Tibet (pronounced tib-bet) sits squarely in the center of Asia between India, central Asia and China. Tibet is set on a high plateau that is surrounded by the largest mountains in the world, the Himalayas and Karakorum, a vast high-altitude desert called the Taklamakan, and the grasslands of Mongolia. Tibet is sometimes called "the Land of Snows" because of its high altitude and its many snowcapped mountains. Tibet's mountains and valleys range from 4,000 - 28,000 foot elevations with a mean elevation of 14,000 feet. For many months of each year, passageways through the mountains are blocked with snow and cannot be traveled.