Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) governor, chief executive of a dependent or component unit in a political system. In the United States, a governor is the chief executive of each state and is elected by the people of the state. In th...

(Encyclopedia) borax or sodium tetraborate decahydrate sōˈdēəm tĕˌtrəbôrˈāt dĕkˌəhīˈdrāt [key], chemical compound, Na2B4O7·10H2O; sp. gr. 1.73; slightly soluble in cold water; very soluble in hot wa...

(Encyclopedia) San Juan Boundary Dispute, controversy between the United States and Great Britain over the U.S.–British Columbia boundary. It is sometimes called the Northwest Boundary Dispute. The difficulty aros...

(Encyclopedia) Campeche kämpāˈchā [key], state, 21,924 sq mi (56,798 sq km), SE Mexico, on the Gulf of C...

(Encyclopedia) Paraíba pərīēˈbə [key], state (1991 pop. 3,201,114), 21,765 sq mi (56,371 sq km), NE Brazil, on the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is João Pessoa. The state extends inland from the Atlantic to the...

(Encyclopedia) loess lĕs, lōˈəs, Ger. lös [key], unstratified soil deposit of varying thickness, usually yellowish and composed of fine-grained angular mineral particles mixed with clay. It is found in many reg...

(Encyclopedia) Villard, Henry vĭlärdˈ [key], 1835–1900, American journalist and financier, b. Germany. His first name was originally Hilgard. He attended universities in Germany, and after he reached (1853) the...

(Encyclopedia) Bahia bäēˈyə [key], state, 216,612 sq mi (559,921 sq km), E Brazil, on the Atlantic Ocean...

(Encyclopedia) United Methodist Church, religious body formed by the union in 1968 of the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church (see Methodism), with churches in the United States, Africa, and ...

(Encyclopedia) Education, United States Department of, executive department of the federal government responsible for advising on educational plans and policies, providing assistance for education, and carrying out ...