Tibet

From Citizendium, the Citizens' Compendium

Tibet (Tibetan བོད་ Bod; Mandarin 西藏 Xī Zàng), known as 'the roof of the world', is a plateau region of Asia homes to various groups, including the majority indigenous Tibetan people. With a culture and language distinct from but related to those of neighbouring peoples, and a history dating back to the seventh century, Tibet is today an autonomous region of China and its people one of 56 ethnic groups within the country; its 1913 independence declaration was not recognised by any nation. There is disagreement among Tibetan nationalists, the central Chinese government and neighbouring states over where Tibet's borders should lie, and tension over the region's past and future status.