# Tibetans

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{{Short description|East Asian ethnic group}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}}

{{Infobox ethnic group
| group            = Tibetans
| native_name      = {{bo-textonly|བོད་པ་}}
| image            = {{Multiple image
|total_width = 250
|image1            = Zhongdian festival (6169776821).jpg
|image2            = Zhongdian festival (6169780777).jpg
|direction = vertical
|border = infobox
 }}
| caption          = Tibetans at a festival in [Zhongdian](/source/Shangri-La%2C_Yunnan) (1995)
| native_name_lang = 
| population       = {{circa}} 7.7 million
| regions          = 
| region1          = {{flag|China}}
| pop1             = 7,060,731 (2020 census)
| ref1             = <ref>{{cite web|title=Geographic Distribution and Population of Ethnic Minorities|url=http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/ndsj/2021/indexeh.htm|website=China Statistical Yearbook 2021|access-date=4 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pop-stat.mashke.org/china-ethnic-2020.htm|title=Ethnic composition of China 2020|website=pop-stat.mashke.org|access-date=8 July 2025}}</ref>
| region2          = {{flag|India}}
| pop2             = 83,779
| ref2             = <ref name="censusindia">{{cite web |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/42458/download/46089/C-16_25062018.pdf |title=Language |year=2011 |website=Census of India}}</ref>
| region3          = {{flag|Nepal}}
| pop3             = 20,000–40,000
| ref3             = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.refworld.org/docid/3f51fbfb4.html|title=Refworld – Nepal: Information on Tibetans in Nepal|first=United Nations High Commissioner for|last=Refugees|website=Refworld.org|access-date=15 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020062845/http://www.refworld.org/docid/3f51fbfb4.html|archive-date=20 October 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="education.mnhs.org">{{cite web|url=http://education.mnhs.org/immigration/communities/tibetan|title=Tibetan – Becoming Minnesotan|website=Education.mnhs.org|access-date=15 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820061003/http://education.mnhs.org/immigration/communities/tibetan|archive-date=20 August 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
| region4          = {{flag|United States}}
| pop4             = 26,700
| ref4             = <ref name="CTA Study">{{cite web|title=Baseline Study of the Tibetan Diaspora Community Outside South Asia|url=https://sardfund.org/wp-content/uploads/Baseline-Study-of-the-Tibetan-Diaspora-Community-Outside-South-Asia-soft-copy_compressed.pdf|access-date=20 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923181750/https://sardfund.org/wp-content/uploads/Baseline-Study-of-the-Tibetan-Diaspora-Community-Outside-South-Asia-soft-copy_compressed.pdf|archive-date=23 September 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>
| region5          = {{flag|Canada}}
| pop5             = 9,350
| ref5             = <ref>{{cite web|title=Canada Census Profile 2021|url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?LANG=E&GENDERlist=1&STATISTIClist=1,4&DGUIDlist=2021A000011124&HEADERlist=31&SearchText=Canada|website=Census Profile, 2021 Census|date = 7 May 2021|publisher=Statistics Canada Statistique Canada|access-date=3 January 2023}}</ref>
| region6          = {{flag|Switzerland}}
| pop6             = 8,000
| ref6             = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Visite de quatre jours du Dalaï Lama en terres zurichoises|url=https://www.laliberte.ch/news-agence/detail/visite-de-quatre-jours-du-dalai-lama-en-terres-zurichoises/455713|access-date=30 November 2020|website=www.laliberte.ch|language=fr}}</ref><ref name="CTA Study"/>
| region7          = {{flag|France}}
| pop7             = 8,000
| ref7             = <ref name="CTA Study"/>
| region8          = {{flag|Bhutan}}
| pop8             = 5,000
| ref8             = <ref name="education.mnhs.org"/>
| region9          = {{flag|Belgium}}
| pop9             = 5,000
| ref9             = <ref name="CTA Study"/>
| region10         = {{flag|Australia}}
| pop10            = 1,600
| ref10            = <ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/15468|title=Tibetan people group in all countries &#124; Joshua Project|website=joshuaproject.net|accessdate=24 October 2025}}</ref>
| region11         = {{flag|Netherlands}}
| pop11            = 1,100
| ref11            = <ref name="auto"/>
| region12         = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| pop12            = 700
| ref12            = <ref name="auto"/>
| region13         = {{flag|Taiwan}}
| pop13            = 649
| ref13            = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Tibetan Diaspora in Taiwan: Who Are They and Why They Are Invisible (2)|url=https://taiwaninsight.org/2022/11/17/tibetan-diaspora-in-taiwan-who-are-they-and-why-they-are-invisible-2/|access-date=26 April 2024|website=taiwaninsight.org|date=17 November 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
| region14         = {{flag|Liechtenstein}}
| pop14            = 500
| ref14            = <ref name="auto"/>
| region15         = {{flag|New Zealand}}
| pop15            = 129
| ref15            = <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz/ethnic-group/tibetan|title=Loading..., Place and ethnic group summaries &#124; Stats NZ|website=tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz|accessdate=24 October 2025}}</ref>
| languages        = [Tibetan languages](/source/Tibetic_languages) and [Chinese language](/source/Chinese_language)
| religions        = Predominantly [Tibetan Buddhist](/source/Tibetan_Buddhist) sect of [Vajrayana Buddhism](/source/Vajrayana_Buddhism); minorities of [Bon](/source/Bon) (significant), [Islam](/source/Tibetan_Muslims) and [Christianity](/source/Christianity)
| related-c        = [Sherpa](/source/Sherpa_people){{·}}[Jirel](/source/Jirel_people){{·}}[Rai](/source/Rai_people){{·}}[Tamang](/source/Tamang_people){{·}}[Lhoba](/source/Lhoba_people){{·}}[Monpa](/source/Monpa_people){{·}}[Gurung](/source/Gurung_people){{·}}[Magar](/source/Magar_people){{·}}[Limbu](/source/Limbu_people){{·}}[Qiang](/source/Qiang_people){{·}}[Ngalop](/source/Ngalop_people){{·}}[Sharchop](/source/Sharchop_people){{·}}[Ladakhis](/source/Ladakhis){{·}}[Baltis](/source/Balti_people){{·}}[Burig](/source/Purigpa){{·}}[Kachin](/source/Kachin_people){{·}}[Yi](/source/Yi_people){{·}}[Bamar](/source/Bamar_people){{·}}Other [Sino-Tibetan](/source/Sino-Tibetan_languages)-speaking peoples
| related_groups   = 
}}

{{Infobox Chinese
| ibox-order = bo, zh
<!-- Tibetan -->| tib = བོད་པ་
| wylie = bod pa
| thdl = bö pa
<!-- Chinese -->| c = {{linktext|lang=zh|藏族}}
| l = [Tsang](/source/%C3%9C-Tsang) nationality
| p = Zàngzú
| wuu = zaon zoh
| buc = Câung-cŭk
| poj = Chōng-cho̍k
| teo = Tsăng-tsôk
| h = Tshông-tshu̍k
| j = {{tone superscript|zong6 zuk6}}
| altname = Chinese [endonym](/source/endonym_and_exonym)<ref>{{cite web|script-title=zh:藏族是汉语的称谓……统称为"博巴"|url=http://www.gov.cn/guoqing/2015-03/18/content_2835613.htm|publisher=Government of the People's Republic of China|date=18 March 2015}}</ref>
| c2 = {{linktext|lang=zh|博巴}}
| p2 = Bóbā
}}
<!-- They are referred as zhang hui by local chinese people source:-https://books.google.co.in/books?id=lu64DQAAQBAJ&pg=PT363&dq=Tibet+Mosques&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&ovdme=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiFpp-y_9qPAxV-XGwGHY5PDvcQ6AF6BAgHEAM#v=onepage&q=Tibet%20Mosques&f=false -->

'''Tibetans''' ({{bo|t=བོད་པ་|w=bod pa|s=bö pa}}) are an [East Asian](/source/Ethnic_groups_in_East_Asia) ethnic group [native](/source/Indigenous_peoples) to [Tibet](/source/Tibet). Their current population is estimated to be around 7.7 million. In addition to the majority living in the [Tibet Autonomous Region](/source/Tibet_Autonomous_Region) of [China](/source/China), significant numbers of Tibetans live in the [Chinese provinces](/source/Provinces_of_China) of [Gansu](/source/Gansu), [Qinghai](/source/Qinghai), [Sichuan](/source/Sichuan), and [Yunnan](/source/Yunnan), as well as in [India](/source/Tibetan_refugees_in_India), [Nepal](/source/Nepal), and [Bhutan](/source/Bhutan).

