Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Nordenskjöld, Nils Adolf Erik, Baron nĭls äˈdôlf āˈrĭk no͞orˈdənshöld [key], 1832–1901, Swedish geologist and arctic explorer, first to navigate the Northeast Passage, b. Finland. He ser...

(Encyclopedia) sea level, the level of the sea, which serves as the datum used for measurement of land elevations and ocean depths. Theoretically, one would expect sea level to be a fixed and permanent horizontal su...

(Encyclopedia) skating: see ice skating; ice dancing; roller skating. ...

(Encyclopedia) Mars, in astronomy, 4th planet from the sun, with an orbit next in order beyond that of the earth. Mars has two natural satellites, discovered by Asaph Hall in 1877. The innermost of these, Phobos...

(Encyclopedia) winter sports: see bobsledding; curling; hockey, ice; ice dancing; ice skating; skiing; snowshoes; tobogganing. ...

(Encyclopedia) Reindeer Lake, one of the largest lakes in Canada, 2,467 sq mi (6,390 sq km), NE Sask. and NW Man. The Reindeer River drains it S to the Churchill River. The lake has many islands and is noted for its...

(Encyclopedia) croquet krōkāˈ [key], lawn game in which the players hit wooden balls with wooden mallets through a series of 9 or 10 wire arches, or wickets. The first player to hit the posts placed at each end o...

(Encyclopedia) Telemark tĕˈləmärk [key], county (1995 pop. 163,143), 5,915 sq mi (15,320 sq km), SE Norway, bordering on the Skagerrak in the east. Skien (the capital), Porsgrunn, Kragerø, and Notodden are the ...

(Encyclopedia) fencing, sport of dueling with foil, épée, and saber. Swords have been in use since the Bronze Age, and nearly all people of antiquity practiced swordsmanship. Fencing as a contest has existed at ...

(Encyclopedia) jeep, small, durable automotive vehicle intended for heavy-duty applications and sometimes provided with the capability of delivering driving power to all four wheels. The last feature allows superior...