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en
11/2 Nevsky prospekt
St.Petersburg, 191186, Russia
Phone: +7 (812) 325-7122, 380-6867
Fax: +7 (812) 315-3001
Mir travel company
useful information
Useful information for tourists about Mongolia
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Location:
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Northern Asia, between China and Russia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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46 00 N, 105 00 E |
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Area:
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total: 1.565 million sq km
land: 1.565 million sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 8,161.9 km
border countries: China 4,676.9 km, Russia 3,485 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked) |
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked) |
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Climate:
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desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges) |
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Terrain:
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vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Hoh Nuur 518 m
highest point: Nayramadlin Orgil (Huyten Orgil) 4,374 m |
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Natural resources:
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oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold, silver, iron, phosphate |
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Environment - current issues:
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limited natural fresh water resources in some areas; policies of the former communist regime promoting rapid urbanization and industrial growth have raised concerns about their negative effects on the environment; the burning of soft coal in power plants and the lack of enforcement of environmental laws have severely polluted the air in Ulaanbaatar; deforestation, overgrazing, the converting of virgin land to agricultural production have increased soil erosion from wind and rain; desertification and mining activities have also had a deleterious effect on the environment |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Population:
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2,654,999 (July 2001 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 32.99% (male 445,252; female 430,758)
15-64 years: 63.13% (male 837,771; female 838,384)
65 years and over: 3.88% (male 44,436; female 58,398) (2001 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.47% (2001 est.) |
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Ethnic groups:
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Mongol (predominantly Khalkha) 85%, Turkic (of which Kazakh is the largest group) 7%, Tungusic 4.6%, other (including Chinese and Russian) 3.4% (1998) |
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Religions:
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Tibetan Buddhist Lamaism 96%, Muslim (primarily in the southwest), Shamanism, and Christian 4% (1998) |
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Languages:
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Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian (1999) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 98%
female: 97.5% (2000) |
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Government type:
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parliamentary |
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Administrative divisions:
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18 provinces (aymguud, singular - aymag) and 3 municipalities* (hotuud, singular - hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan*, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Erdenet*, Govi-Altay, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs
note: there may be two new provinces named Govi-Sumber and Orhon and the municipality of Darhan may now be called Darhan-Uul; further, there may now be 21 provinces and 1 capital city instead of 18 provinces and 3 municipalities |
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Independence:
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11 July 1921 |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day/Revolution Day, 11 July (1921) |
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Constitution:
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12 February 1992 |
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Legal system:
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blend of Russian, Chinese, Turkish, and Western systems of law that combines aspects of a parliamentary system with some aspects of a presidential system; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR (since 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Tsahiagyn ELBEGDORJ (since 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the State Great Hural in consultation with the president
elections: president nominated by parties in the State Great Hural and elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held in 2005; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the State Great Hural; election last held in 2004
election results: Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR elected president; Tsahiagyn ELBEGDORJ elected prime minister by a vote in the State Great Hural |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral State Great Hural (76 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held in 2004
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court (serves as appeals court for people's and provincial courts, but rarely overturns verdicts of lower courts; judges are nominated by the General Council of Courts for approval by the president) |
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International organization participation:
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ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (observer), CCC, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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Flag description:
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three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), blue, and red; centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is the national emblem ("soyombo" - a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric representation for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang symbol) |
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Economy - overview:
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Economic activity traditionally has been based on agriculture and breeding of livestock. Mongolia also has extensive mineral deposits: copper, coal, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold account for a large part of industrial production. Soviet assistance, at its height one-third of GDP, disappeared almost overnight in 1990-91, at the time of the dismantlement of the USSR. Mongolia was driven into deep recession, which was prolonged by the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party's (MPRP) reluctance to undertake serious economic reform. The Democratic Coalition (DC) government has embraced free-market economics, easing price controls, liberalizing domestic and international trade, and attempting to restructure the banking system and the energy sector. Major domestic privatization programs were undertaken, as well as the fostering of foreign investment through international tender of the oil distribution company, a leading cashmere company, and banks. Reform was held back by the ex-communist MPRP opposition and by the political instability brought about through four successive governments under the DC. Economic growth picked up in 1997-99 after stalling in 1996 due to a series of natural disasters and declines in world prices of copper and cashmere. In August and September 1999, the economy suffered from a temporary Russian ban on exports of oil and oil products, and Mongolia remains vulnerable in this sector. Mongolia joined the World Trade Organization (WTrO) in 1997. The international donor community pledged over $300 million per year at the last Consultative Group Meeting, held in Ulaanbaatar in June 1999. |
| Currency: |
togrog/tugrik (MNT) |
| Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
| Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 7, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2001) |
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