Colmar, Charles Xavier Thomas de See Charles X. T. de Colmar
colobus Vka-lo-bosN monkey Any of 10 species of long-tailed, essen¬ tially thumbless African Old World monkeys in the genus Colobus (family Cercopithecidae). Colobus monkeys are diurnal, generally gregarious veg¬ etarians. They make long leaps from tree to tree. The four species of black- and-white colobus are 22-24 in. (55-60 cm) long, excluding the 30-32-in. (77-82-cm) tail. They are slender and have a long, silky coat. The five spe¬ cies of red colobus are brown or black with red markings and are 18-24 in. (46-60 cm) long, excluding the 16-31-in. (40-80-cm) tail. The olive colo¬ bus has short, olive-coloured fur. Several races of red colobus are consid¬ ered endangered; other colobus species are vulnerable or rare.
Cologne \ko-'lon\ German Koln \'koeln\ City (pop., 2002 est.: city, 967,900; metro, area, 1,823,500), western Germany. Located on the Rhine River, it is one of Europe’s key inland ports. First settled by Romans in the 1st century bc, its commercial importance grew out of its location on the major European trade routes. In the Middle Ages it also became an ecclesiastical centre and an important hub of art and learning. Despite its almost complete destruction in World War II, the city retains some build¬ ings and monuments of all periods. Its cathedral, the largest Gothic church in northern Europe, is its unofficial symbol. Banking has been an impor¬ tant industry since the Middle Ages. Eau de cologne, first produced com¬ mercially in the 18th century, is still made there. The city is also a major media centre, with many publishing houses and production facilities for radio and television. It is famous for its pre-Lenten Carnival.
Colombia officially Republic of Colombia Country, northwestern South America. Area: 440,762 sq mi (1,141,568 sq km). Population (2005 est.): 42,954,000. Capitaclass="underline" Bogota. About half the population are mesti¬ zos; most of the rest are of European-African, European, or African ances¬ try. Language: Spanish (official). Religion: Christianity (predominantly Roman Catholic). Currency: peso. The topography is dominated by the Andes Mountains. To the south and east lie vast lowlands, drained by the Orinoco and Amazon rivers. Colombia’s developing economy is based primarily on services, agriculture, and manufacturing, coffee being the principal cash crop. Coca (for the production of cocaine) and opium pop¬ pies (for the production of heroin) are grown and trafficked illicitly on a large scale. Rich in minerals, Colombia is the world’s largest producer of
emeralds and one of South America’s larg¬ est producers of gold. It is a multiparty loo 260 300km republic with two legislative houses; its head of state and government is the presi¬ dent. Its earliest known inhabitants were Chibchan-speaking Indians. The Spanish arrived c. 1500 and by 1538 had conquered the area and made it subject to the Viceroyalty of Peru. After 1740 authority was transferred to the newly created Viceroyalty of New Granada. Parts of Colombia threw off Spanish jurisdiction in 1810, and full independence came after Spain’s defeat by revolutionary leader Simon Bolivar in 1819. Civil war in 1840 slowed development. Conflict between the Liberal and Conservative parties led to the War of a Thousand Days (1899-1903). Years of relative peace followed, but hostility erupted again in 1948; the two parties agreed in 1958 to a plan for alternating govern¬ ments. A new constitution was adopted in 1991, but democratic power remained threatened by civil unrest, which continued into the early 21st century and at the violent centre of which were powerful drug cartels, leftist guerrillas, and right-wing paramilitary groups.
Colombo Nka-'lom-boV City (pop., 2001 prelim.: 642,163), administra¬ tive capital of Sri Lanka. Situated on the western coast of the island, it is a major port with one of the largest artificial harbours in the world. The area was settled in the 8th century by Arab traders. A fort was established by the Portuguese in 1518, and the town was occupied by the Dutch in 1656 and the English in 1796. It became the capital of the island in 1815. Western influence diminished after Sri Lanka gained its independence in 1948. A commercial and industrial centre, Colombo has manufacturing industries that produce machinery and process food products. It is home to the University of Colombo (founded 1921).
Colombo \k6-'lom-bo\, Matteo Realdo (b. 15167, Cremona [Italy]—d. 1559, Rome) Italian anatomist and surgeon. He is credited with the discovery of pulmonary circulation. On Things Anatomical (1559), his only formal written work, includes a description of how the heart pumps blood and outlines the pulmonary circulation and the return of bright-red blood to the heart from the lungs.
colon \'ko-lon\ Segment that makes up most of the large intestine. Though the two terms are often used interchangeably, the colon technically excludes the cecum (a pouch at the beginning of the large intestine), rec¬ tum, and anal canal. It runs up the right side of the abdomen (ascending colon), across it (transverse colon), and down the left side (descending colon); its last section (sigmoid colon) joins the rectum. It has no diges¬ tive function but lubricates waste products, absorbs remaining fluids and salts, and stores waste products until excretion. Problems involving the colon include ulcerative colitis, constipation and diarrhea, gas discomfort, megacolon (enlarged colon), and cancer.
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434 I Colonial National Historical Park ► colorimetry
Colonial National Historical Park Historical reservation, south¬ eastern Virginia, U.S. Covering some 15 sq mi (38 sq km) and centred on a peninsula between the York and James rivers, it was first established as a national monument in 1930 and includes colonial and Revolutionary sites. It embraces Cape Henry, Jamestown, and Yorktown and includes the Colonial Parkway, a 23-mi (37-km) scenic route linking Jamestown, Wil¬ liamsburg, and Yorktown.
colonialism Control by one power over a dependent area or people. The purposes of colonialism include economic exploitation of the colo¬ ny’s natural resources, creation of new markets for the colonizer, and extension of the colonizer’s way of life beyond its national borders. The most active practitioners were European countries; in the years 1500- 1900, Europe colonized all of North and South America and Australia, most of Africa, and much of Asia by sending settlers to populate the land or by taking control of governments. The first colonies were established in the Western Hemisphere by the Spanish and Portuguese in the 15th— 16th century. The Dutch colonized Indonesia in the 16th century, and Britain colonized North America and India in the 17th—18th century. Later British settlers colonized Australia and New Zealand. Colonization of Africa only began in earnest in the 1880s, but by 1900 virtually the entire continent was controlled by Europe. The colonial era ended gradually after World War II; the only territories still governed as colonies today are small islands. See also decolonization, dependency, imperialism.
colonnade Row of columns generally supporting an entablature, used either as an independent feature (e.g., a covered walkway) or as part of a building (e.g., a PORTICO). The earliest colonnades appear in the temple architecture of ancient Greece. In a basilica, colonnades are used to sepa¬ rate the side aisles from the central space. See also stoa.
colony In antiquity, any of the new settlements established in territory conquered by the Greeks (8th-6th century bc), Alexander the Great (4th century bc), and the Romans (4th century bc-ad 2nd century). Greek colonies extended to Italy, Sicily, Spain, the eastern Mediterranean (including Egypt), and the Black Sea. Alexander pushed even farther into Central Asia, South Asia, and Egypt. Roman colonization covered much of the same area and regions south to northern Africa, west to Spain, and north to Britain and Germany. Reasons for colonizing included expansion of trade, acquisition of raw materials, resolution of political unrest or overpopulation, and craving for land and rewards. Colonies retained ties and loyalty to Rome, though rebelliousness was not uncommon. In Roman colonies after 177 bc, colonists retained Roman citizenship and could exercise full political rights. Ancient colonization spread Hellenic and Roman culture to the far reaches of the empires, often assimilating local populations, some of whom acquired Roman citizenship.