Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Tihamah, Tihama, or Tehama all: tĭhäˈmə [key], narrow, extremely arid lowland region along the west coast of the Arabian peninsula, extending c.1,300 mi (2,090 km) from the Gulf of Aqaba S to the...

(Encyclopedia) San Cristóbal sän krēstōˈbäl [key], active volcano, c.5,725 ft (1,745 m) high, Chinandega dept., NW Nicaragua. Part of a complex of five volcanic mountains, it is the country's highest volcano a...

(Encyclopedia) flamenco, Spanish music and dance typical of the Romani (Gypsy), or gitano. Flamenco dancing is characterized by colorful costumes, intense and erotic movements, stamping of the feet (zapateado), and ...

(Encyclopedia) Agustini, Delmira dĕlmēˈrä ägo͞ostēˈnē [key], c.1886–1914, Uruguayan poet. Essentially a poet of ideas, Agustini combined deep spiritual and erotic yearnings in bold and expressive imagery....

(Encyclopedia) Icaza, Jorge hôrˈhā ēkäˈsä [key], 1906–78, Ecuadorian novelist. Icaza wrote in harsh, realistic terms against the exploitation of the Native American. His novel En las calles [in the streets]...

(Encyclopedia) Quintana, Manuel José mänwĕlˈ hōsāˈ kēntäˈnä [key], 1772–1857, Spanish poet. He held high government posts and was tutor to Queen Isabella II. One of the last Spaniards to exemplify class...

(Encyclopedia) San Miguel sän mēgĕlˈ [key], city (1993 pop. 118,214), E El Salvador, at the foot of San Miguel, an active volcano (6,996 ft/2,132 m, also known as Chaparrastique). It has textile, rope, and dairy...

(Encyclopedia) Sánchez Ferlosio, Rafael räfäĕlˈ sänˈchĕth fārlōˈsyō [key], 1927–, Spanish novelist, b. Rome. He has published two novels. Industrias y andanzas de Alfanhuí [the projects and wanderings...

(Encyclopedia) Vasconcelos, José hōsāˈ väskōnsāˈlōs [key], 1882–1959, Mexican educator and writer. He headed (1920–24) the National Univ. of Mexico and, as minister of education under Álvaro Obregón, ...

(Encyclopedia) Asherah -rŏth [key], Canaanite fertility goddess and the wooden cult symbol that represented her. She is the consort of El in the Ugaritic texts. Several passages in the Bible may refer to the planti...