Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Samoa, island chain, SW Pacific Ocean

(Encyclopedia)Samoa, chain of volcanic islands in the South Pacific, comprising the independent nation of Samoa (formerly Western Samoa), and E of long. 171° W, the islands of American Samoa, under U.S. control. T...

Midland, cities, United States

(Encyclopedia)Midland. 1 City (1990 pop. 38,053), seat of Midland co., central Mich., in the Saginaw valley at the confluence of the Tittabawassee and Chippewa rivers; inc. 1887. Midland owes its development after ...

Mississippi, river, United States

(Encyclopedia)Mississippi, river, principal river of the United States, c.2,350 mi (3,780 km) long, exceeded in length only by the Missouri, the chief of its numerous tributaries. The combined Missouri-Mississippi ...

Des Moines, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Des Moines dĭ moinˈ [key], city (2020 pop. 214,133), state capital and seat of Polk co., S ...

Schenck v. United States

(Encyclopedia)Schenck v. United States, case decided in 1919 by the U.S. Supreme Court. During World War I, Charles T. Schenck produced a pamphlet maintaining that the military draft was illegal, and was convicted ...

Jones, Thomas ap Catesby

(Encyclopedia)Jones, Thomas ap Catesby, 1789–1858, American naval officer, b. Westmoreland co., Va. He joined the navy in 1805 and helped suppress piracy and the slave trade in the Gulf of Mexico (1808–12). In ...

Green Bay, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Green Bay, city (2020 pop. 107,395), seat of Brown co., NE Wis., at the mouth of the Fox River on Green Bay; inc. 1854. An important Great Lakes harbor,...

Augusta, cities, United States

(Encyclopedia)Augusta ôgŭsˈtə, əgŭsˈ– [key]. 1 City (2020 pop. 199,614), seat of Richmond co., E Ga.; inc. 1798. At the head of navigation on the Savannah River and protected b...

Carthage, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Carthage. <1> City (2020 pop. 15,522), seat of Jasper co., SW Mo., on the Spring River; inc. 1873. Its gray marble quarries are the largest of ...

chamber of commerce

(Encyclopedia)chamber of commerce, local association of business people organized to promote the welfare of their community, especially its commercial interests. Each chamber of commerce usually has an elected boar...