Tibet.

Tibet.
Capital. Lhasa.
Population. 6million.
Area. 474285 square miles.
Chinese name of Tibet is Xizang.(she-zang)

Located on the far west of China, Tibet has its borders with India, Nepal, and Bhutan
and Burma. Tibet is situated on a high plateau surrounded by world’s most extensive
mountain range.

Stretching the entire length of southern border of Tibet,lies the Himalayas.
On the west side of Tibet lies the Karakoram mountains and
to the north lies the vast desert and on the eastern side lies fields
of Amdo and Kham with rolling land, snow-pecked peaks and lakes.
The capital of Tibet, Lhasa lies on river Kyi-Chhu a tributary of Yarlang Tsanpro.




Tibet is on a high plateau--the Plateau of Tibet--surrounded by enormous mountain masses. The northern part of the plateau is called the Ch'iang-t'ang; it extends more than 800 miles, from west to east at an average elevation of 15,000 feet, above sea level. The Ch'iang-t'ang is dotted with brackish lakes, the largest of these being Lakes Ch'i-lin and Na-mu. There are, however, no river systems there.

In the east the Ch'iang-t'ang begins to descend in elevation. The mountain ranges in south eastern Tibet cut across the land from north to south, creating barriers to travel and communication. In central and western Tibet the ranges run from northwest to southeast, with deep or shallow valleys forming innumerable furrows.

The Ch'iang-t'ang is bordered on the north by the Kunlun Mountains, with the highest peak, Mu-tzu-t'a-ko on the Tibet-Nepal border, reaching 25,338 feet. The western and southern border of the Plateau of Tibet is formed by the Himalayan mass; the highest peak is Mount Everest, which rises to 29,028 feet on the Tibet-Nepal border.

North of Ma-fa-mu Lake Mapam Lake; conventional Mana-sarowar and stretching eastward are the Kailas Range, with clusters of peaks, several exceeding 20,000 feet. This range is separated from the Himalayas by the Brahmaputra River, which flows across southern Tibet and cuts south through the mountains to India.

Tibet lies in the rain shadow of the Himalaya and does not receive the monsoon rain. Thus the weather for most of eastern and southern Tibet tends to be very dry and has low humidity for most of the year.
The contrast between the high dry plateau and the sub-tropical southern slopes is most evident when driving from Kodari, in Nepal to Nyalam, one of the first big villages in Tibet.

Kodari is at an altitude of about 6135 ft, is surrounded by lush sub-tropical vegetation. Yet a few hours drive further on you arrive at Nyalam which at an altitude of 12,303 feet, is surrounded by barren rocky hills, devoid of trees.
Being predominantly desert, temperatures can fluctuate dramatically between the day and night. In summer daytime temperatures on a clear day may climb as high as 35C, but at night may drop well below freezing point. The snow line at this time of year lies in the region of 18,372 feet.
In winter, most rivers freeze over and standing water will remain frozen till well after midday. Daytime temperatures can often remain below zero till well after midday, especially if it is overcast.
Eastern Tibet, in particular Kham, and to some extent Amdo, has a higher rainfall than the west and in summer is a mass of rolling green meadows. In spring, this pasture land is a kaleidoscope of wild flowers. Kham also has a considerable area which is covered by forest which is quickly disappearing.


In addition to the Tibetans living in China there is also a large refugee population living in India, Nepal, Bhutan and other parts of the world. The Tibetan Government in exile estimate this refugee population at around 130,000.
The influence of Tibetan culture extends far beyond the present political boundaries.
The people of Ladakh, the Sherpa's of northern Nepal, the Bhutanese, Sikkimese and Mongolians, all share many of the Tibetan customs and speak languages which are closely related to Tibetan.
You find Tibetan people in many parts of China, in particular Kunming and the towns leading up to the Tibetan Plateau. You will also see them in New Delhi, Calcutta, Mumbai, and of course Dharamsala in northern India, which is the centre for the Tibetan government in exile.


The Tibetan language bears no resemblance to Chinese. Both the grammar and the mode of writing are totally different. Tibetans have their own script which was introduced into the country from India during the 7th century and is based on Sanskrit.

The main religion of Tibet is Buddhism which was introduced into the country in the 7th century. However there is also a distinct and long established Islamic group, which although very small can be found in many of the towns and villages across the country. Some Tibetans still practice the original Bon religion, which predates Buddhism by many centuries.

As with all the countries and states of the region, the history of Tibet is characterised by periods of expansion and contraction, empire building and collapse. The borders of the country have waxed and waned for hundreds of years and right up until the Chinese takeover in the late 1950's the exact border had never been delineated. Prior to the Communist revolution in China, there were areas on the border that changed hands regularly depending on the strength of the prevailing warlords.
Being totally landlocked and surrounded by mountains and desert, the Tibetans were often left alone to develop their distinctive culture and religion. Historians generally believe that the original inhabitants of the area were nomad tribes but there is no extensive written history till the seventh century AD.
It was about this time that Tibet developed into a significant force in the region. Under the leadership of Song-tsen Gampo there was expansion into China and other bordering states. He introduced writing to Tibet and also Buddhism. Tibetan expansion during this period reached as far as Hunza, Sarmakand, Chinese Turkestan, Kathmandu and many other areas far from Lhasa. There were also periods when Tibet controlled large areas of Szechwan and Yunnan.
For the present Chinese government to say that Tibet, was and always has been an integral part of China is nothing but pure propaganda. Both countries have existed as independent entities, with their own unique customs and language for many hundreds of years. The reason that Tibet finally fell to the Chinese Communists in the late 1950's was mainly because the country had isolated itself from the rest of the world and had failed to establish diplomatic relations with its neighbours.
Essentially the Tibet of the 1950's had been frozen in the Middle Ages for hundreds of years. Isolationism had bred a stale and effete theocracy that was essentially corrupt and totally unable to deal with the 20th century. The administration was afraid of change and had declined diplomatic relations with all but Britain and China. Hence it was rapidly swallowed up by the communist tide that swept across the region.
The Dalai Lama is the religious leader of the Tibetan people. He fled to India on the 31st of March 1959 following threats and provocation by the Chinese leaders. Prior to the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950 the Dalai Lama was both the secular and religious head of Tibet. The Dalai Lama now lives in Dharamsala, which is a hill station in northern India about a 12 hour bus journey north of New Delhi. The Dalai Lama spends much of his time promoting world peace and giving religious instruction to his people. His Holiness also travels the globe lecturing on Tibetan issues and officiating at special religious ceremonies. In 1989 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for Peace.