Tibet

Introduction & Top Questions
Land
- Relief
- Drainage and soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Population composition
- Settlement patterns
Economy
- Resources and power
- Agriculture and forestry
- Manufacturing
- Finance and other services
- Transportation
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Health and welfare
- Education
Cultural life
- The arts
- Customs
- Food and drink
- Festivals
- Superstitions
History
- Early history to the 9th century
- Disunity, 9th to 14th century
- Tibet, 14th to 19th century
  - The Dge-lugs-pa (Yellow Hat sect)
  - The unification of Tibet
  - Tibet under Manchu overlordship
  - Administration and culture under the Manchu
- Tibet since 1900
- Tibet since 2000

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

The 14th Dalai Lama with hands pressed in prayer appears next to a silhouette with a question mark and the text "the next Dalai Lama" between blue arrows.

Snow-covered Mount Everest rises above surrounding peaks, viewed from Tibet, with a few wisps of cloud near the summit against a clear blue sky.

Tibet Autonomous Region: stupa on the Yarlung Zangbo

Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, rises above the city with its massive white walls, tiered red and gold upper levels, and long staircases leading up the hillside.

At a Glance

Tibet Autonomous Region: road at the base of the Himalayas

Tibet summary

Related Questions

How are Tibetan medicinal plants used in manufacturing?
How did Bon influence Tibetan Buddhism?
How did the Cultural Revolution affect Tibet?
How did the Qinghai–Tibet railway change Tibet’s connections with the rest of China?
How is butter tea prepared in Tibetan culture?
How is hydroelectric power generated from Tibet’s rivers and mountain streams?
How is the Lhasa dialect used among Tibetan speakers?
How is the Tibetan writing system connected to ancient Indian scripts?
What is the Qiangtang basin like?
What materials were traditionally used to build Tibetan homes?
What role did the Panchen Lama traditionally hold in Tibetan Buddhism?
When did Buddhism become the dominant religion in Tibet?
When did modern industrial development begin in Tibet?
Where are Tibet’s main forest areas located?
Where are major hydroelectric power projects located in Tibet?
Where is the Tibet Autonomous Region located within China?
Which countries and regions border the Tibet Autonomous Region?
Which crops can be grown in Tibet’s high-elevation environment?
Which domestic animals are raised by farmers and herders in Tibet?
Which foods traditionally formed the staple diet of Tibetans?
Which groups make up the population of the Tibet Autonomous Region?
Which religious sites in Lhasa attract visitors and pilgrims?
Which traditional crafts were produced in Tibet before modern industry developed?
Why did Tibet have no banks before 1951?
Why did protests occur in Tibet in 2008?
Why did the 14th Dalai Lama leave Tibet in 1959?
Why is Tibet a starting point for expeditions to Mount Everest’s North Face?
Why is Tibet often called the “roof of the world”?
Why is the Dge-lugs-pa school also called the Yellow Hat sect?
Why is the Potala Palace important to the history and tourism of Lhasa?
Why is tourism an important part of Tibet’s economy?
Why was the Great Wall of China built?
Can you see the Great Wall of China from space?
What caused the Russo-Japanese War?
Where was the Russo-Japanese War fought?
How did the Russo-Japanese War end?
What is the climate in Guangzhou?
What UNESCO World Heritage site is found at the heart of Beijing?
What are the major ethnic groups in China?

Geography & Travel States & Other Subdivisions

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External Websites

University of Central Arkansas - Government, Public Service, and International Studies - China/Tibet (1950-present)
Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Botswana - The history of Tibet of China
College of DuPage Digital Press - The Eastern World: Daily Readings on Geography - East Asia: Regional Example Â– Tibet
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of People's Republic of China - The History of Tibet
CRW Flags - Flag of Tibet

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Tibet - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Tibet - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Tibet

autonomous region, China

Also known as: Bod, Gangs-ljongs, Hsi-tsang Tzu-chih-ch’ü, Kha-ba-can, Thibet, Thubet, Tibet Autonomous Region, Tubbat, Tufan, Xizang Zizhiqu(Show More)

Written by

Turrell V. Wylie

Professor of Tibetan Studies, University of Washington, Seattle, 1972–84. Author of The Geography of Tibet According to the 'Dzam-gling-rgyas-bshad.

Turrell V. WylieAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 13, 2026 •History

Tibet, historic region and autonomous region of China that is often called “the roof of the world.” It occupies a vast area of plateaus and mountains in Central Asia, including Mount Everest (Qomolangma [or Zhumulangma] Feng; Tibetan: Chomolungma). It is bordered by the Chinese provinces of Qinghai to the northeast, Sichuan to the east, and Yunnan to the southeast; by Myanmar (Burma), India, Bhutan, and Nepal to the south; by the disputed Kashmir region to...

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