Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Lane, James Henry

(Encyclopedia)Lane, James Henry, 1814–66, American politician, called the “liberator of Kansas.” He was probably born in Lawrenceburg, Ind., where he practiced law. Lane commanded an Indiana regiment in the M...

Pretorius, Martinus Wessel

(Encyclopedia)Pretorius, Martinus Wessel prātôrˈēəs [key], 1818?–1901, Boer (Afrikaner) statesman; son of Andries Pretorius. In 1857 he was elected the first president of the South African Republic (the Tra...

flotation process

(Encyclopedia)flotation process, in mineral treatment and mining, process for concentrating the metal-bearing mineral in an ore. Crude ore is ground to a fine powder and mixed with water, frothing reagents, and col...

Jáchymov

(Encyclopedia)Jáchymov yäˈkhĭmôf [key], Ger. Joachimsthal, town, NW Czech Republic, in Bohemia, in the Erzgebirge [ore mountains]. The productivity of its uranium mines, once extensive, has declined since Worl...

Ocala

(Encyclopedia)Ocala ōkălˈə [key], city (1990 pop. 42,045), seat of Marion co., N central Fla.; inc. 1868. It is a trade and processing center for citrus fruit, vegetables, and truck farm goods. The surrounding ...

Argun

(Encyclopedia)Argun ärˈgo͞onˈ [key], Mandarin Ergun, river, 950 mi (1,529 km) long, rising in the Da Hinggan Mts., Heilongjiang prov., NE China, as the Hailar River and flowing W to the Russian border, then NE ...

sodium thiosulfate

(Encyclopedia)sodium thiosulfate, Na2S2O3, colorless crystalline compound that is more familiar as the pentahydrate, Na2S2O3·5H2O, an efflorescent, monoclinic crystalline substance also called sodium hyposulfite o...

Aguascalientes, state, Mexico

(Encyclopedia)Aguascalientes äˌgwäskälyānˈtās, äˌwäs– [key] [Span.,=hot waters], state, 2,007 sq mi (5,200 sq km), central Mexico, on the Anáhuac plateau. Aguascali...

Owyhee

(Encyclopedia)Owyhee ōˈwīhē [key], river, c.300 mi (480 km) long, rising in several branches in SW Idaho, N Nev., and SE Oreg. and flowing N across NE Oreg. to the Snake River; named in 1826 for two Hawaiian em...

Pearson, David

(Encyclopedia)Pearson, David, 1934–, American auto racing driver, b. Spartanburg, S.C. In a 27-year National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing career (1960–86), the “Silver Fox” won a total of 105 Cup S...