The [Tibetic languages](/source/Tibetic_languages) are a branch of the [Tibeto-Burman language family](/source/Tibeto-Burman_languages). The traditional or mythological explanation of the Tibetan people's origin is that they are the descendants of the human [Pha Trelgen Changchup Sempa](/source/Pha_Trelgen_Changchup_Sempa) and rock [ogre](/source/ogre)ss Ma Drag Sinmo. It is thought that most of the Tibeto-Burman speakers in [southwest China](/source/southwest_China), including Tibetans, are direct descendants from the [ancient Qiang people](/source/Qiang_(historical_people)).<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Nd4yAQAAQBAJ Origins and Migrations in the Extended Eastern Himalayas]. BRILL, 2012, page 309.</ref>

Most Tibetans practice [Tibetan Buddhism](/source/Tibetan_Buddhism), although a significant minority observe the Indigenous [Bon](/source/Bon) religion. There are also smaller communities of [Tibetan Muslims](/source/Tibetan_Muslims) and Christians. Tibetan Buddhism influences [Tibetan art](/source/Tibetan_art), drama and architecture, while the harsh [geography of Tibet](/source/geography_of_Tibet) has produced an adaptive culture of [Tibetan medicine](/source/Tibetan_medicine) and [cuisine](/source/Tibetan_cuisine).

==Demographics==
[[File:Tibetischer Kulturraum Karte.png|thumb|left|270px|Tibetan cultural sphere, showing the traditional Tibetan regions of [Ü-Tsang](/source/%C3%9C-Tsang), [Kham](/source/Kham), [Amdo](/source/Amdo), [Ngari](/source/Ngari_Prefecture), and others.]]

As of the 2014 census, there are about 6 million Tibetans living in the [Tibet Autonomous Region](/source/Tibet_Autonomous_Region) and the 10 [Tibetan autonomous prefectures](/source/Autonomous_prefecture) in the provinces of [Gansu](/source/Gansu), [Qinghai](/source/Qinghai), [Sichuan](/source/Sichuan), and [Yunnan](/source/Yunnan).<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2003-05/26/content_887226.htm|title=China issues white paper on history, development of Xinjiang (Part One)|agency=[Xinhua](/source/Xinhua)|date=26 May 2003|access-date=31 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609061824/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2003-05/26/content_887226.htm|archive-date=9 June 2012}}</ref><ref name="население">{{cite web|url=http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/statisticaldata/yearlydata/yarbook2003_e.pdf|date=2003|title=CHINA STATISTICAL YEARBOOK|website=Stats.gov.cn|access-date=17 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110307115520/http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/statisticaldata/yearlydata/yarbook2003_e.pdf|archive-date=7 March 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> The [SIL Ethnologue](/source/Ethnologue) in 2009 documents an additional 189,000 [Tibetic](/source/Tibetic_languages) speakers living in [India](/source/India), 5,280 in [Nepal](/source/Nepal) and 4,800 in [Bhutan](/source/Bhutan).<ref>Lewis, M. Paul (ed.), 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version on [http://www.ethnologue.com/ ethnologue.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227170852/http://www.ethnologue.com/ |date=27 December 2007 }}</ref> The [Central Tibetan Administration](/source/Central_Tibetan_Administration)'s (CTA) [Green Book](/source/Green_Book_(Tibetan_document)) (of the [Tibetan Government in Exile](/source/Central_Tibetan_Administration)) counts 145,150 Tibetans outside Tibet: a little over 100,000 in India; over 16,000 in Nepal; over 1,800 in Bhutan, and over 25,000 in other parts of the world. There are Tibetan communities in the [United States](/source/United_States),<ref>"[http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/world/story/us-senators-approve-5000-visas-tibet-refugees-20130521 US senators approve 5,000 visas for Tibet refugees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227041434/http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/world/story/us-senators-approve-5000-visas-tibet-refugees-20130521|date=27 December 2013}}". ''[The Straits Times](/source/The_Straits_Times)''. 21 May 2013.</ref> [Australia](/source/Australia), [Brazil](/source/Brazil), [Canada](/source/Canada), [Costa Rica](/source/Costa_Rica), [France](/source/France), [Mexico](/source/Mexico), [Norway](/source/Norway), [Mongolia](/source/Mongolia), [Germany](/source/Germany), [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland), and the [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom). In the [Baltistan](/source/Baltistan) region of Northern Pakistan, the [Balti people](/source/Balti_people) are a Muslim ethnicity of Tibetan descent numbering around 300,000.<ref name="AkasoyBurnett2011">{{cite book|author1=Anna Akasoy|author2=Charles S. F. Burnett|author3=Ronit Yoeli-Tlalim|title=Islam and Tibet: Interactions Along the Musk Routes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZfWXIfbynwYC&pg=PA358|year=2011|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=978-0-7546-6956-2|pages=358–}}</ref>

There is some dispute over the current and historical number of Tibetans. The [Central Tibetan Administration](/source/Central_Tibetan_Administration) claims that the 5.4 million number is a decrease from 6.3 million in 1959<ref>{{cite web |title=Population transfer and control |url=http://www.tibet.com/WhitePaper/white8.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822225805/http://www.tibet.com/WhitePaper/white8.html |archive-date=22 August 2009 |access-date=21 June 2012 |website=Wikiwix.com}}</ref> while the [Chinese government](/source/Government_of_China) claims that it is an increase from 2.7 million in 1954.<ref>{{cite web |script-title=zh:1950–1990 年 |url=http://www.tibetology.ac.cn/article2/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=2764 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071124053818/http://www.tibetology.ac.cn/article2/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=2764 |archive-date=24 November 2007 |language=zh-cn}}</ref> However, the question depends on the [definition and extent of "Tibet"](/source/Definitions_of_Tibet); the region claimed by the CTA is [more expansive](/source/Tibet) and China [more diminutive](/source/Tibet_Autonomous_Region). Also, the Tibetan administration did not take a formal [census](/source/census) of its territory in the 1950s; the numbers provided by the administration at the time were "based on informed guesswork".<ref>Fischer, Andrew M. (2008). "Has there been a decrease in the number of Tibetans since the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951?" In: ''Authenticating Tibet: Answers to China's 100 Questions'', pp. 134, 136. Edited: Anne-Marie Blondeau and Katia Buffetrille. University of California Press. {{ISBN|978-0-520-24464-1}} (cloth); 978-0-520-24928-8 (pbk).</ref>

===In China===
{{multiple images
| perrow            = 2
| total_width       = 400
| image1            = Tibet - Lhasa - 6406860611.jpg
| image2            = Tibet - Lhasa - 6406880041.jpg
| footer            = Children in Lhasa, Tibet
}} 

According to the [Sixth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China](/source/Sixth_National_Population_Census_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China) (2010), there are 6,282,187 Tibetans nationwide:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/pcsj/rkpc/6rp/indexch.htm|title=国家统计局-中国2010年人口普查资料|accessdate=24 October 2025}}</ref>

There are 2,716,388 people in the [Tibet Autonomous Region](/source/Tibet_Autonomous_Region), 1,496,524 people in Sichuan Province, 1,375,059 people in Qinghai Province, 488,359 people in Gansu Province (mostly in [Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture](/source/Gannan_Tibetan_Autonomous_Prefecture) and [Bairi Tibetan Autonomous County](/source/Bairi_Tibetan_Autonomous_County)) and 142,257 people in Yunnan Province (mostly in [Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture](/source/Diqing_Tibetan_Autonomous_Prefecture)). Tibetans account for 0.47% of the total population of the country. Tibetans account for 90.48% of the total population in Tibet Region, 24.44% of the total population of Qinghai and 1.86% of the total population in Sichuan. Of all Tibetans in China, 315,622 people live in cities, 923,177 in towns, and 5,043,388 people (80.3%) live in rural areas.

