Tibet's 1.2 million square kilometers can be divided into three physiographic zones: the Northern Tibet Plateau, the eastern parallel ranges and valleys, and the valleys around the headwaters of the Brahmaputra and Sutlej. The valleys would be considered high elsewhere, but here anything below 4,000 meters is relatively low.
The Northern Plateau is marked off by the Kunlun Mountains(3) in the north, which start in Sinkiang(4) and continue into Qinghai. The plateau's northeastern edge is beyond the province, but the north edge, much further south now, continues along the northeastern Tibetan border and the eastern Tanggula (or Dangla) Mountains.
The south end of the plateau is delimited by the Gangdise mountains in the west, and the Nyainqentanglha Mountains in the east. South of the Sutlej and Brahmaputra valleys are the Himalayas.
In the east, in deep valleys, are the upper courses of the Irrawaddy, the Salween, the Mekong and the Yangtze, each with a local name. The Sutlej, Brahmaputra and the Indus also have distinct names in Tibet.
Numerous lakes (co) stud the plateau: Nam is the largest.
The highest peak is Mount Everest in the Himalayas, also called Oomolangma or Sagamatha. Other notables are Muztag on the Sinkiang border, part of the Kunluns; Aling Kangri in the Ngunglong Kangri Mountains, which divide the plateau's watersheds; and Nyainqentanglha Peak in the range with the same name.
In the north center, northeast and east, Khams Tibetan is spoken. In the south center and the west, Central Tibetan is the majority language. Both are Tibetan languages. Both groups practice Lamist Buddhism.
Lhasa, the capital, is the only city with 100 thousand people.Qamdo and Nagqu Prefectures
Ngari and Xigaze Prefectures
Lhasa Municipality, and Shannan and Linzhi Prefectures
(1) Xizang or Hsi-tsang or Tsi-sang in transliterated Chinese; Bodyul in Tibetan; the Chinese can be translated as Western Treasurehouse.
(2) Zhonggua or Chung-hua in transliterated Chinese; it can be translated as Central Kingdom.
(3) Xinjiang in more strictly transliterated Chinese.