Mongolia

Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It borders Russia to the north and People's Republic of China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan. Mongolia Capital is Ulan Bator. Languages is Khalkha Mongolian, Turkic, Russian. Religions is Buddhism (50%), Shamanist, Christian, Muslim.

Temperatures vary greatly across Mongolia. Summers are usually dry and sunny, and in fact, sunny days are common in the country.Based on its overall elevation above sea level, winters here are very cold and often windy. Summer high temperatures do reach the high 60s and low 70s F, while winter low temperatures exceeeding -25º F are normal in the upper elevations.

Arkhangai is all about wild nature, nomads and downhome hospitality. The magic of this wild aimag reveals itself at every turn, from sunsets viewed from the top of volcanic craters to rushing streams where fish seem to leap onto your hook. Bayankhongor, which means ‘rich chestnut’ (named after the colour of the horses – or your skin after a couple of hours in the Gobi sun), is home to wild camels and asses and the extremely rare Gobi bear. Bulgan’s lack of major tourist sights has kept it off the beaten track. Darkhan is not somewhere you would rush to see, but you may need to stay here while you arrange transport to Amarbayasgalant Khiid. Dornod, which means ‘east’, has a number of worthy attractions, geared for both historians and ecotourists. These include Buir Nuur and Khalkhiin Gol, both the scenes of fierce fighting against the Japanese; Khokh Nuur, the lowest point in the country; and some lovely nature reserves. Khentii is Chinggis Khaan territory. The great man grew up here, established his empire on its grasslands and, from Delgerkhaan, launched his military machine to the heart of Asia. Khovd aimag has long been a centre for trade, business and administration in western Mongolia, a status that began during the Qing dynasty when the Manchus built a military garrison here. The aimag is in an awkward location and very few travellers are likely to pass through much or any of Zavkhan. This is a pity because the scenery is some of the most dramatic and varied in the country; one minute you are travelling through lush valleys and hills, and then a few kilometres further you are in a desert reminiscent of Lawrence of Arabia. However, the main attraction of Uvs has to be the twin peaks of Kharkhiraa (4037m) and Turgen (3965m) uuls. Terelj was first developed for tourism in 1964 and 30 years later it became part of Gorkhi-Terelj National Park. Sukhbaatar is a flat aimag wedged between the Gobi Desert and the pure steppes of Dornod. The relatively well developed infrastructure of paved roads, cities and train lines means that Selenge sees a steady flow of through traffic, particularly from travellers heading to and from Russia. Dornogov (East Gobi) is the first place visited by many overlanders, as the trainline from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar runs straight up its gut. The landscape seen from the train window is one of flat, arid emptiness and the occasional station where locals shuffle about on the platform. Dundgov’s allure lies in its mysterious rock formations, which appear mainly at two locations: Baga Gazryn Chuluu and Ikh Gazryn Chuluu. Gov-Altai, Bayan-Olgii, Givisa and Orkhon is major city.

Music is an important part of Mongolian culture. This is particularly the case in the countryside as families and friends will sing and play music together as a past time. A visitor to a countryside ger will often be coaxed into a song. Mongolians sing to their animals, sing about the environment, sing about nomadic lifestyles and sing about their patriotism.

Mongolia's most popular sports, both in terms of participation and spectating are the three 'manly' sports of wrestling, archery and horseracing. In addition, the younger generation are now enjoying snooker, basketball and winter sports.

Mongolia's economy is based on breeding livestock and raising crops. Main Crops is Wheat, barley, potatoes, forage crops; sheep, goats, cattle, camels, horses. The processing of  agricultural and livestock products comprising most of Mongolia's manufacturing.  After an attempt during the Communist period to improve production and manufacturing, the government has shifted to a market system.  The government is changing to one that is democratic, not socialist, and enterprises that had at one time been state-owned are now being changed to privately owned businesses. Natural Resources is oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold. Major Industries is Copper, construction materials, mining (particularly coal); food and beverage, processing of animal products. Exports partners is China, US, Russia, Singapore, Australia, UK (2003). Farming and industry were almost nonexistent; transportation and communications were primitive; banking, services, and trade were almost exclusively in the hands of foreigners. Most of the people were either illiterate nomadic herders or monks.