Tibet
Tibet, is an area in Central Asia currently under the administration of the People's Republic of China. Southwestern Tibet, also known as Xizang (西藏, pinyin xi1 zang4) in Chinese, currently forms Tibetan Autonomous Region.
| Province Abbreviation(s): 藏 zang4 | |
| Capital | Lhasa |
| Area - Total - % water | Ranked 2nd 1,200,000 km² xx% |
| Population
- Density | Ranked 32th
2.2/km² |
| Administration Type | Autonomous Region |
History
The position of the Chinese government is that Tibet has been an integral, although autonomous, part of China for several hundred years. The position of the Government of Tibet in Exile and the Free Tibet movement is that it was formerly an independent nation and was conquered by China in 1951.
Geography
Neighboring Nations: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma.
Neighboring Provinces: Xinjiang, Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan.
The Tibetan Plateau is a large, elevated area, sometimes referred to as the "roof of the world", formed by the collision of the Indian and Asian tectonic plates. Most of the Himalaya mountain range lies within Tibet; Mount Everest is on the Tibet-Nepal border. Tibet also borders on Bhutan, Sikkim, India, and Pakistan.
Economy
Demographics
Tibet has the lowest population density among all of the province-level administrative regions, mainly due to its harsh geographical features.
More than 90% of the people living in Tibet is ethnic Tibetan. Other ethnic groups include Han, Menba, Lhoba and Hui.
Culture
Tibet is the traditional center of Vajrayana, a distinctive form of Buddhism. Before 1959, Tibet was a theocracy led by the Dalai Lama, who now lives in exile and is seen by many Westerners as a spokesman for the Tibetan people.
Tibet is also home for spiritual tradition called Bön (alternative spelling: Bon).
Tourism
- Potala Palace (World Heritage Site)
- Mount Everest
Miscellaneous topics
Tibet was explored by Francis Younghusband in 1902. Alexandra David-Neel visited Lhasa in 1924, and wrote several books about the country and its culture.