The festival of the lunar New Year, Tsagaan Sar, is celebrated in or around February depending on the Mongolian lunar calendar. It generally coincides with other lunar New Year celebrations, like the Chinese. Often, however, Mongolians deny any Chinese origin or influence. In the 1960s, the communist government tried to transform it into Cattle Breeders` Day and official celebration was stopped. On the day of Tsagaan Sar increased checks on employee presence would occur. Neverthless, like with other traditionsand religious activities, some families remain a surreptious practise, especially in countryside. When the party tries to reaffirm traditional values in the late eighties it again becomes a public holiday. Still the festival has its pre-revolutionary character of reaffirming kin ties. Tsagaan Sar, meaning White Month or Moon, is one the main two big public annual events, next to the Nadaam. It marks the end of Winter and the beginning of spring and the new year´s cycle.
The day before New Years Day is known as Bituun, meaning “to close down”. At the eve of the old year there is a celebration called Bituuleg. There is a big amount of “covered food”, where the meat is covered by for instance a layer of dough. Also the Ul Boov is created: a pile of ceremonial bread (boov) in an odd number of layers. Later traditional games can be played, and oral histories are told. It is said that at Bituun Baldanlham, a local god, is riding her mule during this time. She would be coming by three times so every family puts three pieces of ice on the top of the door of the ger, or on the balcony for people living in an apartment, for the mule to drink.
On the morning of the New Year traditionally the head of the family goes outside and walks in a direction which is prescribed in a book of Buddhist astrology. During New Years day itself the children honour their senior relatives. They start with their parents and then following the rules of genealogical seniority the other relatives, traditionally presenting them an amount of white food or pastry, but nowadays more and more other gifts as well. White and blue scarves, khadag, are presented to the most honoured. The rest of the festival which goes on for several days, is a celebration of present kinship. It is an occasion to publicly define your kin. A Buryat person once said his kin-group is all the people he visits at Tsagaan Sar.
Traditionally the celebration would last for three days, but a period of seven days is currently aloud for visiting people and up to a month for wishes.
In Buryatia the main shamanistic ritual called the Great sacrifice is held on the third day of Tsagaan sar. With the Daur Mongols, as described by Caroline Humphrey in Shamams and elders: Expierence knowledge and power among the Daur Mongols, the tsagaan sar is very much related to shamanism. On the eve of the lunar New Year there is an offering to the Sky. In this ritual Seven Stars, also known as seven old men, and all of the spirits of a household are remembered as well. A small table is placed in the yard, on which nine bowls of water and sticks of incense are placed. A huge fire is lit outside the courtyard, its smoke rising to heaven. The heat of the smoke should melt the icicles on the whiskers of the dragon. Furthermore the shaman will have a communal ritual shortly after New Year in his home and there will be a “purifying body ritual” done by the shaman at the beginning of the first month of each lunar New Year. The breast mirror and some coloured stones are put in a pot of water and boils the water, transforming it into arshan – sacred water. And it is splashed over the shaman’s body with a kitchen brush, then over the clan members. The ritual is also to give protection.
For the Buryats the lunar New Year is very much related to Lamaism. In the monasteries on New Year’s eve rubbish is burned, symbolising people’s sins over the past year and after this a service to Lhame, the protector of the faith. In the more religious families the Lamaist religious paintings are for the only time in the year. The paintings are done in canvas, with a wide silk border and have similarities with the thankas. In front of the paintings lamps of oil and incense are burned and small prayer wheels are turned. Prayers are said in honour of the dead kin and especially for patrilineal ancestors.
Mongolian language is one of the Ural-Altaic family's languages. Today more than 10 million people who live in Mongolia, Kazakh, Buryat, Inner Mongolia in China and others speak Mongolian language.
Mongolian language is one of the Ural-Altaic family's languages. Today more than 10 million people who live in Mongolia, Kazakh, Buryat, Inner Mongolia in China and others speak Mongolian language.
The language
The history of Mongolian language is divided into three groups.
Old Mongolian language
Middle Mongolian language
Modern Mongolian language
The old Mongolian language lasted from ancient times till XII century. The documents of the period inscribed into stone monuments Tonyukuk.
