Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Ada āˈə [key], city (2020 pop. 16,481), seat of Pontotoc co., S central Okla.; inc. 1904. It is a large cattle market and the center of a rich oil and ranch area. The c...

(Encyclopedia) Cumberland. 1 City (2020 pop. 19,076), seat of Allegany co., NW Md., on the North Branch of the Potomac; settled 1750, inc. 1815. It is an important ...

(Encyclopedia) Kingston. 1 City (1990 pop. 23,095), seat of Ulster co., SE N.Y., on the Hudson River at the mouth of Rondout Creek; inc. as a village 1805, and as a city through the union (1872) of Kingston and Rond...

(Encyclopedia) Reading. rĕdˈĭng [key] 1 Town (1990 pop. 22,539), Middlesex co., NE Mass., a suburb of Boston; settled 1639, set off from Lynn and inc. 1644. Printing is the major industry. A 17th-century tavern i...

(Encyclopedia) lychee lēˈchē [key], Chinese tree (Litchi chinensis) of the family Sapindaceae (soapberry family), having a small, aromatic, pulpy fruit with a large seed within a thin, rough shell. It is the best...

(Encyclopedia) sisal hemp sīˈsəl, sĭsˈəl, sēsälˈ [key] [from Sisal, former chief port of Yucatan], important cordage fiber obtained from the leaves of the sisal hemp plant, an extensively cultivated tropica...

(Encyclopedia) Rhode Island, island, 15 mi (24 km) long and 5 mi (8 km) wide, S R.I., at the entrance to Narragansett Bay. It is the largest island in the state, with steep cliffs and excellent beaches. Known to the...

(Encyclopedia) United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), specialized agency of the United Nations. Headquartered in Vienna, it was organized in 1966 and made a specialized UN agency in 1985. UNIDO'...

(Encyclopedia) aquarium, name for any supervised exhibit of aquatic animals and plants. Aquariums are known to have been constructed in ancient Rome, Egypt, and Asia. Goldfish have been bred in China for several hun...

(Encyclopedia) Santa Rosa sănˈtə rōˈzə [key], city (1990 pop. 113,313), seat of Sonoma co., W Calif.; inc. 1868. It is an industrial city and a retail, financial, and medical center for the fertile Sonoma Vall...