Tibet is a land in south-central Asia. It is often called the Roof of the World. Its snow-covered mountains and a windswept plateau are the highest in the world. The worlds highest mountain, Mount Everest, rises in southern Tibet. Ka-erh, in western Tibet, is believed to be the highest town in the world. It is more than 15,000 feet (4,570 meters) above sea level. Valley bottoms in Tibet are higher than the mountains of most countries. Lhasa is Tibets capital.

Tibet has been a part of China since the 1950s. However, for many years Tibet was an independent or semi-independent state. Although Tibet carried on some trade with other lands, its mountain ranges generally isolated the country from outside peoples. The Tibetans are sometimes called the hermit people. Tibet was traditionally a theocracy (religious kingdom). Buddhist monks had a strong voice in the rule of Tibet before China took control.

Large parts of Tibet are wastelands of gravel, rock, and sand. Most of the land cannot be farmed because of poor soil and cold climate. But there are some fertile valleys and other areas suitable for farming. Tibet also has areas of grasslands and forests. More than 5,000 different kinds of plants grow in Tibet. Tibets wild animals include deer, gazelles, tigers, bears, monkeys, pandas, and wild horses. Tibet has hundreds of lakes and streams, but many of them have barren shores and a high salt content. Some of the great rivers of Asia begin in the mountains of Tibet. These include the Brahmaputra, Indus, Mekong, Salween, and Yangtze rivers.

The people and their work. Tibet has a population of about 2 million. About 96 per cent of the people are Tibetans. Most of the rest are Chinese. Most of the people live in southern Tibet, where there is land that is fertile enough for farming and raising livestock. Nomads who raise sheep and yaks live in the northern grasslands. About 106,000 people live in Lhasa, Tibets largest city. Many of these people are employed in jobs in government, light industry, or tourism.

Tibets main traditional language is Tibetan. All Tibetans speak Tibetan at home. But Mandarin Chinese is the official language of Tibet. Both Tibetan and Mandarin Chinese are taught in the schools. All government documents are written in both languages.