The middle Mongolian period continued from XII-XVI century. During the time, Secret history of Mongols, Arab-Mongolian dictionary and other important documents were composed. Also Mongolian language is divided into southern, eastern and western dialects: Secret history of Mongols belongs to the eastern dialect, Arab-Mongolian dictionary - to the western dialect.
The Mongolian modern language from 17th century until present days. During this period, the scientists said that standard Mongolian language has been started. Mongolians have invented and used about 10 different scripts, such as dorvoljin, tod, soyombo letters and etc. Old Mongolian script is known as Uighur Mongolian script. The old Mongolian script is written from top to bottom. The Uighur adopted their alphabet from the Sogdians in the 13th century. In 1944, the Russian Cyrillic alphabet was adopted, with two additional letters, replacing the old Mongolian scripts. Since that time all ordinary and official documents were written by Cyrillic. Therefore all Mongolian schools re-introduced into their training programs since 1990. Cyrillic has 35 letters and double vowels. Also one important thing is its pronunciation. Mongolian pronunciation is very difficult. Writer Tim Severin said that Mongolian language is like two cats coughing and spitting at each other.
Mongol Script was adopted at the latest by decree of Genghis Khan in 1206 as recorded in The Secret History, and possibly earlier by some scholars' investigations. According to the linguist Nicholas Poppe, Mongol Script represents a period transitional between Ancient Mongol and Middle Mongol. "It is based upon a dialect of the twelfth or early thirteenth century, a dialect which still retained some Ancient Mongolian features, but otherwise displayed Middle Mongolian forms.
Spellings used for Mongol Script represent spellings used in period and has not evolved with the spoken language except to add new words. Only with the adoption of different alphabets in the past century, such as Latin and Cyrillic, were spellings changed to match the modern dialects. Also, some letters in Mongol Script are ambiguous though context and grammatical rules provide distinction. The oldest known copy of The Secret History of the Mongols was written utilizing Chinese characters so names in that text represent phonetic transcription of the local dialect and are at times spelled inconsistently.
The Mongol script has five main vowels and 22 consonants and is written vertically. It can be written quickly and therefore considered similar to shorthand. In many cases, the Mongolian writing system does not correspond with pronunciation. In this respect it is similar to written and spoken English. Because of these complications, Mongols tried to adopt the Square (Pags-pa) script in 1269, the Todu Script in 1648, the Soyombo Script in 1686 and the Cyrillic Script in 1941. The latter, Cyrillic Script was successfully adopted unlike the others, and helped to erase literacy among the population. The Mongolian Cyrillic Alphabet has 35 letters. There have been attempts to revive the old Mongolian Script but so far, there has been little success.
Rock deer carvings and stele are monuments of ancient times. Thousands of these are evidence of the wealth of art in ancient Mongolia. In the Tureg Era (6th to 8th centuries), the richest hoard of stone sculptures were created, over 500 of which can be found in the Altai and Khangai mountains. Undur Gegeen Zanabazar of Khalkh, the 17th century religious and political leader, made 21 versions of tara (consort of Buddha), which show the beauty of Mongolian women. Zanabazar laid a foundation for the depiction and praise of human beauty by Mongolian sculpture. Important achievements of modern sculpture include S. Choimbol's (1907-1970) monument to Sukhbaatar, leader of the 1921 People's Revolution, in the centre of Sukhbaatar Square. Since 1931, when this statue was erected, over 80 such monuments have been built. In the socialist era, before 1990, many statues were erected to state leaders, workers and herders.
Portraits statures were very popular, and there are still such renderings of Lenin, Stalin, Choibalsan, Jukov, Natsagdorj and Sukhbaatar. In the last 10 years, a more free style of monuments has emerged, with urban images.
