Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Treasury, United States Department of the

(Encyclopedia)Treasury, United States Department of the, federal executive department established in 1789. It is charged with advising the president on fiscal policy and acting as fiscal agent for the federal gover...

United States, Great Seal of the

(Encyclopedia)United States, Great Seal of the, official impression that validates a United States government document. It was adopted by the Continental Congress in 1782 and, with only minor changes in the design,...

lottery

(Encyclopedia)lottery, scheme for distributing prizes by lot or other method of chance selection to persons who have paid for the opportunity to win. The term is not applicable when lots are drawn without payment b...

Road Town

(Encyclopedia)Road Town, capital, main port, and largest town (2000 est. pop. 8,000) of the British Virgin Islands. It is situated on the S coast of Tortola Island on the deeply indented Road Bay. Tourism, boat cha...

Line Islands

(Encyclopedia)Line Islands or Equatorial Islands, coral group, 43 sq mi (111 sq km), central and S Pacific. Once valuable for their guano deposits, the islands now have coconut groves, airfields, and meteorological...

Lipari Islands

(Encyclopedia)Lipari Islands ēōˈlēən [key], Ital. Isole Eolie, volcanic island group (1991 pop. 10,382), 44 sq mi (114 sq km), Messina prov., NE Sicily, Italy, in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The group includes Lipari ...

Browse by Subject