tar sand or bituminous sand Deposit of loose sand or partially consolidated sandstone that is saturated with highly viscous bitumen. Oil recovered from tar sands, commonly referred to as synthetic crude, is a potentially significant form of fossil fuel. The largest known deposits of tar sands occur in Canada’s Athabasca River valley, where commercial projects for synthetic oil production from tar sands are being carried out.
Tara \'ta-ra\ In Buddhism, a saviour-goddess with numerous forms. Her worship is widely popular in Nepal,
Tibet, and Mongolia. She is the femi¬ nine counterpart of Avalokitesvara.
She came into existence when his tear fell to the ground and formed a lake; out of its waters rose a lotus, which, on opening, revealed the god¬ dess. She is the protector of naviga¬ tion and earthly travel, as well as of spiritual travel along the path to enlightenment. In art she typically holds a lotus and has a third eye. She is represented in various colours, sig¬ nifying different aspects of her pow¬ ers.
Tarabulus See Tripoli (Lebanon) and Tripoli (Libya)
Tarai or Terai \t3-'rl\ Region of northern India and southern Nepal. It runs parallel to the lower ranges of the Himalayas and stretches from the Yamuna River to the Brahmaputra River. Numerous springs at its north¬ ern edge form several streams, including the Ghaghara River, that intersect the region and give it its marshy character. Much of the area’s marshland, once malarial, has been drained and put under cultivation.
Tarantino, Quentin (b. March 27, 1963, Knoxville, Tenn., U.S.) U.S. director and screenwriter. He worked in a video store in California before selling two screenplays that became True Romance (1993) and Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers (1994). He made his directing debut with Reservoir Dogs (1993). His controversial Pulp Fiction (1994) won the
White Tara, gilt copper repousse statue from Nepal, 18th century; in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, The Avery Brundage Collection
COURTESY OF THE ASIAN ART MUSEUM OF SAN FRANCISCO, THE AVERY BRUNDAGE COLLECTION; PHOTOGRAPH, MARTIN GRAYSON
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
1874 I Taranto ► Tarkovsky
Academy Award for best screenplay and the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival. His films, including Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bilclass="underline" Vol. 1 (2003), and Kill Bilclass="underline" Vol. 2 (2004), are known for their stylized violence, razor-sharp dialogue, and fascination with film and pop culture. Tarantino also worked as an actor, producer, and executive of a film distribution company, Rolling Thunder.
Taranto Vta-ran-,to\ ancient Tarentum Seaport (pop., 2001 prelim.: 201,349), Puglia region, southeastern Italy. Located on the Gulf of Taranto, the old city is on a small island, with newer areas on the adjacent main¬ land. Founded by SpARTAns in the 8th century bc, it was called Taras and became one of the leading cities of Magna Graecia. It reached its zenith in the 4th century bc under Archytas. It came under Rome in 272 bc. Between the 5th and the 11th centuries ad it was taken by the Goths, Byz¬ antines, Lombards, Arabs, and Normans. By the 15th century it was part of the Kingdom of Naples. It became part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicil¬ ies from 1815 and then joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Taranto was an important stronghold of the Italian navy in both world wars; it was heavily bombed in 1940 and was occupied by British forces in 1943. Still an important naval base, it is the site of extensive shipyards and a large iron- and steelworks.
tarantula \t9-ran-ch9-lo\ Name that originally referred to the wolf spi¬ der but now covers any spider in the family Theraphosidae. It is found from the southwestern U.S. to South America. Many species live in a bur¬ row, and most have a hairy body and long, hairy legs. They are nocturnal predators of insects and, occasion¬ ally, amphibians and mice. Certain South American tarantulas eat small birds. In the southwestern U.S., tarantulas of the genus Aphonopelma may have a body 2 in. (5 cm) long and a leg spread of nearly 5 in. (12 cm). They may inflict a painful bite if provoked. The most common U.S. species, Eurypelma califomicum, may live up to 30 years.
