Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Chemin des Dames

(Encyclopedia)Chemin des Dames shəmăNˈ dā däm [key] [Fr.,=ladies' road], road running along a crest between the Aisne and Ailette rivers, N France. Built during Roman times, the road was the site of the battle...

Roches, Peter des

(Encyclopedia)Roches, Peter des dā rōsh [key], d. 1238, English churchman and statesman, b. Poitou. A chamberlain under Richard I of England, then entered the service of King John, who gave him rich estates and m...

Barre des Ecrins

(Encyclopedia)Barre des Ecrins bär dāzākrăNˈ [key], peak, 13,461 ft (4,103 m) high, in the Pelvoux group, SE France, tallest of the Dauphiné Alps. ...

ranz des vaches

(Encyclopedia)ranz des vaches räNz dā väsh [key], type of Alpine folk melody of irregular melodic and rhythmic form used to call cattle. It is played on the alphorn by Swiss herders, or sung, with or without wor...

Val-des-Sources

(Encyclopedia)Val-des-Sources, formerly Asbestos, town (1991 pop. 6,487), SE Que., Canada. Manufactures include wood products and electrical equipment. Asbestos, from which the town derived its former name, was lon...

Bouvier des Flandres

(Encyclopedia)Bouvier des Flandres bo͞ovyāˈ dā fläNˈdrə [key], breed of powerful working dog perfected in Belgium around the beginning of the 20th cent. It stands from 23 to 28 in. (58–71 cm) high at the s...

Iowa, state, United States

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Iowa īˈəwə [key], midwestern state in the N central United States. It is bounded by the Mississippi River, across which lie Wisconsin and Illinois (E); Missouri (S); Nebraska and South Dako...

Middle West

(Encyclopedia)Middle West: see Midwest.

Key West

(Encyclopedia)Key West, city (1990 pop. 24,832), seat of Monroe co., S Fla., on an island at the southwestern extremity of the Florida Keys; inc. 1828. About 150 mi (240 km) from Miami (but only 90 mi/145 km from C...

North West

(Encyclopedia)North West, province (2011 pop. 3,509,953), 40,495 sq mi (104,882 sq km), N central South Africa. In 1994, under South Africa's post-apartheid constitution, North West was created from parts of the fo...