Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

An Nasiriyah

(Encyclopedia)An Nasiriyah än näsĭrĭˈyä [key], city (1987 pop. 265,937), provincial capital, SE Iraq, on the Euphrates River. It is the center of a date-growing region. Founded in 1870, the city was captured ...

Ji'an

(Encyclopedia)Ji'an or Kian both: jēˈänˈ [key], city (1994 est. pop. 163,800), central Jiangxi prov., China. It is a major commercial port on the Gan River and an important road hub and market center. Light ind...

Xi'an

(Encyclopedia)Xi'an shēˈänˈ, sēˈ– [key], city (1994 est. pop. 2,114,900), capital of Shaanxi prov., China, in the Wei River valley. Situated on the Longhai RR, China's principal east-west line, it is an imp...

Ya'an

(Encyclopedia)Ya'an yä-än [key], city (1994 est. pop. 110,000), SW Sichuan prov., China, on a tributary of the Min River. It is a tea center for W Sichuan and a highway hub for the E Tibetan plateau. From 1950 to...

Yan'an

(Encyclopedia)Yan'an or Yenan both: yĕn-än [key], city (1991 pop. 115,900), N Shaanxi prov., China, on the Yen River. Now a market and tourist center, it is famed as the terminus of the long march and the de fact...

Qur'an

(Encyclopedia)Qur'an or Koran kōrănˈ, –ränˈ [key] [Arab.,=reading, recitation], the sacred book of Islam. Revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad in separate revelations over the major portion of the Prophet...

Ch'an Buddhism

(Encyclopedia)Ch'an Buddhism: see Zen Buddhism. ...

An Lu-shan

(Encyclopedia)An Lu-shan än lo͞o-shän [key], d.757, Chinese general of the T'ang dynasty. Of mixed Sogdian and Turkish birth, he was appointed regional commander on the northeastern frontier. In 755 he led c.200...

An-ch'ing

(Encyclopedia)An-ch'ing än-chĭng [key]: see Anqing, China. ...

Wang An-shih

(Encyclopedia)Wang An-shih wäng än-shûr [key], 1021–86, Chinese Sung dynasty statesman. As a chief councilor (1069–74, 1075–76) he directed sweeping administrative and fiscal reforms that drew strong conse...