FACTBOX - Tibet, Dalai Lama and relations with China

(Reuters) - China warns of a "life and death" struggle with the Dalai Lama, as it seeks to end a wave of protests in its Tibetan regions with arrests and tightened political control.

The riots grew out of demonstrations commemorating the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising against Communist rule.

Following are some facts about Tibet, the Dalai Lama and relations with China:

TIBET:

* Occupying a large, high-altitude and sparsely populated plateau, Tibet is known as the 'roof of the world.'

* The People's Liberation Army marched into the Himalayan region in 1950.

* Wedged between the Himalayan mountain range to the south and the Kunlun range in the north, Tibet borders Myanmar, India, Bhutan and Nepal.

DALAI LAMA:

* The Dalai Lama, Tibet's god-king, fled on horseback after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959 and now lives in exile in northern India. China accuses him of seeking independence for Tibet. The 72-year-old says he only wants greater autonomy for the region.