The Mongols gained fame in the 13th century when under Chinggis KHAN they conquered a huge Eurasian empire. After his death the empire was divided into several powerful Mongol states, but these broke apart in the 14th century. The Mongols eventually retired to their original steppe homelands and later came under Chinese rule. Mongolia won its independence in 1921 with Soviet backing. A Communist regime was installed in 1924. Following a peaceful democratic revolution, the ex-Communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) won elections in 1990 and 1992, but was defeated by the Democratic Union Coalition (DUC) in the 1996 parliamentary election. Since then, parliamentary elections returned the MPRP overwhelmingly to power in 2000, but 2004 elections reduced MPRP representation and, therefore, its authority.

Northern Asia, between China and Russia
46 00 N, 105 00 E
Asia
total: 1,564,116 sq km
slightly smaller than Alaska
total: 8,220 km ; border countries: China 4,677 km, Russia 3,543 km
0 km (landlocked)
none (landlocked)
desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)
vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central
lowest point: Hoh Nuur 518 m ; highest point: Nayramadlin Orgil (Huyten Orgil) 4,374 m
oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, fluorspar, gold, silver, iron
arable land: 0.76% ; permanent crops: 0% ; other: 99.24% (2005)
840 sq km (2003)
34.8 cu km (1999)
Total: 0.44 cu km/yr (20%/27%/52%) ; Per capita: 166 cu m/yr (2000)
dust storms, grassland and forest fires, drought, and "zud," which is harsh winter conditions
limited natural fresh water resources in some areas; the policies of former Communist regimes promoted rapid urbanization and industrial growth that had negative effects on the environment; the burning of soft coal in power plants and the lack of enforcement of environmental laws severely polluted the air in Ulaanbaatar; deforestation, overgrazing, and the converting of virgin land to agricultural production increased soil erosion from wind and rain; desertification and mining activities had a deleterious effect on the environment
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling ; signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia
2,951,786 (July 2007 est.)
0-14 years: 28.7% (male 432,309/female 415,382) ; 15-64 years: 67.4% (male 994,186/female 995,986) ; 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 49,517/female 64,406) (2007 est.)
total: 24.6 years ; male: 24.2 years ; female: 24.9 years (2007 est.)
1.486% (2007 est.)
21.07 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
6.21 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female ; under 15 years: 1.041 male(s)/female ; 15-64 years: 0.998 male(s)/female ; 65 years and over: 0.769 male(s)/female ; total population: 1 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
total: 42.65 deaths/1,000 live births ; male: 45.86 deaths/1,000 live births ; female: 39.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total population: 66.99 years ; male: 64.61 years ; female: 69.48 years (2007 est.)
2.25 children born/woman (2007 est.)
less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
less than 500 (2003 est)
less than 200 (2003 est.)
noun: Mongolian(s) ; adjective: Mongolian
Mongol (mostly Khalkha) 94.9%, Turkic (mostly Kazakh) 5%, other (including Chinese and Russian) 0.1% (2000)
Buddhist Lamaist 50%, Shamanist and Christian 6%, Muslim 4%, none 40% (2004)
Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian (1999)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write ; total population: 97.8% ; male: 98% ; female: 97.5% (2000 census)


conventional long form: none ; conventional short form: Mongolia ; local long form: none ; local short form: Mongol Uls ; former: Outer Mongolia
mixed parliamentary/presidential
name: Ulaanbaatar ; geographic coordinates: 47 55 N, 106 55 E ; time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) ; daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Saturday in March; ends last Saturday in September
21 provinces (aymguud, singular - aymag) and 1 municipality* (singular - hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan-Uul, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Govi-Altay, Govisumber, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Orhon, Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs

