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Definition: Colombo from Philip's Encyclopedia

Capital and chief seaport of Sri Lanka, on the SW coast. Settled in the 6th century bc it was taken by Portugal in the 16th century and later by the Dutch. It was captured by the British in 1796, and gained its independence in 1948. Colombo has one of the world's largest artificial harbours. Sites include a town hall and the Aqua de Lupo Church. Apart from shipping, the city has light industries. Pop. (2001) 642,020.


Colombo

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(kӘlŭm'bō), largest city (1995 est. pop. 750,000) and former capital of Sri Lanka, a port on the Indian Ocean near the mouth of the Kelani River. The original Sinhalese name, Kalantotta (“Kelani ferry”), was corrupted to Kolambu by Arab traders and was changed to Colombo by the Portuguese. The city's major sections are the old area of narrow streets and colorful market stalls; the modern commercial and government area around the 16th-century Portuguese fort; and Cinnamon Gardens, a wealthy residential and recreational area. Colombo has one of the world's largest artificial harbors. Most of Sri Lanka's foreign trade passes through the port. There are modern facilities for containerized cargo. Gem cutting is a Colombo specialty; other industries include food and tobacco processing, metal fabrication, engineering, and the manufacture of chemicals, textiles, glass, cement, leather goods, furniture, and jewelry. An oil refinery is on the city's outskirts. Colombo is also Sri Lanka's…
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Full text Article Colombo

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
City (pop., 2007 est.: 672,743), executive and judicial capital of Sri Lanka. (Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, a Colombo suburb, is the legislative capital.) Situated on the western coast of the island, it is a major Indian Ocean port with one of the largest artificial harbours in the world. The area was…
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Full text Article Colombo

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(kӘlŭm'bō), largest city (1995 est. pop. 750,000) and former capital of Sri Lanka, a port on the Indian Ocean near the mouth of the Kelani River. The original Sinhalese name, Kalantotta (“Kelani ferry”), was corrupted to Kolambu by Arab traders and was changed to Colombo by the Portuguese. The…
| 411 words
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Full text Article Colombo Plan

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
international economic organization created in a cooperative attempt to strengthen the economic and social development of the nations of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Officially the Colombo Plan for Cooperative Economic Development in Asia and the Pacific, it came into force in 1951 as the Colombo…
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Full text Article Colombo, Emilio

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(āmē'lyō kōlôm'bō), 1920–2013, Italian political leader. He was elected a member of the constituent assembly in 1946 and a parliamentary deputy for the Christian Democratic party in 1948. A member of the group that wrote the post-World War II constitution, which ended the monarchy and established a…
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Full text Article Colombo, John Robert

From A Dictionary of the Avant-Gardes
(24 March 1936) Very much a strong man both inside and outside within Canadian literature, a prolific writer and editor whose achievements are so plentiful they are foolishly taken for granted in his native country, Colombo has worked with a variety of unusual poetic strategies. His first books were…
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Full text Article Colombo

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Chief commercial city and seaport, and former capital, of Sri Lanka, on the west coast near the mouth of the Kelani River; population (2001 est) 642,000. It trades in the export of tea, rubber, and cacao, and its industries include iron- and steelworks, an oil refinery, and motor vehicle assembly. …
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Full text Article Colombo Crime Family

From World of Criminal Justice, Gale
Dating to the 1920s, the Colombo crime family emerged as one of the five dominant forces in New York’s underworld. During the mid-twentieth century, the family ran several profitable illegal enterprises, from gambling and loan-sharking to drugs , counterfeiting , and bankruptcy fraud . With its high…
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Full text Article Colombo

From Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary
Seaport and commercial city, ✽ of Sri Lanka, near mouth of Kelani River on Indian Ocean; pop. (2001p) 642,163; largest city of Sri Lanka; has artificial harbor; financial services; food products; tobacco; many temples, mosques, and churches; university; national museum. Port probably known to…
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Full text Article Colombo

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Sunshine(average hours per day) Temperatures Discomfort from heat and humidity Precipitation and humidity Wet days(more than 1 mm/0.04 in) Average daily Highest recorded Lowest recorded Relative humidity Average monthly precipitation minimum maximum 0930 1530 °C °F °C °F °C °F °C °F % mm in Jan 8 22…
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Joseph Columbo, an American Mafia boss of the 1950s and 1960s, was, at the age of 40, the youngest mob boss in America. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Colombo drifted into organized crime after a failed stint in the Coast Guard. He steadily rose through the ranks doing various jobs, including loan…
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