Search

The Online Encyclopedia and Dictionary

 
     
 

Encyclopedia

Dictionary

Quotes

   
 

Columbia

Note: The similar sounding country uses a different spelling--see Colombia.

Columbia is a name used in the English language for many things and places. The name is derived from that of Christopher Columbus. The term "Pre-Columbian" is used for American cultures before the arrival of Columbus and other European explorers.

Image:ColumbiaHerselfSmall.jpg

Columbia, late 19th century
from a Columbia Records phonograph cylinder package

The name "Columbia" is/was a poetic name for the United States of America, which largely fell out of use in the early 20th century. This was the origin of the name District of Columbia.

Columbia was also a female personification of the USA, similar to the male Uncle Sam and the British female Britannia, often seen in political cartoons through the early 20th century (see illustration at right) and still used by Columbia Pictures.

The term Columbian has been occasionally used as an alternative word for American when referring to someone from the United States, but has not entered general use, not least because of its confusing similarity to Colombian.

Things named Columbia include:

Places named "Columbia" include:

There is also the constellation Columba, the dove.

Columbia is also the name of a character in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The term Columbia is also used to identify a type of railroad locomotive. In the Whyte notation, a Columbia is a type 2-4-2.


Last updated: 05-13-2005 07:56:04