Tibet

or Thibet, a country of Central Asia, subject to China. Area, 463,200 square miles. Population, 6,430,000. Tibet lies between India and Chinese Turkestan, occupying the roughest region of the world. The lakes of this region are the highest in the world, being 17,000 feet above the level of the sea. The climate is dry; the summers are hot; the winters are cold; the vegetation is scanty. A few sheltered valleys are productive of wheat, oats, barley, and vegetables. The greater portion of the country is either desert or alpine. Terrific storms prevail in the winter time. The goat, yak, and sheep occur both wild and domesticated. Lassa, on the Brahmaputra river, is the capital. The people are related to the Chinese. Their religion is a form of Buddhism. The head of the church is the grand lama. The people are controlled by religious orders dwelling in monasteries. The common people are oppressed and impoverished. Europeans are regarded with suspicion. The trade of the country is chiefly with China, to which wool, furs, gems, gold, and musk are exported. See Yak; Lassa; Buddhism; Everest; Nepal; China