Tibet is a plateau region in Central Asia and the indigenous home to the Tibetan people. With an average elevation of 4,900 metres (16,000 ft), it is the highest region on earth and is commonly referred to as the "Roof of the World."

Existing as a separate nation for centuries, Tibet is today occupied by the People's Republic of China (PRC). In the Tibetan sovereignty debate, the government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of Tibet-in-Exile disagree over when Tibet became a part of China, and whether this incorporation into China is legitimate according to international law.

The Tibetan Empire came into existence in the seventh century when Emperor Songtsän Gampo united many areas and tribes of the region. Since the early 1600s a lineage of tulkus (reincarnate lamas), known as the Dalai Lamas have administrated Tibet, and the 14 Dalai Lamas are believed to be the incarnations of Avalokitesvara ("Chenrezig" in Tibetan), the bodhisattva of compassion.

Between the 17th century and 1959, the Dalai Lama and his associates were the predominant political power administering religious and administrative authority over a large portion of the country from the traditional capital Lhasa, regarded as Tibet's holiest city.