11 July 1921 (from China)
Independence Day/Revolution Day, 11 July (1921)
12 February 1992
blend of Soviet, German, and US systems that combine "continental" or "civil" code and case-precedent; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: President Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR (since 24 June 2005) ; head of government: Prime Minister Sanjaa BAYAR (since 22 November 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Miegombyn ENKHBOLD (since 6 December 2007) ; cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister in consultation with the president and confirmed by the State Great Hural (parliament) ; elections: presidential candidates nominated by political parties represented in State Great Hural and elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 22 May 2005 (next to be held in May 2009); following legislative elections, leader of majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by State Great Hural ; election results: Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR elected president; percent of vote - Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR 53.44%, Mendsaikhanin ENKHSAIKHAN 20.05%, Bazarsadyn JARGALSAIKHAN 13.92%, Badarchyn ERDENEBAT 12.59%; Miegombyn ENKHBOLD elected prime minister by the State Great Hural 56 to 10
unicameral State Great Hural 76 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms ; elections: last held 27 June 2004 (next to be held in June 2008) ; election results: percent of vote by party - MPRP 48.8%, MDC 44.8%, independents 3.5%, Republican Party 1.5%, others 1.4%; seats by party - MPRP 36, MDC 34, others 4; note - 2 seats disputed and unfilled; following June 2004 election MDC collapsed
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 and approved by the president)
Citizens' Will Republican Party or CWRP [Sanjaasurengiin OYUN] (also called Civil Courage Republican Party or CCRP); Democratic Party or DP [Tsakhiagiyn ELBEGDORJ]; Motherland-Mongolian New Socialist Democratic Party or M-MNSDP [Badarchyn ERDENEBAT]; Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party or MPRP [Sanji BAYAR]; Mongolian Republican Party or MRP [Bazarsadyn JARGALSAIKHAN]; People's Party or PP [Lamjav GUNDALAI] ; note: DP and M-MNSDP formed Motherland-Democracy Coalition (MDC) in 2003 and with CWRP contested June 2004 elections as single party; MDC's leadership dissolved coalition in December 2004
NA
ARF, AsDB, CP, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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)
chief of mission: Ambassador Ravdan BOLD ; chancery: 2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 ; telephone: [1] (202) 333-7117 ; FAX: [1] (202) 298-9227
chief of mission: Ambassador Mark C. MINTON ; embassy: Big Ring Road, 11th Micro Region, Ulaanbaatar ; mailing address: PSC 461, Box 300, FPO AP 96521-0002; P.O. Box 1021, Ulaanbaatar-13 ; telephone: [976] (11) 329-095 ; FAX: [976] (11) 320-776





Economic activity in Mongolia has traditionally been based on herding and agriculture. Mongolia has extensive mineral deposits. Copper, coal, gold, molybdenum, tin, and tungsten account for a large part of industrial production and foreign direct investment. Soviet assistance, at its height one-third of GDP, disappeared almost overnight in 1990 and 1991 at the time of the dismantlement of the USSR. The following decade saw Mongolia endure both deep recession because of political inaction and natural disasters, as well as economic growth because of reform-embracing, free-market economics and extensive privatization of the formerly state-run economy. Severe winters and summer droughts in 2000-02 resulted in massive livestock die-off and zero or negative GDP growth. This was compounded by falling prices for Mongolia's primary sector exports and widespread opposition to privatization. Growth was 10.6% in 2004, 5.5% in 2005, 7.5% in 2006, and 9% in 2007 largely because of high copper prices and new gold production. Mongolia is experiencing its highest inflation rate in over a decade as consumer prices in 2007 rose 14%, largely because of increased fuel and food costs. Mongolia's economy continues to be heavily influenced by its neighbors. For example, Mongolia purchases 80% of its petroleum products and a substantial amount of electric power from Russia, leaving it vulnerable to price increases. China receives nearly 70% of Mongolia's exports. Remittances from Mongolians working abroad both legally and illegally are sizable, and money laundering is a growing concern. Mongolia settled its $11 billion debt with Russia at the end of 2003 on favorable terms. Mongolia, which joined the World Trade Organization in 1997, seeks to expand its participation and integration into Asian regional economic and trade regimes.
$8.448 billion (2007 est.)
$3.172 billion (2006)
8.4% (2006)
$2,900 (2007 est.)
agriculture: 18.8% ; industry: 40.4% ; services: 40.8% (2006)
1.042 million (2006)
agriculture: 39.9% ; industry: 11.7% ; services: 49.4% (2006)
3.2% (2006)
36.1% (2004)
lowest 10%: 3% ; highest 10%: 24.6% (2002)
32.8 (2002)
9.5% (2005 est.)

