History.....
Tibet has a history dating back over 2,000 years. A good starting point in analysing the country's status is the
period referred to as Tibet's "imperial age", when the entire country was first united under one ruler. There is
no serious dispute over the existence of Tibet as an independent state during this period. Even China's own
historical records and the treaties Tibet and China concluded during that period refer to Tibet as a strong
state with whom China was forced to deal on a footing of equality.
An independent kingdom flourished in Tibet by the 7th
century A.D. It was under Mongol influence from the 13th to the 18th
century, when it came under nominal Chinese control. With the
overthrow of the Ch'ing dynasty in China in 1911, Tibet reasserted its
independence, which it maintained until 1950. In that year China
invaded; Tibet was made an autonomous region of China in 1951. An
anti-Chinese uprising in 1959 was crushed and repressive measures
introduced. The Dalai Lama and many followers fled to India. In the late 1980s
there were violent anti-Chinese demonstrations in Tibet, and martial
law was imposed (1989). Despite government repression,
demonstrations against Chinese rule have continued.
To learn more about Tibet visit the links below
Culture.....
Inaccessible Tibet. These words conjure images of remote mountains inhabited by yeti and adepts who sit naked in the snow, warmed by
elevated body temperatures. Tibet has remained a very difficult place to visit and is more fantastic than imagined. It is a land of immense
contrasts: snowy peaks and sandy deserts, barren plateaus and forested mountains, empty expanses and crowded cities, and a deeply
religious people...
To learn more about the Culture and People of Tibet
Visit the links below
Geography.....
Tibet lies at the centre of Asia, with an area of 2.5 million square kilometers.
The earth's highest mountains, a vast arid plateau and great river
valleys make up the physical homeland of 6 million Tibetans. It has an
average altitude of 13,000 feet above sea level.
Tibet is comprised of the three provinces of Amdo (now split by
China into the provinces of Qinghai, Gansu & Sichuan), Kham (largely
incorporated into the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Qinghai), and U-Tsang
(which, together with western Kham, is today
referred to by China as the Tibet Autonomous Region). China created the Tibet
Autonomous Region (TAR) in 1965, comprising an area approximately
half the size of historic Tibet, primarily in the U-Tsang
province. The boundaries of the region of Tibet are in dispute,
and when Chinese officials use the term "Tibet" they are only
referring to the TAR. The Tibetans refer to the aforementioned
boundaries of Tibet before occupation by the Chinese.
Located in the center of Asia, Tibet is home to some 6 million Tibetans and an estimated 7.5 million ethnic Chinese. Tibet shares borders with India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma and China. Tibet is home to some of the world's highest mountains, including Mt. Everest (Chomo Langma) which is 8,848 meters.
*Environmental problems* that Tibet faces are desertification, poaching of large mammals and rampant deforestation in the eastern parts of the region. To learn more about the environmental issues visit www.tew.org
Climate
Tibet's vast size means a variety of weather conditions. In the
capital of Lhasa, temperatures reach into the low 30 Celsius during the
summer months of June and July. December and January are the
coldest months with temperatures hovering between ten degrees Celsius
above zero and about ten degrees Celsius below zero. Winters are
intensely cold and windy. The most rain falls between June and
September, with little or none falling in the north and west of
Tibet.