Mongolia

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Mongolia's Information


Capital	Ulan Bator
Languages	Mongolian 90% (official) (Khalkha dialect is predominant), Turkic, Russian (1999)
Ethnic Groups	Khalkh 81.9%, Kazak 3.8%, Dorvod 2.7%, Bayad 2.1%, Buryat-Bouriates 1.7%, Zakhchin 1.2%, Dariganga 1%, Uriankhai 1%, other 4.6% (2010 est.)
Religion	Buddhist 53%, Muslim 3%, Shamanist 2.9%, Christian 2.2%, other 0.4%, none 38.6% (2010 est.)
Government	Semi-presidential republic
Independance	29 December 1911 (independence declared from China; in actuality, autonomy attained); 11 July 1921 (from China)
Area	1,564,116.00 km²
Water Area	10,560.00 km²
Land Area	1,553,556.00 km²
Population	3,031,330.00 Sparsely distributed population throughout the country; the capital of Ulaanbaatar and the northern city of Darhan support the highest population densities
Location	Northern Asia, between China and Russia
No. Bordering Countries	2
Bordering Countries	China 4,630 km, Russia 3,452 km
GDP(PPP)	$37,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$12,200.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are China and Switzerland.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are copper, apparel, livestock, and animal products.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are China, Russia, and Japan.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery and equipment, fuel, cars, food products, and industrial consumer goods.
Climate	Desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)
Terrain	Vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central

Where is Mongolia?

Located in Northern Asia, Mongolia has a 8,082.00 km border with China (4,630 km) and Russia (3,452 km).

The capital city of Mongolia is Ulaanbaatar, located in the northern-central region of the country, and represents the largest city in the nation. The city was founded in 1639 as a Buddhist community for travellers to the region and was known as Ulan Bator. In 1778, the city was permanently anchored to the current location having changed location over 25 times in the time between 1639-1778. Ulaanbaatar lies at a location of 1,300 metres (4,300 feet) and represents the cultural, financial, and industrial centre of Mongolia.

Geography

Mongolia has a mean elevation of 1,528 m above sea level.

It has a desrt climate with large temperature ranges. Its terrain consists of semidesert and desert plains, with narrow coastal plains and high limestone mountains and plateaus.

Population

Mongolia has a population of 3,031,330 making it the 138th largest in the world. The country is sparsely populated throughout.

Mongolian is the official and most widely spoken language. The major ethnic group is Khalkh. The majority of the country is Buddhist or non-identifying.

The official language of Mongolia is Mongolian, the modern dialect of which originated in the 13th and 14th Century during the Mongol Empire. Mongolian was found to be related to an extinct language that was known as Khitan after previous opinions of the language being related to Turkic, Japanese, or Korean were debunked. Written literature in the language has existed since the 13th century but this is seen as an evolution of the Khitan language. Mongolian has a complex evolution and history and is one of the oldest living languages on the planet. Approximately 95% of the country speaks Mongolian as a native language which equates to roughly 2.95 million people.

Government

Mongolia is an independent country. It gained independence from China in 1911. Its constitution was last ratified in 1992.

The political system of Mongolia takes place in a semi-presidential representative democracy within a republic consisting of multiple political parties and ideologies. Executive power is held by the President of Mongolia and the government and legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The judiciary system of Mongolia is independent of the government and parliament. The national parliament of Mongolia is known as the State Great Khural and is located in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar in a facility known as Government Palace.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Mongolia's GDP is $37,000,000,000.00 (USD) with $12,200.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 120th largest economy and its citizens the 120th richest in the world. The currency of Mongolia is the Tugrik (MNT).

Its major export partners are China and Switzerland. Its main exports are copper, apparel, livestock, and animal products. Its major import partners are China, Russia, and Japan. Its major imports include machinery and equipment, fuel, cars, food products, and industrial consumer goods.

Flag

The flag of Mongolia consists of three horizontal bands, all of equal size, of red, blue, and red. The Soyombo national symbol is depicted in yellow within the red band on the left-hand side of the flag. This version of the flag was adopted on 12 February 1992 after the Mongolian Revolution of 1990 had spurred the transition of the country to a liberal democracy. The current flag of the nation is very similar to the version used from 1945-1992 with slight variances in colour and the removal of the socialist star which sat atop the Soyombo national symbol. The red in this flag is a symbol of the spirit of the Mongolian people and their will to survive and thrive in a harsh environment and the blue is said to be symbolic of the eternal blue sky that is seen in Mongolia. The Soyombo national symbol consists of a column arrangement of symbols that represent the sun, moon, yin-yang symbol (known as taijitu), earth, as well as fire and water. As mentioned, the flag of Mongolia used from 1945-1992 is very similar to the current banner. However, the blue in this version is a lot lighter and there is a star (a symbol of socialism in Mongolia) above the Soyombo national symbol. The Bogd Khaanate of Mongolia used three separate flags from 1911-1924 with all three containing portions, or the whole, of the Soyombo national symbol.