Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

European Southern Observatory

(Encyclopedia)European Southern Observatory (ESO), an intergovernmental organization for astronomical research with headquarters in Garching, near Munich, Germany. The ESO began in 1962 as a consortium among Belgiu...

Central European Initiative

(Encyclopedia)Central European Initiative, organization founded in 1991 to promote economic and political cooperation in the region between the Adriatic and Baltic seas. Members include Austria, Bosnia and Herzegov...

Western European Union

(Encyclopedia)Western European Union (WEU), European security and defense organization. It was set up in Brussels in 1955 as a defensive, economic, social, and cultural organization, consisting of Belgium, France, ...

Council of the European Union

(Encyclopedia)Council of the European Union, institution of the European Union (EU) that has the final vote on legislation proposed by the European Commission and approved by the European Parliament; in some cases ...

Witteveen, H. Johannes

(Encyclopedia)Witteveen, H. Johannes (Hendrikus Johannes Witteveen), 1921–2019, Dutch economist and political leader. After receiving his doctorate from the Netherlands School of Economics (now Erasmus Univ. Rott...

Werner, Pierre

(Encyclopedia)Werner, Pierre pyĕr vĕrˈnər [key], 1913–2002, political leader in Luxembourg. A lawyer, he held various posts in the ministry of finance after World War II. Secretary to the council of governmen...

Lagarde, Christine

(Encyclopedia)Lagarde, Christine (Christine Madeleine Odette Lallouette Lagarde) krĭstēnˈ lägärdˈ [key], 1956–, French lawyer and government official, the first woman to head the International Monetary Fund...

Special Drawing Rights

(Encyclopedia)Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), type of international monetary reserve currency established (1968) by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Created in response to worries concerning the limitations of...

Major, John, 1943–, British politician

(Encyclopedia)Major, John, 1943–, British statesman, b. John Major Ball. Raised in a working-class area of London, he was elected to Lambeth borough council (1968–71) and entered Parliament as a Conservative in...

Browse by Subject