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Tapajos River ... Tarascon

Tapajos River central Brazil, formed by the union of the Teles Pires and the Juruena rivers, in north-central Mato Grosso estado (state). It winds northward through the Mato Grosso plateau and forms the state border between Mato Grosso and Amazonas and then between Para and Amazonas states. It bends north-northeastward, traverses Para, ... tapas (Sanskrit: "heat," or "ardour"), in Hinduism, ascetic practice voluntarily carried out to achieve spiritual power or purification. In the Vedas, tapas refers to the "inner heat" created by the practice of physical austerities and figured in the creation myths, as a means by which Prajapati (the main creator god) brought ... tape lace lace in which the pattern is made up of tape set in a background either of thread bars (brides) or net. Its quality depends much on whether the tape used lies flat and curves continuously (which can be achieved only by using bobbins) or is ready-woven, in which case it ... tape recorder recording system that makes use of electromagnetic phenomena to record and reproduce sound waves. The tape consists of a plastic backing coated with a thin layer of tiny particles of magnetic powder. The recording head of the tape deck consists of a tiny C-shaped magnet with its gap adjacent to ... tape recording method of magnetic sound recording using magnetic tape. See magnetic recording. tapestry woven decorative fabric, the design of which is built up in the course of weaving. Broadly, the name has been used for almost any heavy material, handwoven, machine woven, or even embroidered, used to cover furniture, walls, or floors or for the decoration of clothing. Since the 18th and 19th ... tapeworm any member of the invertebrate class Cestoda (phylum Platyhelminthes), a group of parasitic flatworms containing about 5,000 species. Tapeworms, which occur worldwide and range in size from about 1 mm (0.04 inch) to more than 15 m (50 feet), are internal parasites, affecting certain invertebrates and the liver or digestive ... Tapies, Antoni Catalan artist, credited with introducing contemporary abstract painting into Spain. He began as a Surrealist but developed into an abstract artist under the influence of French painting and achieved an international reputation. Tapinocephalus extinct genus of therapsids, relatives of mammals, found as fossils in Permian rocks of South Africa (the Permian Period occurred from 299 million to 251 million years ago). The genus Tapinocephalus is representative of the Tapinocephaloidea, characterized by many herbivorous specializations. A large and bulky animal, Tapinocephalus also is characteristic ... Tapio the Finnish god of the forest and ruler of the game therein. He was a personified form of the various forest spirits important to hunters dependent on the forest for their livelihood. Tapio, the personified forest, was sometimes depicted as being the size of a fir tree, fierce-looking, like a ... tapioca a preparation of cassava root starch used as a food, in bread or as a thickening agent in liquid foods, notably puddings but also soups and juicy pies. tapir any of four species of hoofed mammals, the only extant members of the family Tapiridae (order Perissodactyla), found in tropical forests of Malaysia and the New World. Heavy-bodied and rather short-legged, tapirs are 1.8 to 2.5 m (about 6 to 8 feet) long and reach about 1 m at the ... Tappa Hisar Iranian archaeological site located near Damghan in northern Iran. Excavations made in 1931-32 by the University of Pennsylvania and in 1956 by the University of Tokyo demonstrated that the site was continuously inhabited from about 3900 to about 1900 BC. The long habitation sequence provided valuable evidence for the development ... Tappan, Arthur American philanthropist who used much of his energy and his fortune in the struggle to end slavery. taproot Main root of a primary-root system. It grows vertically downward. From the taproot arise smaller lateral roots (secondary roots), which in turn produce even smaller lateral roots (tertiary roots). Most dicotyledonous plants (see cotyledon), such as dandelions, produce taproots. The system may be modified into a fibrous, or diffuse, system, ... Tapti River river in central India, rising in the Gawilgarh Hills of the central Deccan plateau in south-central Madhya Pradesh state. It flows westward between two spurs of the Satpura Range, across the Jalgaon plateau region in Maharashtra state, and through the plain of Surat in Gujarat state to the Gulf of ... Taq-e Bostan village in western Iran, just northeast of Kermanshah city. It is known for its rock carvings (bas-reliefs) of Sasanid origin (3rd to 7th century AD). The carvings, some of the finest and best-preserved examples of Persian sculpture under the Sasanians, include