1.
[syn: Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic, Outer Mongolia]
2. a vast region in Asia including the Mongolian People's Republic and China's Inner Mongolia;
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Mongolia
n 1: a landlocked socialist republic in central Asia [syn:
Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic, Outer
Mongolia]
2: a vast region in Asia including the Mongolian People's
Republic and China's Inner Mongolia
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Mongolia
Introduction Mongolia
---------------------
Background: The Mongols entered history in the
13th century when under GENGHIS 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 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.
Over the next four years the DUC put
forward a number of key reforms to
modernize the economy and
democratize the political system.
However, the former Communists were
a strong opposition that stalled
additional restructuring and made
implementation difficult. In 2000,
the MPRP won an overwhelming victory
in the legislature - with 72 of the
76 seats - and completely reshuffled
the government. While it continues
many of the reform policies, the
MPRP is focusing on social welfare
and public order priorities.
Geography Mongolia
------------------
Location: Northern Asia, between China and
Russia
Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area: total: 1.565 million sq km
water: 9,600 sq km
land: 1,555,400 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Alaska
Land boundaries: total: 8,162 km
border countries: China 4,677 km,
Russia 3,485 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Hoh Nuur 518 m
highest point: Nayramadlin Orgil
(Huyten Orgil) 4,374 m
Natural resources: oil, coal, copper, molybdenum,
tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel,
zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold,
silver, iron, phosphate
Land use: arable land: 0.84%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.16% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 840 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: dust storms, grassland and forest
fires, drought, and "zud", which is
harsh winter conditions
Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water
resources in some areas; policies of
the former Communist regime
promoting rapid urbanization and
industrial growth have raised
concerns about their negative
effects on the environment; the
burning of soft coal in power plants
and the lack of enforcement of
environmental laws have severely
polluted the air in Ulaanbaatar;
deforestation, overgrazing, the
converting of virgin land to
agricultural production have
increased soil erosion from wind and
rain; desertification and mining
activities have also had a
deleterious effect on the
environment
Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of
the selected agreements
Geography - note: landlocked; strategic location
between China and Russia
People Mongolia
---------------
Population: 2,694,432 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 32% (male 438,176;
female 422,960)
15-64 years: 64.1% (male 864,033;
female 865,172)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male
45,080; female 59,011) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.48% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 21.8 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 7.01 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/
female
total population: 1 male(s)/female
(2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 51.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 64.62 years
female: 66.87 years (2002 est.)
male: 62.47 years
Total fertility rate: 2.37 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.01% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ less than 100 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Mongolian(s)
adjective: Mongolian
Ethnic groups: Mongol (predominantly Khalkha) 85%,
Turkic (of which Kazakh is the
largest group) 7%, Tungusic 4.6%,
other (including Chinese and
Russian) 3.4% (1998)
Religions: Tibetan Buddhist Lamaism 96%, Muslim
(primarily in the southwest),
Shamanism, and Christian 4% (1998)
Languages: Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian
(1999)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 97.8%
male: 98%
female: 97.5% (2000)
Government Mongolia
-------------------
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Mongolia
local short form: Mongol Uls
former: Outer Mongolia
local long form: none
Government type: parliamentary
Capital: Ulaanbaatar
Administrative divisions: 21 provinces (aymguud, singular -
aymag) and 1 municipality* (hot);
Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy,
Bulgan, Darhan Uul, Dornod,
Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Govi-
Altay, Govi-Sumber, Hentiy, Hovd,
Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Orhon,
Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov,
Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs
Independence: 11 July 1921 (from China)
National holiday: Independence Day/Revolution Day, 11
July (1921)
Constitution: 12 February 1992
Legal system: blend of Russian, Chinese, Turkish,
and Western systems of law that
combines aspects of a parliamentary
system with some aspects of a
presidential system; 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 Natsagiyn
BAGABANDI (since 20 June 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister
Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR (since 26 July
2000)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the
State Great Hural in consultation
with the president
elections: president nominated by
parties in the State Great Hural and
elected by popular vote for a four-
year term; election last held 20 May
2001 (next to be held NA May 2005);
following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or
majority coalition is usually
elected prime minister by the State
Great Hural; election last held 2
July 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: Natsagiyn
BAGABANDI reelected president;
percent of vote - Natsagiyn
BAGABANDI (MPRP) 58.13%,
Radnaasumbereliyn GONCHIGDORJ (DP)
36.58%, Luvsandamba DASHNYAM (CWP)
3.54%, other 1.75%; Nambaryn
ENKHBAYAR elected prime minister by
a vote in the State Great Hural of
68 to 3
Legislative branch: unicameral State Great Hural (76
seats; members elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 2 July 2000
(next to be held NA July 2004)
election results: percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - MPRP
72, other 4
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 for approval by the
president)
Political parties and leaders: Citizens' Will Party or CWP (also
called Civil Will Party or Civil
Courage Party) [Sanjaasurengyn
OYUN]; Democratic Party or DP [D.
