Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

New Spain

(Encyclopedia)New Spain: see Mexico, country.

South China Sea

(Encyclopedia)South China Sea, western arm of the Pacific Ocean, c.1,000,000 sq mi (2,590,000 sq km), between the SE Asian mainland and Taiwan, the Philippines, and Borneo. It is connected with the East China Sea b...

North American Free Trade Agreement

(Encyclopedia)North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), accord establishing a free-trade zone in North America; it was signed in 1992 by Canada, Mexico, and the United States and took effect on Jan. 1, 1994. NAF...

Tapachula

(Encyclopedia)Tapachula täpächo͞oˈlä [key], city (1990 pop. 138,858) Chiapas state, SE Mexico, at the foot of the Chiapas highlands and near the Guatemala border. It is the commercial center of a coffee-growin...

Clavijero, Francisco Javier

(Encyclopedia)Clavijero, Francisco Javier fränsēsˈkō hävyĕrˈ klävēhāˈrō [key], 1731–87, Mexican scholar and historian. A Jesuit, he taught in Mexico until the expulsion of the order (1767). From his r...

Salinas de Gortari, Carlos

(Encyclopedia)Salinas de Gortari, Carlos, 1948–, president of Mexico (1988–94). A Harvard-educated political economist, he became minister of planning and the budget (1982–87) and succeeded Miguel de la Madri...

Lomonosov

(Encyclopedia)Lomonosov oräˈnyənboum [key], city (1989 pop. 42,000), NW European Russia, on the Gulf of Finland. It is a rail terminus and summer resort and has foundries and brick factories. In Lomonosov are a ...

Portillo y Pacheco, José López

(Encyclopedia)Portillo y Pacheco, José López, 1920–, president of Mexico (1976–82). He held various government posts before becoming minister of finance in 1971. As president, he greatly expanded the Mexican ...

Salton Sea

(Encyclopedia)Salton Sea sôlˈtən [key], saline lake, 370 sq mi (958 sq km), northern part of the Imperial Valley, SE Calif.; 232 ft (71 m) below sea level. The area was anciently the northern part of the Gulf of...

Mexican War

(Encyclopedia)Mexican War, 1846–48, armed conflict between the United States and Mexico. The United States had won an easy victory, partly because Mexico, torn by civil strife, could not present a united fron...
 

Browse by Subject