You are here: Home > Tibet Facts

Tibet Facts - Tibet at a glance

Tibet is one of the five autonomous regions in the China; it was admitted on September 1, 1965.

Official Name – Xizang Zizhiqu (Tibet Autonomous Region), "Zang" for short"

Nickname – Roof of the World

Provincial Capital - Lhasa, the "Holy City" and the "City of Sunlight"

Other Notable Cities –Shigatse, Tsetang, Nagqu

Location - Situated in the southwest of China, on the Tibetan Plateau, the highest region on Earth. See the location map of Tibet.

Area – 1,200,000 square kilometers. Making up 12.8% of China's area, Tibet is the second largest region of China after Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

Bordering Provinces – Xinjiang, Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan

Bordering Countries –Nepal, India, Sikkim, Bhutan, Burma. Map of Tibet and Nepal

Population - 2.81 millions (as of 2007). Tibet is the least populated province in China, mostly due to its mountainous and harsh geographical features.

Name for Residents - Tibetans

Ethnic Composition – 92.8% Tibetan, 6.1% Han, 0.3% Hui, 0.5% others

Religions - Tibetan Buddhism, Animism

Official Languages – Mandarin, Tibetan

Currency - ￥ RMB (Renminbi, Chinese Yuan)

Festivals - Tibetan New Year, Shoton Festival, Bathing Festival. Click to see more about the festivals celebrated in Tibet.

Geography & Average Altitude – Bounded by the Himalayan mountains to the south, the region sits on a high plateau at 4,000-5,000 meters (13,000-16,400 feet), resulting in its nickname "the roof of the world." Tibet Geography Map

Highest Point - Mt. Everest, 8,848 metres (29,029 ft).

Main Rivers – Brahmaputra River, Nujiang River, Jinshajiang River, and Lancang River

Transportation - The high altitude, rugged topography and harsh natural environment made Tibet almost inaccessible to the outside world for century. Today, however, frequent flights to Lhasa, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and several highways to Tibet have made Tibet easily accessible.

Tourism - Tourists were first permitted to visit Tibet in the 1980s. The main tourist attractions are the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Namtso Lake, Tashilhunpo Monastery and Mt. Everest. Some areas remain restricted to tourists. A special visa beyond the Chinese visa is needed to visit Tibet. Click here to learn about the special Tibet travel documents.

Economy - The Tibetans traditionally depended upon agricultural work and animal husbandry, with most of the people being farmers and herders. And now the tertiary sector has surpassed the area's primary industry and contributed more than half of its GDP growth. Local handicrafts and tourism are greatly developed.

Weather – Average temperture 28 degrees Celsius (in Summer) and 15 degrees Celsius (in Winter), extremely dry except during rainy season (May to September). Winters in Tibet, as might be supposed, are fiercely cold. But for half the year, strong sunlight warms the thin air, making most days in Tibet comfortably mild and, owing to protective mountains, relatively windless. Summer temperatures hover above 30'C (high-80s F) and only to drop to -23'C (-10'F) in midwinter. The best time to visit is from late spring to early fall. Learn more about Tibet weather and travel time.