MANZUSHIRIIN HIID

LAMA

TSAM

CHOIJIN LAMYN MUSEUM

CAMEL

BOGD KHAAN WINTER PALACE

KHOVSGOL NUUR RAINBOW

ERDENEZUU KHIID

UNDUR DOV

Undur Dov is a half an hour drive from Ulaanbaatar not far from Manzushiri Monastery. Visitors can stay in Mongolian gers. The surrounding aria is a typical steppe zone and horse back rides can be easily arranged. To learn a bit about Nomadic lifestyle, for instance (fermented mare's milk), the national drink. This place is ideal for trekking and walking. Travel can be arranged by car, horse, bicycle or hiking. Manzushiri Monastery Manzushiri Monastery, located in the lush of Bogd Mountains less then an hour’s drive from Ulaanbaatar, is open from May through October. Visitors can hike on forested mountain slopes, wander through meadows streaked with the colours of an ever- changing variety of wildflowers, explore the ruins of an ancient monastery, ride horses and browse through a natural history museum. Visitors in late autumn have the chance to see Tsam Mask Dancing, a Buddhist ritual dating from the 8th century in Mongolia.

Known as “ The Dark Blue Pearl ”, Lake Khovsgol is Mongolia's largest and deepest lake. Located in the northernmost province, it is the largest tributary stream of Lake Baikal in Russia. Lake Khuvsgul is 136 km long,36 km wide, 262 metres deep and is located at an altitude of 1645 m above sea level and is frozen from January until April or May.
It's the second largest fresh water lake in Central Asia. It's inhabited by nine species of fish including the Siberian grayling and lenok. Fishing and sport fishing are becoming popular in the lake area. Taiga Fauna and Flora,Tsatan, practicing raindeer breeding are the main attractions for tourist. A ferryboat operates between Khatgal and Khanh, two towns on the southern and northen shores of the lake that is within the boundaries of the Khovsgol National Park.
Different ethnic groups live in the area: Khalh, Darhadt, Butyat. Tsaatans are raindeer herders. Lake Khovsgol is on the important migration route for birds from Siberia, thus facilitating marvelous opportunities for birdwatching.

YOLIIN AM

ZUUN SAIKHAN MOUNTAIN

The Valley in the Zuun Saikhan mountain located 45 km from Dalanzadgad, in the centre of South Gobi aimag.

The narrow Valley between high rock walls has breathtaking dramatic scenery, and no doubt is one of the beautiful places in the country. In rainy summers hundreds of small waterfalls appear in the rocky walls. Frekking camel and horse riding tours are available to the valley

It is a vast zone of desert and desert steppe covering almost 30 percent of the Mongolian territory. The area is often imagined as a lifeless desert like in many other parts of the world. In reality, most part of the Gobi Desert is a land of steppes and it is the home for camel breeders rich with wildlife and vegetation. Wild asses, camels, snow leopards, mountain sheep and gazelles flourish here, as do different types of flora. Dinosaur skeletons and their petrified eggs have been preserved here to the present day.

Mongolians consider that there are 33 different Gobi, where sandy desert occupies only 3 percent of the total territory. Climate is extreme with 40 degrees Celcius in summer and severe winter. The Great Gobi Reservation established in 1975 was designated by the United Nations as the fourth largest Biosphere Reserve in the world in 1991. One and a half hour's travel by plane. Located 600 km from Ulaanbaatar, in foothills of the Altai mountains at an altidude of 1521 metres above sea level. Two areas have been set aparlin the reserve. One, spreading over 44/9 hectares, claims the largest part of the Trans-Altai Gobi, the other, covering 881000 hectares is within the Jungar Gobi

KHONGORYN ELS

The 800-meter high sand dunes in Sevrei soum, South aimag, are called Khonguryn Els. These dunes are 20 km wide and 100 km long. The Khongurun River flows along the stand dunes and gives birth to oases. Severel tour companies organize trekking and camel riding tours to the sand dunes.

THE AMARBAYASGALANT MONASTERY

The Amarbayasgalant Monastery is located 360 km north of Ulaanbaatar is one of the fafourite destinations for visitors. It can be reached by jeep or by a combination of local train and motor vehicle ride. Built in 1727-1736, Monastery was the second most important in Mongolia after Erdene Zuu Monastery in Kharakhorum.

TERELJ

Terelj tourist camp is open is all year round. You can travel by coach or by car. Located at 80 km away from Ulaanbaatar. Elevation is 1600 metres above sea level one of the picturesque spot in the outskirts of Gorkhi. There are many interesting places along the way from Ulaanbaatar to Terelj. The mountain mass Gorkhi with high steeple-like peaks is covered with foreste on the nothern slopes. This area is rich in the terms of wild life. Foreigners cominmg to Terelj compare the outskirts of Terelj with a museum of natural wealth. Visitors can take leisurely strolls on green meadows carpeted with edelweiss and a dazzling variety of other wild flowers, view fascinating rock formations against a backdrop of pine covered mountains and wander along the wooded banks of a mountain stream. Overnight guests can stay in ghers or guest rooms.

