[Following articles appeared in MSNBC on August 26, 1997 covering the recent trip made by Dan Haig and the company to Dharamsala to set up the Gangkyi (LAN) local area network. TS]

SIZE: 2.5 million sq. km.

CAPITAL: Lhasa

POPULATION: 6 million Tibetan and an undetermined no. of Chinese, most of whom are in Kham and Amdo

RELIGION: Tibetan Buddhism is practiced by 99% of the Tibetan Pop.

LANGUAGE: Tibetan (of the Tibeto-Burmese language family). Official language is Chinese

STAPLE FOOD: Tsampa (roasted barley flour)

NATIONAL DRINK: Salted butter tea

TYPICAL ANIMALS: Wild yak, Bharal (blue) sheep, Musk deer,Tibetan antelope, Tibetan gazelle, Kyang (wild ass), Pica

TYPICAL BIRDS: Black neced crane, Lammergeier, Great crested grebe, Bar-headed goose, Ruddy shel duck, Ibis-bill

MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS: Rampant deforestation in eastern Tibet; desertification, poaching of large mamals

AVERAGE ALTITUDE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN: Chomo Langma (Mt. Everest) 29,028 ft.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE:July 58 F; January 24 F

MINERAL DEPOSITS: Borax, uranium, iron, chomite, gold

MAJOR RIVERS: Mekong, Yangtse, Salween, Tsangpo, Yellow

ECONOMY: Tibetan: predominantly in agriculture and animal husbandry Chinese: predominantly in govt., commerce, and service sector

PROVINCES: U-Tsang (Central Tibet), Amdo (N.E. Tibet), Kham (S.E. Tibet)

BORDERING COUNTRIES:India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, China

NATIONAL FLAG: Snow lions with red and blue rays. Outlawed in Tibet.

POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS LEADER: The 14th Dalai Lama. In exile in Dharamsala, India

GOVERNMENT: Communist

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE P.R.C.: Colonial

LEGAL STATUS: Occupied