Tibet Autonomous Region

Tibet Autonomous Region
Chinese transcription(s)
 • Simplified Chinese西藏自治区
 • Hanyu pinyinXīzàng Zìzhìqū
 • AbbreviationXZ / (Zàng)
Tibetan transcription(s)
 • Tibetan scriptབོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས
 • Tibetan pinyinPoi Ranggyong Jong
 • Wylie transliterationbod rang skyong ljongs
Location of the Tibet Autonomous Region in China (territory claimed by China but controlled by India is striped)
CountryChina
Capital
and largest city
Lhasa
Divisions
 - Prefecture-level
 - County-level
 - Township-
level

7 prefectures
74 counties
699 towns and subdistricts
Government
 • TypeAutonomous region
 • BodyTibet Autonomous Region People's Congress
 • Party SecretaryWang Junzheng
 • Congress ChairmanYan Jinhai
 • Government ChairmanGarma Cedain
 • Regional CPPCC ChairmanPagbalha Geleg Namgyai
 • National People's Congress Representation24 deputies
Area
 • Total
1,228,400 km2 (474,300 sq mi)
 • Rank2nd
Highest elevation8,848 m (29,029 ft)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
3,648,100
 • Rank32nd
 • Density2.9698/km2 (7.6917/sq mi)
  • Rank33rd
Demographics
 • Ethnic composition86.0% Tibetan
12.2% Han
0.8% others
 • Languages and dialectsTibetan, Mandarin Chinese
GDP (2023)
 • TotalCN¥ 250.5 billion (31st)
US$ 34.569 billion
 • Per capitaCN¥ 75,237 (22nd)
US$ 10,640
ISO 3166 codeCN-XZ
HDI (2022)0.648 (31st) – medium
Websitewww.xizang.gov.cn (in Chinese)
Tibet
"Tibet" in Chinese (top) and Tibetan (bottom)
Chinese name
Chinese西藏
Hanyu PinyinXīzàng
Literal meaning"Western Tsang"
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXīzàng
Bopomofoㄒㄧ   ㄗㄤˋ
Gwoyeu RomatzyhShitzanq
Wade–GilesHsi1-tsang4
Tongyong PinyinSizàng
Yale RomanizationSyīdzàng
IPA[ɕí.tsâŋ]
other Mandarin
Xiao'erjingثِ‌زَانْ
Wu
RomanizationSizaon
Hakka
RomanizationSî-tshông
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationSāi-johng
Jyutpingsai1 zong6
IPA[sɐj˥ tsɔŋ˨]
Southern Min
Hokkien POJSe-chōng
Teochew Peng'imSai-tsăng
Eastern Min
Fuzhou BUCSă̤-câung
Tibet Autonomous Region
Simplified Chinese西藏自治区
Traditional Chinese西藏自治區
Hanyu PinyinXīzàng Zìzhìqū
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXīzàng Zìzhìqū
Bopomofo
  • ㄒㄧ   ㄗㄤˋ
  • ㄗˋ   ㄓˋ   ㄑㄩ
Gwoyeu RomatzyhShitzanq Tzyhjyhchiu
Wade–GilesHsi1-tsang4 Tzu4-chih4-chʻü1
Tongyong PinyinSizàng Zìhjhìhcyu
Yale RomanizationSyīdzàng Dz̀jr̀chyū
IPA[ɕí.tsâŋ tsɹ̩̂.ʈʂɻ̩̂.tɕʰý]
other Mandarin
Xiao'erjingثِ‌زَانْ زِجِ‌کِیُوِ
Wu
RomanizationSizaon Zyzychiu
Hakka
RomanizationSî-tshông Tshṳ-tshṳ-khî
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingsai1 zong6 zi6 zi6 keoi1
IPA[sɐj˥ tsɔŋ˨ tsi˨ tsi˨ kʰɵɥ˥]
Southern Min
Hokkien POJSe-chōng Chū-tī-khu
Teochew Peng'imSai-tsăng Tsĕu-tī-khu
Eastern Min
Fuzhou BUCSă̤-câung Cê̤ṳ-dê-kṳ̆
Tibetan name
Tibetanབོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས།
Transcriptions
Wyliebod rang skyong ljongs
Tibetan PinyinPoi rang-gyong jong
Lhasa IPA[pʰø̀ʔ ʐàŋ.cóŋ tɕòŋ]
Manchu name
Manchu scriptᠸᠠᡵᡤᡳ
ᡩᡯᠠᠩ
Romanizationwargi Dzang
Mongolian name
MongolianTöbhödiin öörtöö zasakh oron

The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), often shortened to Tibet, or referred to in Chinese as Xizang, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It was established in 1965 to replace the Tibet Area, a former administrative division of the Republic of China.

The current borders of the Tibet Autonomous Region were generally established in the 18th century and include about half of cultural Tibet, which was at times independent and at times either under the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty or Qing dynasty rule. The TAR spans more than 1,200,000 km2 (460,000 sq mi) and is the second-largest province-level division of China by area. Due to its harsh and rugged terrain, it has a total population of only 3.6 million people or approximately 3 inhabitants per square kilometre (7.8/sq mi).