Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) XYZ Affair, name usually given to an incident (1797–98) in Franco-American diplomatic relations. The United States had in 1778 entered into an alliance with France, but after the outbreak of the Fre...

(Encyclopedia) Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a fraudulent document that reported the alleged proceedings of a conference of Jews in the late 19th cent., at which they discussed plans to overthrow Christianity thr...

(Encyclopedia) Odebrecht corruption scandal, series of graft scandals involving the Odebrecht (now Novonor), a Brazilian construction and petrochemicals conglomerate, as well as Petrobras, the Brazilian multinationa...

(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 ...

(Encyclopedia) Nguema, Francisco Macias fränsēsˈkō mäshˈyəs ngwāˈmä [key], 1924–79, first president of Equatorial Guinea (1968–79). Leading the leftist party for independence from Spain, he was vice pr...

(Encyclopedia) Montpelier, estate, central Va., near Charlottesville; formerly the home of President James Madison. The brick mansion was built c.1760 by Madison's father. Altered and enlarged by later owners, it ha...

(Encyclopedia) state of emergency, situation in which a government or a government body is empowered to act with enhanced powers in order to respond to a crisis. The enhanced or emergency powers, and in many cases i...

(Encyclopedia) Trucial States: see United Arab Emirates. ...

(Encyclopedia) Delaware dĕlˈəwâr, –wər [key], city (2020 pop. 41,302), seat of Delaware co., central Ohio, on the ...

(Encyclopedia) Tacna-Arica Controversy täkˈnə-ərēˈkə [key], 1883–1929, dispute between Chile and Peru. It arose from provisions of the Treaty of Ancón (1883), which ended the War of the Pacific (see Pacifi...