History:
The Tibetan was the descendents of a male Monkey and a female Rock-demon. This was probably invented by outsiders when they witness the Tibetan custom of covering or painting their faces to protect themselves from harsh weather conditions. It is said the Tibetan kings were descendents from the heaven with ropes attaching them to the heaven. Upon their deaths, a heavenly creature would pull the ropes up with their bodies. Therefore, there were no remains of their bodies, and there were no tombs for the first seven Kings of Tibet. The eighth King accidentally cut off the rope during a fight against a rebel. From thereon, the bodies of Kings could not go up to the heaven, and were buried in the southern part of Tibet. Shamanism was the predominant religion before the introduction of Buddhism in the 7th century. Buddhist missionaries from India came to Tibet and started an alphabet system for the Tibetan language and started translations of Buddhist texts. During this time Tibet was a strong kingdom but by the 10th century, things began to fall apart with Tibet separating into several principalities.

At the end of the Second World War, the Mao-Tse-tung Army defeated Chang-Kai-chek and invaded peaceful Tibet. After installation of a pro-Chinese Administration, the first decisions brought a severe famine, suppressed civil rights and imposed the Chinese language. In March 1959, Lhasa population obliged the Dalai-Lama to escape in India, against his will. In the 1970's, during the Cultural Revolution the Red Guards destroyed nearly 2000 official buildings and holy places, and burnt nearly all the Tibetan libraries and books to get rid of the Tibetan civilization and language. For the last 4 years a strong repression has occurred in Monasteries, in spite of the presence of Europeans journalists and tourists.

Geography:
Tibet, a rich and beautiful land, is located at the main part of Qinghai-Tibet plateau, south-West frontier of China. Tibet is so sunny that it produces a year-round sunshine of over 3,000 hours in a year. Its old name-"land of snow"--the name by which Tibet is almost popularly known as, is always thickly covered with snow with hardly any signs of inhabitation.

With an average elevation of over 4,000 m, Tibet is considered to be the highest region in the world and is often called the "Roof of the World." This comes as no surprise, especially since southern Tibet is located in the Himalayas, which contains many of the world's highest summits. In addition to its incredible heights, Tibet is also one of the most isolated areas on earth; with most of the people living in elevations ranging from 1200 m to 5100 m. Tibet with its mountains is the source and dividing line of the Asian continent's major rivers, with the Brahmaputra being the most important. Many of the rivers in Tibet can be used for hydroelectricity, but this potential hasn't been developed as of yet.

Geographically, Tibet can be divided into three major parts;
Eastern part: It is forest region, occupying approximately one-fourth of the land. Virgin forests run the entire breadth and length of this part of Tibet.

Northern part: It is open grassland, where nomads and yak and sheep dwell here. This part occupies approximately half of Tibet.

The southern and central part: It is agricultural region, occupying about one-fourth of Tibet's land area with all major Tibetan cities and towns such as Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse and Tsetang. The total area of the Tibet Autonomous Region is 1,200,000 square kilometers and its population is 1,890,000. The region is administratively divided into one municipality and six prefectures. The municipality is Lhasa, while the six prefectures are Shigatse, Ngari, Lhaoka, Chamdo, Nakchu and Nyingtri (kongpo). The People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region exercises the high-test administrative authority in Tibet.

Climate:
Tibet is cold in winter, cool in summer and generally dry, receiving only 450 millimeters (18 inch) of rain or snow. Sunlight is extremely intense. The thin air neither blocks nor holds heat, so sunshine feel warm, shadows are chilly, and temperature can vary greatly within a day. Summer temperatures (Jun-Sep) are surprisingly warm, averaging around 20?C during the day, but dropping considerably at night to around 8?C. There is some rain at this time of year, particularly in June, July and August. Winters (Oct-Mar) are severe, with frequent hard frosts and snow. Temperatures average around 0?C. Lhasa's night-time lows in winter are around -9 degrees. The higher you go the colder it gets, and the winds in winter are ferocious. Rainfall in southern Tibet occurs intermittently between May and September; bring moisture to barley fields and greenery to the valleys. The most pleasant months for tourism are from April to October.

People:
Tibetans are probably descendants from the variety of monadic tribes who migrated from the north and settled to sedentary cultivation of Tibet’s river valleys. A more visible ethnic group are the Hui Muslims. Two thirds of Tibetans belong to the relatively well known Kham and Amdo speaking Tibetans. However, fully one third of the Tibetans in this region do not speak Kham or Amdo as a first language. Linguistic research in the 1980's and 1990's has shown that these ethnic groups speak separate but related languages. These languages are entirely different from the Tibetan language.

