Tibet Essay Research Paper

Tibet Essay, Research Paper

Tibet, China

Tibet, also known as TAR, is a democratic region in China that is very poor, and is

mainly inhabited by Buddhists. Throughout its long history, Tibet at times has governed

itself as an independent state and at other times has had various levels of association with

China. Whatever China ’s involvement in Tibetan affairs, Tibet’s internal government was

for centuries a theocracy, under the leadership of Buddhist lamas, or monks. In 1959 the

Dalai Lama fled to India during a Tibetan revolt against Chinese control in the region.

China then took complete control of Tibet, installing a sympathetic Tibetan ruler and, in

1965, replacing with a Communist administration (Encarta 1).

The TAR covers an area of about 472,000 square miles. It is bounded on the north

by Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province; on the east by Sichuan and

Yunnan provinces; on the south by Myanmar (formally known as Burma), India, Bhutan,

and Nepal; and on the west by India. Lhasa is the region’s capital and largest city (Schaller

72).

With an average elevation of more than 12,000 feet, Tibet is the highest region on

earth, and for this reason, it is sometimes called the Roof of the World. Most of the people

in Tibet live at elevations ranging from 3,900 feet to 16,700 feet. Tibet is also one of the

world’s most isolated regions, surrounded by the Himalayas on the south, the Karakorum

Range on the west, and the Kunlun Mountains on the north (Encarta 1).

The southern part of Tibet is situated entirely within the Himalayas, and many of

the world’s highest summits are located in the Himalayan chain, which extends along

Tibet’s southern frontier. Among the peaks are Mount Everest(29,028 feet), the world’s

largest mountain; Namcha Barwa(25,445 feet); and Gurla Mandhata(25,354 feet). The

Kailas Range, a chain of the Himalayas, lies parallel to and north of the main chain and

has peaks of up to 22,000 feet. Between the Kailas Range and the main chain is a river

valley that extends about 600 miles. The Brahmaputra River (known in Tibet as the

Yarlung Zangbo) flows from west to east through most of this valley (Encarta 1).

The mountains in Tibet form Asia’s principal watershed, or dividing line, between

westward-flowing and eastward-flowing streams, and Tibet is the source of the continent’s

major rivers. The Brahmaputra is Tibet’s most important river. The Indus, Ganges, and

Sutlej rivers have their headwaters in western Tibet. Many of Tibet’s rivers have potential

for hydroelectric development (Encarta 1).

Vegetation on the Tibetan Plateau is extremely sparse, consisting mainly of grasses

and shrubs. Scattered wooded areas occur in extreme west and east. Most vegetation,

however, is concentrated in Brahmaputra, Indus, and Sutlej river valleys. These areas

support most species of trees, including conifers, oaks, cypresses, poplars, and maples.

Apple, peach, pear, and apricot trees are cultivated in the valleys (Encarta 1).

Tibet is home to a variety of wildlife. Musk deer, wild sheep, wild goats, wild

donkeys, yaks, and Tibetan antelope are common in mountainous areas. Other large

mammals include leopards, tigers, bears, wolves, foxes, and monkeys. Bird life includes

geese, gulls, teal, and other species of waterfowl, and also pheasants and sand grouse

(Encarta 1).

Tibet has a dry, cold climate with an average annual temperature of 34 degrees

Fahrenheit. It is very bitter in Tibet in the winter (Harrer 39). Temperatures in the

mountains and plateaus are especially cold, and strong winds are common year round. The

river valleys experience a more moderate climate. Lhasa and central Tibet have an average

temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit in December and an average of 60 degrees

Fahrenheit in June. The daily temperature range is great. On a typical summer day, the

temperature can rise from 37 degrees Fahrenheit before sunrise to 81 degrees Fahrenheit

before midday. In general, temperatures in Tibet frequently drop suddenly after sunset.

The average annual precipitation is 15 inches (Encarta 2).

The Tibet pamphlet states that Tibet is rich in mineral resources, although few have

been exploited due to inaccessibility, a lack of industrial capacity, and Buddhist

admonitions against disturbing the earth for fear of harming living creatures. Gold is

found in many areas, and significant deposits of iron ore, coal, salt, and borax are also

present. Other known resources include oil shale, manganese, lead, zinc, quartz, and

graphite (14).

Since 1959 the Chinese government has capitalized on some of Tibet’s resources by

mining chromite, tinkalite, and boromagnesite; constructing hydroelectric and geothermal

plants; and logging timber. In eastern Tibet, serious environmental concerns have been

raised over the extent of pollution and deforestation resulting from these projects (Encarta