Crafts
Any consideration of Mongolian nomadic homes, clothes, weapons and living conditions must include crafts and embroidery. Unique art has developed from common things used in the everyday life of nomads over thousands of years. The first of the decorative arts was cave painting. The Bronze Age developed molten metal, and zoo form art. Fortune telling conglomerations of animal figures and animal body parts characterized the art of the Hunnu and Bronze Age people. They also made embroidery, applique and stitched felt. As Hunnu goldsmithing developed, they also made pottery, especially creating vases by the returning method with lock-up mechanism or by hand. Uhuani leaders were expert artisans, and made bows and arrows, other weapons, embroidery, woven items and processed leather. In the Tureg Era, people created silver plates, golden jugs with floral motifs, crooked and straight line figures. The Uigur made gold earrings, horse bits (for the first time decorated by continuous ornamentation) and vases. In Chinggis Khaan's time, traditional crafts and embroidery were enriched with foreign influence. The 19th and 20th centuries were an energetic period for the development of craft and decoration. After gaining independence from China and the Manchurians in 1911, Mongolians renovated the monasteries and temples. At this time, painting, sculpture, embroidery, felt art, books and Buddha image-making from bone, wood and fossil amber developed powerfully. In the 20th century, especially in the 1930s, craftwork was almost detached from the herding lifestyle and became an independent art form.
There are an estimated 7,000 different Mongolian patterns. The most ancient are Sulden (emblem) Khee and Galan (fire) Khee, a very important pattern because all Mongolians honor fire. The patterns symbolize people's hopes and wishes. It has become almost traditional that the government buys the best art for the National Modern Art Gallery.
Historical and cultural monuments on and under the ground of central Asia are mirrors of the wisdom and rich cultural heritage of our ancestors. Rock and cave pictures found in Dundgobi, Uvurkhangai and Khovd aimags indicated that this art was flourishing in Mongolia at the late Bronze Age and the early Iron Age. The paintings of the 13th and 14th centuries reflect mainly the nomadic lifestyle, wars and nature, though portraiture began to flourish. Evidence of this is Chinggis Khaan's portrait, made in 1278 as ordered by Khubilai Khaan, and today kept in Taipei. From the 15th century, religion (especially yellow Lamaism) began to dominate painting.
Mongolian paintings began developing in the two major directions of iconography and genre painting, depicting simple life and ordinary people. B. Sharav (1869-1939) was a painter whose art linked the old and the new. The way of life is most famously depicted in his One Day In Mongolia. The new social system which emerged with the 1921 Revolution produced art dedicated to promoting that system. Mongolian artists became acquainted with European painting and began using both Mongolian and western styles.
In the 1950s, many genres of fine art, carpeting and porcelain were introduced, when a number of artists and architects became noted for their thematic work. They included painter O. Tsevegjav for his animals; U. Yadamsuren for workers; N. Chultem and G. Odon for history and everyday life; L. Gavaa for nature; and architect S. Choimbol for monuments. In the 1960s there was a great artistic change, as artists began to reject linear perspective and colour harmony and began to work with more modern styles, themes and content. Such notable art works include U. Yadamsuren's The Old Horse-fiddler; A. Sengetsokhio's The Mongol Lady; B. Avarzed's Uurgach; and Ts. Minjuur's Caravan Guide.
Painters L. Gavaa, O. Tsevegjav and Ts. Dorjpalam are well known not only in Mongolia, but also abroad. They contributed significantly to the creation of a new art based on tradition, and trained generations of gifted painters. At present, new and different artistic trends are emerging, and creative young painters like as S. Sarantsatsralt, Do. Bold, J. Munkhtsetseg and D. Tengisbold are developing modern Mongolian art.
This form of expression involves the whistling of a finely ornamented melody with the tip of the tongue and the front teeth, accompanied simultaneously by a lower, rumbling base tone produced in the throat, which harmonizes with the higher melody. Mongol Khuumii or throat singing involves producing two simultaneous tones with the human voice. It is a difficult skill requiring special ways of breathing. One tone comes out as a whistle-like sound, the result of locked breath in the chest being forced out through the throat in a specific way, while a lower tone sounds as a base. Khuumii is considered musical art, not exactly singing but using one's throat as an instrument.
Depending on the way air is exhaled from the lungs, there are various ways of classifying hoomii, including Bagalzuuryn (laryngeal) khuumii, Tagnainy (palatine) hoomii, Hooloin (guttural) khuumii, Hamryn (nasal) khuumii, and Harhiraa hoomi: under strong-pressure in the throat, air is exhaled while a lower tone is kept as the main sound. Professional khuumi performers are found in only a few areas with certain traditions. The Chandman district of Hovd aimag (province) is one home of khuumii. Tuva, a part of Russia to the north of Mongolia, is also a center of Khuumii.
