The Tibet Autonomous Region, covering one-eighth of China's territory with a population of 2.8 million, has developed rapidly in recent years. Here are a group of key facts and figures about Tibet:

Economy: The economy of Tibet has been growing at an annual rate of 12 percent or more over the past seven years. In 2007, the region's gross domestic product (GDP) was 34.2 billion yuan (about4.88 billion U.S. dollars), which was 12,000 yuan per capita -- double the 2002 figure. The per capita net income of farmers and herdsmen posted double-digit growth for a fifth consecutive year and reached 2,788 yuan in 2007.

Education: Over the past five years, 8.22 billion yuan in government funding has been invested in education to improve school facilities and raise literacy rates and the quality of education. The special annual educational subsidies for the children of Tibetan farmers and herders have been increased from 353 yuan 22 years ago to an average of 1,450 yuan in 2007.

Housing: In 2006, the Tibetan regional government launched a program to build homes for 220,000 local farming and herding households by 2010. More than 570,000 people have since moved into new residences and regional government spending has totaled 1.3 billion yuan. The per capita housing area for Tibetan herders has reached 36.4 square meters, 16.8 sq m more than before the project.

Environment: During the 10th five-year plan (2001-2005), more than 120 million yuan was spent to protect wetlands and grasslands in Tibet. The regional authorities have restricted the mining of gold and other minerals to preserve resources and protect