Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Mackinac măkˈĭnôˌ [key], historic region of the Old Northwest (see Northwest Territory), a shortening of Michilimackinac. The name, in the past, was variously applied to different areas: to Macki...

(Encyclopedia) canoe kəno͞oˈ [key], long, narrow watercraft with sharp ends originally used by most peoples. It is usually propelled by means of paddles, although sails and, more recently, outboard motors are als...

(Encyclopedia) Heidegger, Martin märˈtēn hīˈdĕger [key], 1889–1976, German philosopher. As a student at Freiburg, Heidegger was influenced by the neo-Kantianism of Heinrich Rickert and the phenomenology of E...

(Encyclopedia) Swiss literature. The literature of Switzerland is written in German, French, Italian, and Romansh, with German predominating. The extensive literature in Romansh dialect (see Rhaeto-Romanic) is littl...

(Encyclopedia) Rosas, Juan Manuel de hwän mänwĕlˈ dā rôˈsäs [key], 1793–1877, Argentine dictator, governor of Buenos Aires prov. (1829–32, 1835–52). As a boy he served under Jacques de Liniers against ...

(Encyclopedia) Geneva jənēˈvə [key], Fr. Genève, canton, 109 sq mi (282 sq km), SW Switzerland, surroun...

(Encyclopedia) modern art, art created from the 19th cent. to the mid-20th cent. by artists who veered away from the traditional concepts and techniques of painting, sculpture, and other fine arts that had been prac...

(Encyclopedia) Marie Antoinette ăntwənĕtˈ, äNtwänĕtˈ [key], 1755–93, queen of France, wife of King Louis XVI and daughter of Austrian Archduchess Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I. She was mar...

(Encyclopedia) Mitterrand, François Maurice fräNswäˈ mōrēsˈ mētəräNˈ [key], 1916–96, French political leader, president of France, 1981–95. Initially a supporter of Pétain's Vichy government during W...

(Encyclopedia) Montreal môNrāälˈ [key], city (1991 pop. 1,017,666), S Que., Canada, on Montreal island, surrounded by St. Lawrence River and Rivière des Prairies. Montreal is the second largest metropolitan are...