Hi, call me TK. Well, I was born in Mongolia, lived there till I came to SoCal for my grad school in fall 2006. When you are away from your motherland, all of a sudden you start missing it very much for no reason. I have traveled dozen countries and was surprised that people know very little about my country. I have traveled a bit around the country and thought I could help people who are interested in Mongolia in general and perhaps plans to visit some day.
When and Why
So, when is the best time to travel to Mongolia? The ideal Mongolia travel season starts in May and hits its highest peak in July, during Naadam Holidays and in August when the weather is most favorable for Mongolia traveling.
This is the best time if you like the culture and bear the crowds of other tourists. Not a good time if you want to getaway from your busy lifestyle because you will hit the traffic, busy schedule, waiting in lines etc.
September is also very good time to visit Mongolia and October is not too late to travel to Mongolia. It is still warm during the days but a bit chilly during the nights, not crowded, this is time for late comers and last minute, non planned trips. You will get to sightsee and to enjoy the culture, taste the most delicious drink - mare's milk, I am teasing those who been there and tasted it.
For those of you are not afraid of cold and of fermented mare's milk, traveling to Mongolia in November through Lunar New Year is still an option. Winter tourism is a developing branch of Mongolian Tourism industry.
The most rewarding experience will be the nomads, this is the time when you will experience their culture first hand during "Tsagaan Sar" or traditional New Year celebration. You will have the opportunity to watch lots of cultural staff: singing, dancing, wrestling and if you are really into the horse racing, you will get to see winter horse racing.
Mongolia known to have 250-260 sunny days throughout the year. You guessed it, you will need good UV protection, specially, during winter, protect your eyes, and during summer, protect your skin.
Personally, I have organized and served a dozen teams of different sizes till I came to USA for my graduate program. I have done quite bit of traveling in Mongolia and know little bit of useful Mongolia travel information.First of all, If you have strict diet or not accustomed to heavy fat meat and grease, and hot salted milk teas or mare's milk, even worse, camels or yak's milks, have your own snacks and drinks, bottled waters are must have, specially, when you travel outside of the capital of Ulaanbaatar.
Do not forget to treat your new friends, drivers and interpreters. You do not have to share all of your supplies but let them have a bite because Mongols generally are curious and will try anything.
Mongols are shy and will never ask for a treat even they are starving or dying in curiosity. They may not like the sea tastes or smells and not used to spicy things but it is fun to see the expressions on their faces. Almost all Mongols like sweet stuff.
Do not be afraid of Mongol hospitality in the rural areas. They may offer you strange and sometimes hard to chew diary products. If you are offered by hands just pick a small piece or you can even broke or tear a bite. you can kindly say "bayar-laa" which means thank you and you are not eating or had enough.
Or you can take the whole bowl full of diary products and just pass it onto the next person or your mongolian friends. One way to avoid eating stuff is to ask questions and keep your mouth busy and take away your hosts attentions lest they will pressure you to try everything or even pick a piece for you in which case, it is very impolite to refuse or turn it down. You may hurt or even offend your hosts.
It is highly advisable to always have your personal sanitaries at hand. Do not expect even in the cities for washrooms to have rolls of papers or soaps. When you are traveling in open country, the nature, big rocks, ravines, hills will serve you as a place to do your personal business.
Best to bring 50 and 100 dollar banknotes, banks in downtown can cash your traveler's cheques and give credit card advances. Make sure your bills are later 1996 (newer is better) because you will get highest exchange rates at licensed money changers.
Do not be surprised when several hundred dollars makes you make a millionaire. Millionaires are highly advised to have money belts for your cash and documents. You need cash to get around, specially, if you travel outside of Ulaanbaatar.
Inside Ulaanbaatar, major banks, shopping centers and restaurants accept major credit cards but most of them still do not, some shops require you to pay in cash but next door money changer's rates are very low.
Customs. Everyone must complete a customs declaration upon arrival, hold on it till you leave the country. Visitors are advised to declare the amount and currencies of money being carried.
Everything is available in Ulaanbaatar. Bring if you use special batteries, films for your cameras. Good to have flash lights, mosquito repellents, sun blocks, first aid kits.