representations of the investitures of Ardashir II (reigned AD ... Taqi Khan, Mirza prime minister of Iran in 1848-51, who initiated reforms that marked the effective beginning of the Westernization of his country. taqiyyah in Islam, the practice of concealing one's belief and foregoing ordinary religious duties when under threat of death or injury. Derived from the Arabic word waqa ("to shield oneself"), taqiyyah defies easy translation. English renderings such as "precautionary dissimulation" or "prudent fear" partly convey the term's meaning of self-protection in ... taqlid ("covering with authority"), in Islamic law, the unquestioning acceptance of the legal decisions of another without knowing the basis of those decisions. There is a wide range of opinion about taqlid among different groups or schools of Muslims. Of the four Sunnite legal schools, the Shafi'iyah, the Malikiyah, and the ... taqsim one of the principal instrumental genres of Arabic and Turkish classical music. A taqsim is ordinarily improvised and consists of several sections; it is usually (though not always) nonmetric. A taqsim may be a movement of a suite, such as the North African nauba or the Turkish fasil, but taqsims ... Taquari River river rising in south-central Mato Grosso do Sul estado (state), Brazil, near Alto Araguaia, and flowing in a southwesterly direction for approximately 350 miles (560 km). It crosses the Paraguay floodplain to join the Paraguay River east of Corumba. In its headstreams diamond washings are found. tar (Iranian: "string"), long-necked lute descended from the tanbur of Sasanian Iran and known in a variety of forms throughout the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. Its name traditionally signified the number of strings employed-e.g., dutar ("two-strings"), setar ("three-strings"), and cartar ("four-strings")-but this is no longer true, as the ... Tar River river rising in northeastern North Carolina, U.S., east of Roxboro. It flows generally southeast into a wide estuary, the Pamlico River, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean via Pamlico Sound after a course of about 215 miles (346 km). tar sand deposit of loose sand or partially consolidated sandstone that is saturated with highly viscous bitumen. Oil recovered from tar sands is commonly referred to as synthetic crude and is a potentially significant form of fossil fuel. Tar-Baby sticky tar doll, the central figure in black American folktales popularized in written literature by the American author Joel Chandler Harris. Harris' "Tar-Baby" (1879), one of the animal tales told by the character Uncle Remus, is but one example of numerous African-derived tales featuring the use of a wax, gum, ... Tara Buddhist saviour-goddess with numerous forms, widely popular in Nepal, Tibet, and Mongolia. She is the feminine counterpart of the bodhisattva ("Buddha-to-be") Avalokiteshvara. According to popular belief, she came into existence from a tear of Avalokiteshvara, which fell to the ground and formed a lake. Out of its waters rose up ... Tara (Irish: "Place of Assembly"), low hill (about 507 feet [154 m]) in County Meath, Ireland, occupying an important place in Irish legend and history. The earliest local remains consist of a small passage grave (c. 2100 BC) known as Dumha na nGiall ("Mound of the Hostages"). Numerous Bronze Age burials ... Tara brooch fine example of a Celtic ring brooch, found on the seashore at Bettystown, south of Drogheda, and now preserved in the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin. The Tara brooch, probably dating from the 8th century, is of white bronze and consists of a large circle with about half of the ... Tara Singh Sikh leader known chiefly for his advocacy of an autonomous Punjabi-speaking Sikh nation in the Punjab. He was a champion of Sikh rights against the dominant Hindus, Muslims, and British. Taraba state, eastern Nigeria. It was created in 1991 from the southwestern half of former Gongola state. Taraba is bordered on the north by Bauchi and Gombe states, on the east by Adamawa state, on the south by Cameroon, and on the west by Benue, Nassarawa, and Plateau states. Tarafah ibn al-'Abd Arab poet, author of the longest of the seven odes in the celebrated collection of pre-Islamic poetry Al-Mu'allaqat. Some critics judge him to be the greatest of the pre-Islamic poets, if not the greatest Arab poet. Tarahumara Middle American Indians of Barranca de Cobre ("Copper Canyon"), southwestern Chihuahua state, in northern Mexico. Their language, which belongs to the Sonoran division of the Uto-Aztecan family, is most closely related to those of the Yaqui and Mayo. Culturally the Tarahumara show similarities to such neighbouring Uto-Aztecan peoples as the ... Tarai region of northern India and southern Nepal running parallel to the lower ranges