According to the [Seventh Census of 2020](/source/2020_Chinese_census), there are 7,060,700 Tibetans living within China. Of the resident population of the Tibet Autonomous Region, 3,204,700 were Tibetans and other ethnic minorities, of whom 3,137,900 were Tibetans, an increase of 421,500, or 15.52%, over 2010, with an average annual growth rate of 1.45%; 66,800 were other ethnic minorities, an increase of 26,300, or 64.95%, over 2010, with an average annual growth rate of 5.13%; and 6,680 were other ethnic minorities, an increase of 26,300, or 64.95%, over 2010, with an average annual growth rate of 5.13%. The average annual growth rate was 5.13%.<ref>{{cite news |title=西藏举行第七次全国人口普查主要数据情况新闻发布会 |url=http://www.scio.gov.cn/xwfb/dfxwfb/gssfbh/xz_13851/202207/t20220716_235019.html |access-date=13 March 2024 |work=www.scio.gov.cn}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=西藏自治区第七次全国人口普查主要数据公报_西藏自治区人民政府 |url=https://www.xizang.gov.cn/zwgk/zfsj/ndtjgb/202105/t20210520_202889.html |access-date=13 March 2024 |work=www.xizang.gov.cn}}</ref>

There are one region, ten prefectures, and two counties officially established by the government: the [Tibet Autonomous Region](/source/Tibet_Autonomous_Region) (TAR), [Qinghai Province](/source/Qinghai_Province) ([Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture](/source/Haibei_Tibetan_Autonomous_Prefecture), [Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture](/source/Hainan_Tibetan_Autonomous_Prefecture), [Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture](/source/Huangnan_Tibetan_Autonomous_Prefecture), [Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture](/source/Guoluo_Tibetan_Autonomous_Prefecture), [Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture](/source/Yushu_Tibetan_Autonomous_Prefecture), and [Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture](/source/Haixi_Mongol_and_Tibetan_Autonomous_Prefecture)), [Sichuan Province](/source/Sichuan_Province) ([Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture](/source/Aba_Tibetan_and_Qiang_Autonomous_Prefecture), [Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture](/source/Garz%C3%AA_Tibetan_Autonomous_Prefecture), and [Muli Tibetan Autonomous County](/source/Muli_Tibetan_Autonomous_County)), [Gansu Province](/source/Gansu_Province) ([Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture](/source/Gannan_Tibetan_Autonomous_Prefecture) and [Bairi Tibetan Autonomous County](/source/Bairi_Tibetan_Autonomous_County)), and [Yunnan Province](/source/Yunnan_Province) ([Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture](/source/Diqing_Tibetan_Autonomous_Prefecture)).<ref name=ZGZZ>{{cite book|author=苏发祥（编著）|title=中国藏族|location=银川|publisher=宁夏人民出版社|date=2012|isbn=978-7-227-05093-3}}</ref>{{rp|33}}

===In India===
{{Main|Tibetans in India}}
[[File:The Dalai Lama in 2012.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The [incumbent Dalai Lama](/source/14th_Dalai_Lama), the highest spiritual leader of [Tibetan Buddhism](/source/Tibetan_Buddhism), lives in exile in India.]]

There are also nearly 100,000 Tibetans [living in exile](/source/Tibetan_diaspora) in India since 1959,<ref name="Press Trust of India">{{Cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/127935-Tibetans-living-outside-Tibet-Tibetan-survey/Article1-634405.aspx|title=127935 Tibetans living outside Tibet: Tibetan survey|date=12 April 2010|access-date=17 December 2010|publisher=[Press Trust of India](/source/Press_Trust_of_India)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927215516/http://www.hindustantimes.com/127935-Tibetans-living-outside-Tibet-Tibetan-survey/Article1-634405.aspx|archive-date=27 September 2011}}</ref> the majority of them living in Tibetan enclaves such as [Dharamshala](/source/Dharamshala) and [Bylakuppe](/source/Bylakuppe).

In 2011, the Indian government reported 150,000 [Tibetan diaspora](/source/Tibetan_diaspora) residing in India. In 2019, the number of [Tibetan diaspora](/source/Tibetan_diaspora) in India declined to 85,000.<ref name="AJ60">{{cite web |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2019/3/21/after-60-years-in-india-why-are-tibetans-leaving |title=After 60 years in India, why are Tibetans leaving? |website=Aljazeera |date=21 March 2019 |first=Kunal |last=Purohit }}</ref>

In India, non-Tibetan Tibetic people are found in the regions of [Ladakh](/source/Ladakh) (Ladakhi and [Balti](/source/Balti_people)), Kinnaur district in [Himachal Pradesh](/source/Himachal_Pradesh), [Spiti valley](/source/Spiti_valley), [Uttarakhand](/source/Uttarakhand) ([Bhotiya](/source/Bhotiyas_of_Uttarakhand)), [Sikkim](/source/Sikkim) ([Bhutia](/source/Bhutia)), and [Arunachal Pradesh](/source/Arunachal_Pradesh) ([Khamba](/source/Khamba_people), [Lhoba](/source/Lhoba), and [Monpa people](/source/Monpa_people)).

===In Nepal===
thumb|Geographic distribution of Tibetic languages of Nepal.

Tibetans are known as [Bhotiya](/source/Bhotiya)s in Nepal, where they are majority in the valleys of the Himalaya such as [Upper Mustang](/source/Upper_Mustang), [Upper Dolpo](/source/Dolpo), [Walung region](/source/Walung_people), [Limi](/source/Limi) and [Muchu](/source/Muchu) valleys. Nepal is also home to other Tibetic people such as the [Sherpa](/source/Sherpa_people), [Jirel](/source/Jirel_people), and  [Hyolmo](/source/Hyolmo_people) .There are also more than 10,000 Tibetan refugees in Nepal.<ref>Edward J. Mills et al., [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1308816/ Prevalence of mental disorders and torture among Tibetan refugees: A systematic review], BMC Int Health Hum Rights. 2005; 5: 7. "It is estimated that more than 150,000 Tibetan refugees reside in the neighboring countries of Bhutan, Nepal, and India"</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-A_hkPKk4A The Journey of Tibetan Refugees: A Struggle for Freedom Across the Himalayas], "</ref>

==Language==
{{Main|Tibetic languages}}
[[File:TAR-TAP-TAC.png|thumb|Areas in which concentrations of ethnic Tibetans live within [China](/source/China)]]The Tibetic languages ({{bo|t=བོད་སྐད།}}) are a cluster of mutually unintelligible [Sino-Tibetan languages](/source/Sino-Tibetan_languages) spoken by approximately 8 million people, primarily Tibetan, living across a wide area of [East](/source/East_Asia) and [South Asia](/source/South_Asia), including the [Tibetan Plateau](/source/Tibetan_Plateau) and [Baltistan](/source/Baltistan), [Ladakh](/source/Ladakh), Nepal, [Sikkim](/source/Sikkim), and Bhutan. [Classical Tibetan](/source/Classical_Tibetan) is a major regional literary language, particularly for its use in [Buddhist](/source/Buddhism) literature.<ref name="Thurgood LaPolla 2016 p.">{{cite book | last1=Thurgood | first1=G. | last2=LaPolla | first2=R.J. | title=The Sino-Tibetan Languages | publisher=Taylor & Francis | series=Routledge Language Family Series | year=2016 | isbn=978-1-315-39949-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PDglDwAAQBAJ | access-date=13 March 2024 | page=}}</ref> The [Central Tibetan language](/source/Central_Tibetan_language) (the dialects of [Ü-Tsang](/source/%C3%9C-Tsang), including [Lhasa](/source/Lhasa)), [Khams Tibetan](/source/Khams_Tibetan), and [Amdo Tibetan](/source/Amdo_Tibetan) are generally considered to be dialects of a single language, especially since they all share the same literary language, while [Dzongkha](/source/Dzongkha), [Sikkimese](/source/Sikkimese_language), [Sherpa](/source/Sherpa_language), [Jirel](/source/Jirel_language), and [Ladakhi](/source/Ladakhi_language) are generally considered to be separate languages.<ref name="Smith 2016 p. 85">{{cite book | last=Smith | first=D. | title=China's Frontier Regions: Ethnicity, Economic Integration and Foreign Relations | publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing | year=2016 | isbn=978-0-85772-945-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=77eKDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT85 | access-date=13 March 2024 | page=85}}</ref>

