General Information about Mongolia

Geography

Mongolia is a landlocked country of mountains, steppe and desert stretching over an area of 1,566,500 sq km / 604,830 sq miles. Territory Mongolia is the 18th largest in the world. It is bordered to the north by Russia, while China forms the border to the east, south and west. In the south the Gobi Desert covers more than a third of the country. Around 20% of the remainder is grassland steppe, and some 25%, principally the central, northern and western provinces, is classed as mountain forest steppe. Along the northern border is a large area of larch and pine forest which is essentially the southernmost reaches of Siberia. In central Mongolia the steppe rises to the Khangai mountain range with its highest peak reaching 4031m/12611ft. Mongolia’s tallest mountain ranges are in the far west. The highest, Mount Khuiten at 4374m/14350ft is located on the border with both Russia and China and the western end of the in the Mongol Altai Tavanbogd. North of this range is a protected area known as the ‘Great Lakes Depression’ covering an area of 39,000 sq km/15,000 sq miles. This is an area of snow capped mountains and large saltwater and freshwater lakes set in a desert landscape.

Climate

Mongolia's climate is extremely continental. With an average 260 days per year of sunshine Mongolia is justifiably known as ‘the Land of Blue Sky’ It is however a land of temperature extremes. Without a nearby sea to moderate its climate, winter temperatures can drop to minus 50 degrees centigrade whereas summer daytime temperatures can rise to a pleasant 25 degrees. The summer is wetter than the winter but at this time showers tend to be brief and gentle. In the mountain areas weather conditions are similar to the European Alps – long periods of high pressure and stable conditions, followed by relatively brief storms. August usually sees the warmest conditions, zero degrees at night followed by calm sunny days of 20 degrees centigrade. However, weather in the mountains is variable and visitors are likely to encounter some rain and blizzards can occur at any time of year. The mean annual precipitation is 200 - 300mm of which 80 to 90 percent falls within five months (May to September). Mongolia is the land of winds and especially sharp winds blow in spring. In the Gobi and steppe areas winds often develop into devastating storms, reaching a velocity of 15-25 meters per seconds.

Average temperature in Mongolia

Month

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

YEAR

Average Celsius

-26

-21

-10

0.5

8.3

14.9

17

15

7.6

-1.7

-14

-24

-2.9

Average Fahrenheit

-16

-7.0

12.5

32.9

46.9

58.8

62.6

59

45.7

28.9

7.34

-11

26.7

Humidity (%)

75

73

66

50

47

56

65

65

64

65

72

75

64

Precipitation (mm)

1.5

1.9

2.2

7.2

15.3

48.8

72.6

48

24.4

6

3.7

1.6

233

Ethnic group

Khalkha Mongol (85% of population), Kasakh (7%), several Mongolian tribes (Burjat, Durwut, Bayat, Dariganga, Zakhchin, Torgut). Four million Mongols live outside Mongolia.

History

Mongolia has had a long and turbulent history. Towards the end of the 12th century the nomadic inhabitants of northern Asia became united under the leadership of the remarkable Mongol king, Genghis Khan. Two generations later, during the reign of Chinggis khan`s grandson Kublai Khan, the vast territory of Mongolia reached its greatest extent, stretching from the Black Sea to the Yellow Sea of Eastern China. After the Khan dynasty fizzled out at the end of the thirteenth century, the unity of Mongolia evaporated and the country experienced a period of several centuries which was dominated by inter-clan warfare. At the end of the eighteenth century, Mongolia came under the rule of Manchu China and then in the early twentieth century the country experienced a “Peoples Revolution” (1921) and became allied to the Soviet Union. Since 1991, with the break up of the Soviet Union, Mongolia has been an independent democracy and has become readily accessible to foreign travelers. The first major geographical expeditions to the remote Altai Tavan Bogd region were in the 1920’s, led by the famous Russian Botanist, Potaniin. No successful climbs of the snowy peaks were made at this time. Mount Khuiten was first climbed by a Mongolian team of Mountaineers in 1956. The 1960’s and 1970’s saw numerous expeditions from Czechoslovakia, Romania and Poland claim first ascents of other peaks in the region. The region opened up to western climbers in the early 1990’s and first British ascents were made in 1992 by teams from Operation Raleigh. Since that time, a small number of expeditions do visit this region, each year, during the brief summer months. Fewer than 20 people will summit Mount Khuiten on a yearly basis. Much of the Mongolia’s steppe is quite rich grassland which supports several species of wildlife, including antelope, gazelle and wild ass. It is also home to the nomadic Mongolian pastoralists who tend often large numbers of sheep, goats, cattle, horses, yaks and camels, traveling widely across the plains and living in very portable homes known as “GERS.” Remarkably, out of a population of two and a half million people, fully fifty percent live in this traditional type of dwelling, which incorporates a framework of slender poles and a covering of tough felt.