revenues: $1.162 billion ; expenditures: $1.057 billion (2006)

wheat, barley, vegetables, forage crops; sheep, goats, cattle, camels, horses
construction and construction materials; mining (coal, copper, molybdenum, fluorspar, tin, tungsten, and gold); oil; food and beverages; processing of animal products, cashmere and natural fiber manufacturing
3% (2006 est.)
3.43 billion kWh (2006)
fossil fuel: 100% ; hydro: 0% ; nuclear: 0% ; other: 0% (2001)
2.94 billion kWh (2006)
15.95 million kWh (2006)
125 million kWh (2006)
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
12,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
821.9 bbl/day (2005 est.)
12,280 bbl/day (2004 est.)
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005)
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

$1.542 billion f.o.b. (2006)
copper, apparel, livestock, animal products, cashmere, wool, hides, fluorspar, other nonferrous metals
China 71.8%, Canada 11.7%, US 7.3% (2006)
$1.486 billion c.i.f. (2006)
Russia 29.8%, China 29.5%, Japan 11.9% (2006)


$1.38 billion (2005)
$NA
$NA
$45.62 million (2005)
togrog/tugrik (MNT)
MNT
togrogs/tugriks per US dollar - NA (2007), 1,179.6 (2006), 1,205 (2005), 1,185.3 (2004), 1,146.5 (2003)
calendar year
$211.9 million (2005)
156,000 (2005)
557,200 (2005)
general assessment: network is improving with international direct dialing available in many areas ; domestic: very low density of about 6 fixed lines per 100 persons (roughly 25 per 100 persons including cellular mobile phones); there are multiple mobile cellular service providers; a fiber-optic network is also being installed that will improve broadband and communication services between major urban centers ; international: country code - 976; satellite earth stations - 7
AM 7, FM 115 (includes 20 National radio broadcaster repeaters), shortwave 4 (2006)
155,900 (1999)
456 (including provincial and low-power repeaters) (2006)
168,800 (1999)
.mn
298 (2007)
5 (2001)
268,300 (2005)

44 (2007)
total: 13 ; over 3,047 m: 1 ; 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2007)
total: 31 ; over 3,047 m: 1 ; 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 23 ; 914 to 1,523 m: 1 ; under 914 m: 1 (2007)
1 (2007)

total: 1,810 km ; broad gauge: 1,810 km 1.524-m gauge (2006)
total: 49,250 km ; paved: 1,724 km ; unpaved: 47,526 km (2002)
580 km ; note: only waterway in operation is Lake Hovsgol (135 km); Selenge River (270 km) and Orhon River (175 km) are navigable but carry little traffic; lakes and rivers freeze in winter, are open from May to September (2004)
total: 73 ships (1000 GRT or over) 448,252 GRT/668,689 DWT ; by type: bulk carrier 12, cargo 52, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 5 ; foreign-owned: 62 (Bulgaria 2, China 3, Hong Kong 1, Japan 1, Lebanon 1, Malaysia 1, Russia 17, Singapore 12, Syria 1, Thailand 1, Ukraine 3, UAE 5, Vietnam 14) (2007)


Mongolian Armed Forces: Mongolian People's Army (MPA), Mongolian People's Air Force (Agaaryn Dovtolgoonoos Khamgaalakh Tsergiyn Komandial, MPAF); there is no navy (2007)
18-25 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months in land or air defense forces or police; a small portion of Mongolian land forces (2.5 percent) is comprised of contract soldiers; women cannot be deployed overseas for military operations (2006)
males age 18-49: 736,182 ; females age 18-49: 734,679 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 570,435 ; females age 18-49: 607,918 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 34,674 ; females age 18-49: 34,251 (2005 est.)
1.4% (2006)

none