There are also groups whose mother languages are non-Tibetic [Tibeto-Burman languages](/source/Tibeto-Burman_languages), but still classified as ethnic Tibetans by [China](/source/China):
* [Gyalrong people](/source/Gyalrong_people) speaking [Gyalrongic languages](/source/Gyalrongic_languages)
* [Baima people](/source/Baima_people) speaking [Baima language](/source/Baima_language)
* Guiqiong people speaking [Guiqiong language](/source/Guiqiong_language)
* Namuyi people speaking [Namuyi language](/source/Namuyi_language)
* Shixing people speaking [Shixing language](/source/Shixing_language)
* Northern Pumi language speakers speaking [Northern Pumi language](/source/Pumi_language)
* [Pemako Tibetans](/source/M%C3%AAdog_County) speaking [Tshangla language](/source/Tshangla_language)

There are also people who are considered ethnic Tibetans whose mother language is [Chinese language](/source/Chinese_language), including the [14th Dalai Lama](/source/14th_Dalai_Lama) and his family.<ref>Thomas Laird, [https://books.google.com/books?id=NH5vuMA7LYcC ''The Story of Tibet: Conversations With the Dalai Lama''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301214917/https://books.google.com/books?id=NH5vuMA7LYcC|date=1 March 2020}}, p. 262 (2007) "At that time in my village", he said, "we spoke a broken Chinese. As a child, I spoke Chinese first, but it was a broken Xining language which was (a dialect of) the Chinese language." "So your first language", I responded, "was a broken Chinese regional dialect, which we might call Xining Chinese. It was not Tibetan. You learned Tibetan when you came to Lhasa." "Yes", he answered, "that is correct{{nbsp}}..."</ref><ref>[https://www.economist.com/asia/2009/02/26/politically-incorrect-tourism Politically incorrect tourism] , ''The Economist'', 26 February 2009: "When the Dalai Lama was born, the region, regarded by Tibetans as part of Amdo, a province of their historic homeland, was under the control of a Muslim warlord, Ma Bufang. The Dalai Lama and his family didn't learn Tibetan until they moved to Lhasa in 1939."</ref>
==Ethnic origins==
The ethnic roots of Tibetans can be traced back to a deep Eastern Asian lineage representing the indigenous population of the Tibetan plateau since c. 40,000 to 30,000 years ago, and arriving Neolithic farmers from the [Yellow River](/source/Yellow_River) within the last 10,000 years, and which can be associated with having introduced the [Sino-Tibetan languages](/source/Sino-Tibetan_languages).<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Chi-Chun |last2=Witonsky |first2=David |last3=Gosling |first3=Anna |last4=Lee |first4=Ju Hyeon |last5=Ringbauer |first5=Harald |last6=Hagan |first6=Richard |last7=Patel |first7=Nisha |last8=Stahl |first8=Raphaela |last9=Novembre |first9=John |last10=Aldenderfer |first10=Mark |last11=Warinner |first11=Christina |last12=Di Rienzo |first12=Anna |last13=Jeong |first13=Choongwon |date=8 March 2022 |title=Ancient genomes from the Himalayas illuminate the genetic history of Tibetans and their Tibeto-Burman speaking neighbors |journal=Nature Communications |language=en |volume=13 |issue=1 |page=1203 |doi=10.1038/s41467-022-28827-2 |pmid=35260549 |bibcode=2022NatCo..13.1203L |s2cid=247317520 |issn=2041-1723|doi-access=free |pmc=8904508 }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=Hongru |last2=Yang |first2=Melinda A. |last3=Wangdue |first3=Shargan |last4=Lu |first4=Hongliang |last5=Chen |first5=Honghai |last6=Li |first6=Linhui |last7=Dong |first7=Guanghui |last8=Tsring |first8=Tinley |last9=Yuan |first9=Haibing |last10=He |first10=Wei |last11=Ding |first11=Manyu |last12=Wu |first12=Xiaohong |last13=Li |first13=Shuai |last14=Tashi |first14=Norbu |last15=Yang |first15=Tsho |date=15 March 2023 |title=Human genetic history on the Tibetan Plateau in the past 5100 years |journal=Science Advances |language=en |volume=9 |issue=11 |article-number=eadd5582 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.add5582 |issn=2375-2548 |pmc=10022901 |pmid=36930720|bibcode=2023SciA....9D5582W }}</ref>

===Genetics===
{{See also|Genetic history of East Asia}}

Modern Tibetan populations are genetically most similar to other [East Asian](/source/Ethnic_groups_in_East_Asia) populations, [Bhutanese](/source/Demographics_of_Bhutan), as well as other [Sino-Tibetan-speaking populations](/source/Sino-Tibetan_languages).<ref name="Lu 2016">{{cite journal|last1=Lu|first1=Dongsheng|display-authors=etal|title=Ancestral Origins and Genetic History of Tibetan Highlanders|journal=[The American Journal of Human Genetics](/source/The_American_Journal_of_Human_Genetics)|date=1 September 2016|volume=99|issue=3|pages=580–594|pmc=5011065|pmid=27569548|doi=10.1016/j.ajhg.2016.07.002}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Yang|first1=Jian|last2=Jin|first2=Zi-Bing|last3=Chen|first3=Jie|last4=Huang|first4=Xiu-Feng|last5=Li|first5=Xiao-Man|last6=Liang|first6=Yuan-Bo|last7=Mao|first7=Jian-Yang|last8=Chen|first8=Xin|last9=Zheng|first9=Zhili|last10=Bakshi|first10=Andrew|last11=Zheng|first11=Dong-Dong|date=18 April 2017|title=Genetic signatures of high-altitude adaptation in Tibetans|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|language=en|volume=114|issue=16|pages=4189–4194|doi=10.1073/pnas.1617042114|issn=0027-8424|pmid=28373541|pmc=5402460|bibcode=2017PNAS..114.4189Y |doi-access=free}}</ref> They show relatively more genetic affinity for modern [Central Asian](/source/Central_Asian) than modern Siberian populations.<ref name="Lu 2016"/> They also share some genetic affinity for [South Asian groups](/source/South_Asian_ethnic_groups).<ref name="Lu 2016"/>