We suggest small gifts for kids and nomadic people (aa, aaa batteries, candies, small toys). The best thing is Polaroid, take and leave couple of pictures with your hosts. They will be thrilled.
Electricity is 220 V, 50H, standard sockets are two round pins, good to have your own adapter kit.
Most of the part Mongolia is 3,000-5,000 feet above see level, so drink plenty of bottled water.
Mongolia Airline
The Mongolian Airlines operates basic flights to or from Mongolia. It’s possible to fly by MIAT from Beijing, Moscow, Frankfurt, Berlin, Tokyo, Seoul, Milan and Huh Hot to Ulaanbaatar. For more information you can visitwww.miat.com
Also you can catch a train from Beijing, Moscow, and Irkutsk to Ulaanbaatar. www.mtz.mn
Mode of transport
In Mongolia, the faithful mode of transportation will be vehicles. Especially the 4WD mini buses and jeeps are the most common and comfortable transports for your journey. The road condition in Mongolia is not so good. Travelers usually have to use natural ground roads in the countryside. However, you can fly by Miat’s domestic flights, or travel by train to some destinations. But we advice you to travel by vehicles, because you will be able to stop at some places, take photographs, have some relax, or enjoy the surrounding area.
Accommodation
In Ulaanbaatar there are various hotels, between 4* hotels all the way to simple accommodation facilities such as guesthouses.
Out of the city, you will find Ger Camps. Based on the traditional felt made tent used by the nomads, the ger camps offers services such as hot water showers, western style toilets, restaurant and gers for rooms.
Another option is camping.
Best time to travels
The travel season is from May to early October, though Ulaanbaatar can be visited any time of year if you can tolerate the cold. From mid-October to mid-May, sudden snowstorms and extreme cold can ground nights, block roads and cause the transport system to break down completely.
June and September are both very pleasant times to visit. Early July gives you the best weather for the northern part of the country. July and August are the rainiest months, which can make jeep travel on dirt roads difficult. July is also the time to see the Naadam Festival. Unfortunately, this is the peak tourist season, when Ulaanbaatar's inadequate accommodation and creaky transport is stretched to breaking point.
Mongolian “Ger” The nomads have developed a circular felt covered dwelling - the ger (or yurt in Turkish language), adapted to the difficult conditions of their daily life (cold, wind, sun) and easy to be moved as can be raised and dismantled in 30 to 60 minutes. The gers have beautiful carved and decorated doors, and south oriented. When entering into a herder’s ger, airag and cheese are handed and blown snuff bottles are exchanged.
Electric current The standard voltage in Mongolia is 220 volts\50 Hz, with plugs of two round pins, as in Southern Europe.
Currency
The Mongolian currency is the Tugrug, which is available in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 5000, & 10,000 Tugrug Notes. The exchange rate is constantly changing. The rate of January 2006 is US$1 = MNT1232. For an up-to-date exchange rate visit.
Foods
Despite what you might hear about food supplies in Mongolia, it's now very simple to have a balanced diet, even if you're a vegetarian. If you're intending to eat out in Ulaanbaatar, there are a large number of restaurants serving quality, Chinese, Indian, Korean, Japanese, Italian, English, American, French, Russian, Latin American and of course Mongolian cuisines.
There are also a lot of supermarkets and markets selling both Mongolian and imported goods from China, Russia, East Asia and Europe.
Communication
Mongolia's national code is '00976'. Making international telephone calls from Ulaanbaatar is relatively easy. Most hotels have International Direct Dial Facilities.
The area code for Ulaanbaatar : 11.
Mobile phones: there are two services (Mobicom and Skytel). All card phones provide instructions in English. International calling cards cost 3000-10000 Tugriks.
Internet facilities: Internet facilities
Getting around: Trolley buses and buses in the city center have a fee of MNT 300 payable on board. Taxis charge MNT 350 per km. This is a relatively safe way to travel. For travel furthers a field, buses and private cars depart when full from long-distance bus stands. The rail network is limited, but there are flights to 17 airports within the country.
Time Zones: Our country straddles the 6th, 7th and 8th world time zones (the western 5 aimags ate situated in the 6th, the central aimags in the 7th and the eastern 2 aimags in the 8th time zone)
Opening hours: Shops open 09:00 a.m.-08:00 p.m. Some shops open 24 hours.
