Tibet refers to the entity composing of U-Tsang, Kham and Amdo provinces. It should not be confused to mean only the "Tibetan Autonomous Region" (TAR), which is less than half the landmass of Tibet with only one-third of the total Tibetan population.

Land Size: 2.5 million square kilometres, which includes U-Tsang, Kham and Amdo provinces. "Tibet Autonomous Region", consisting of U-Tsang and a small portion of Kham, consists of 1.2 million square kilometres. The bulk of Tibet lies outside the "TAR".

Political Status: Occupied country and without United Nations' representation.

Average Altitude: 4,000 metres or 13,000 feet above sea level.

Administration: Under Chinese rule, Tibet is divided into the following administrative units: a) Tibet Autonomous Region, b) Qinghai Province, c) Tianzu Tibetan Autonomous County and Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu Province, d) Aba Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Mili Tibetan Autonomous County in Sichuan Province, e) Dechen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province.

Population: The total Tibetan population in Tibet is 6 million. Of them, 2.09 million live in the "TAR" and the rest in the Tibetan areas outside the "TAR".

Major Rivers: Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra in India), Machu (Yellow River in China), Drichu (Yangtse in China), Senge Khabab (Indus in India), Phungchu (Arun in India), Gyalmo Ngulchu (Salween in Burma) and Zachu (Mekong in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos).

Native Wildlife: Tibetan antelope, wild yak, wild ass and Tibetan argali, blue sheep, black-necked crane, Tibetan gazelle, giant panda, red panda, golden monkey.

Economy: Agriculture and animal husbandry.

Literacy Rate: Approximately 25 per cent.

Overall, the Tibetan climate features frigid and dry air in the northwest and warm and humid in the southeast, forming overlapping climatic zones, such as the subtropical/warm, temperate/sub-frigid zones, and the humid/semi-humid and semi-dry/dry zones. In response to the varied climatic zones, Tibet is divided into different areas in terms of plants: forests, bush, grassy marshland, grassland and desert.

Generally speaking, Tibet is blessed with varied forms of climatic zones, which combine to make the autonomous region a land with much more sunshine, stronger radiation, greater difference in temperature between day and night, a clear distinction between dry and wet days, and plentiful night rainfall. Winter and spring are dry and windy, with low atmospheric pressure and relatively low oxygen content in the air. As the region enjoys much more sunshine than many parts of the world and stronger radiation, winter is comparatively warm during the day; the temperature dropping below zero only at night.

In Tibet, each cubic meter of air contains only 62-65.4 percent of oxygen in the air on the plains.

Tibet boasts more solar radiation than any other part of China, amounting to 100 percent, one-third more than in plains at the same latitude. In addition, Tibet enjoys longer daily sunshine, reaching 3,021 hours annually in Lhasa. However, it is 1,186.84 hours in Chengdu and 1,932.5 hours in Shanghai. The difference in atmospheric temperature between day and night is enormous in Tibet; however, so far as the whole year is concerned, the seasonal difference is small. The atmospheric temperature in a year, and during the hottest days in Lhasa and Xigaze, stays 10-15°C lower than in Chongqing, Wuhan and Shanghai. The seasonal difference in atmospheric temperature in Lhasa, Qamdo and Xigaze reaches 18-20°C. In the Ngari area, 5,000 meters above sea level, the atmospheric temperature in August reaches over 10°C or higher during the day, but falls to below zero at night.