Genetic studies shows that many of the [Sherpa people](/source/Sherpa_people) have [allele frequencies](/source/allele_frequencies) which are often found in other Tibeto-Burman regions; the strongest affinity was for Tibetan population samples in studies done in the Tibet Autonomous Region.<ref name="Bhandari 20152">{{cite journal |last1=Bhandari |first1=Sushil |display-authors=etal |date=2015 |title=Genetic evidence of a recent Tibetan ancestry to Sherpas in the Himalayan region |journal=[Scientific Reports](/source/Scientific_Reports) |volume=5 |article-number=16249 |bibcode=2015NatSR...516249B |doi=10.1038/srep16249 |pmc=4633682 |pmid=26538459}}</ref> Genetically, the Sherpa cluster most closely with the sampled Tibetan and Han populations.<ref name="ColeCox20172">{{cite journal |last1=Cole |first1=Amy M. |last2=Cox |first2=Sean |last3=Jeong |first3=Choongwon |last4=Petousi |first4=Nayia |last5=Aryal |first5=Dhana R. |last6=Droma |first6=Yunden |last7=Hanaoka |first7=Masayuki |last8=Ota |first8=Masao |last9=Kobayashi |first9=Nobumitsu |last10=Gasparini |first10=Paolo |last11=Montgomery |first11=Hugh |last12=Robbins |first12=Peter |last13=Di Rienzo |first13=Anna |last14=Cavalleri |first14=Gianpiero L. |year=2017 |title=Genetic structure in the Sherpa and neighboring Nepalese populations |journal=BMC Genomics |volume=18 |issue=1 |page=102 |doi=10.1186/s12864-016-3469-5 |issn=1471-2164 |pmc=5248489 |pmid=28103797 |doi-access=free}} 50x50px This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under the [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)](/source/creativecommons%3Aby%2F4.0%2F) license.</ref> Additionally, the Sherpa and Tibetans had exhibited affinity for several Nepalese populations, with the strongest for the [Rai people](/source/Rai_people), followed by the [Magars](/source/Magars) and the [Tamang](/source/Tamang_people).<ref name="ColeCox20172"/>

====Haplogroups====
thumb|Proposed migration routes of the East Asian Y chromosome haplogroups C, D, N, and O

Tibetan males predominantly belong to the paternal lineage [D-M174](/source/Haplogroup_D-M174), followed by lower amounts of [O-M175](/source/Haplogroup_O-M175).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bhandari |first1=Sushil |last2=Zhang |first2=Xiaoming |title=Genetic evidence of a recent Tibetan ancestry to Sherpas in the Himalayan region |journal=Scientific Reports |date=5 November 2015 |volume=5 |article-number=16249 |doi=10.1038/srep16249 |pmid=26538459 |pmc=4633682 |bibcode=2015NatSR...516249B |issn=2045-2322}} "Comparing Sherpas, Tibetans, and Han Chinese showed that the D-M174 is the predominant haplogroup in Sherpas (43.38%) and prevalent in Tibetans (52.84%)5, but rare among both Han Chinese (1.4–6.51%)6,7 and other Asian populations (0.02–0.07%)8, aside from Japanese (34.7%) who possesses a distinct D-M174 lineage highly diverged from those in Tibetans and other Asian populations9,10."</ref> Tibetan females belong mainly to the Northeast Asian maternal haplogroups M9a1a, M9a1b, D4g2, D4i and G2ac, showing continuity with ancient middle and upper [Yellow River](/source/Yellow_River) populations.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Ganyu |last2=Cui |first2=Can |last3=Wangdue |first3=Shargan |title=Maternal genetic history of ancient Tibetans over the past 4000 years |journal=Journal of Genetics and Genomics |date=16 March 2023 |volume=50 |issue=10 |pages=765–775 |doi=10.1016/j.jgg.2023.03.007 |pmid=36933795 |s2cid=257588399 |language=en|doi-access=free }}</ref>

Although "East Asian Highlanders" (associated with [haplogroup D1](/source/haplogroup_D1)) are closely related to East Asian lowland farmers (associated with [haplogroup O](/source/Haplogroup_O-M175)), they form a divergent sister branch to them.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lu |first1=Dongsheng |last2=Lou |first2=Haiyi |last3=Yuan |first3=Kai |last4=Wang |first4=Xiaoji |last5=Wang |first5=Yuchen |last6=Zhang |first6=Chao |last7=Lu |first7=Yan |last8=Yang |first8=Xiong |last9=Deng |first9=Lian |last10=Zhou |first10=Ying |last11=Feng |first11=Qidi |date=1 September 2016 |title=Ancestral Origins and Genetic History of Tibetan Highlanders |journal=The American Journal of Human Genetics |language=English |volume=99 |issue=3 |pages=580–594 |doi=10.1016/j.ajhg.2016.07.002 |issn=0002-9297 |pmc=5011065 |pmid=27569548 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

====Autosomal DNA====
thumb|ADMIXTURE graph on modern Tibetan groups.

Full genome studies revealed that Tibetans and other high-altitude East Asians formed from two divergent [Ancient East Eurasian](/source/Ancient_East_Eurasians) lineages in East Asia, specifically a lineage representing the Paleolithic population of the Tibetan Plateau and a lineage associated with [Ancient Northern East Asian](/source/Ancient_Northern_East_Asian)s. The Paleolithic Tibetan lineage was found to be distinct from other deep lineages such as [Ust'-Ishim](/source/Ust'-Ishim_man), [Hoabinhian](/source/Hoabinhian)/[Onge](/source/Andamanese_peoples) or [Tianyuan](/source/Tianyuan_man), but forms a clade with them to the exclusion of other Eurasians. The Northern East Asian lineage can be represented by Neolithic Yellow River farmers, who are associated with the spread of Sino-Tibetan languages. Modern Tibetans derive up to 20% from Paleolithic Tibetans, with the remaining 80% being primarily derived from Yellow River farmers.<ref name=":0" /> Wang et al. 2025 analyzed the remains of a c. 9,000 year old specimen from Central Yunnan (Xingyi_EN) and found it to possess a newly identified Basal Asian lineage, which fits best as the source for the Tibetan Ghost. This Basal Asian Xingyi lineage is equally diverged from other Basal Asian lineages, specifically the Hoabinhian and Tianyuan lineages, but slightly closer to ancient and present-day East Asians.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=Tianyi |last2=Yang |first2=Melinda A. |last3=Zhu |first3=Zhonghua |last4=Ma |first4=Minmin |last5=Shi |first5=Han |last6=Speidel |first6=Leo |last7=Min |first7=Rui |last8=Yuan |first8=Haibing |last9=Jiang |first9=Zhilong |last10=Hu |first10=Changcheng |last11=Li |first11=Xiaorui |last12=Zhao |first12=Dongyue |last13=Bai |first13=Fan |last14=Cao |first14=Peng |last15=Liu |first15=Feng |date=29 May 2025 |title=Prehistoric genomes from Yunnan reveal ancestry related to Tibetans and Austroasiatic speakers |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq9792 |journal=Science |volume=388 |issue=6750 |article-number=eadq9792 |doi=10.1126/science.adq9792 |pmid=40440384 |bibcode=2025Sci...388q9792W }}</ref> The formation of the present-day Tibetan gene pool dates back at least 5,100 years BP.<ref name=":1" />[[File:Chronological, geographic distribution and genetic landscape of ancient individuals of the Tibetan Plateau.jpg|thumb|[Principal component analysis](/source/Principal_component_analysis) (PCA) on chronological, geographic distribution and genetic data of ancient individuals of the Tibetan Plateau]]

thumb|Genetic links between Tibeto-Burman speakers and their approximate ancestry components.

