Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

North Country National Scenic Trail

(Encyclopedia)North Country National Scenic Trail: see National Parks and Monuments (table)national parks and monuments (table). ...

Carthage, ancient city, N Africa

(Encyclopedia)Carthage kärˈthĭj [key], ancient city, on the northern shore of Africa, on a peninsula in the Bay of Tunis and near modern Tunis. The Latin name, Carthago or Cartago, was derived from the Phoenicia...

Economic Community of West African States

(Encyclopedia)Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), organization established in 1975 to increase economic cooperation and development in West Africa. Members include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, C...

Benin, Bight of

(Encyclopedia)Benin, Bight of, northern arm of the Gulf of Guinea, c.550 mi (885 km) wide, W Africa, between Cape Three Points, S Ghana, and the Niger River delta, SW Nigeria. The bight was an important area for sl...

Mande

(Encyclopedia)Mande mänˈdā [key], language group, W Africa, including the Malinke, Dyula, Marka, Mende, Bambara, and Soninke subgroups. The Mande-speakers today number about 3 million and live mainly in Senegal,...

Biafra, Bight of

(Encyclopedia)Biafra, Bight of bēäˈfrə [key], eastern bay of the Gulf of Guinea, W Africa. It extends approximately from the Niger River delta, in S Nigeria, to N Gabon. The bight gave its name to the secession...

Fouta Djallon

(Encyclopedia)Fouta Djallon or Futa Jallon both: fo͞oˈtä jälôNˈ [key], highland region, c.30,000 sq mi (77,700 sq km), central Guinea, W Africa. Largely a rolling grassland (average alt. c.3,000 ft/910 m), th...

Touré, Ahmed Sékou

(Encyclopedia)Touré, Ahmed Sékou sāˈko͞o to͞orāˈ [key], 1922–84, Guinean political leader, president (1958–84) of the republic of Guinea. From a poor family, Touré was labor union activist, becoming ge...

Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Teodoro

(Encyclopedia)Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Teodoro, 1942–, Equatoguinean military and political leader, president of Equatorial Guinea (1979–). He graduated (1963) from Spain's Zaragoza Military Academy while Equator...

Vieira, João Bernardo

(Encyclopedia)Vieira, João Bernardo zhwouN bârnärˈdō vēâˈrə [key], 1939–2009, Guinean political leader, president of Guinea-Bissau (1994–99, 2005–9), b. Bissau. He joined the African Party for the In...