Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Fossey, Dian

(Encyclopedia)Fossey, Dian fôˈsē, fŏsˈē [key], 1932–85, American zoologist, b. San Francisco, who lived and worked with the mountain gorillas of central Africa, adding immeasurably to the understanding of t...

African art

(Encyclopedia)African art, art created by the peoples south of the Sahara. The predominant art forms are masks and figures, which were generally used in religious ceremonies. The decorative arts, especially in text...

Nyiragongo

(Encyclopedia)Nyiragongo nyēˌrägôngˈgō [key], active volcano (c.11,400 ft/3,475 m), S Virunga range, in E Congo near the Rwanda border, NE of Lake Kivu and 12 mi (19 km) N of Goma, in S Virunga National Park....

Chaillé-Long, Charles

(Encyclopedia)Chaillé-Long, Charles shäyāˈ-lông [key], 1842–1917, American soldier, African explorer, and writer, b. Princess Anne, Md. After serving in the Civil War, he was commissioned (1869) in the Egypt...

Lobito

(Encyclopedia)Lobito lōbēˈtō, lo͝ovēˈtō [key], city (1983 est. pop. 150,000), W central Angola, on the Atlantic Ocean. Angola's most important port after Luanda, it is also a road hub and the western termin...

chimpanzee

(Encyclopedia)chimpanzee, an ape, genus Pan, of the equatorial forests of central and W Africa. Smaller populations are also found in the savannas of the same regions. The common chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes, lives ...

Chari

(Encyclopedia)Chari or Shari both: shäˈrē [key], longest river of interior drainage in Africa, c.650 mi (1,050 km) long, rising in the uplands of the Central African Republic, N central Africa. It flows NW acros...

Browse by Subject