Northeastern Tibetans display additional geneflow from a Yellow River farmers-like population c. 4,700 years ago, resulting in the formation of a "Tibetan cline".<ref name=":1" /> Modern Tibetans display genetic continuity to ancient samples from [Nepal](/source/Nepal), with their genetic diversity having been reduced compared to 'Early Ancient Tibetans', suggesting low to no geneflow from outside groups since c. 3,500 years ago.<ref name=":1" /> Subsequent internal geneflow resulted in "a northeastern plateau ancestry associated with the northeast cluster, a southern plateau ancestry associated with the south-southwest cluster, and a southeastern plateau ancestry associated with the southeast-central cluster".<ref name=":1" />

There was limited contact with [Central Asia](/source/Central_Asia)n populations, in line with historical events, evident in mutual geneflow. The expansion of the [Tibetan Empire](/source/Tibetan_Empire) may have left genetic traces in surrounding populations.<ref name=":1" />

====Adaption to high-altitude environments====
Genetic studies identified more than 30 genetic factors that make Tibetans' bodies well-suited for high-altitudes, including the [EPAS1 gene](/source/EPAS1), also referred to as the "super-athlete gene", which regulates the body's production of hemoglobin,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.berkeley.edu/2010/07/01/tibetan_genome/|title = Tibetans adapted to high altitude in less than 3,000 years|date = 30 November 2001}}</ref> allowing for greater efficiency in the use of oxygen.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-mount-everest/2014/04/24/9a30ace2-caf5-11e3-a993-b6b5a03db7b4_story.html |title=Five Myths About Mount Everest|date=24 April 2014|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=18 May 2019 |quote=cites news.berkeley.edu/2010/07/01/tibetan_genome/ Tibetans adapted to high altitude in less than 3,000 years}}</ref> The [genetic basis](/source/High-altitude_adaptation_in_humans) of Tibetan adaptations have been attributed to a mutation in the [EPAS1](/source/EPAS1) gene,<ref>{{Citation|last1=Simonson|first1=Tatum S.|title=Genetic Evidence for High-Altitude Adaptation in Tibet|date=2 July 2010|journal=Science Magazine|volume=329|issue=5987|pages=72–75|bibcode=2010Sci...329...72S|doi=10.1126/science.1189406|pmid=20466884|last2=Yang|first2=Yingzhong|last3=Huff|first3=Chad D.|last4=Yun|first4=Haixia|last5=Qin|first5=Ga|last6=Witherspoon|first6=David J.|last7=Bai|first7=Zhenzhong|last8=Lorenzo|first8=Felipe R.|last9=Xing|first9=Jinchuan|first12=RiLi|last12=Ge|first11=Josef T.|last11=Prchal|first10=Lynn B.|last10=Jorde|s2cid=45471238|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=O'Luanaigh|first=Cian|title=Mutation in key gene allows Tibetans to thrive at high altitude|date=2 July 2010|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/jul/02/mutation-gene-tibetans-altitude|newspaper=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406061901/https://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/jul/02/mutation-gene-tibetans-altitude|access-date=16 December 2016|archive-date=6 April 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> and has become prevalent in the past 5,000 years. Ancient Tibetans carried this allele at a frequency of 25–58%, while modern Tibetans carry it at a frequency of >75%.<ref name=":0"/> The widespread presence of this gene may represent one of "the fastest genetic change ever observed in humans".<ref>{{Cite web |last1=S |first1=Robert |last2=ers |last3=relations{{!}} |first3=Media |date=1 July 2010 |title=Tibetans adapted to high altitude in less than 3,000 years |url=https://news.berkeley.edu/2010/07/01/tibetan_genome/ |access-date=11 April 2022 |website=Berkeley News |language=en-US}}</ref>

Recent research into the ability of Tibetans' [metabolism](/source/metabolism) to function normally in the oxygen-deficient atmosphere above {{convert|4400|m}}<ref>"Special Blood allows Tibetans to live the high life." ''New Scientist''. 3 November 2007, p. 19.</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Elevated nitric oxide in blood is key to high altitude function for Tibetans|url=http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/cwru-eno103007.php|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071103022631/http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/cwru-eno103007.php|archive-date=3 November 2007|website=Eurekalert.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=30 October 2014|title=Tibetans Get Their Blood Flowing|url=http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2007/1029/2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031055223/http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2007/1029/2|archive-date=31 October 2007|website=Sciencenow.sciencemag.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hoit|first1=Brian D.|last2=Dalton|first2=Nancy D.|last3=Erzurum|first3=Serpil C.|last4=Laskowski|first4=Daniel|last5=Strohl|first5=Kingman P.|last6=Beall|first6=Cynthia M.|year=2005|title=Nitric oxide and cardiopulmonary hemodynamics in Tibetan highlanders|journal=Journal of Applied Physiology|volume=99|issue=5|pages=1796–1801|doi=10.1152/japplphysiol.00205.2005|pmid=16024527}}</ref> shows that, although Tibetans living at high altitudes have no more oxygen in their blood than other people, they have ten times more [nitric oxide](/source/nitric_oxide) and double the forearm blood flow of low-altitude dwellers. Tibetans inherited this adaptation due to selected genes associated with [Denisovan](/source/Denisovan) admixture among Asian populations, highlighting how different environments trigger different selective pressures.<ref>{{cite web|date=2 July 2014|title=Tibetans inherited high-altitude gene from ancient human|url=http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/07/tibetans-inherited-high-altitude-gene-ancient-human|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817200323/http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/07/tibetans-inherited-high-altitude-gene-ancient-human|archive-date=17 August 2018|access-date=17 August 2018|website=Sciencemag.org}}</ref> Nitric oxide causes dilation of blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more freely to the extremities and aids the release of oxygen to tissues.

===Mythological origins===
According to [Tibetan mythology](/source/Tibetan_mythology), the origins of Tibetans are said to be rooted in the marriage of the monkey [Pha Trelgen Changchup Sempa](/source/Pha_Trelgen_Changchup_Sempa) and rock [ogre](/source/ogre)ss Ma Drag Sinmo.<ref>{{cite book| author = Stein, R. A. | others = J. E. Stapleton Driver (trans.) | title = Tibetan Civilization |publisher = Stanford University Press | year = 1972 | pages = 28, 46}}</ref>

==Religion==
{{Further|Bon|Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan Muslims}}
[[File:IMG 1016 Lhasa Barkhor.jpg|thumb|Buddhists performing prostrations in front of [Jokhang Monastery](/source/Jokhang_Monastery).]]

Most Tibetans generally observe [Tibetan Buddhism](/source/Tibetan_Buddhism) or a collection of native traditions known as [Bön](/source/B%C3%B6n) (also absorbed into mainstream Tibetan Buddhism). There is a minority [Tibetan Muslim](/source/Tibetan_Muslims) population.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.islambook.net/xueshu/list.asp?id=2379 |script-title=zh:卡力岗现象及其分析—— 中文伊斯兰学术城 |website = Islambook.net |language=zh-Hans |access-date = 21 June 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120312092158/http://www.islambook.net/xueshu/list.asp?id=2379 |archive-date =  12 March 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> There is also a small Tibetan [Christian](/source/Christians) population in the eastern Tibet and northwestern Yunnan of China.

According to legend, the 28th king of Tibet, [Thothori Nyantsen](/source/Thothori_Nyantsen), dreamed of a sacred treasure falling from heaven, which contained a Buddhist [sutra](/source/sutra), [mantra](/source/mantra)s, and religious objects. However, because the Tibetan script had not been invented, the text could not be translated in writing and no one initially knew what was written in it. Buddhism did not take root in [Tibet](/source/Tibet) until the reign of [Songtsen Gampo](/source/Songtsen_Gampo), who married two Buddhist princesses, [Bhrikuti](/source/Bhrikuti) of Nepal and [Wencheng](/source/Princess_Wencheng) of China. It then gained popularity when [Padmasambhāva](/source/Padmasambhava) visited [Tibet](/source/Tibet) at the invitation of the 38th Tibetan king, [Trisong Deutson](/source/Trisong_Deutson).

Today, one can see Tibetans placing [Mani stone](/source/Mani_stone)s prominently in public places. Tibetan [lama](/source/lama)s, both Buddhist and Bön, play a major role in the lives of Tibetans, conducting religious ceremonies and taking care of the monasteries. Pilgrims plant [prayer flag](/source/prayer_flag)s over sacred grounds as a symbol of good luck.

The [prayer wheel](/source/prayer_wheel) is a means of simulating the chant of a mantra by physically revolving the object several times in a clockwise direction. It is widely seen among Tibetans. In order not to desecrate religious artifacts such as [Stupa](/source/Stupa)s, mani stones, and [Gompa](/source/Gompa)s, Tibetan Buddhists walk around them in a clockwise direction, although the reverse direction is true for [Bön](/source/B%C3%B6n). Tibetan Buddhists chant the prayer "[Om mani padme hum](/source/Om_mani_padme_hum)", while the practitioners of Bön chant "Om matri muye sale du".

