Also, Thibet. Also called Sitsang, Xizang. Official name Tibet Autonomous Region. an administrative division of China, N of the Himalayas: prior to 1950 a theocracy under the Dalai Lama; the highest country in the world, average elevation about 16,000 feet (4877 meters). 471,660 sq. mi. (1,221,599 sq. km). Capital: Lhasa.