Taconic Orogeny Uo-'ka-nik-o-'ra-jo-neV Mountain-building event that affected the Appalachian Geosyncline along the eastern coast of the U.S. Evidence for the orogeny is most pronounced in the northern Appa¬ lachian Mountains, but its effects can be noted as far away as Tennessee and Georgia. Events ascribed to it include the development of New York’s Taconic Range and Vermont’s Green Mountains. Originally thought to have occurred at approximately the Ordovician-Silurian boundary (c. 443 million years ago), it is now generally considered to have consisted of several pulses from the mid-Ordovician to the early Silurian Period.
Taconic Range Part of the Appalachian mountain system, northeastern U.S. The range extends 150 mi (240 km) from southern Vermont to north¬ ern New York. Mount Equinox (3,816 ft [1,163 m]) in southwestern Ver¬ mont is the highest peak. In Massachusetts the mountains form the western section of the Berkshire Hills. Taconic State Park, in New York, is a popular mountain recreation area.
taconite Yta-ks-.nlA Low-grade iron formation (e.g., in Minnesota). Recovery of the iron requires fine grinding and concentration of iron¬
bearing phases (see mineral processing), which are then formed into pel¬ lets suitable for blast furnaces. As high-grade deposits of iron ore have become depleted, taconite deposits have increased in importance.
tactics In warfare, the art and science of fighting battles. It is concerned with the approach to combat, placement of troops, use made of weapons, vehicles, ships, or aircraft, and execution of movements for attack or defense. In general, tactics deal with the problems encountered in actual fighting. Tactical thinking attempts to coordinate personnel with the exist¬ ing weapons technology and apply both to the terrain and enemy forces in a way that uses the fighting force to best advantage. Deployment involves placing each type of weapon where it can do the most damage to the enemy or provide the most protection to one’s own forces. Timing and direction of attack are also important considerations. At sea, direc¬ tion was especially crucial in the era of wind-powered warships. In recent wars, timing has been a crucial factor in mounting airborne strikes that take advantage of the element of surprise. See also strategy.
Tadema, Lawrence Alma- See Lawrence Alma-Tadema Tadmor See Palmyra
tadpole or polliwog Aquatic larval stage of frogs and toads. Tad¬ poles have a short, oval body, broad tail, small mouth, and no external gills. Most are herbivorous, but those of some species are predatory or even cannibalistic. Tadpole metamorphosis follows a pattern of gradual development of forelimbs and hind limbs, resoiption of the tail, shorten¬ ing of the intestine, disappearance of the gills, and development of the lungs. On completion of metamorphosis, the young frog or toad emerges onto land.
tae kwon do Vtl-'kwan-'dcA Korean martial art resembling karate. It is characterized by the use of high standing and jump kicks as well as punches and is practiced for sport, self-defense, and spiritual develop¬ ment. In sparring, blows are stopped just short of contact. Based on ear¬ lier forms of Korean self-defense, tae kwon do was formalized and named in 1955. It became an Olympic sport in the year 2000.
Taegu \'ta-'gU\ Metropolitan city (pop., 2000: 2,473,990), capital of North Kyongsang province, southeastern South Korea. For centuries the administrative, economic, and cultural centre of South Korea, it devel¬ oped during the Choson dynasty (1392-1910) into one of the country’s three big market cities. It has important textile industries but is best known for the apples grown in the surrounding area, which are exported through¬ out East and Southeast Asia. The area attracts visitors to its several parks, ancient pagodas, and the 9th-century Buddhist temple containing the Tri- pitaka. It is home to many universities and colleges.
T'aejo See Yi Song-gye
Taejon Vta-'j6n\ Metropolitan city (pop., 2000: 1,365,961), capital of South Ch’ungch’ong province, southeastern South Korea. It was a poor village until rail connections spurred development in the early 1900s. During the Korean War (1950-53) it was a temporary capital of South Korea, and 70% of the city was destroyed; it has since been rebuilt. The manufacture of cotton textiles, machinery, and chemicals has been devel¬ oped. Chungnam National University and several other colleges are located there.
Taeuber Vt6i-bor\, Conrad; and Barnes Taeuber, Irene orig. Irene Barnes (respectively b. June 15, 1906, Hosmer, S.D., U.S.—d. Sept. 11, 1999, Nashua, N.H.; b. Dec. 25, 1906, Meadville, Mo.—d. Feb. 24, 1974, Hyattsville, Md.) U.S. demographers, statisticians, and social scientists. Working for various government agencies, the couple devel¬ oped a scholarly approach to the census that helped found the science of demography and made them authorities on population movements in the U.S. Their books The Changing Population of the United States (1958) and The Population of Japan (1958) are considered classics in demogra- phy.
Taewon-gun Vta-'wsn-'guM (b. 1821—d. 1898) Father of the last rul¬ ing Korean king, Kojong (r. 1864-1907), and regent (1864-73). As regent, Taewon-gun inaugurated reforms to strengthen the central government. He also modernized Korea’s armies. He opposed concessions to Japan or the West but was kidnapped and held in China three years, during which time his power and many of his reforms were eliminated.
Taff Vale case (1900-01) Successful trial in Britain of a suit brought by the Taff Vale Railway Company against the Amalgamated Society of
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1862 I Tafilalt ► Tagus River
Railway Servants (ASRS). In August 1900 the ASRS struck for higher wages but settled within two weeks when the company used strikebreak¬ ers. The company sued the union for violating the Protection of Property Act, and the courts held that a union could be sued for damages caused by a strike, effectively eliminating the strike as a weapon of organized labour. Opposition to the decision spurred the growth of the Labour Party and led to the passage of the Trade Disputes Act of 1906, which nullified the decision’s effect.
Tafilalt \,ta-fi-'lalt\ Oasis, southeastern Morocco. The country’s largest Saharan oasis, it covers 533 sq mi (1,380 sq km). It comprises six forti¬ fied villages and palm groves stretching for some 30 mi (50 km) along the Wadi Ziz. Its old capital was the prosperous Berber stronghold of Sijil- massa, founded in ad 757 on the Saharan caravan route and finally destroyed in the 19th century. The oasis is noted for its groves of date palms.
tafsir \taf-'ser\ Science of explanation and interpretation of the Qur’an. It arose after the death of Muhammad to deal with ambiguity, variant read¬ ings, defective texts, and apparent contradictions in the scripture. Start¬ ing from mere personal speculation, tafsir developed into a system of systematic exegesis of the Qur’an’s text, proceeding verse by verse and sometimes word by word. Early efforts relied on the Hadlth, later giving rise to a more dogmatic type of tafsir. The most comprehensive work was compiled by the scholar al-TABARl. Some Muslim modernists have employed tafsir as a vehicle for reformist ideas.
Taft, Robert A(lphonso) (b. Sept. 8, 1889, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.—d. July 31, 1953, New York, N.Y.) U.S. politician. The son of Wil¬ liam H. Taft, he served in the Ohio legislature before being elected to the U.S. Senate (1939-53). He became known as a strong advocate of tradi¬ tional conservativism and earned the nickname “Mr. Republican.” He opposed centralizing power in the federal government and cosponsored the Taft-Hartley Act to restrict organized labour. An isolationist, he opposed U.S. involvement in postwar international organizations. He was a favourite-son candidate for president at Republican Party national con¬ ventions, especially in 1948 and 1952, but internationalists in the party opposed his conservative views. After the election of Dwight Eisenhower, Taft became Senate majority leader and Eisenhower’s chief adviser in the Senate.