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Tibet}}
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 135-BB-152-11, Tibetexpedition, Tibeter mit Handmühle.jpg|thumb|Tibetan wearing the typical hat operating a [quern](/source/Quern-stone) to grind fried [barley](/source/barley). The perpendicular handle of such rotary handmills works as a [crank](/source/Crank_(mechanism)) (1938 photo).]]

Tibet is rich in culture. Tibetan festivals such as [Losar](/source/Losar), [Shoton](/source/Shoton), [Linka](/source/Linka_(festival)), and the Bathing Festival are deeply rooted in indigenous religion and also contain foreign influences. Each person takes part in the Bathing Festival three times: at birth, at marriage, and at death.{{Citation needed|date=March 2018}}

===Art===
[Tibetan art](/source/Tibetan_art) is deeply religious in nature, from the exquisitely detailed statues found in [Gonpa](/source/Gonpa)s to wooden carvings and the intricate designs of the [Thangka](/source/Thangka) paintings. Tibetan art can be found in almost every object and every aspect of daily life.

[Thangka](/source/Thangka) paintings, a syncretism of Indian scroll-painting with Nepalese and Kashmiri painting, appeared in Tibet around the 8th century. Rectangular and painted on cotton or linen, they usually depict traditional motifs including religious, astrological, and theological subjects, and sometimes a [mandala](/source/mandala). To ensure that the image will not fade, organic and mineral pigments are added, and the painting is framed in colorful silk brocades.

===Drama===
Tibetan folk opera, known as [lhamo](/source/lhamo), is a combination of dances, chants and songs. The repertoire is drawn from Buddhist stories and Tibetan history.<ref name="Diehl 2002 p.">{{cite book | last=Diehl | first=K. | title=Echoes from Dharamsala: Music in the Life of a Tibetan Refugee Community | publisher=University of California Press | year=2002 | isbn=978-0-520-93600-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D2H1EAAAQBAJ | access-date=13 March 2024 | page=}}</ref>

Tibetan opera was founded in the fourteenth century by [Thang Tong Gyalpo](/source/Thang_Tong_Gyalpo), a lama and a bridge-builder. Gyalpo and seven girls he recruited organized the first performance to raise funds for building bridges to facilitate transportation in Tibet. The tradition continued uninterrupted for nearly seven hundred years, and performances are held on various festive occasions such as the Lingka and Shoton festival. The performance is usually a drama, held on a barren stage that combines dances, chants, and songs. Colorful masks are sometimes worn to identify a character, with red symbolizing a king and yellow indicating deities and lamas. The performance starts with a stage purification and blessings. A narrator then sings a summary of the story, and the performance begins. Another ritual blessing is conducted at the end of the play. There are also many historical myths/epics written by high lamas about the reincarnation of a "chosen one" who will do great things.

===Architecture===
The most unusual feature of [Tibetan architecture](/source/Tibetan_architecture) is that many of the houses and monasteries are built on elevated, sunny sites facing the south. They are commonly made of a mixture of rocks, wood, cement and earth. Little fuel is available for heating or lighting, so flat roofs are built to conserve heat, and multiple windows are constructed to let in sunlight. Walls are usually sloped inwards at 10 degrees as a precaution against frequent earthquakes in the mountainous area. Tibetan homes and buildings are white-washed on the outside, and beautifully decorated inside.

Standing at {{convert|117|m}} in height and {{convert|360|m}} in width, the [Potala Palace](/source/Potala_Palace) is considered the most important example of Tibetan architecture.<ref name="Li 2022 p. 372">{{cite book | last=Li | first=X. | title=A General History of Chinese Art: Qing Dynasty | publisher=De Gruyter | year=2022 | isbn=978-3-11-079093-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EoWIEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA372 | access-date=13 March 2024 | page=372}}</ref> Formerly the residence of the [Dalai Lama](/source/Dalai_Lama), it contains over a thousand rooms within thirteen stories and houses portraits of the past Dalai Lamas and statues of the Buddha. It is divided between the outer White Palace, which serves as the administrative quarters, and the inner Red Quarters, which houses the assembly hall of the Lamas, chapels, 10,000 shrines, and a vast library of Buddhist scriptures.<ref name="Breslin 2019 p. 71">{{cite book | last=Breslin | first=S. | title=Magical Travels: A Travel Guru's Guide to the Most Mystical and Amazing Places on Earth | publisher=Global Publishing Group | year=2019 | isbn=978-1-925280-24-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=staJDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT71 | access-date=13 March 2024 | page=71}}</ref>
[[File:布达拉宫.jpg|thumb|[Potala Palace](/source/Potala_Palace), 2013]]

===Medicine===
[Traditional Tibetan medicine](/source/Traditional_Tibetan_medicine) utilizes up to two thousand types of plants, forty animal species, and fifty minerals. One of the key figures in its development was the renowned 8th century physician [Yuthog Yontan Gonpo](/source/Yuthog_Yontan_Gonpo), who produced the Four Medical Tantras integrating material from the medical traditions of Persia, India and China. The tantras contained a total of 156 chapters in the form of Thangkas, which tell about the archaic Tibetan medicine and the essences of medicines in other places.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.artoftibet.com/blogs/news/thangka-painting-a-buddhist-art | title=Thangka- Buddhist Art| date=20 May 2021}}</ref>

===Cuisine===
thumb|A simple Tibetan breakfast

The [Cuisine of Tibet](/source/Cuisine_of_Tibet) reflects the rich heritage of the country and people's adaptation to high altitude and religious culinary restrictions. The most important crop is [barley](/source/barley). Dough made from barley flour, called [tsampa](/source/tsampa), is the [staple food](/source/staple_food) of [Tibet](/source/Tibet). This is either rolled into noodles or made into steamed dumplings called [momo](/source/momo_(food)). [Meat](/source/Meat) dishes are likely to be [yak](/source/yak), [goat](/source/goat) or [mutton](/source/mutton), often dried or cooked into a spicy [stew](/source/stew) with [potato](/source/potato)es. [Mustard seed](/source/Mustard_seed) is cultivated in Tibet and therefore features heavily in its cuisine. Yak [yogurt](/source/yogurt), [butter](/source/butter) and [cheese](/source/cheese) are frequently eaten and well-prepared yogurt is considered something of a prestige item.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.exploretibet.com/blog/shoton-festival-in-tibet/|title=Shoton Festival – The Yogurt Celebration of Tibet|date=16 August 2018|website=Explore Tibet|language=en-US|access-date=20 February 2019}}</ref><ref name="Dorfe 1985 p.">{{cite book | last=Dorfe | first=R. | title=Food in Tibetan Life | publisher=Prospect Books | series=William G. Lockwood and Yvonne R. Lockwood Collection of National, Ethnic and Regional Foodways | year=1985 | isbn=978-0-907325-26-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SPxyws35JPkC | access-date=13 March 2024 | page=}}</ref><ref name="Goldstein Beall 1990 p. 35">{{cite book | last1=Goldstein | first1=M.C. | last2=Beall | first2=C.M. | title=Nomads of Western Tibet: The Survival of a Way of Life | publisher=University of California Press | year=1990 | isbn=978-0-520-07211-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hnZqktKhU3YC&pg=PA35 | access-date=13 March 2024 | page=35}}</ref>

