"Greater Tibet" as claimed by Tibetan exile groups | |||||||||
Tibetan autonomous areas, as designated by China | |||||||||
Tibet Autonomous Region, within China | |||||||||
Chinese-controlled, claimed by India as part of Aksai Chin | |||||||||
Indian-controlled, parts claimed by China as South Tibet | |||||||||
Other areas historically within the Tibetan cultural sphere |
Tibet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Tibet" in the Tibetan (top) and Chinese (bottom) scripts
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Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Chinese | 西藏 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Literal meaning | "Western Tsang" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tibetan name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tibetan | བོད་ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coordinates: 31°12′N 88°48′E / 31.2°N 88.8°E
Tibet (/tɪˈbɛt/ ( listen); Tibetan: བོད་, Wylie: bod, ZYPY: Poi, Lhasa dialect IPA: pʰøː˨˧˩; Chinese: 西藏; pinyin: Xīzàng /ɕi⁵⁵ t͡sɑŋ⁵¹/) is a historical region covering much of the Tibetan Plateau in Central Asia. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Qiang, and Lhoba peoples and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han Chinese and Hui people. Tibet is the highest region on Earth, with an average elevation of 4,900 metres (16,000 ft). The highest elevation in Tibet is Mount Everest, Earth's highest mountain, rising 8,848 m (29,029 ft) above sea level.