Covering an area more than twice the size of Germany and larger than the US state of Texas, western Tibet is barren, but is a ruggedly beautiful area that few foreign travelers experience. Western Tibet comprises the 2 large prefectures of Ngari and Nagchu that are found in far western and northern Tibet. With an average elevation of over 4500 meters, this region is sparsely inhabited with a population density of only 0.74 people square kilometer (1.9 people square mile). The region is underdeveloped, but still offers a lot for those who don’t mind getting off of the beaten path |