Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

153 results found

Rawlinson, Henry Seymour Rawlinson, 1st Baron

(Encyclopedia)Rawlinson, Henry Seymour Rawlinson, 1st Baron, 1864–1925, British general; son of Sir Henry Creswicke Rawlinson. He served in the Myanmar expedition of 1886–87, in the Sudan campaign (1898), and i...

Barth, Heinrich

(Encyclopedia)Barth, Heinrich hīnˈrĭkh bärt [key], 1821–65, German explorer in British service. After traveling (1845–47) through the Levant and N Africa, he entered the service of the British government. H...

sorghum

(Encyclopedia)sorghum, tall, coarse annual (Sorghum bicolor) of the family Poaceae (grass family), somewhat similar in appearance to corn (but having the grain in a panicle rather than an ear) and used for much the...

Albert, Lake

(Encyclopedia)Albert, Lake, or Albert Nyanza nīănˈzə, nyänˈzä [key], 2,064 sq mi (5,346 sq km), on the Congo (Kinshasa)–Uganda border, E central Africa. The lake is c.100 mi (160 km) long and c.19 mi (30 k...

Mkapa, Benjamin William

(Encyclopedia)Mkapa, Benjamin William mkäˈpä [key], 1938–2020, Tanzanian diplomat and political leader. Acquiring a background in both the foreign service and journalism, Mkapa served in a variety of posts, in...

Mahgoub, Muhammad Ahmad

(Encyclopedia)Mahgoub, Muhammad Ahmad mo͞ohämˈmäd äkhmädˈ mäˈgo͞o [key], 1908–76, Sudanese political leader. After twice serving as Sudan's minister of foreign affairs (1956–58, 1964–65), he was ele...

Sudd

(Encyclopedia)Sudd so͝od [key], swampy region, c.200 mi (320 km) long, and c.150 mi (240 km) wide, central South Sudan, E central Africa. It is fed by the Bahr el Jebel, the Bahr el Ghazal, and the Bahr el Arab, h...

Slim, William Joseph Slim, 1st Viscount

(Encyclopedia)Slim, William Joseph Slim, 1st Viscount, 1891–1970, British field marshal. He saw service in several campaigns, notably Gallipoli and Mesopotamia, in World War I. After the war he joined the Indian ...

Islam in Africa

(Encyclopedia)Islam in Africa, the development of the Muslim religion on the African continent. During Muhammad's lifetime a group of Muslims escaped Meccan persecution (615) by fleeing to Ethiopia, where the Negus...

East African Community

(Encyclopedia)East African Community (EAC), organization of E African nations established to promote regional economic and political cooperation. Its headquarters are in Arusha, Tanzania. It was first founded in 19...