Blog Post Image: Altitude sickness may hinder ethnic integration in the world’s highest places

Research from Princeton University suggests that altitude can bar ethnic groups native to low-lying areas from high-elevation areas such as the Tibetan Plateau and the Andes, which could cause ethnic segregation and tension. The researchers studied the traditional and current presence of Han Chinese in the Tibetan homeland. A map (above) of 1,960 settlements indicated if a location has a Han Chinese (red dots) or Tibetan (blue dots) name. The presence of traditionally Chinese towns peaked at 8,900 feet, or 2,700 meters, above sea level (yellow areas). Meanwhile, the greatest number of settlements with a Tibetan name is at 14,760 feet, or 4,500 meters (white area). (Image by T. Wangyal Shawa)