Regions and territories: Tibet

Tibet, the remote and mainly-Buddhist territory known as the "roof of the world", is governed as an autonomous region of China.

Beijing claims a centuries-old sovereignty over the Himalayan region. But the allegiances of many Tibetans lie with the exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, seen by his followers as a living god, but by China as a separatist threat.

Overview

• Overview
• Facts
• Leaders
• Media

International attention was focused on the territory in 2008 during the run-up to the Beijing Olympics. Fatal clashes between anti-Chinese protesters and the authorities in Tibet were given wide publicity and the torch relay in London, Paris and San Francisco was dogged by pro-Tibet protests and stunts.

AT A GLANCE Sovereignty: The Dalai Lama says Tibet was independent and has been colonised. China says its sovereignty over Tibet goes back centuries. What is Tibet? China considers this to be the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Dalai Lama says it should include neighbouring provinces with Tibetan populations. Repression: Dalai Lama says 1.2 million people were killed under Chinese rule. China disputes this. Culture: Dalai Lama says China actively suppressed Tibetan identity. China acknowledges some abuses but says it is helping the revival of Tibetan culture. Development: China says it has brought improvements in health and the economy. Dalai Lama says development has favoured Han Chinese immigrants. International response: No country openly disputes China's claim to sovereignty, and China has blocked all UN resolutions on Tibet. The free-Tibet movement: The Tibetan cause has won the sympathy of individuals and groups, many of whom campaign for an independent Tibet. More on key issues Q&A: China and Tibet

Tibet has had a tumultuous history, during which it has spent some periods functioning as an independent entity and others ruled by powerful Chinese and Mongolian dynasties.

China sent in thousands of troops to enforce its claim on the region in 1950. Some areas became the Tibetan Autonomous Region and others were incorporated into neighbouring Chinese provinces.

In 1959, after a failed anti-Chinese uprising, the 14th Dalai Lama fled Tibet and set up a government in exile in India. Most of Tibet's monasteries were destroyed in the 1960s and 1970s during China's Cultural Revolution. Thousands of Tibetans are believed to have been killed during periods of repression and martial law.

Under international pressure, China eased its grip on Tibet in the 1980s, introducing "Open Door" reforms and boosting investment.

Beijing says Tibet has developed considerably under its rule. But rights groups say China continues to violate human rights, accusing Beijing of political and religious repression. Beijing denies any abuses.

Tourism and the ongoing modernisation drive stand in contrast to Tibet's former isolation. But Beijing's critics say Tibetans have little say in building their future.

China says a new railway link between Lhasa and the western Chinese province of Qinghai will boost economic expansion. The link is likely to increase the influx of Chinese migrants.

Buddhism reached Tibet in the seventh century. The Dalai Lama, or Ocean of Wisdom, is the leading spiritual figure; the Panchen Lama is the second most important figure. Both are seen as the reincarnations of their predecessors.

The selection of a Dalai Lama and a Panchen Lama has traditionally followed a strict process. But the Dalai Lama and Beijing are at odds over the 11th incarnation of the Panchen Lama, having identified different youngsters for the role. The Dalai Lama's choice, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, has not been seen since his detention by the Chinese authorities in 1995.

Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama

There have been intermittent and indirect contacts between China and the Dalai Lama. The exiled spiritual leader advocates a non-violent, negotiated solution to the Tibet problem and accepts the notion of real autonomy for Tibet under Chinese sovereignty. China has questioned his claims that he does not seek independence.

Tibet's economy depends largely on agriculture. Forests and grasslands occupy large parts of the country. The territory is rich in minerals, but poor transport links have limited their exploitation. Tourism is an important revenue earner.

Facts

• Overview
• Facts
• Leaders
• Media

• Territory: Tibet
• Status: Region of China. Government in exile seeks great autonomy
• Population: 2.62 million (2000 Chinese census)
• Capital: Lhasa
• Area: 1.2 million sq km (471,700 sq miles)
• Major languages: Tibetan, Chinese
• Major religion: Buddhism
• Main exports: Handicrafts, livestock

Leaders

• Overview
• Facts
• Leaders
• Media

The Chinese Communist Party is the highest political and administrative authority in Tibet, operating through the region's party secretary and the government of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Many Tibetans regard the exiled 14th Dalai Lama as their spiritual leader. Born in 1935, he was identified as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two and was enthroned in 1940.

Lobsang Sangay

A campaigner for Tibetan autonomy on the world stage, the Dalai Lama led a government-in-exile based in Dharamsala, in northern India, until April 2011. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

After the Dalai Lama gave up his political role in 2011, exiled Tibetans elected a new political leader, Lobsang Sangay, who has never set foot in his homeland. Born in a refugee settlement in India, he's the first Tibetan to gain a Phd at Harvard. He is a legal researcher, and formally took over from the Dalai Lama in November.

Observers say that no-one pretends that he could possibly fill the shoes of the Dalai Lama but as the veteran leader ages so the next generation of exiles will need somebody to keep the issue of Tibet alive.

The Chinese authorities have indicated that they are unlikely to negotiate with the new leader.

Media

• Overview
• Facts
• Leaders
• Media

Tibet's media are tightly controlled by the Chinese leadership. State radio and TV broadcast across much of the mainly-rural region. The Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece People's Daily publishes a Tibetan-language edition.

Overseas-based radio stations target Tibetan listeners in local languages. They include the Voice of Tibet, operated by Norwegian NGOs, and US government-backed Radio Free Asia. The shortwave broadcasts are subject to jamming.

There were 1.2 million internet users by the end of 2010, 90% of whom logged on via mobiles, Chinese official media reported. In late 2010, all internet cafes were ordered to install "state-of-the-art" surveillance systems, Radio Free Asia reported.

Tibetan blogs are filtered "almost automatically", Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in 2010. International online media and the websites of human rights organisations are inaccessible. The only online newspaper that can be accessed is the government's, RSF added.

The press

• Xizang Ribao (Tibet Daily) - regional Communist Party newspaper

Television

• Tibet TV Station - state-run

Radio

• Tibet People's Broadcasting Station - state-run
• Lhasa People's Radio Station - state-run