Tibet & Its History

Geographical formation of Tibet:

The true history of any region cannot be fully understood without knowing the basic characteristics of a region and its inhabitants. The Tibetan plateau neighbors the mighty Himalayan ranges at average altitudes of 4000m and 5000m. It has a large number of the world’s highest peaks including Mt. Everest which is located on the Tibetan border. This is why Tibet is often called “the roof of the world” or “the third pole”. Tibet represents about a quarter of its motherland Chinese territory with only 1/500th of its population.

It is a land of extreme living conditions and low population density. The low population is due to its high altitude and cold weather. Snow-capped mountains can be seen throughout the plateau and most Asian Subcontinent rivers originate from snowmelt. Tibet occupies the site of the ancient Thetis Sea (Tethys), which separated the old Asiatic and Australian continents millions of years ago. The displacement of the tectonic plates broke the Australian plate into three parts. The northern part of India was detached and in rapid displacement towards the north raised sediments of the sea of Thetis (Tethys) and now forms the Tibetan plateau and the Himalayas.

The central plate formed the Australian continent and the southern one created the Antarctic continent. In the shock of displacement, basalt, and dense stones became the Himalayas. The sediments that formed the Tibetan plateau are not solid, so they are constantly eroding. The majority of Tibet does not have an outlet for seawater, thus the creation of large salt lakes and stockpiles of salt remained and became the basis of foreign trade in Tibet.

The largest rivers of India and China flow from the plateau and these rivers all carry considerable amounts of alluvia which is why the water runs red. The silt within these waters also contributes to the richness and fertility of the surrounding countries. It should be noted that all ancient civilizations were born the same.

Indeed, rivers were the first sprouts of human civilization. Tibet’s flowing rivers brought vast quantities of silt. The Tibetan civilization first started on the banks of the

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Must-Read Tibet Travel Tips

The million-dollar question everyone wants to know is how do I get into Tibet? Or how to get the Tibet travel permit? It’s never been the easiest place to visit, but if you make your way then it is definitely an experience of once in a lifetime, travel to Tibet Autonomous Region is radically different from the rest of China and a valid Chinese visa is not enough to travel into Tibet. You will also need the Tibet travel permit from the Tibet tourism bureau, and the Tibet travel permit policy changes timely depending on the political climate in Tibet. Moreover, its amazing nature, rich culture, and high altitude need special consideration to make your experiences more pleasant and worry-free. So here our Tibet travel experts from Explore Tibet have pinpointed some important guidelines to help you arrange authentic Tibetan experiences.