of the Himalayas. A strip of undulating former marshland, it stretches from the Yamuna River in the west to the Brahmaputra River in the east. At its northern edge are numerous springs forming several streams, including the ... Tarakan Island island in northern Kalimantan Timur provinsi (East Kalimantan province), northern Indonesia. It is situated in the eastern Celebes Sea, off the northeastern coast of Borneo. The island has a length of approximately 10 miles (16 km) and an area of 117 square miles (303 square km). Its coastal area is ... Tarakanova, Yelizaveta Alekseyevna adventuress and pretender to the Russian throne who claimed to be the daughter of the unmarried empress Elizabeth (reigned 1741-62) and Count Aleksey G. Razumovsky. Taraki, Nur Mohammad Afghan politician who was president and prime minister of Afghanistan from 1978 to 1979. Taranaki regional council, west North Island, northern New Zealand. It is centred on the Taranaki Peninsula and extends north to the Mokau River and south and east to include the Waitotara River. Its topography is marked by numerous stream valleys, including those of the Patea and Waitara rivers. Taranaki, Mount mountain, west-central North Island, New Zealand, on the Taranaki Peninsula. The symmetrical volcanic cone rises from sea level to 8,260 ft (2,518 m) and has a subsidiary cone, 6,438-ft Fanthams Peak, 1 mi (1.5 km) south of the main crater. Both have been dormant since the early 17th century. Streams ... Taranis (Celtic: "Thunderer"), powerful Celtic deity that was one of three mentioned by the Roman poet Lucan in the 1st century AD; the other two were Esus ("Lord") and Teutates ("God of the People"). According to later commentators, Taranis' sacrificial victims, either human or animal, were placed in great wickerwork images, ... tarantella couple folk dance of Italy characterized by light, quick steps and teasing, flirtatious behaviour between partners; women dancers frequently carry tambourines. The music is in lively 68 time. Tarantellas for two couples are also danced. The tarantella's origin is connected with tarantism, a disease or form of hysteria that appeared ... Tarantian Stage last of four stages of the Pleistocene Series, encompassing all rocks deposited during the Tarantian Age (126,000 to 11,700 years ago) of the Pleistocene Epoch in the Quaternary Period. The name of this interval is derived from the European regional stage of the same name. Tarantino, Quentin American director and screenwriter whose films are noted for their stylized violence, razor-sharp dialogue, and fascination with film and pop culture. Taranto city, Puglia (Apulia) regione, southeastern Italy. The city lies at the base of the Salentine Peninsula on the northern inlet (Mare Grande) of the Gulf of Taranto. The old part of the city occupies a small island that lies between the Mare Grande and the inner harbour (Mare Piccolo). Newer ... Taranto, Gulf of arm, about 85 mi (140 km) long and wide, of the Ionian Sea in southern Italy. Lying between the Capes Santa Maria di Leuca (northeast) and Colonne (southwest), it forms the hollow in front of the heel of the Italian "boot." Feeder streams include the Sinni, Agri, Basento, and Bradano. ... tarantula any of numerous hairy and generally large spiders found in the southwestern United States, Mexico, and tropical America. Taraori, Battles of (1191), series of engagements that opened all of north India to Muslim control. The battles were fought between Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad ibn Sam of Ghur and Prithviraja III, the Chauhan (Chahamana) Rajput ruler of Ajmer and Delhi. The battlefield lay between Karnal, about 70 miles (110 km) north of Delhi, ... Tarapaca historic region, northern Chile, bordering Peru and Bolivia to the north and east and fronting the Pacific Ocean to the west. Tarapaca was ceded to Chile by Peru after the War of the Pacific (1879-83). Part of the Atacama Desert, it is without water except at the base of the ... Taras Bulba story by Nikolay Gogol, published in Russian in 1835 in the book Mirgorod. Set on the Ukrainian steppe, Taras Bulba is an epic tale of the lives of Cossack warriors. Tarasco Indian people of northern Michoacan state in central Mexico. The area in which the Tarasco live is one of high volcanic plateaus and lakes; the climate is arid and cool. The Tarascan people are undergoing a slow process of assimilation into the mainstream mestizo culture of Mexico, but there are ... Tarascon town, Bouches-du-Rhone departement, Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur region, southeastern France, east of Nimes. Situated on the left bank of the Rhone opposite Beaucaire, the town is associated with a legendary monster, La Tarasque, which was said to have ravaged the region until it was tamed by St. Marthe. Since the late 19th century ...