi (145 km) long, 7–12 mi (11–19 km) wide, SE Alaska. It connects in the S with Chatham Strait and Stephens Passage and thrusts north between mountains to break fin...

Strangford Lough

(Encyclopedia)Strangford Lough străngˈfərd lŏkh [key], inlet of the Irish Sea, 17 mi (27 km) long and 4 mi (6.4 km) wide, between Ards and Down dists., E Northern Ireland, entered through a 5-mi (8-km) strait, ...

Vestfjarða

(Encyclopedia)Vestfjarða vĕstˈfyärˌᵺä [key], peninsula, c.80 mi (130 km) long, NW Iceland, between Breiðafjörður and Húnaflói and extending into the Denmark Strait. The peninsula, c.90 mi (140 km) wide...