Tibet facts

Taklamakan. The Taklamakan is the world's second largest shifting sand desert with about 85% made up of shifting sand dunes. Because it lies in the rain shadow of the Himalayas, the Taklamakan is a paradigmatic cold desert climate. During the 2008 Chinese winter storms episode, the Taklamakan was reported to be covered for the first time in its entirety with a thin layer of snow reaching 4 centimeters (1.6 in).

China. The Potala Palace in Lhasa, was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to Dharamsala, India, during the 1959 Tibetan uprising. Today, the Potala Palace is a museum.

Dalai Lama. The Lhasa Apso is a non-sporting dog breed originating in Tibet. It was bred as an interior sentinel in the Buddhist monasteries, to alert the monks to any intruders who entered. Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet, and apso is a word in the Tibetan language meaning "bearded", so, Lhasa Apso simply means "long-haired Lhasa dog".

At point 4. Located at the bottom of a small basin surrounded by the Himalaya Mountains, Lhasa has an elevation of about 3,600 m (11,800 ft). The air only contains 68% of the oxygen compared to sea level.

Tibet. The Tibetan flag, also known as the "snow lion flag"is the national flag of Tibet, adopted by the 13th Dalai Lama in 1916. Banned by the Chinese government since 1959, today the flag is used by the Tibetan Government in Exile, based in Dharamshala, India.