Banks open 09:00a.m.-01:00 p.m. and 02:00 p.m.-04:30 p.m. Some banks open 24 hours.
Museums open 10:00 a.m. - 04:30 p.m. (winter), 10.00a.m.-20.00p.m. (summer)
Photography and video.
Film & Equipment. Mongolia is a very photogenic country. Major brands of print and even Polaroid film are available in shops in Ulaanbaatar (but nowhere in the countryside), Technical Tips. If you do a jeep trip on an subsurface road, you can expect plenty of dust, so keep the camera well sealed in a plastic bag. Keep your film out of the Gobi's summer sun and Mongolia's winter freeze, when your automatic cameras and batteries may not work properly. Bring a spare camera battery, as these can stop working because of the cold, even in summer.
Restrictions. Photography is prohibited inside monasteries and temples, although you may photograph the exterior building and the monastery grounds. Also you can sometimes obtain special permission to take photographs in exchange for an extra fee. In most museums it is the best to have a look first before you decide whether to fork out the extra tugrik for photographs. Remember that monks and nomads are not photographic models, so if they do not want to be photographed, their wishes should be respected. Always ask before taking a photograph.
Be careful about photographing potentially sensitive areas, especially border crossings and military establishments.
Photographing People. Mongolians are not especially enthusiastic about having their photos taken. The days of state surveillance are a recent memory, and some Mongolians are ashamed of the shabbiness they and the whole country have been reduced to.
On the other hand, people in the country-side are often happy to pose for photographs if you ask first. If you have promised to send them a copy, please do it, but explain that it may take several months to reach them - some nomads believe that all cameras are (instant) Polaroids. If you promise to send them pictures please fulfill this promise and don't disillusion the nomads.
Ask them to write their address in Mongolian on a piece of paper. You can then glue the address on an envelope, and add the word 'Mongolia' in the roman alphabet to ensure that it gets to the right place.
Getting more info about Mongolia
“Mongolei” guide by Barbara Stelling in German, “MONGOLIE” guide by Olizane (in French), and the Lonely Planet’s”MONGOLIA” guide (in English).
If you wish to know more about the history of Mongolia, the “Secret history of the Mongols” is the best reference about the legendary history of Genghis khan.
Health
Vaccinations against yellow fever (Hepatitis), polio, cholera, typhoid fever are advised. Travelers should bring their own medical supplies for any personal needs and a basic medical kit. You should think that there is no perfect medical care in the countryside.
Weights and Measures: Metric System
Security
Mongolia is probably one of the safest places on earth. Even during the collapse of the communist regime, the Mongolian's were one of the only countries that haven't gone through any kind of revolution. While in the city, it is recommended that while going out in the evenings, you will use a taxi rather then walking in the streets, due to the amount of drunken people. While visiting the markets, you better not carry any unnecessary items, there is a lot of pick pocketing there.
Background
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. During the early 1990s, the ex-Communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) gradually yielded its monopoly on power to the Democratic Union Coalition (DUC), which defeated the MPRP in a national election in 1996. Since then, parliamentary elections returned the MPRP overwhelmingly to power in 2000 and produced a coalition government in 2004.
Geography Location
Completely landlocked between two large neighbors - Russian Federation and China. It was immeasurably bigger during the period of Mongol conquest under Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan. Until the 20th century Mongolia was twice its present size and included a large chunk of Siberia and Inner Mongolia (now controlled by China).
Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 105 00 E
Area: Total: 1,564,116 sq km
Land boundaries: Total: 8,220 km (5,072 miles) bordered with Russian Federation to the North, China to the East, South and West. 3,485 km (2,166 miles.) of which is with Russian Federation and 4, 677 km (2,906 miles) is with China.
Climate: Mongolia's climate is extremely continental, with long cold, dry winters and short warm summers. For two or three months in summer, the weather is warm and pleasant and relatively hot in the southern Gobi region. Winter usually lasts from mid-October until April, with the coldest period being between mid-December and the end of February or mid-March when the temperature drops to -20 or -30c and occasionally even lower. Snow usually falls between mid-October and mid-April.
Humidity is generally low (47-73%), especially in winter, and because of the dryness the cold is less noticeable. Moreover, the cold weather is relieved by the almost continuous blue sky and sunshine. The number of sunny days ranges between 220 and 260 a year.
