Tibet, Climate

Although Tibetans refer to their country as Gangs-ljongs or Kha-ba-can (�Land of Snows�), the climate is generally dry, and most of Tibet receives only 18 inches (460 millimetres) of rain and snow annually. 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 about 16,000 feet in