Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Mossi mŏsˈē [key], African people, numbering about 2.5 million, mostly in Burkina Faso. From c.a.d. 1000 the Mossi were organized into several kingdoms, one of which has continued to the present da...

(Encyclopedia) Staël, Nicholas de nēkôläˈ də stäl [key], 1914–55, French painter, b. St. Petersburg, Russia. Reared in Brussels, he traveled extensively before settling in France in 1940. De Staël evolved ...

(Encyclopedia) Decamps, Alexandre Gabriel älĕksäNˈdrə gäbrēĕlˈ dəkäNˈ [key], 1803–60, French genre and historical painter, engraver, and lithographer. First known for his caricatures and illustrations,...

(Encyclopedia) Cavedone, Giacomo jäˈkōmō kävādôˈnā [key], 1577–1660, Italian painter, of the Bolognese school. He assisted Guido Reni in Rome, but his reputation as a master of color and composition was w...

(Encyclopedia) Kouvola, city (1996 pop. 31,986), located in Kymen prov., SE Finland. It is an important railroad junction on the line running from St. Petersburg to Helsinki and a transportation center for goods hea...

(Encyclopedia) Quant, Mary, 1934–, British fashion designer. After opening her boutique in London to sell clothes, she began to design them as well. She was one of the originators of the “mod” or “Chelsea”...

(Encyclopedia) Vidal, Peire pĕr vēdälˈ [key], fl. 1180–1206, Provençal troubadour, b. Toulouse. He spent much of his career in S France and traveled widely in Italy, Cyprus, Hungary, Spain, and Malta. Richard...

(Encyclopedia) Group of Seventy Seven (G77), international organization, established in 1967 to promote economic cooperation and greater influence in world affairs among developing countries. Originally consisting o...

(Encyclopedia) dam, barrier, commonly across a watercourse, to hold back water, often forming a reservoir or lake; dams are also sometimes used to control or contain rockslides, mudflows, and the like in regions whe...

(Encyclopedia) McClintock, John, 1814–70, American Methodist Episcopal clergyman and educator, b. Philadelphia. From 1836 to 1848 he taught at Dickinson College, resigning to edit (1848–56) the Methodist Quarter...