Tarasco or Tarascan Indian people of Michoacan state in central Mexico. Traditionally, they have been farmers, though they fish, hunt, trade, and work for wages as well. Each village tends to specialize in a craft (e.g., woodworking, weaving, pottery, net weaving, embroidering, or sewing). Their Roman Catholicism is only slightly influenced by pre- Columbian religion. They are gradually becoming assimilated to the mes¬ tizo culture, though their primary language remains Tarascan.
Tarawa Us-'ra-ws, 'ta-rs-waX Coral atoll (pop., 1995: 32,354), Gilbert Islands, Kiribati. The site of Bairiki, the capital of Kiribati, Tarawa is made up of 15 islets along a reef 22 mi (35 km) long. Occupied by the Japa¬ nese during World War II, it was seized by U.S. Marines in 1943 after a costly battle. Now a commercial and educational centre, it exports copra and mother-of-pearl and has an extension of the University of the South Pacific. It was the capital of Gilbert and Ellice Islands until 1975.
Tarbell Vtar-bslV, Ida M(inerva) (b. Nov. 5, 1857, Erie county, Pa., U.S.—d. Jan. 6, 1944, Bridgeport, Conn.) U.S. investigative journalist, lecturer, and chronicler of American industry. In 1891 Tarbell went to Paris, where she supported herself by writing for U.S. magazines. She became best known for The History of the Standard Oil Company (1904), an account of the rise of a business monopoly that first appeared serially in McClure’s Magazine and led to the government’s epochal antitrust suit against the company. For her work Tarbell became one of the journalists Theodore Roosevelt dubbed muckrakers.
Tardieu \tar-'dyoe\, Andre (-Pierre-Gabriel-Amedee) (b. Sept. 22, 1876, Paris, France—d. Sept. 15, 1945, Menton) French politician. After work in the diplomatic service, he became foreign editor of Le Temps and was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1914. A delegate to the Paris Peace Conference, he was instrumental in drafting the Treaty of Versailles. A supporter of Georges Clemenceau in his early career, he served in various government posts, and as the leader of the right-centre in the Chamber of Deputies, he twice served as premier (1929-30, 1932), advocating a policy of large national expenditure. Disillusioned with the failures of the parliamentary system, he retired in 1936.
Targum \'tar-gam\ Any of several translations of the Hebrew scriptures or its parts into Aramaic. The earliest date from after the Babylonian Exile and were designed to meet the needs of uneducated Jews who did not know Hebrew. After the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem (ad 70), Targums became established in synagogues, where scripture was read aloud with a translation in Aramaic. These readings eventually incor¬ porated paraphrase and commentary. Targums were regarded as authori¬ tative throughout the Talmudic period (see Talmud) and began to be committed to writing in the 5th century.
Tarhun \'tar-,kun\ or Taru \'tar-,u\ Ancient Anatolian weather god whose name appeal's in records as early as 1400 bce. He was one of the supreme deities of the Hittite pantheon and was regarded as the embodi¬ ment of the state in action. He was the consort of Arinnitti, the Hittite sun goddess and principal deity. His sacred animal is the bull, and in art he may be depicted standing on one. Jupiter Dolichenus arose as a develop¬ ment of Tarhun.
tariff or customs duty Tax levied upon goods as they cross national boundaries, usually by the government of the importing country. The words tariff, duty, and customs are generally used interchangeably. Usu¬ ally assessed on imports, tariffs may apply to all foreign goods or only to goods produced outside the borders of a customs union. A tariff may be assessed directly, at the border, or indirectly, by requiring the prior pur¬ chase of a license or permit to import specified quantities of the good. Examples of tariffs include transit duties and import or export taxes, which may be levied on goods passing through a customs area en route to another destination. In addition to providing a source of revenue, tariffs can effec¬ tively protect local industry by driving up the price of an imported item that competes with domestic products. This practice allows domestic pro¬ ducers either to charge higher prices for their goods or to capitalize on their own lighter taxes by charging lower prices and attracting more cus¬ tomers. Tariffs are often used to protect “infant industries” or to safeguard older industries that are in decline. They are sometimes criticized for imposing hidden costs on domestic consumers and encouraging ineffi¬ ciency in domestic industries. Tariffs are subject to negotiation and trea¬ ties among nations (see General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; trade agreement; World Trade Organization).