A large country in Central Asia, Mongolia is a land of both mountains and deserts. Mongolia was once the center of the great Mongol Empire, which was feared for its skilled warriors. A part of the traditional land of Mongolia, called Inner Mongolia, has been part of China for centuries. The capital of Mongolia is Ulaanbaatar. GeographyMongolia is completely surrounded by land. Siberia, a region of Russia, lies to the north. On all other sides, Mongolia is bordered by China. Mongolia has an area of 603,930 square miles (1,564,160 square kilometers). It is one of the highest nations on Earth. On average, the nation is more than 5,200 feet (1,585 meters) above sea level. The northern and western parts of the country are mainly mountainous. The Altai, Hangayn, and Hentiyn are the three major mountain belts. The Altai Mountains contain the longest ranges and the highest peaks. Around and between the blocks of mountains are a series of basins with many lakes. The Great Lakes region, in the northwest, has more than 300 lakes. Northern and western Mongolia have frequent earthquakes. - The Gobi spreads across southern Mongolia. Its desert terrain is marked by rock formations.
The southern and eastern parts of Mongolia are occupied by huge hilly plains of grassland and desert. The grassland provides good pastures for herding livestock. The south of the country is part of the vast Gobi, which means “Waterless Place.” Most of the Gobi is a desert of bare rock and gravel, not sand. The Gobi spans across the Chinese border into Inner Mongolia. Mongolia has many long rivers. The country's chief river is the Selenge. It flows northward from the Hangayn Mountains and into Russia. Mongolia enjoys a remarkable number of clear, sunny days. However, the weather is often severe and unpredictable. The temperature can vary by as much as 55° F (30° C) in one day. Mongolia has long, cold winters with fierce blizzards. The summers are short and warm. The country is dry, especially in the southern desert. Plants and AnimalsThe country's plant life varies from region to region. Grassland and pasture spread over some 75 percent of the country. The northern and western mountains are covered with forests. The trees found in these forests include Siberian larch and cedar mixed with birch, aspen, poplar, spruce, and pine. Few plants grow in the dry Gobi. Mongolia has many different types of landforms. Because of this, a wide variety of animals thrive in the country. The animals found in Mongolia's northern mountains include lynx, bears, deer, elk, wild boars, sables, and snow leopards. Marmots and gazelles are common in the plains. Wild horses, sheep, donkeys, and camels can be found in the plains and some parts of the desert. People and CultureEthnically, about 85 percent of the people of Mongolia are Mongols. Cultural traditions divide the Mongol population into different groups. The largest group by far is the Khalkha Mongols. Their language, also called Khalkha, is the official language of the country. Nearly all the Mongols are Buddhist. The largest group of people who are not Mongols are the Kazakhs of western Mongolia. They make up about 5 percent of Mongolia's population. The Kazakhs speak a Turkic language. Many of them are Muslim. In addition, there are small groups of Russians and Chinese. Mongolia has a large area and not many people, so much of the land is uninhabited or has very few people. Mongolia's population used to be very rural. But daily life in Mongolia changed greatly during the second half of the 20th century. By the start of the 21st century, almost 60 percent of the country's population lived in cities or towns. The capital, Ulaanbaatar, is by far the largest city, with nearly a third of the country's people. It lies in the north-central part of Mongolia. Darhan, in the north, is the second-largest city. EconomyAgriculture brings in almost 40 percent of the country's income. Herding animals is not as important to the economy as it once was, but it remains very important. Millions of sheep, goats, cattle, horses, camels, and pigs are raised. Growing crops is much less important to the economy. The country's main crops include wheat, potatoes and other vegetables, and hay to feed the animals. Mining is Mongolia's most important industry. Mining produces almost 60 percent of Mongolia's exports. Coal, copper, fluorite, molybdenum, and gold are mined. Mongolia's industries also process foods and make cloth, clothing, and leather goods. The country is famous for producing cashmere, a very soft fiber from the hair of the Kashmir goat. HistoryFor thousands of years, the people of Mongolia have been nomads, or seasonal wanderers. They raised herds of livestock on the plains of North and Central Asia. From the 11th century AD, these scattered bands of nomads began to form tribes. The different tribes competed with each other and fought to take over neighboring areas in northern China. Mongol EmpireIn 1206 a single ruler emerged from this long struggle—Genghis Khan. He united the tribes to form great armies. Within 20 years they had conquered a huge empire that stretched from northern China through western Russia. Genghis Khan died in 1227. His relatives expanded the empire to include the rest of Russia and China, as well as the Persian Gulf region and parts of eastern Europe. During the rule of Kublai Khan, the Mongols established a dynasty, or ruling royal family, in China. It was known as the Yuan Dynasty. After the death of Kublai Khan in 1294, the Mongol Empire declined. In 1368 the Ming Dynasty took power away from the Mongols' Yuan Dynasty in China. The Mongols lost most of their territory but continued to hold power in their original homeland in Central Asia. Chinese RuleIn the 17th century, a new Chinese dynasty, the Qing Dynasty, conquered Mongolia. The Chinese captured the southern part of Mongolia long before they took control of the northern part. The Chinese divided the territory into Inner Mongolia in the south (still part of China) and Outer Mongolia in the north. Outer Mongolia was under Chinese control for more than 200 years. Soviet InfluenceIn 1911–12 the Qing Dynasty collapsed, and Outer Mongolia declared its independence as a kingdom. Backed by the neighboring Soviet Union, the Communist party won power in Mongolia. In 1924 the Mongolian People's Republic was established. The Soviet Union maintained a strong influence on Mongolia. The Communist party became the only legal political party, and it controlled the economy. The people were guaranteed the right to work and to receive health care and education. ReformsAt the beginning of 1990s, the Soviet Union fell apart. Mongolia wrote a new constitution in 1990 with many democratic reforms. All political parties were once again legal. In 1992 the country was renamed Mongolia. Population (2001 estimate), 2,435,000. |