Although Tibetans refer to their land as Gangs-ljongs or Kha-ba-can (“Land of Snows”), the climate is generally dry. Most of Tibet receives only 18 inches (460 mm) of precipitation (both rain and snow) annually, with much of that falling during the summer months. The Himalayas act as a barrier to the monsoon (rain-bearing) winds from the south, and precipitation decreases from south to north. The perpetual snow line lies at some 16,000 feet (4,800 metres) in the Himalayas but rises to about 20,000 feet (6,100 metres) in the northern mountains. Humidity is low, and fog is practically nonexistent.

Temperatures in the higher elevations are cold, but the lower valleys and the southeast are mild and pleasant. Seasonal variation is minimal, and the greatest temperature differences occur diurnally (i.e., during a 24-hour period). Lhasa, which lies at an elevation of 11,975 feet (3,650 metres), has a daily maximum temperature of 85 °F (30 °C) and a minimum of −2 °F (−19 °C). The bitterly cold temperatures of the early morning and night are aggravated by the gale winds that blow throughout the area most of the year. Because of the cool dry air, grain can be safely stored for 50 to 60 years, dried raw meat and butter can be preserved for more than one year, and epidemics are rare.

Plant and animal life

The windswept Qiangtang is devoid of trees and larger forms of vegetation. Its arid climate supports little except grasses, and grasslands cover some two-thirds of Tibet’s total area. The varied plant life of Tibet—in excess of 6,400 species, of which more than 1,000 are of economic value—is found mainly in the river valleys and in the lower, wetter regions of the south and southeast. Common plants include willows, poplars, several types of conifers, teak, rhododendrons, oaks, birches, elms, bamboo, sugarcane, babul trees, thorn trees, tea bushes, gro-ba (small white trees that grow mainly in hilly regions), ’om-bu (bushlike trees with red flowers that grow near water), khres-pa (strong durable forest trees used to make food containers), glang-ma (a willow tree used for basketry), and rtsi-shings (the seeds of which are used for making varnish). Fruit-bearing trees and certain roots are used for food, as are the leaves of the lca-wa, khumag, and sre-ral, all of which grow in the low, wet regions. Both wild and domestic flowers flourish in Tibet. Among the wildflowers are blue poppies, lotuses, wild pansies, oleanders, orchids, tsi-tog (light pink flowers that grow at high elevations), shang-drils (bell-shaped flowers, either white, yellow, or maroon, that also grow at high elevations), and ogchu (red flowers that grow in sandy regions).

Tibet has more than 100 species of mammals, 40 species of reptiles, and 50 species of amphibians. Mammal life in the forest regions includes tigers, leopards, bears, wild boars, wild goats, stone martens (a kind of cat), langurs (long-tailed monkeys), lynx, jackals, wild buffaloes, pha-ra (small members of the jackal family), and gsa’s (spotted cats that are smaller than leopards). In the high grasslands and dry bush areas there are brown bears, wild and bighorn sheep, mountain antelope, musk deer, wild asses, wild yaks, snakes, scorpions, lizards, and dre-tse (members of the wolf family). Aquatic life includes various types of fishes, frogs, crabs, otters, and turtles.

Undisturbed by aircraft or hunters, Tibet’s some 400 species of birds reign supreme in the sky. Among the many kinds to be seen are black-necked cranes (Grus nigricollus), Himalayan monal (or Impeyan) pheasants (Lophophorus impejanus), jungle fowl, ptarmigans, spotted tinamous, mynahs, hawks, and hoopoes. Others include gulls, sheldrakes, cinnamon teals, sing-bya (tiny owl-like birds), khra (crow-sized, hawklike birds), bya-long (birds about the size of a duck), and skya-ka (black-and-white crow-sized birds). The calls of the rmos-’debs—a small gray bird that inhabits agricultural regions—signal the opening of the planting season.