Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked nation in Central Asia.
Facts On Mongolia:
INTRODUCTION:
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. 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 and produced a coalition government in 2004.
GEOGRAPHY:
Located Between Northern Asia, between China and Russia
Land Locked
Vast semi desert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central
dust storms, grassland and forest fires, drought, and “zud”, which is harsh winter conditions
Can get to -40°F rarely gets above 80°F
POPULATION:
2,751,314 (July 2004 est.)
0-14 years: 29.7% (male 415,735; female 400,560)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 916,445; female 918,235)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 43,205; female 57,134) (2004 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: years male: 61.97 years
female: 66.48 years (2004 est.)
Language: Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian (1999)
Religions: Tibetan Buddhist Lamaism 96%, Muslim (primarily in the southwest), Shamanism, and Christian 4% (1998)
ECONOMY:
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 1990-1991 at the time of the dismantlement of the USSR. Mongolia was driven into deep recession, prolonged by the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party’s (MPRP) reluctance to undertake serious economic reform. The Democratic Union Coalition (DUC) government embraced free-market economics, eased price controls, liberalized domestic and international trade, and attempted 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 DUC. Economic growth picked up in 1997-1999 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 Consultative Group Meeting, held in Ulaanbaatar in June 1999. The MPRP government, elected in July 2000, was anxious to improve the investment climate; it also had to deal with a heavy burden of external debt. Falling prices for Mongolia’s mainly primary sector exports, widespread opposition to privatization, and adverse effects of weather on agriculture in early 2000 and 2001 restrained real GDP growth. Despite drought problems in 2002, GDP rose 4.0%, followed by a solid 5.0% increase in 2003. The first applications under the land privatization law have been marked by a number of disputes over particular sites. Russia claims Mongolia owes it $11 billion from the Soviet period; any settlement could substantially increase Mongolia’s foreign debt burden.
ULAAN BATOR:
Founded in 1639, Ulan Bator, then Urga, was originally located at the site of the Buddhist monastery of Da Khuree (Mongolian: Даа хүрÑ?Ñ? [Daa hüree]), around 400 km from the present Ulaanbaator in Arhangay Province and was the seat of the first Jebtsundamba, Zanabazar. It was moved often to various places along the Selenga, Orhon, and Tuul rivers until reaching its present location in the late 18th century. It prospered in the 1860s as a commercial center on the tea route between Russia and China and was the seat of the Qing amban in Mongolia. Mongolia first proclaimed its independence upon the collapse of the Manchu Empire in 1911 and the city became the capital of the new Mongolian People’s Republic in 1924.
Ulan Bator has 5 major universities: the National University of Mongolia, Science and Technological University of Mongolia, University of Health and Medical Science, Pedagogical University, and University of Art and Culture. There are also numbers of private and public colleges. A historical library contains a wealth of ancient Mongolian, Chinese, and Tibetan manuscripts.
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Facts on Mongolia
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Here is a handy celsius to fahrenheit conversion calculator. That way you can know the how cold it is either way…