Yu. M. GALENOVICH Doctor of Historical Sciences Developments in Tibet remain the of many politicians and observers in the West. The anti-Chinese riot that broke in Lhasa in March 2008 showed that the indigenous population of this autonomous region of the PRC not accept the order established by the . The following article explains the history and current state of relations between Tibetans and the Government. Tibet is sometimes called the " roof of the world." It really is a unique place on Earth. In a sense, we can say that Tibet belongs to all of humanity. It can also be said that Tibetans are zealous guardians of the Buddha's teachings. Tibet seems to be elevated above the Ground. The history, geography, culture, and way of life of Tibet is something unique and special. The Tibetan Plateau is located in Central Asia, in China. It is one of the largest (about 2 million square kilometers) and highest on the globe. We are talking about an area where natural conditions themselves have created an environment in which such a national community as Tibetans has formed with its own independent and separate history, culture, and way of life. Until very recently, the population of the Tibetan Plateau was traditionally almost mono-national, i.e., it consisted of Tibetans. For example, the Great Qihai Chinese Encyclopedia states that in 1956 Tibetans made up 90% of the population of Tibet. Their total number in China in 2000 was 5 million 416 thousand people. At the same time, in the part of the Tibetan Plateau and traditional Tibet that was declared the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) or Tibet Autonomous Region in China on September 9, 1965, today less than half of all Tibetans live - 2.8 million people. This means that before 1951, the territory traditionally inhabited by Tibetans was geographically separated from the other provinces of China adjacent to it, a region with a mono-national population. Tibetans were originally an independent ethnic group, not being an integral pa ... Read more