The People's Republic of China is divided into 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities directly under the Central Government, and two special administrative regions. As one of the five autonomous regions, the Tibet Autonomous Region is inhabited mainly by the Tibetan race.

The Tibet Autonomous Region is situated in the southwestern border area of the People's Republic of China, and the southwestern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Lying at 78°25'- 99°06'E and 26°44'- 36°32'N, it abuts the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the north, Qinghai Province in the northeast, Sichuan Province in the east, and Yunnan Province in the southeast. It also has a 4,000 km border with the neighboring countries of Myanmar, India, Bhutan and Sikkim as well as Kashmir in the south and west.

·Area: 1.22 million square km (about 12.8% of China's total)
·Population: 2.63 million (2001)
·Elevation: Over 4000 meters above sea level on average

Administrative Division of the Tibet Autonomous Region

Topography

Known as the "roof of the world'', the Tibet Autonomous Region forms the major part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Its varied topography is composed of three different natural areas:

Northern Tibet Plateau: Lying among the Kunlun, Tanggula, Kangdese and Nyainqentanglha mountains, the plateau covers two-thirds of the autonomous region.

Southern Tibet Valley: Lying between the Kangdese and Himalayan mountains, the valley is drained by the Yarlung Zangbo River and its tributaries.

Eastern Tibet Canyon: The canyon is formed by some high mountains extending east-west before turning south-north that belongs to the Hengduan Mountain Range.

The Tibet Autonomous Region comprises six typographical types--extra-high mountains, high mountains, medium-high mountains, low mountains, hills and plains. The region also features glacier edge, karst, sandstorm and volcanic topographies.

Mountains

Some 20 million years ago, the Asian, European and Indian Ocean continental plates collided, resulting in the elevation of the world's youngest plateau--the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Mountains created as a result form the skeleton of Tibet.

Qomulangma enveloped in clouds

Mountains Running From East to West

Kunlun Mountains: Kunlun runs from west to east on the northern fringe of the Tibetan Plateau. To its north is the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang and the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai; to its south is low-lying land, lake basins and wide valleys. Mostag, rising 6,973 meters above sea level, is the highest peak in the area.

Kalakunlun-Tanggula Mountains: The major part of the Kalakunlun Mountains lies on the border between Xinjiang and Kashmir. Running eastward, it forms the Tanggula Mountains at 90°E, marking the border between Tibet and Qinghai.

Kangdese-Nyainqentanglha Mountains: Tucked away at the southern edge of the North Tibet Plateau, the mountains serve as the border between south and southeast Tibet, and the demarcation line for rivers that flow inside and outside the region. Kangrinboqe, with an elevation of 6,656 meters, is the highest peak of the Kangdese Mountains; and Nyainqentanglha, with an elevation of 7,162 meters, is the highest peak of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains.

Himalayan Mountains: Zigzagging through the southern part of the Tibetan Plateau, the Himalayas comprise almost parallel mountains running from east to west. The major part of the Himalayas lies on the border between China and India, and between China and Nepal. Extending some 2,400 km, it is 200-300 km wide, and has an average elevation of over 6,000 meters. In this part of the world there are 80-odd peaks each with an elevation of over 7,000 meters, and over 10 with an elevation over 8,000 meters. Qomolangmo, rising 8,848.13 meters above sea level, towers over surrounding peaks in the middle part of the Himalayas on the Sino-Nepalese border. Within an area of 5,000-plus square km surrounding the world's highest are four more peaks each with an elevation of over 8,000 meters and 38 rising over 7,000 meters.

Lhasa in spring