Autonomous Region of China · also written Xizang
Tibet
西藏自治区Tibet is an autonomous region of China. It covers about 1,130,000 km² (436,000 mi²), the 3rd largest of the 31 provinces and regions in Natural Earth’s file for China, and about the same size as Ethiopia. About 3.6 million people live there (Wikidata, 2020).
Part of this region's boundary is disputed with India. Size Versus draws Natural Earth's de facto outline, the boundary as it is held on the ground, and takes no position on it.
500 km
- Tibet
- Ethiopia
Facts
| Area, measured | 1,130,000 km²436,000 mi² |
|---|---|
| Official area | 1,228,000 km²Wikidata · 8.0% above our measure |
| Share of China | 12%of the area of the 31 provinces and regions |
| Rank by area | 3rd of 31provinces and regions of China |
| Population | 3.6 millionWikidata, 2020 · the census year of every unit |
| Density | 3.2 people per km² |
| Capital | Lhasa |
| Latitude range | 27°N to 36°N |
| Type | Autonomous RegionCN-XZ |
What the numbers say about Tibet
- Tibet covers 12% of the area of China and ranks 31st of 31 by population, against 3rd by area.
- It would take 8.30 regions the size of Tibet to cover China.
- Tibet holds 0.3% of the 1.41 billion people that Wikidata’s 2020 figures give for the 31 provinces and regions together: about 1 in 386.
- The largest, Xinjiang, is 1.44× the size of Tibet; the smallest, Shanghai, is 0.6% of it.
- Closest in size within China: Inner Mongolia (1,144,000 km², 1.01×) and Xinjiang (1,630,000 km², 1.44×).
- Counted as a country, Tibet would be larger than 213 of the 239 countries and territories listed on sizeversus, and would rank 27th by area, between Colombia (1,135,000 km²) and Ethiopia (1,127,000 km²).
- With 3.6 million people it would rank 133rd of 238 by population.
- Tibet has 3.2 people per km², about the density of Namibia, which has 3.1 per km².
- That makes Tibet the 31st most densely populated of the 31 provinces and regions, 2.1% of the average for China (150 per km²).
- Tibet has 1,142× the room per person of Shanghai, the most crowded of the 31: 3.2 against 3,687 people per km².
- On a standard web map (Web Mercator), a place at 32°N is drawn about 1.4× too large in area, so Tibet looks bigger there than it is.
- Laid out flat, Tibet stretches about 1,020 km north to south and 1,970 km east to west.
- Our measured 1,130,000 km² is 8.0% below Wikidata's official figure of 1,228,000 km². Official figures can include inland water or count land that an outline draws differently. This difference is flagged for review.
About the same size as
Beside the regions of other countries
The closest region by area and by people in each of the other countries that have regional pages here, within a factor of 2. All 395 regions side by side.
- United StatesAreaAlaska75% · 1,505,000 km²PeopleConnecticut1.01× · 3.6 million (2020)
- IndiaAreanone within 2×PeopleTripura0.99× · 3.7 million (2011)
- GermanyAreanone within 2×PeopleBerlin0.97× · 3.8 million (2022)
- FranceAreanone within 2×PeoplePays de la Loire0.94× · 3.9 million (2022)
- ItalyAreanone within 2×PeopleTuscany0.98× · 3.7 million (2019)
- SpainAreanone within 2×PeopleGalicia1.35× · 2.7 million (2024)
- JapanAreanone within 2×PeopleShizuoka1.01× · 3.6 million (2021)
- BrazilAreaPará0.92× · 1,231,000 km²PeopleMato Grosso1.00× · 3.7 million (2022)
- CanadaAreaOntario1.05× · 1,078,000 km²PeopleAlberta86% · 4.3 million (2021)
- AustraliaAreaSouth Australia1.15× · 984,000 km²PeopleWestern Australia1.21× · 3.0 million (2024)
- MexicoAreanone within 2×PeopleChihuahua1.03× · 3.6 million (2015)
- ThailandAreanone within 2×PeopleNakhon Ratchasima1.39× · 2.6 million (2020)
Where Tibet sits in China
All 31 drawn on one equal-area map, so sizes are comparable. Select another to open it.
Compare Tibet
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Sources and method
- Outline
- Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 1 - States, Provinces, public domain
- Boundary
- De facto, as drawn by Natural Earth. Part of this boundary is disputed; Size Versus takes no position on it.
- Area
- Measured on the WGS84 ellipsoid from the full-detail outline, shown rounded. The region’s whole area is counted, every island included.
- Official figures
- Area, population and capital from Wikidata (CC0), fetched 2026-11-12
- Population
- Wikidata, 2020. China’s units share the 2020 figures where Wikidata has them; the year is shown wherever the figure is.
- Matching
- Countries come from Natural Earth’s country file. Places whose status is contested and dependencies are never used as automatic matches. A region under 2,500 km² is matched against the small countries and island nations.
- Data built
- 2026-11-12