Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Shimonoseki, Treaty of

(Encyclopedia)Shimonoseki, Treaty of, Apr. 17, 1895, ending the First Sino-Japanese War. It was negotiated and signed by Ito Hirobumi for Japan and Li Hung-chang for China. Harsh terms were imposed on a badly defea...

Sui

(Encyclopedia)Sui swā [key], dynasty of China that ruled from 581 to 618. This short-lived dynasty reunified China in 589 after 400 years of division and laid the foundation for further consolidation under the T'a...

Zhoushan Archipelago

(Encyclopedia)Zhoushan Archipelago jō-shän [key], NE Zhejiang prov., China, in the East China Sea, at the entrance to Hangzhou Bay. It includes the main island of Zhoushan and about 100 lesser islands; Dinghai on...

cofferdam

(Encyclopedia)cofferdam, temporary barrier for excluding water from an area that is normally submerged. Made commonly of wood, steel, or concrete sheet piling (see pile), cofferdams are used in constructing the fou...

drainage, in agriculture

(Encyclopedia)drainage, in agriculture, the removal of excess water from the soil, either by a system of surface ditches, or by underground conduits if required by soil conditions and land contour. Diesel or centri...

Harvey, George Brinton McClellan

(Encyclopedia)Harvey, George Brinton McClellan, 1864–1928, American journalist and diplomat, b. Peacham, Caledonia co., Vt. After a career in journalism and insurance, he became involved in the construction and a...

Cavan, county, Ireland

(Encyclopedia)Cavan kăvˈən [key], county, 730 sq mi (1,891 sq km), N Republic of Ireland. The county sea...

Boxer Uprising

(Encyclopedia)Boxer Uprising, 1898–1900, antiforeign movement in China, culminating in a desperate uprising against Westerners and Western influence. By the end of the 19th cent. the Western powers and Japan had ...

Mongolia, region, Asia

(Encyclopedia)Mongolia mŏn-gōˈlēə, mŏng– [key], Asian region (c.906,000 sq mi/2,346,540 sq km), bordered roughly by Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, on the west; the Manchurian provinces of China on...
 

Browse by Subject