Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Gulf Stream, warm ocean current of the N Atlantic Ocean, off E North America. It was first described (1513) by Spanish explorer Ponce de León. The Gulf Stream originates in the Gulf of Mexico and, as...

(Encyclopedia) Permian period pûrˈmēən [key] [from Perm, Russia], sixth and last period of the Paleozoic era (see Geologic Timescale, tablegeologic timescale, table) from 250 to 290 million years ago. Many ma...

(Encyclopedia) Samoa, formerly Western Samoa, officially Independent State of Samoa, constitutional monarchy (2015 est. pop. 194,000), South Pacific, comprising the western half of the Samoa island chain. There are ...

(Encyclopedia)  CE5 North Dakota, state in the N central United States. It is bordered by Minnesota, across the Red River of the North (E), South Dakota (S), Montana (W), and the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan...

(Encyclopedia) Aguascalientes, city, capital of Aguascalientes state, central Mexico. The city is a pleasant health resort, noted for its mineral waters and vineyards. Its industries include railroad rep...

(Encyclopedia) North, Roger, 1653–1734, English biographer. A lawyer, he wrote excellent biographies of his brothers: Francis North, Lord Guilford, Keeper of the Great Seal (1742); Dudley North, a merchant (1744);...

(Encyclopedia) Guadalajara gwäˌᵺälähäˈrä [key], city, capital of Jalisco state, SW Mexico, second largest city of ...

(Encyclopedia) America's Cup: see sailing.

(Encyclopedia) gopher or pocket gopher, name for the burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae, found in North America and Central America. The gopher is gray, buff, or dark brown. Its combined head and body length ...

(Encyclopedia) swan, common name for a large aquatic bird of both hemispheres, related to ducks and geese. It has a long, gracefully curved neck and an extremely long, convoluted trachea which makes possible its far...