Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

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...

Kerensky, Aleksandr Feodorovich

(Encyclopedia)Kerensky, Aleksandr Feodorovich kərĕnˈskē, Rus. əlyĭksänˈdər fyôˈdərəvĭch kâˈrĭnskē [key], 1881–1970, Russian revolutionary. A lawyer, he was elected to the fourth duma in 1912 as ...

Bashkortostan

(Encyclopedia)Bashkortostan băshkĭrˈ [key], constituent republic, 55,444 sq mi (143,600 sq km), E European ...

Mongolia, country, Asia

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Mongolia mŏn-gōˈlēə, mŏng– [key], republic (2015 est. pop. 2,977,000), 604,247 sq mi (1,565,000 sq km), N central Asia; historically known as Outer Mongolia. Bordered on the west, south...

Hazare, Anna

(Encyclopedia)Hazare, Anna, 1937–, Indian social activist, b. Kisan Baburao Hazare. He served (1963–75) in the army then, inspired by the teachings of Vivekananda, devoted himself to social causes. Promoting wa...