TIBET
Buddhism in Tibet

Get to Know Tibet

Location and Land of Tibet

Tibet Autonomous Region lies in the southwest of China and in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is bounded to the north by Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province, to the east by Sichuan Province, to the southeast by Yunnan Province, to the south and west by these countries: Burma, India, Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal. The region covers an area of around 1.22 million km2, which accounts for 12.8% of the total of China.Location and Land of Tibet

With an average altitude of above 4,000 meters, Tibet Autonomous Region has very complex topography and falls into three geographic parts: the west, the south and the east. The west part, known as the North-Tibet Plateau, lies between Kunlun Mountain and Kangdese Mountain, and Tonglha Mountain and Nyainqentanglha Mountain. This part takes up 2/3 of the total area of Tibet. The south part of Tibet consists of valleys and lies between Kangdese Mountains and Himalayas. The east part is mainly made up of canyons and is marked by a gradual decline in altitude intercepted by small ranges called Henduan Ranges.

The Tibetan Empire came into existence in the seventh century when Emperor SongtsÃĪn Gampo united many areas and tribes of the region.[citation needed] From the early 1600s the Dalai Lamas, commonly known as spiritual leaders of the region, are believed to be the emanations of Avalokitesvara ("Chenrezig" [spyan ras gzigs] in Tibetan), the bodhisattva of compassion.

Between the 17th century and 1959, the Dalai Lama and his regents were the predominant political power administering religious and administrative authority over Tibet from the traditional capital Lhasa, regarded as Tibet's holiest city.


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