DORLIGJAN]; Mongolian People's
Revolutionary Party or MPRP
[Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR]; Mongolian New
Socialist Democratic Party or MNSDP
[B. ERDENEBAT]; Mongolian Republican
Party or MRP [B. JARGALSAIHAN]
note: the MPRP is the ruling party
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN
participation: (observer), CCC, CP (provisional),
EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Jalbuugiyn CHOINHOR
chancery: 2833 M Street NW,
Washington, DC 20007
consulate(s) general: New York
FAX: [1] (202) 298-9227
telephone: [1] (202) 333-7117
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador John
US: DINGER
embassy: inner northeast part of the
Big Ring Road, just west of the
Selbe Gol, Ulaanbaatar
mailing address: United States
Embassy in Mongolia, P. O. Box 1021,
Ulaanbaatar 13; PSC 461, Box 300,
FPO AP 96521-0002
telephone: [976] (11) 329095
FAX: [976] (11) 320776
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 Mongolia
----------------
Economy - overview: 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 1990-91, 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 Coalition (DC)
government has embraced free-market
economics, easing price controls,
liberalizing domestic and
international trade, and attempting
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 DC. Economic growth picked up in
1997-99 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 last Consultative Group
Meeting, held in Ulaanbaatar in June
1999. The MPRP government, elected
in July 2000, is anxious to improve
the investment climate; it must also
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 in 2000-01.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.7
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.4% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,770
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 32%
industry: 30%
services: 38% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 36% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 2.9%
percentage share: highest 10%: 24.5% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini 33.2 (1995)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.8% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 1.4 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation: primarily herding/agricultural
Unemployment rate: 20% (2000)
Budget: revenues: $262 million
expenditures: $328 million,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (2000 est.)
Industries: construction materials, mining
(coal, copper, molybdenum,
fluorspar, and gold); oil; food and
beverages, processing of animal
products
Industrial production growth rate: 2.4% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 2.77 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 2.732 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 25 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 181 million kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, potatoes, forage
crops; sheep, goats, cattle, camels,
horses
Exports: $466.1 million (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: copper, livestock, animal products,
cashmere, wool, hides, fluorspar,
other nonferrous metals
Exports - partners: China 59%, US 20%, Russia 10%, Japan
2% (2000)
Imports: $614.5 million (c.i.f., 2000)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, fuels, food
products, industrial consumer goods,
chemicals, building materials,
sugar, tea
Imports - partners: Russia 34%, China 21%, Japan 12%,
South Korea 9%, US 4% (2000)
Debt - external: $760 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $208.7 million (1999 est.)
Currency: togrog/tugrik (MNT)
Currency code: MNT
Exchange rates: togrogs/tugriks per US dollar -
1,101.29 (December 2001), 1,097.70
(2001), 1,076.67 (2000), 1,072.37
(1999), 840.83 (1998), 789.99 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Mongolia
-----------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 104,100 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 110,000 (2001)
Telephone system: general assessment: very low
density: about 3.5 telephones for
each thousand persons
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth
station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian
Ocean Region)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2001)
Radios: 155,900 (1999)
Television broadcast stations: 4 (plus 18 provincial repeaters and
many low powered repeaters) (1999)
Televisions: 168,800 (1999)
Internet country code: .mn
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 5 (2001)
Internet users: 30,000 (2001)
Transportation Mongolia
-----------------------
Railways: 1,815 km
broad gauge: 1,815 km 1.524-m gauge
(2001)
Highways: total: 3,387 km
paved: 1,563 km
note: there are also 45,862 km of
rural roads that consist of rough,
unimproved, cross-country tracks
(2000)
unpaved: 1,824 km
Waterways: 400 km (1999)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 34 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
under 914 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 26
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 5 (2001)
Military Mongolia
-----------------
Military branches: Mongolian Armed Forces (includes
General Purpose Forces, Air and Air
Defense Forces, Civil Defense
Troops); note - Border Troops are
under Ministry of Justice and Home
Affairs in peacetime
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 772,619 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 501,493 (2002 est.)
service:
Military manpower - reaching males: 30,230 (2002 est.)
military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $24.3 million (FY01)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 2.5% (FY01)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Mongolia
-----------------------------
Disputes - international: none