Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Cash, Johnny

(Encyclopedia)Cash, Johnny, 1932–2003, American singer and songwriter, b. Kingsland, Ark. Born to a farm family, he went to Memphis in 1955 and recorded such hits as “I Walk the Line” (1956) and “Ring of Fi...

Indonesia

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Indonesia ĭnˌdənēˈzhə [key], officially Republic of Indonesia, republic (2015 est. pop. 258,162,000), c.735,000 sq mi (1,903,650 sq km), SE Asia, in the Malay Archipelago. The fourth most...

Grand Ole Opry

(Encyclopedia)Grand Ole Opry, weekly American radio program featuring live country and western music. The nation's oldest continuous radio sho...

Amazon, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Amazon ămˈəzŏn [key], in Greek mythology, one of a tribe of warlike women who lived in Asia Minor. The Amazons had a matriarchal society, in which women fought and governed while men performed the...

Poston, Charles Debrill

(Encyclopedia)Poston, Charles Debrill pōsˈtən [key], 1825–1902, American explorer and author, b. Hardin co., Ky. After practicing law in Tennessee, he moved to California in 1850 and from there led a party to ...

Karakul sheep

(Encyclopedia)Karakul sheep kărˈəkəl [key], breed native to central Asia. The newborn lambs usually have tightly curled black fur and are skinned before they are three days old to provide the commercial lambski...

Iguvine Tables

(Encyclopedia)Iguvine Tables ĭˈgyo͝ovĭn [key], several inscribed bronze tablets dating from the 1st and 2d cent. a.d., discovered in 1444 at Gubbio, Italy (the ancient Iguvium and later Eugubium). Most of them ...

Debir

(Encyclopedia)Debir dēˈbər [key], in the Bible. 1 King of Eglon. 2 City, ancient Palestine, WSW of Hebron, on the main caravan route to Egypt. Also called Kirjath-sannah and Kirjath-sepher. 3 Unidentified locati...

Malay Archipelago

(Encyclopedia)Malay Archipelago, great island group of SE Asia, formerly called the East Indies. Lying between the Asian mainland and Australia, and separating the Pacific Ocean from the Indian Ocean, it includes B...

Singapore Strait

(Encyclopedia)Singapore Strait, channel, 30 mi (48 km) long and 10 mi (16.1 km) wide, between Singapore island and the Riau Archipelago, Indonesia. It links the Strait of Malacca with the South China Sea and is a m...