Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Ozawa, Ichiro, 1942–, Japanese political leader. The son of a prominent politician, Ozawa was elected (1969) to his late father's parliamentary seat. Then a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic p...

(Encyclopedia) Seiyukai sāˈyo͞okīˌ [key], Japanese political party, founded in 1900. It was derived, via the Kenseito (see Minseito) from the Jiyuto, organized by Taisuke Itagaki in 1881. Under the astute polit...

(Encyclopedia) Fine Gael fēˈnə gāl [key], Irish political party. Formed in 1933, it was the successor of the party founded by William Cosgrave that held power from the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922 un...

(Encyclopedia) Mazurov, Kiril kĭrēlˈ mäzo͞oˈrôf [key], 1914–89, Soviet political leader. A construction technician, he joined the Communist party in 1940, and was active in the Communist youth organization....

(Encyclopedia) Trong, Nguyen Phu, 1944– Vietnamese political leader. Trong became a member of the Communist party in North Vietnam in 1968 and began working for the Communist Review in 1973, ultimately serving as ...

(Encyclopedia) Abhisit Vejjajiva äpēˈsĭt wāchäˈchēwä [key], 1964–, Thai politician, prime minister of Thailand (2008–11), b. Newcastle, England. Born into a wealthy Thai-Chinese family, Abhisit was educ...

(Encyclopedia) Fitch, Clyde (William Clyde Fitch), 1865–1909, American dramatist, b. Elmira, N.Y. An extremely prolific and versatile playwright, he wrote over 36 original plays, including melodramas, farces, soci...

(Encyclopedia) aquamarine ăkˌwəmərēnˈ, äkˌ– [key] [Lat.,=seawater], transparent beryl with a blue or bluish-green color. Sources of the gems include Brazil, Siberia, the Union of Myanmar, Madagascar, and p...

(Encyclopedia) Treece, Henry, 1912–66, English poet and novelist. He served as an intelligence officer in the Royal Air Force during World War II, after which he taught school for many years. He is noted chiefly f...

(Encyclopedia) ribbon grass, ornamental perennial grass (Phalaris arundinacea var. picta), a variety of the reed canary grass. It has green leaves striped with white and is often cultivated in gardens; it is also kn...