===Clothing===
Men and Women wear long thick dresses (''[chuba](/source/chuba)'') in more traditional and rural regions.<ref name="Wang Liang Shi 2022 p. 438">{{cite book | last1=Wang | first1=J. | last2=Liang | first2=S. | last3=Shi | first3=P. | title=The Geography of Contemporary China | publisher=Springer International Publishing | series=World Regional Geography Book Series | year=2022 | isbn=978-3-031-04158-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fep3EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA438 | access-date=13 March 2024 | page=438}}</ref> The men wear a shorter version with pants underneath. The style of the clothing varies between regions. Nomads often wear thick sheepskin versions. In more urban places like Lhasa, men and women dress in modern clothing, and many choose to wear chuba during festivals and holidays like [Losar](/source/Losar).<ref name="Nevins Bosco Levy 2016 p. 64">{{cite book | last1=Nevins | first1=D. | last2=Bosco | first2=D. | last3=Levy | first3=P. | title=Tibet: Third Edition | publisher=Cavendish Square Publishing | series=Cultures of the World (Third Edition) | year=2016 | isbn=978-1-5026-2213-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2nZmDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA64 | access-date=13 March 2024 | page=64}}</ref><ref name="Ponnappan Atma 2021 p.">{{cite book | last1=Ponnappan | first1=J.K. | last2=Atma | first2=K. | title=Losar: The Tibetan New Year | publisher=Amazon Digital Services LLC – Kdp | series=Tibetan Festival | year=2021 | isbn=979-8-7100-7457-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mw89zgEACAAJ | access-date=13 March 2024 | page=}}</ref>

===Literature===
{{Main|Tibetan literature}}

Tibet has national literature that has both religious, semi-spiritual and secular elements. While the religious texts are well-known, Tibet is also home to the semi-spiritual [Gesar Epic](/source/Epic_of_King_Gesar), which is the longest epic in the world and is popular throughout Mongolia and Central Asia. There are secular texts such as ''The Dispute Between Tea and Chang'' (Tibetan beer) and ''Khache Phalu's Advice''.

==Marriage customs==
{{See also|Polyandry in Tibet}}

[Monogamy](/source/Monogamy) is common throughout Tibet. Marriages are sometimes arranged by the parents if the son or daughter has not picked their own partner by a certain age. However, [polyandry](/source/polyandry) is practiced in parts of Tibet. This is usually done to avoid division of property and provide financial security.<ref>Stein (1978), pp. 97–98.</ref>

==List of Tibetan states==
* [Zhangzhung Kingdom](/source/Zhangzhung_Kingdom) (500&nbsp;BC – AD&nbsp;625)
* [Yarlung dynasty](/source/Yarlung_dynasty) (?–618) (semi-mythological)
* [Tibetan Empire](/source/Tibetan_Empire) (618–842)
* [Kingdom of Bumthang](/source/Kingdom_of_Bumthang) (7th–17th centuries)
* [Guge Kingdom](/source/Guge_Kingdom) (842–1630)
* [Purang Kingdom](/source/Burang_County)
* [Maryul](/source/Maryul) (930–1500) 
* [Tsongkha](/source/Tsongkha) Kingdom (997–1099) (Amdo)
* [Phagmodrupa dynasty](/source/Phagmodrupa_dynasty) (1354–1618) (Ü-Tsang)
* [Maqpon kingdom](/source/Maqpon_kingdom) (1190–1846) (Baltistan)
* [Rinpungpa dynasty](/source/Rinpungpa_dynasty) (1435–1565) (Tsang)
* Yabgo dynasty (before 1500–1972) (Baltistan)
* [Tsangpa dynasty](/source/Tsangpa_dynasty) (1565–1642) (Tsang)
* [Ganden Phodrang](/source/Ganden_Phodrang) (1642–1959)
* [Namgyal dynasty](/source/Namgyal_dynasty_of_Ladakh) (1460–1842) (Ladakh)
* [Chogyal Namgyal](/source/Chogyal) dynasty of [Sikkim](/source/Kingdom_of_Sikkim) (1642–1975)
* [Tibet (1912–1951)](/source/Tibet_(1912%E2%80%931951))
* [Bhutan](/source/Bhutan) (1616–present)

===Kingdoms of Kham===
* [Nyagrong Kingdom](/source/Nyarong) (?–1865)
* [Kingdom of Powo](/source/Kingdom_of_Powo) (?–1928)
* [Nangcheng Kingdom](/source/Nangq%C3%AAn_County) (?–1928)
* [Litang Kingdom](/source/Chiefdom_of_Lithang) (?–1950)
* [Kingdom of Lingtsang](/source/Kingdom_of_Lingtsang) (12th century – 1950)
* [Kingdom of Derge](/source/Kingdom_of_Derge) (15th century – 1956)
* [Hor States](/source/Hor_States) (Horpa)
* [Chiefdom of Bathang](/source/Chiefdom_of_Bathang)

===Gyalrong Kingdoms===
* [Kingdom of Chakla](/source/Kingdom_of_Chakla) (1407–1950) 
* [Chiefdom of Chuchen](/source/Chiefdom_of_Chuchen)
* [Chiefdom of Tsanlha](/source/Chiefdom_of_Tsanlha)

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [History of Tibet](/source/History_of_Tibet)
* [Timeline of Tibetan history](/source/Timeline_of_Tibetan_history)
* [Flag of Tibet](/source/Flag_of_Tibet)
* [Sumpa](/source/Sumpa)
* [Upper Mustang](/source/Upper_Mustang)
* [Sherpa people](/source/Sherpa_people)
* [Baima people](/source/Baima_people) 
* [Balti people](/source/Balti_people)
* [Bhotias](/source/Bhotias) and [Bhutia](/source/Bhutia)
* [Burig](/source/Burig)
* [Lepcha people](/source/Lepcha_people)
* [Limbu people](/source/Limbu_people)
* [Lhoba people](/source/Lhoba_people)
* [Monpa Tibetan](/source/Monpa_people)
* [Thakali people](/source/Thakali_people)
* [Changpa people](/source/Changpa)
* [Golok people](/source/Golok_people)
* [Wutun people](/source/Wutun_people) 
* [Tibetan Muslims](/source/Tibetan_Muslims)
* [Tibetan diaspora](/source/Tibetan_diaspora)
* [Tibetan Americans](/source/Tibetan_Americans)
* [Central Tibetan Administration](/source/Central_Tibetan_Administration)
* [Tibetan independence movement](/source/Tibetan_independence_movement)
* [Anti-Tibetan Sentiment](/source/Anti-Tibetan_Sentiment)
{{div col end}}

==References==

===Citations===
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite EB1911 |wstitle = Tibet |volume = 26 |page = 918 }}
* Goldstein, Melvyn C., "Study of the Family structure in Tibet", ''Natural History'', March 1987: 109–112. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20030306141537/http://www.cwru.edu/affil/tibet/family.html When Brothers Share a Wife] on the [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive)).
* Stein, R. A. (1972). ''Tibetan Civilization''. J. E. Stapleton Driver (trans.). Stanford University Press. {{ISBN|0-8047-0901-7}} (paper); {{ISBN|0-8047-0806-1}}.
* Su, Bing, ''et al.'' [https://web.archive.org/web/20050228172123/http://hpgl.stanford.edu/publications/HG_2000_v107_p582.pdf "Y chromosome haplotypes reveal prehistorical migrations to the Himalayas"]. ''Human Genetics'' 107, 2000: 582–590.
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons and category|Tibetan people|People of Tibet}}
* [http://imagingeverest.rgs.org/Concepts/Imaging_Everest/-6.html Imaging Everest]: article on Tibetans at the time of early mountaineering from the [Royal Geographical Society](/source/Royal_Geographical_Society)
* [http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/96152.htm Tibetan costume] from china.org.cn
* [http://rukor.org/ Rukor where the world discusses the fate of the nomads]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160101193742/http://www.360doc.com/content/12/0813/22/276037_230028707.shtml Map share of ethnic by county of China]

{{Ethnic groups in China}}
{{Tibet related articles}}
{{Sichuan topics}}
{{Hill tribes of Northeast India}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tibetans}}
Category:Tibetan people
Category:Ethnic groups officially recognized by China
Category:Indigenous peoples of East Asia
Category:Tibet

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tibetans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetans) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetans?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.