Tripoli Arabic Tarabulus al-Gharb Uo-'ra-bo-los-al-'gartA City (pop. 2003 est.: city, 1,150,000; urban agglom., 2,006,000), capital of Libya. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it is the country’s largest city and chief seaport. Founded by the Phoenicians c. 7th century bc, it was known as Oea in ancient times and was one of the three cities of the region of Tripolitania. It was controlled by the Romans from the 1st century bc and later by the Byzantines. It was taken by the Arabs in 645. Conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1551, it was made an Ottoman colonial capital. It was under Italy’s control (1911—43), after which it was occupied by the British until Libya’s independence in 1951. U.S. warplanes bombed tar¬ gets within the city in 1983 in response to Libya’s alleged support of ter¬ rorist activity. Historical structures include numerous mosques and a Roman triumphal arch. In 1973 Al-Fateh University replaced the former University of Libya.
Tripolis \'tri-p3-l3s\ City (pop., 2001: 28,976), southern Greece, the commercial centre of the central Peloponnese. It was founded in the 14th century ad as Drobolitza to replace the ancient cities of Pallantium, Tegea, and Mantinea. Rebuilt in 1770, it became the seat of the local Ottoman pasha. The city prospered until 1828, when it was destroyed in the War of Greek Independence. It was rebuilt after 1834.
Tripolitan \tri-'pa-lo-t 3 n\ War (1801-05) Conflict between the U.S. and Tripoli. The U.S. refused to continue paying tribute to the rulers of the North African Barbary Coast states, which had bought immunity from pirate attacks in the Mediterranean. The pasha of Tripoli demanded greater tribute and then declared war on the U.S. (1801). A U.S. naval squadron was sent to Tripolitan waters and fought several skirmishes, including a raid by Stephen Decatur. A U.S. naval blockade and an overland expedi¬ tion from Egypt ended the war with a peace treaty favourable to the U.S.
Tripolitania \tri-,pa-l9-'ta-ne-9\ Historical region, North Africa. It is now part of northwestern Libya. Colonized by the Phoenicians in the 7th century bc, it was named for its three chief cities— Leptis Magna, Oea (Tri¬ poli), and Sabrata. It comprised the eastern part of Carthaginian territory by the 3rd century bc and came under Numidian chieftains in the mid- 2nd century bc. After the Numidian War (46 bc), it was attached to the Roman province of Africa Nova (see Roman Africa). It fell under the Islamic caliphate in the 7th century ad and was ruled by successive Arab and Berber dynasties before becoming part of the Ottoman Empire in 1551. The region gained its independence in 1711. As part of the Barbary Coast, corsairs operating from there plundered shipping in the Mediter¬ ranean Sea, leading to the Tripolitan War with the U.S. (1801-05). It came under Ottoman administration again in 1835. The Italians acquired the region in 1912, and it was the scene of fierce fighting between British and German forces during the North Africa campaigns (1940^-3) of World War II. In 1951, with the provinces of Cyrenaica and Fezzan, it formed the independent kingdom of Libya; the provinces were dissolved in 1963.
Trippe, Juan T(erry) (b. June 27,1899, Seabright, N.J., U.S.—d. April 3, 1981, New York, N.Y.) U.S. airline founder. He served as a pilot in World War I. After graduating from Yale University in 1922, he promptly established an air taxi service using government-surplus aircraft. He next formed Colonial Air Transport, which began the first airmail route
between New York City and Boston. In 1927 he founded Pan American World Airways. Under him the company introduced the first round-the- world air service (1947) and the first commercial jets (1955). He retired in 1968.
Tripura Vtri-p9-r9\ State (pop., 2001 prelim.: 3,191,168), northeastern India. It is bordered on three sides by Bangladesh and by Mizoram state; it has an area of 4,049 sq mi (10,486 sq km), and its capital is Agartala. It was an independent Hindu kingdom for more than 1,000 years before it became part of the Mughal Empire in the 17th century. After 1808 it was under the influence of the British government. Tripura became a union territory in 1956 and acquired full status as a state in 1972. The main economic activity is agriculture, with rice and jute the major crops.
trireme \'tri-,rem\ Oar-powered warship. Light, fast, and maneuverable, it was the principal naval vessel with which Persia, Phoenicia, and the Greek city-states vied for mastery of the Mediterranean from the Battle of Salamis (480 bc) through the end of the Peloponnesian War (404). The Athenian trireme was about 120 ft (37 m) long, and was rowed by 170 oarsmen seated in three tiers along each side; it could reach speeds of more than 7 knots (8 mph, or 13 kph). Square-rigged sails were used when the ship was not engaged in battle. Armed with a bronze-clad ram, it car¬ ried spearmen and bowmen to attack enemy crews. By the late 4th cen¬ tury bc, armed deck soldiers had become so important in naval warfare that it was superseded by heavier ships. See also galley.
Tristan and Isolde Lovers in a medieval romance based on Celtic legend. The hero Tristan goes to Ireland to ask the hand of the princess Isolde for his uncle, King Mark of Cornwall. On their return the two mis¬ takenly drink a love potion prepared for the king and fall deeply in love. After many adventures, they make peace with Mark, who marries Isolde. The distraught Tristan goes to Brittany, where he marries another noble Isolde. When he is wounded by a poisoned arrow, he sends for the first Isolde. His jealous wife tells him his true love has refused to come; he dies just before she arrives, and she dies in his arms. The original poem has not survived, but it exists in many later versions and even became part of Arthurian legend. Gottfried von Strassburg’s 13th-century version, considered the masterpiece of medieval German poetry, was the basis for Richard Wagner’s opera Tristan und Isolde (first performed in 1865).
Tristano, Lennie orig. Leonard Joseph Tristano (b. March 19, 1919, Chicago, Ill., U.S.—d. Nov. 18, 1978, New York, N.Y.) U.S. jazz pianist. Blind from childhood, Tristano performed and taught in New York City from the 1940s. His recordings featured players who had studied with him, including saxophonists Lee Konitz (b. 1927) and Wame Marsh (1927-87). Although resistant to classification, Tristano’s music displayed a rigour and virtuosity appropriate to bebop while its aesthetic foreshad¬ owed much of cool jazz.
triticale \,tri-t9-'ka-le\ Wheat-rye hybrid that has a high yield and rich protein content. The first cross was reported in 1875, the first fertile cross in 1888. The name triticale first appeared in scientific literature in 1935 and is attributed to Erich Tschermak von Seysenegg. In favourable envi¬ ronmental conditions its yield equals that of wheat; under poor conditions its yield exceeds that of wheat. Its flour is not very suitable for bread¬ making but can be blended with wheat flour. Major producers are Rus¬ sia, the U.S., and Australia.
tritium Vtri-te-am, 'tri-she-9m\ Isotope of hydrogen, chemical symbol written as 3 H or T, with atomic number 1 but ATOMIC weight approximately 3. Its nucleus contains one proton and two neutrons. Tritium is radioactive (see radioactivity), with a half-life of 12.32 years. Its occurrence in natural water in an amount 10 -18 that of ordinary hydrogen is believed to be due to the action of cosmic rays. Some tritium is used in self-luminous materials (e.g., for watch dials) and as a radioactive tracer in chemical and biochemi¬ cal studies. Nuclear fusion of deuterium and tritium at high temperatures releases enormous amounts of energy. Such reactions have been used in nuclear weapons and experimental power reactors. See also heavy water.