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| Climate
| Economy | Flora and Fauna
| Language | Food |
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Tibet
has often been described as the 'the Land of Snows',
and also 'the Rooftop of the World', Tibet is mysterious
in a way that few other places are. Tibet's strategic
importance, of being situated in the Himalayas between
China and the Indian subcontinent, made it irresistible
to China who invaded in 1950.
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The capital city of Lhasa is not only the Tibet Autonomous
Region, but also the center of Tibetan politics, economy,
culture and religion. It is located on the North Bank
of the Lhasa River, which is a tributary of the Yar-long
Tsangpo, and stands at 3,760 mt above the sea level.
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Climate
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The
temperatures over most of the area are fairly low
through much of the year, as Tibet lies in one of
the coldest parts of Asia. The months of summer
are, between April and October, is the most tolerable
part of the year, when it can even get quite hot
in low-lying places like Lhasa and Shegatse -the
upper reaches of the Himalayas remain snow-bound
even in the hottest of summers.
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Winters are very cold, with the temperature going
to below freezing point - more so in the high altitude
areas. Considering the fact that it’s so cold
in this region, is that it’s an extremely sunny region-
around 3000 hours of sunshine annually.
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Economy
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Tibet’s
economy is based almost entirely on agriculture
and animal husbandry. This is one of the most undeveloped
parts of China partly because of the inhospitable
terrain of the area, and partly because of China’s
partial treatment of a region that is trying desperately
to break free.
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The only forms of industry or manufacturing are cottage
industries or other small-scale enterprises. These
include weaving, the production of local handicrafts,
and some trade, which in rural areas often takes the
form of barter. Tourism has lately started to bring
in a fair amount of income for the area.
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Flora
and Fauna
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Himalayan
wildlife can be best seen in Tibet, largely
because the hazards of industrialisation and
deforestation- has still not spoilt many parts
of the region. One part of the region is under
cultivation - wheat, peas, barley, and rapeseed
are the main crops - but peat bogs, forests
and scrub cover much of the rest of Tibet.
In the upper reaches of the mountains, vegetation
is fairly limited to moss, lichens and other
lower plants are all that can survive the
bitter cold- but in the low-lying areas under
the tree line, conifers forests grow.
Mountain goats, yaks, bears, snow leopards,
marmots, and a wide range of birds comprise
much of the wildlife of Tibet.
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Language
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Tibet's main language is Tibetan, an Indo-Aryan
language derived from Sanskrit. It’s generally
acknowledged that the present language (and
the script) was developed sometime during
the Tsanpo Period (between 127 BC and 847
AD), when the Buddhist scholar Sambhota was
sent to India to study Sanskrit. On his return
to Tibet, Sambhota, under the aegis of the
ruler, Songtsan Gampo, developed the script
for Tibetan. Today, besides the standard Tibetan
used in Lhasa and its surrounding areas, there
are other dialects too, spoken in different
parts of the region. Officially, Tibet being
a part of China, Chinese too is used, but
it's limited to official circles.
With the increasing influx of foreign tourists,
English (and a few other Western languages)
are now used as well.
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Food
Tibetan food is rich in protein and fat as to beat
the cold, harsh climate a rich diet is a must. And
because of the rough, rugged terrain there is
very little vegetables and fruit that actually grows
in Tibet. The diet of most Tibetans is therefore,
based on meat, milk and grain. Staples include roasted
barley flour and wheat flour, which is supplemented
by meat- traditionally yak meat or mutton, and milk
(again, usually yak’s milk). Other dairy products
that are commonly used include yak’s milk cheese and
butter made from yak milk.
Little flavoring is used in Tibetan food; basic flavours
are salt, onions and garlic, and these are used in
most dishes. Popular Tibetan foods include sausages,
yak tongue, steamed buns, and dried beef. Amongst
the main beverages are barley wine (very heady and
extremely popular), butter oil tea (a salty beverage
which is based on tea but is more like a soup), and
sweet tea.
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Also
see :
General Info | Tibet Special
| Places Of Interest |
History & Culture | Adventures
| Map |
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