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Tibet

**Names and Etymologies**:
– The Tibetan name for their land is ‘Bod,’ meaning Tibet or Tibetan Plateau.
– The English word ‘Tibet’ dates back to the 18th century.
– ‘Bod’ originally meant the central region around Lhasa.
– The term ‘Tubote’ has been proposed for modern use instead of ‘Xizang’ to include the entire Tibetan plateau.
– The term ‘Tibet’ is considered a loanword from Semitic languages.

**Language**:
– Tibetan language is classified as a Tibeto-Burman language of the Sino-Tibetan language family.
– Tibetan has numerous regional dialects that are not mutually intelligible.
– Tibetan is spoken by approximately 6 million people across the Tibetan Plateau.
– Written Tibetan language is consistent throughout the region based on Classical Tibetan.
– Tibetan closely resembles Burmese among major Asian languages.

**History**:
– The Tibetan Empire emerged in the 7th century.
– Humans inhabited the Tibetan Plateau at least 21,000 years ago.
– Tibet was occupied and annexed by the People’s Republic of China in 1951.
– Qing soldiers were disarmed and escorted out of the Tibet Area in 1912.
– The current borders of Tibet were generally established in the 18th century.

**Culture**:
– Tibetan Buddhism is the dominant religion in Tibet.
– Tibetan architecture reflects Chinese and Indian influences.
– Staple foods in Tibet include roasted barley, yak meat, and butter tea.
– Tibetan Buddhism influences the art, music, and festivals of the region.
– Other religions in Tibet include Bön, Islam, and Christianity.

**Geography**:
– Tibet is located in the central part of East Asia.
– Tibet covers much of the Tibetan Plateau and spans about 2,500,000 sq km.
– Tibet is the highest region on Earth with an average elevation of 4,380m.
– The highest elevation in Tibet is Mount Everest, rising 8,848.86m above sea level.
– Tibet is divided administratively into the Tibet Autonomous Region and parts of Qinghai and Sichuan provinces.

Related Articles:
Tibet (Wikipedia)
This article is about the historical ethno-cultural region of Tibet. For the current Chinese administrative division, see Tibet Autonomous Region. For other uses, see Tibet (disambiguation).

Tibet (/tɪˈbɛt/ ⓘ; Tibetan: བོད, Lhasa dialect: [pʰøːʔ˨˧˩] Böd; Chinese: 西藏; pinyin: Xīzàng), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the central part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about 2,500,000 km2 (970,000 sq mi). It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as the Monpa, Tamang, Qiang, Sherpa and Lhoba peoples and, since the 20th century, considerable numbers of Han Chinese and Hui settlers. Since the annexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China in 1951, the entire plateau has been under the administration of the People's Republic of China. Tibet is divided administratively into the Tibet Autonomous Region, and parts of the Qinghai and Sichuan provinces. Tibet is also constitutionally claimed by the Republic of China as the Tibet Area since 1912. Tibet is the highest region on Earth, with an average elevation of 4,380 m (14,000 ft). Located in the Himalayas, the highest elevation in Tibet is Mount Everest, Earth's highest mountain, rising 8,848.86 m (29,032 ft) above sea level.

Tibet
Location of {{{official_name}}}
Sovereign state China
CapitalLhasa
31°N 89°E / 31°N 89°E / 31; 89
Area
• Total
2,500,000 km2 (970,000 sq mi)
Population
• 2023 estimate
7,000,000 (Tibetan people)
Map of Greater Tibet consist of Ü-Tsang, Kham and Amdo. Modern states consist of Tibet Autonomous Region + Parts of Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan. Also, a large part of present-day Uyghuristan and parts of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh were part of the Tibetan Empire in the past.

Cultural/historical, (highlighted) depicted with various competing territorial claims

              Greater Tibet as claimed by Tibetan exile groups
  Tibetan autonomous areas, as designated by China
  Tibet Autonomous Region, within China
Chinese-controlled, claimed by India as part of Ladakh
Indian-controlled, parts claimed by China as South Tibet
Other areas historically within the Tibetan cultural sphere
Tibet
"Tibet" in the Tibetan (top) and Chinese (bottom) scripts
Chinese name
Chinese西藏
Literal meaning"Western Tsang"
Tibetan name
Tibetanབོད
This article contains Tibetan alphabet. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Tibetan characters.

The Tibetan Empire emerged in the 7th century. At its height in the 9th century, the Tibetan Empire extended far beyond the Tibetan Plateau, from the Tarim Basin and Pamirs in the west, to Yunnan and Bengal in the southeast. It then divided into a variety of territories. The bulk of western and central Tibet (Ü-Tsang) was often at least nominally unified under a series of Tibetan governments in Lhasa, Shigatse, or nearby locations. The eastern regions of Kham and Amdo often maintained a more decentralized indigenous political structure, being divided among a number of small principalities and tribal groups, while also often falling under Chinese rule; most of this area was eventually annexed into the Chinese provinces of Sichuan and Qinghai. The current borders of Tibet were generally established in the 18th century.

Following the Xinhai Revolution against the Qing dynasty in 1912, Qing soldiers were disarmed and escorted out of the Tibet Area (Ü-Tsang). The region subsequently declared its independence in 1913, although this was not recognised by the subsequent Chinese Republican government. Later, Lhasa took control of the western part of Xikang. The region maintained its autonomy until 1951 when, following the Battle of Chamdo, Tibet was occupied and annexed by the People's Republic of China. The Tibetan government was abolished after the failure of the 1959 Tibetan uprising. Today, China governs western and central Tibet as the Tibet Autonomous Region while the eastern areas are now mostly autonomous prefectures within Sichuan, Qinghai and other neighbouring provinces. The Tibetan independence movement is principally led by the Tibetan diaspora. Human rights groups have accused the Chinese government of abuses of human rights in Tibet, including torture.

The dominant religion in Tibet is Tibetan Buddhism; other religions include Bön, an indigenous religion similar to Tibetan Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. Tibetan Buddhism is a primary influence on the art, music, and festivals of the region. Tibetan architecture reflects Chinese and Indian influences. Staple foods in Tibet are roasted barley, yak meat, and butter tea. With the growth of tourism in recent years, the service sector has become the largest sector in Tibet, accounting for 50.1% of the local GDP in 2020.