Where is Mongolia located?
Mongolia is located in a landlocked plateau of Central Asia between China and Russia, covering 1,566,500 square km of area. It stretches 2392 km from east to west, 1259 km from north to south, and the total boundary length is measured 8158km. Mongolia is one of the world’s 39 no sea outlet countries, with an average altitude of 1580 m above sea level. The Huh Nuur Basin in northeastern Mongolia is the lowest elevated area at an altitude of 560 m. The Altai Mountain highest point Huiten peak towers 4374 m. Overall, 80 % of Mongolian territory lies 1000 m above sea level. The capital city Ulaanbaatar lies 1380 m above sea level.
Mongolia Population
The current population of Mongolia is 3,480,957 as of 2024, consisting of 24 different ethnic groups of both Mongol and Turkic origin. 86% of the citizens are Halha Mongols, 6% Kazakh (Muslims), and the other 22 ethnic groups constitute the remaining 8%. The population density counted as low as one person for every 0.5 sq. km of area. 60% of the citizens are relatively young, under 35 years. An average life expectancy is just over 65 years.
Mongolia Weather
The weather is continental with little precipitation (220mm a year). Mongolian location on the high elevated plateau influences the four distinctive seasons; summer is short and warm. Autumn is colorful with enjoyable sunny days and cooling air suitable for outdoor activities. Winter is long and cold though beautifully shiny snow-covered land, breezing air, and how nomads deal with this cold attract adventures. The spring weather fluctuates a lot in a day. However, the winter temperature does not feel cold as western media transmit about Mongolian weather due to dryness. The average winter temperature drops to -26°C while summer temperature averages +28°C to +32°C daytime. Hot days that heat above +33°C last only 10 days in the Gobi desert in July. The coldest temperature days around -32°C can happen 10 -15 days in some winter in the most visited regions. Record hottest day reached +42°C, and record cold day was -50°C in north-western Mongolia.
Mongolian Language:
Mongolian is the official Mongolian language that belongs to the Ural Altaic language family, spoken by 94% of the population. Although, dialects differ from ethnic group to ethnic group in various regions. The Kazakhs (comprise 6% of the population) speak in the Turkic branch of the Altaic language family. The reindeer herders or Dukha tribe communicate in the Dukhan language, an endangered Turkic variety.
Mongolian Religion
Traditionally, Mongolians practice Shamanism which worships blue sky and nature. During the 16th -17th centuries, Buddhism was introduced to Mongolia extensively. Before the Mongolian People’s Revolution of 1921, 40 % of the Mongolian male population were monks. Since the 1930s, it prohibited worshipping Buddhism, but people were still faithful in their minds. There were about 700 Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia, but the communists destroyed more than 560 in the 1930th. Approximately 120 monasteries could remain partially.
Since Democracy in the 1990s, the monasteries reopened, allowing people to feel the freedom of making speech and worship.
Nowadays, 70% of the Mongolian population worships mainly the Yellow Hat Sect Buddhism while idolizing the Red Sect less. Mongolian Buddhism differs from Tibetan Buddhism, although it was introduced from Tibet because it connected and mixed with the traditional Mongolian nomadic life. Ethnic minority Kazakhs practice Islam. Christianity has been spreading widely in modern times. The number of people worshipping Shamanism has been increasing year by year.
Education of Mongolia
Before 1921, 99% of the population did not write and read in Mongolian script. At that time, only males studied in religious schools. After 1921, people learned the traditional “Uigur” script, written vertically from up to down. Since the middle of the 20th Century, Mongolians adopted Cyrillic from Russia, adding two more vowels suiting the language dialect. During the Socialist time, there were no private universities and primary schools - all the universities, schools, and kindergartens were state-owned. Children used to start secondary school at the age of 8 and studied for 10 years. Since 2008, pupils have been educated for 12 years in secondary school. Since 2009, children have started to enroll the primary schools at the age of 6. Now, the state secondary schools and kindergartens are free. The average tuition for state and private institutes and colleges is approximately 950-1500 USD a year. Just 5% of Mongolian adults are illiterate.
Mongolia Health
Mongolia has a rich heritage of traditional healing; medicinal plants, wild and domesticated animal organs, mare and goat milk, acupuncture, and cauterization. However, nowadays, people prefer first to see a doctor and get precise medicinal treatment. There are over 400 private and state clinics and hospitals. Hospitals in the countryside receive all patients, though those cottage hospitals lack modern equipment and serve mainly as first aid health centers. When you plan to travel to Mongolia, it is advisable to bear medicines best suit you and take health insurance.
Mongolia Administrative
Administratively, Mongolia divides into a capital city and 21 provinces. The provinces are subdivided into 331 sums, sums into bags or hamlets. Provinces have provincial center cities while sums have sum central towns.
Government and Legislature
The Socialist regime continued from the beginning of 1920 to 1990. Around 1989, communism started to fall elsewhere. In 1990, some youths formed the Democratic Union and organized a hunger strike at the central square calling the Mongolian People’s Republic Party to acknowledge democracy. This demand made the Mongolian People’s Republic Party receive the demand. MPRP took 60% of all votes by the first multi-party election held in 1990. In 1991, Mongolia changed into a Democratic system.
Politically, Mongolia is a parliamentary democracy with a president. Both parliament/ State Great Hural members and the president are directly elected by the public to four years terms, respectively. The State Great Hural (meeting) appoints the Prime Minister. State Great Hural is a legislative organization that consists of 76 members.
Post and communication
The Mongolian postal system originated in the 13th century. At that time, there were areas named “Urtuu” or “Station” located in distances of 30 km to one another. 30 km is a distance Mongolian horses can gallop without stopping. After riding 30 km, the mail carrier used to change his horse and went further. Today people use cell phones and internet communication even in remote areas more than post offices in the cities. You can get the postal service in Ulaanbaatar, provincial center cities, and sum center towns.
The international code of Mongolia is 976. The Code of Ulaanbaatar city is 11.