Flora and fauna

Wildlife Mongolia has 136 mammal species, almost 400 different types of birds and 76 species of fish. From the abundance of wolves to the globally endangered Snow Leopard, there is a myriad of wildlife to track, photograph and hunt.
Nearly 10% is forest, mainly conifers in the northern region next to Siberia. Most of Mongolia is wide open ‘steppe’ grasslands in transition with the arid lands of the Gobi Desert. Western high Altai Mountain boasts a rich varied wildlife. Apart from common wolf and wild cats, such as lynx and Snow Leopard, Altai is home to the world's largest wild sheep - Argali and Siberian ibex.
The Gobi desert and the eastern Mongolian steppe are inhabited by thousands of gazelles. The rarest animal in Mongolia - the Gobi bear is found in the south western part of Gobi. Wild ass and wild camels are abundantly found in the desert while Argali and Gobi ibex also inhabit the rocky mountains within the Gobi region.
Wild horses have been reintroduced to the country from captivity abroad after being unseen for about thirty years in their home country. Bird life is rich and includes the golden eagle, bearded vulture and other birds of prey, while the country's 2,000 lakes are a magnet for water birds including storks and gulls. The east of Mongolia is famous for its bird life, boasting lakes of storks and pelicans, while vultures can be seen across the country and species as rare as the Altai snowcock and the mute swan are still observed in the countryside. "

Administration

Mongolia is parliament governing with the president democratic country. The main political administration is State Conference known as Ulsiin Ikh Khural consists of 76 members. The parliament and president election held every 4 years in whole state. The executive department is the government which consist of ministers. And the government establish by the State Conference. Administrative subdivisions 21 aimags (provinces), the capital city (Ulaanbaatar), The aimags are subdivided into soums.

Population

The population of Mongolia is at present 2,8 million. People. 51% live in urban areas, 1.5 per sq km. The present yearly rate of population growth is estimated as 2.8 per cent. About 75 per cent of the population of Mongolia speak Khalka Mongolian, the official language, while another 15 per cent speak other Mongolian languages. Ethnic minorities are mainly speakers of Turkic languages, such as Kazakh, Tuvinian, Urianhai and Hoton.

Currency

The basic monetary unit in Mongolia is TUGRUG, which is equal to 100 mungu. At the present, 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 1,000, 500, 100, 50, 20, and 10 tugrug notes are in circulation. Commercial banks in Ulaanbaatar and province centers are the official organizations authorized to exchange foreign currency. They have network of branches in Ulaanbaatar and exchange bureaus at main hotels. ATM machine available. As of JAN. 25, 2008, the exchange rates are:

£1=2293 TUGRIKS
$1=1170 TUGRIKS
€1 = 1712 TUGRIKS
JPY1= 11.04 TUGRIKS

Language

The official language is Mongolian which Altai language family (known as MONGULID). Mongolians can be subdivided into more than 20 ethnic groups. They are distinguished by their individual customs and dialects. The largest group Khalkh speak Mongolian and western Mongolian speak Kazak and Tuva languages..

Economy

Economic activity in Mongolia has traditionally been based on herding and agriculture. Mongolia has extensive mineral deposits. Copper, coal, molybdenum, tin, tungsten and gold account for a large part of industrial production. This was compounded by falling prices for Mongolia's primary sector exports and widespread opposition to privatization. Growth was 10.6% in 2004, 5.5% in 2005, and 7.5% in 2006, largely because of high copper prices and new gold production. China is Mongolia's chief export partner and a main source of the "shadow" or "grey" economy.

Culture

Mongolian culture has many distinctive features. They are closely connected with the life style. From ancient times on, Mongolian have lived in the vast lands of Central Asia. Raising livestock and nomadic living patterns have found reflection in everyday
thinking and the culture.

One of the unique features of nomadic culture is that Mongolian people live in full harmony with Mother Nature. In comparison with settled peoples, the nomadic herders, face nature directly on a day in, day out basis.

Livestock Herding, the main source of the nomadic lifestyle, is another important trait of Mongolian culture. Mongolians have a history of raising and caring for their livestock. Horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and camels are praised as the "five treasures". Horses are considered the "emeralds" and are highly respected among the people. Thousands of teachings, sayings, proverbs, tales, epics, songs, and dances have been created in praise of the "five treasures'.

Shamanism is closely related to Mongolian nomadic culture. The tribes in Mongolia followed shamanism from the times of the Great Huns until the formation of the Uigur Empire. According to the "Secret History of the Mongols", and other historic sources, shamanism was the state religion until the introduction of Buddhism. Shamanism reflects the Mongolian feeling towards Mother Nature. For this reason shamans performed rituals of worshipping the master of mountains, water, sky and land. Some of these traditions, mixed with the Mongolian lifestyle, oral literature, folklore and symbolism, are important components of Mongolian nomadic culture.
Buddhism, introduced in Mongolian in the 16th century, played an enormous role in the development of Mongolian culture. The Mongolians' perceptions, psychology, traditions, thinking, and world outlook were enriched by the Buddhist philosophy and world view.

Religion

Buddhist Lamaism (94%) since 14th century, Shamaism (in the north), Moslems in the West (Kasach groups).

Time Zone

The time in Mongolia is GMT +7 hours

Shopping

In Ulaanbaatar, there are a few duty free shops and restaurants where convertible currencies are accepted. In all other shops, local currency must be used. The best buys include pictures, cashmere garments, camel-wool blankets, national costumes, boots, jewelry, carpets, books and handicrafts. The notorious black market on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar is a large, crowded flea market which sells a huge variety of items. Suitable for the adventurous traveller, it is patronized mainly by local people. Pickpockets can be a problem.

Shopping hours

Mon-Sun 1000-1800 as a general guide although times and days vary considerably.