Tibet at a Glance
- Size: 2.5 million kilometers2
- Capital: Lhasa
- Population: 6 million Tibetans and an undetermined number of Chinese, most of whom are in Kham and Amdo
- Religion: Tibetan Buddhism is practiced by 99% of the Tibetan Population
- Language: Tibetan (of the Tibeto-Burmese language family). The official language is Chinese after Chinese occupation in 1959.
- Staple Food: Tsampa (roasted barley flour)
- National Drink: Salted butter tea
- Typical Animals: Wild yak, Bharal (blue) sheep, Musk deer, Tibetan antelope, Tibetan gazelle, Kyang (wild ass), Pica
- Typical Birds: Black necked crane, Lammergeier, Great crested grebe, Bar headed goose, Ruddy shel duck, Ibis-bill.
- Major Environmental Problems: Rampant deforestation in eastern Tibet; desertification, poaching of large mammals
- Average Altitude: 14,000 Feet
- Highest Mountain: Chomo Langma (Mt. Everest) 29,028 ft
- Average Temperature: July 58º F; January 24º F
- Mineral Deposits: Borax, uranium, iron, chromite, gold
- Major Rivers: Mekong, Yangtse, Salween, Tsangpo, Yellow, Indus, Karnali
- Economy: Tibetans: predominantly in agriculture and animal husbandry. Chinese: predominantly in government, commerce and the service sector
- Provinces: U-Tsang (Central Tibet) Amdo (N.E. Tibet), Kham (S.E. Tibet)
- Bordering Countries: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, China
- National Flag: Snow lions with red and blue rays. Outlawed in Tibet
- Political and Religious Leader: The 14th Dalai Lama. In exile in Dharamsala, India
- Government: Communist (after Chinese occupation in 1959)
- Relationship with the People's Republic of China: Colonial
- Legal Status: Occupied