Terrain: Vast semi desert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central
Elevation extremes: Lowest point: Hoh Nuur 518 m , Dornod province
Highest point: Nayramadlin Orgil (Huyten Orgil) 4,374 m , Bayan-Olgii province
Natural hazards: Dust storms, grassland and forest fires, drought, and "zud," which is harsh winter conditions
People Population: 2,791,272 (July 2005 est.) The present urban population is above one million, Ulaanbaatar having 700,000 inhabitants - one third of the total population of Mongolia. However, a significant part of the urban populations still live in ger /national dwelling/ habitations on the town peripheries.
Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.7% (male 407,547/female 392,440), 5-64 years: 67.7% (male 943,418/female 945,063), 5 years and over: 3.7% (male 44,413/female 58,391) (2005 est.)
Median age: Total: 24.28 years, Male: 23.93 years, Female: 24.64 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.45% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 21.52 births/1,000 population (2005 est.), 7.03 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Ethnic groups: Mongol (mostly Khalkha) 94.9%, Turkic (mostly Kazakh) 5%, other (including Chinese and Russian) 0.1% (2000)
Religions: Buddhist Lamaist 50%, none 40%, Shamanist and Christian 6%, Muslim 4% (2005)
Languages: Though Mongols developed own script way back in 13th century, some 50 years ago it was banned and the Russian Cyrillic alphabet imposed as the official script. After the Democratic Revolution of 1990, the Parliament decided to return the old script back into use as a main precondition for preserving the traditional culture and national identity.
The old script, written vertically from up to down, is being taught currently in all secondary schools since 1994, but now only 30 percent of Mongols can write, while another 50 percent can read it.
Second language: Russian is spoken by many graduates, with many Mongolians formerly educated in Russia. English is replacing Russian as the second language. German is spoken by many graduates, and a little Spanish, France and Japanese is spoken. Chinese not widely understood except in border areas.
Literacy: Definition: age 15 and over can read and write, Total population: 97.8%, male: 98%, female: 97.5% (2005)
Country name: conventional long form: none, conventional short form: Mongolia, local long form: none, local short form: Mongol Uls, former: Outer Mongolia
Government type: Parliamentary type of Government, with President second in authority to State Great Hural (Parliament). Capital: Ulaanbaatar
July 11, 12, 13 - National Day and Naadam Festival
November 26 - Independence Day
Legal system: 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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: Chief of state: President Nambaryn Enkhbayar (since 24 June 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Enkhbold (since January 2005); Deputy Prime Minister Ch. Ulaan (since 28 September 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the State Great Hural (parliament) in consultation with the president
elections: presidential candidates nominated by political parties represented in State Great Hural and elected by popular vote for a four-year term; presidential tenure limited to two four-year terms; 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.
Legislative branch: 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 48.78%, MDC 44.8%, independents 3.5%, Republican Party 1.5%, others 1.42%; seats by party - MPRP 36, MDC 34, others 4; note - following June 2004 election, two seats in dispute and unoccupied
Judicial branch: 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)
Flag description: 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)
Economy Economy - overview: Economic activity in Mongolia has traditionally been based on herding and agriculture. Mongolia 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 and 1991 at the time of the dismantlement of the USSR. The following decade saw Mongolia endure both deep recessions due to political inaction and natural disasters, as well as economic growth due to reform embracing free-market economics and extensive privatization of the formerly state-run economy. Severe winters and summer droughts in 2000, 2001, and 2002 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 improved from 2002 at 4% to 2003 at 5%, due largely to high copper prices and new gold production, with the government claiming a 10.6% growth rate for 2004 that is unconfirmed. Mongolia's economy continues to be heavily impacted 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 is Mongolia's chief export partner and a main source of the "shadow" or "grey" economy. The World Bank and other international financial institutions estimate the grey economy to be at least equal to that of the official economy. The actual size of this grey - largely cash - economy is difficult to calculate since the money does not pass through the hands of tax authorities or the banking sector. Remittances from Mongolians working abroad both legally and illegally constitute a sizeable portion. Money laundering is growing as an accompanying concern. Mongolia settled its $11 billion debt with Russia at the end of 2003 on very 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.
