Geography
Locked in by towering mountains, the Tibet
Autonomous Region, on the southwestern border of China, lies in the main part
of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which is the highest in the world. Set up as an
autonomous region in 1965, it is situated 78'24"-99'06" east longitude and
26'52"-36'32" north latitude with an area of more than 1.2 million square
kilometers, taking up 1/8 of the country's total area and ranking the 2nd in
China, only next to Xinjiang. Tibet neighbors Qinhai and Xinjiang in the north,
Yunnan in the southeast, and Kashmir, India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Burma in
the west and south.
Climate
Tibet has a highland climate, with lower
temperature and less precipitation than most parts of China. It has thin air,
long hours of sunshine and intense solar radiation. There is great difference in
climate between the north and south -- the Northern Tibet Plateau has a mean
annual temperature of -2oC and is covered with snow half of the year, and the
Southern Tibet Valleys are much more temperate and humid.
Administrative Division and
Population
It
is divided into 1 prefecture-level city, 6
districts, 1 county-level city and 76 counties, with a population of 2.62 million
as of 2000. Populated principally by the Tibetan people, Tibet also has the
Han, Menba, Luoba, and Hui ethnic groups.
Food
Zanba, mutton and beef are the staple food
of Tibetans. Tea with butter or milk, sour milk and cheese are the favorites of
all Tibetans. Other special food includes Qingke barley wine, roasted highland
barley flour, and snow-lotus, etc.
Culture
Tibetans like singing and dancing. Another
local art is Tibetan Opera.
Brief Introduction
Tibet Autonomous Region, Zang for short, is
located on southwest China border areas, with Lhasa as the provincial capital.
The Tibetans first settled along the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River
in Tibet. At the beginning of the 7th century, King Songzan Gambo established
the slavery kingdom known as "Bo", which was called "Tubo" in Chinese historical
documents. After the Tubo regime was established, the Tibetans increased their
political, economic and cultural exchanges with the Han and other ethnic groups
in China. In 641, King Songzan Gambo married Princess Wencheng of the Tang
Dynasty (618-907). From the 10th to 12th century, Tibet fell apart into several
independent regimes. The Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) founded by the Mongols in the
13th century brought the divided Tibet under the unified rule of the central
government.
Tibet has rich resources of hydraulic, geothermal, solar as
well as wind energy, and abounds in forest resources in eastern gorge area.
As one of China's five major pastoral areas, agriculture and livestock breeding are
the backbone of its economy, whose outputs of green pear, goat and herbal
medicine occupy important positions in China. The growing of the highland barley,
peas, horse beans, jute and beet, etc are also of great importance. Its
industries of handicraft, ore and agricultural machinery are developing fast.
Known as the "Roof of the World" at an
average altitude of about 5,000 meters, Tibet has spectacular and fascinating
snow-capped peaks, glaciers, high mountains, wide rivers, unique highland lakes,
geothermal springs, vast pastoral areas, magnificent monasteries, brilliant
religious arts and interesting ethnic customs. Main famous scenic spots and
historic sites include the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the Drepung Monastery, the
Sera Monastery, the Tashlunbu Monastery, the Yalong River in southern Tibet, and
the Tombs of the Tibetan Kings, etc.
Qomolangma (Mount Everest) is a
transliteration from Tibetan, meaning goddess of mountain. The 8,848-meter
Qomolangma is the main peak of the Himalayas. Situated on the border between
China and Nepal, it is the highest mountain in the world. This majestic peak has
long attracted mountaineers, scientists, and ordinary tourists.
Tibetans are also good dancers and singers. Their dancing
is beautiful with movements executed either with the arms and waist or
with legs and feet, and the tap dance is the most typical Tibetan style. The
Tibetan opera is one of the famous opera forms in China. Tibetans believe in
Lamaism, which was introduced in the 13th
century.