Mongolia (Khalkh Mongol: Монгол Улс) is a landlocked nation in central Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and the People's Republic of China to the south. It was the centre of the Mongol Empire of the 13th century, but was ruled by the Manchu Qing dynasty from the end of the 18th century until an independent government was formed with Soviet assistance in 1921. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, Mongolia adopted electoral politics. The 18th largest country in the world by area, Mongolia has very little arable land: much of its area is grassland, with mountains in the north and west and the Gobi Desert in the south. A little over 30 percent of the population are nomadic or semi-nomadic Tibetan Buddhists of the Mongol ethnicity. Over fifty per cent of the population reside in the capital city Ulaanbaatar.
The Mongolian heartland consists of relatively flat steppes. The southern portion of the country is taken up by the Gobi Desert, while the northern and western portions are mountainous. Uvs Nuur Lake, shared with Tuva Republic of the Russian Federation, is a natural World Heritage Site.
Most of the country is hot in the summer and extremely cold in the winter, with January averages dropping as low as -30°C (-22°F). The country is also subject to occasional harsh climactic conditions known as zud or dzud.
Ulaanbaatar has the coldest average temperature of any national capital in the world.
The culture of Mongolia could be described as homogeneous; there is little variation within the population.
96% of the population are Vajrayana Buddhists in the Tibetan tradition. Mongolia has its own ethnic group, which comprises 85% of the country’s population. The official language, Khalkha Mongol, is spoken by 90% of the population.
Mongolia's population is about 2.6 million. 65% of the population are aged between 16 and 64, with only 4% over 64. HIV/AIDS has not made a significant impact, with only about 16 reported cases in the whole country.
There are about 2 to 3 children to each woman, and the population increase rate is high. The life expectancy, however, is low: only 63 years. The infant mortality rate is 6%.
The main festival is Revolution Day, also known as Naadam, which celebrates the anniversary of Mongolian independence from China, on July 11.
In Mongolia, the diet depends on region. In the south, a lot of mutton, camel and camel dairy products are eaten. In the mountains, however, beef is much more common. In the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, there is a wide range of food widely available, most of it imported. Vegetables are a somewhat new part of the Mongol diet, which is traditionally based on meat and dairy products.
Yak's milk butter is also very important to the Mongols, both as a food source and a fuel for lamps. In the past, because it was once almost their only fuel, schools were sometimes forced to decide between food for the staff and students, or lamplight for reading and learning.
In the United States, Mongolian cultural events are provided by the Mongolian-American Cultural Association.
Things you should know when travelling to Mongolia
Violent crime has increased. Foreigners have been targeted for street crime, especially in Ulaanbaatar and other major cities and in tourist areas. There have been recent reports of harassment of individual travellers at border crossings. Beware of pickpockets. Travellers should be particularly cautious in the area surrounding the State Department Store in Ulaanbaatar, where foreigners (including at least one Canadian citizen) have been mugged. Foreigners have also been robbed by individuals posing as police officers, particularly in the Sukhbaatar Square area. If approached, ask to see police credentials or offer to go to the police station. Exercise caution in crowded areas and when using public transportation. Thefts occur frequently on trains between Mongolia and Russia. Travellers are advised to only use licensed taxis equipped with meters, regardless of the distance of their journey. After dark, it is strongly recommended that travellers carry flashlights and not walk alone or in groups of less than four persons.