Agriculture - products: Wheat, barley, vegetables, forage crops, sheep, goats, cattle, camels, horses Industries: Construction and construction materials; mining (coal, copper, molybdenum, fluorspar, and gold); oil; food and beverages; processing of animal products, cashmere and natural fiber manufacturing Exports - commodities: China 47.8%, US 17.9%, UK 15.7% (2004)
Imports - commodities: Machinery and equipment, fuel, cars, food products, industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea Imports - partners: Russia 33.3%, China 23.6%, Japan 7.4%, South Korea 6%, US 4.6% (2004) Currency (code): Tugrug /tugrik (MNT), At the present, 10,000, 5,000, 1,000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, and 1 tugrug notes are in circulation. Fiscal year: Calendar year
Communications Telephone system: International Direct Dial (IDD) phone calls are available from hotels in main cities and post offices in country-side. Country code for Mongolia is 976 and the area code for Ulaanbaatar is 11.
The mobile phone network is GSM. If you bring a GSM you can get a new SIM card installed in Mongolia. Internet country code: .mn
Transportation Railways: Total: 1,810 km
Broad gauge: 1,810 km 1.524-m gauge (2004)
Highways: Total: 49,256 km
Paved: 8,874 km
Unpaved: 40,376 km (2002)
Waterways: 580 km
Note: Only waterway in operation is Lake Khovsgol (135 km); Selenge River (270 km) and Orkhon River (175 km) are navigable but carry little traffic; lakes and rivers freeze in winter, are open from May to September (2004)
Airports: 46 (2004 est.)
Military Military branches: Mongolian Armed Forces: Mongolian People's Army (MPA), Mongolian People's Air Force (MPAF) (2005)
Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months (2005)
Any foreign visitor wishing to enter Mongolia must have a valid passport and visa.
Mongolian visas are issued by Mongolian Diplomatic Missions abroad or upon arrival at a special request.
For all information related to consular matters (e.g.: visas, citizenship, etc.), please contact in person by telephone or e-mail the nearest diplomatic or consular mission of Mongolia.
The following materials are required to obtain Mongolian visa:
A valid passport must be produced
3 recent passport size photos should be attached.
One copy of visa application form is required for Mongolian visas ( Application Form 1,378KB)
State clearly travel dates
Self-addressed and registered Envelope is required in case visa applied by post.
For a group visa the Consular Section needs only passport of a tour leader and the rest of the clients should provide the following (nationality, sex, date of birth, passport number, date of issue, expiry date).
Either an invitation of the receiving entity (state, government, non-governmental organization, business entity) or an official request of the sending country and the organization.
- or, for tourists wishing to stay over 30 days up to 90 days, a letter of invitation from a travel agency of Mongolia
- or, if you are traveling on a personal invitation of a citizen of Mongolia, an invitation approved by the Office of Immigration, Naturalization and Foreign Citizens of Mongolia, and applicant's written statement concerning his/her financial credibility to cover his/her stay in Mongolia.
- Or, for those passing Mongolia in transit, onward ticket and visa for next destination are required.
Fees charged for Mongolian visa
Single entry-exit visa - US$25; for urgent service (within a working day) US$50; this kind of visa is valid for three months from the date of issuing.
Multiple entry-exit visa valid for six months - US$65; for urgent service (within a working day) US$130,
Multiple entry-exit visa valid for one year - US$130; for urgent service (within a working day) US$ 260
Visa extension valid for one week - US$15; for urgent service (within a working day) US$30; US$2 per a day exceeding a week.
List of countries and regions with non-visa regime for all types of passport holders.
Hong Kong - 14 days for all type of passports. There is no visa fee for diplomatic and official passports. Ordinary passport holders pay visa fee if they travel for more than 14 days.
Israel - 30 days for all type of passports
Kazakhstan - 90 days for all type of passports
Malaysia - 1 month for all type of passports
Philippines - 21 days for all type of passports
Singapore - 14 days for all type of passports
List of countries without visa fee
India - All type of passports need a visa, no visa applications, photos and fees required
USA- no visa for all type of passport holders, including A, H, J visas within 90 days.
Visit more than 90 days need visa, service charge - $45, no visa fee required.