Clothing:
Clothing should be simple and consist of layers, which can be added or removed as the temperature varies during the day. During spring and autumn the night temperatures in the mountains often dip below freezing, making warm gear essential. In summer the days can be hot, requiring light cotton clothing. Good wet-weather gear is recommended during the rainy summer months. A warm windbreaker and stout comfortable shoes are especially recommended.

Religion and Culture:
Tibet is officially a part of China. But until China invaded them in 1950, Tibet had its own defined culture and way of life. China forced them to follow their practices, and since then, the Tibetan life has changed dramatically.

The basic understanding of Buddhism is essential to getting beneath the skin of things in Tibet. Buddhism’s values and goals permeate almost everything Tibetan. So many Buddhists learn sutra, meditate, and discipline themselves to make ethics higher. The Temple in Tibet is open to everyone, accepted the people from children to adults without any distinction. Temple plays a role in elementary schools and it is administered efficiently. With Buddhism as an essential aspect, it permeates things like culture, literature, and art.

Language:
Tibetan is the main language of Tibet, especially in the rural areas, with various dialects spoken as well. It is considered to be a subfamily of the Sino-Tibetan language.

Flora & Fauna:
The vast differences in altitude in Tibet give rise to a spread of ecosystems from alpine to subtropical. The high altitude plains of the Changtang, for example, support little in the way of vegetation beside grasses such as spear grass. Juniper trees and willow are common in the valleys of central Tibet and it is possible to come across flowers such as the pansy and oleander, as well as unique indigenous flowers like the tsi-tog (a light pink, high altitude bloom). To the south in lower altitude, there are forests of pines, firs and spruces. The east of Tibet where there is higher level of rainfall has amazing range of flora from coniferous forests to deciduous forests. With oaks, elms and birches to subtropical plants and flowers.

Marmots often seen perched up on their hind legs sniffing the air curiously outside their burrows and Pika, or Himalayan mouse hares are common. Tibet has over 30 endemic birds and 480 species have been recorded in the plateau. Birds include the black necked crane, bar headed goose and lammergeyer as well as grebes, pheasants, snao cocks and patridges.

Health Precautions:
Make sure you are as healthy as possible before you leave home. Check that your teeth are in good shape and get all your immunizations at the right time. The most common health problem is mild altitude sickness. It is very hard to avoid completely but one can minimize the risks by taking precautions. Kindly consult your doctor about high altitude sickness. We will attempt to secure, but do not guarantee, the services of emergency medical personnel. Medical facilities in most areas are limited.
Note: The participants are required to consult their doctor regarding traveling and sleeping at elevations of 16,500 ft.

Vaccinations such as Typhoid, Tetanus, Poliomyelitis, Gamma Globulin (anti Hepatitis A &B), Malaria, Meningitis, Rabies should be considered before going on a trip and of course-anti dysentery precautions such as Imodium, plus anything that your doctor recommends. However, no immunizations are required for entry into Nepal and Tibet. For the most up-to-date information visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control online at www.cdc.gov.

Medical Examination:
Traveling in Tibet is strenuous owing to its high elevation. The elevation of Lhasa is 11,500 feet and Rongbuk is 16,500 feet.
We strongly recommend a medical examination. Discuss the extent of your adventure with your physician. The physical exam should be conducted more thoroughly than a routine checkup. Be sure any abnormalities, chronic problems or special medications are noted. Ask your doctor about various medications available high altitude sickness.

Prevention, the Best Medicine:
Stomach upsets are the most likely travel health problem but the majority of these cases are minor problems. Thoroughly cooked food is the safest but not if it has been left to cool. One should be careful about what one eats and drinks. The number one rule is not to drink tap water or other water from open sources. Reputable brands of bottled water or soft drinks are available. While drinking and eating it is important to make sure that water which may be unsafe has not been added.

Do not drink unpasteurized milk. Boiled milk is fine if it is kept hygienically and yoghurt is usually good. Tea or coffee should also be all right since the water would have been boiled. Salads and fruit should be washed with purified water or peeled where possible. Food, drink and snack from reputable sources are usually safe. However beware of food that has been kept out in the open for long.

Wash your hands frequently, as it is quite easy to contaminate your own food. You should clean your teeth with purified water rather than straight from the tap. Avoid climatic extremes: keep out of the sun when it is hot, dress warmly when it is cold. Avoid potential diseases by dressing sensibly. Do not walk bare feet as it is easy to get worm infections through bare feet. Try to avoid insect bites by covering bare skin when insects are around, by screening windows or by using, insect repellents.