ULAANBAATAR

It is situated in central east Mongolia. The city spreads from east to west along a large wide valley. The main road through this valley is Enkh Taivny Orgon Choloo or Peace Avenue.
The centre of the city is Sukhbaatar Square, from where all other distances are measured.
Bogd Khan, Bayanzurkh, Chingeltei and Songino Khairkhan mountains surround the city. The tuul river runs from east to west in the south of the city.
The city is divided into six districts and many sub districts and microdistricts.

Credit & debit cards, Mongolia

Accepted by main commercial banks, large hotels and a few shops and restaurants in Ulaanbaatar. Credit card cash advances can be obtained at the Trade and Development Bank.

TAXI

Ulaanbaatar must be one of the only places in the world where you can stop almost any car for a lift. Potentially, every car in the capital is a taxi. If you hale a car and the driver is prepared to pick you up, he'll do so and charge the same rates as taxis (around MNT 300 per kilometre)

HOTEL

There are now over 80 hotels in the capital, of varying standards. There are no official classification systems for these hotels at present, although it is hoped a grading system will be introduced soon.
Prices range from around US$15 - US$360 for one night. The better standard hotels can be busy during peak season. There are also a few small and cheap guest houses for the backpacker traveller. On the outskirts of the capital are a few ger camps which offer the more traditional style of accommodation.
Hotel services vary, but many will offer to organise transfers, tours and business services.

Clothing in Mongolia

The del is the Mongols' traditional garment worn on both workdays and special days. It is a long, loose gown cut in one piece with the sleeves; it has a high collar and widely overlaps at the front. The del is girdled with a sash.

Each ethnic group living in Mongolia has its own del distinguished by cut, colour and trimming. The distinctions go unnoticed by foreigners, yet for the Mongols they are obvious.

Before the revolution, all social strata in Mongolia had their own manner of dressing. Livestock-breeders, for example, wore plain dels, which served them both summer and winter. The priests wore yellow dels with a cape or khimj, thrown over it. Secular feudal lords put on smart hats and silk waistcoats.

Today, townspeople tend to wear European-style clothes. In the countryside, however, the modern attire is inconvenient and impractical. The del has several uses – as a coat, as a blanket, and as means of concealing yourself when going to the toilet on the open steppe. In the cities, as people start aging, especially the women, begin to appreciate the advantages of the del and wear it, trying to excel each other in the choice of fabric, as well as in the elegance of the cut and originality of the trimmings.

Commonly there are three varieties of del, each for a particular season. The first, the dan del, is very much like a dress, a frock cut in one piece from plain cloth without padding. Rural women wear dan dels all year around. In cold weather they put on warm clothes over them. Terleg is a slightly padded del. And finally the winter del is padded with sheepskin or cotton wool.

Dels for men and women are of the same cut. The difference is that male dels are wider and of more demure colours. The pattern is simple enough. The sleeves are cut together with the gown and there are only a few minor details. Moreover the tailor does not have to worry about the precise length and width.

Measurements are usually made using the hand rather than a tape measure. The 'too' is the distance between the thumb and the middle finger, the 'soom' the distance between the thumb and the forefinger and the 'khuruu' the length of the forefinger.

The del for everyday wear is grey, brown or some other dark colour, while the holiday del is a bright blue, green or claret silk with a silk sash of contrasting colour several metres long. The sash is not simply an adornment. It also serves as a soft corset facilitating long rides on horseback. In days gone by, men would attach a sheathed knife, a tobacco pouch, a flint and a pipe-cleaning hook to the belt. Characteristically, the Mongol always hid his pipe in his boots.

The del collar, breasts and sleeves are trimmed with leather and colour brocade tape, which can be wide or narrow depending on the wearer's taste. The del buttons, if they are not commercially produced from decorative stones or silver, are narrow strips of cloth tied into intricate knots.

Traditional dels are normally seen now only at concerts or official occasions.

In addition to the del is the jacket known as a khurim. In cold weather it is put on over the del. The gutal is the high boot made from unbending leather and lined with fine and thin felt. They are decorated with different designs. Both the left and right are traditionally the same shape and were worn with thick socks made from quilted cloth. Traditional boots are without heels and have turned up toes. Mongolian hats are still very much the normal attire in the countryside. The traditional hat is a hat for all seasons trimmed with fur, fox fur in most cases. The sides of the hat can be tied down to keep the ears warm or tied on top in the warmer periods. The hats are worn by both men and by women. In the past, headgear was worn to show social status. The design is also symbolic. The pointed top of the hat represents Mount Sumber, the legendary land of the Mongol forefathers. The knot on the top represents the unity of the nation, red ribbons are the sun's rays and the broad brim represents the country's inaccessibility.

Because of the different ethnic groups residing in Mongolia, there are distinctions in the way they all dress. Therefore it is estimated that between them all, there are about 400 different types of garments, 20 boots, 10 sashes and 20 types of hats

Mongolian tugrug

Tugrug (Tg). Notes are in denominations of Tg10,000, 5000, 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 3 and 1. Coins are in denominations of Tg200, 100, 50 and 20

PEOPLE IN MONGOLIA

Archaeological finds suggest that primitive man appeared in what is now Mongolia 300,000 to 350,000 years ago and recent investigations suggest that Mongols take their origin from the Huns (or Huunu) who lived in Central Asian Countries many years ago.

The term 'Mongol' only gained prominence in the early 13th Century with the emergence of the Mongolian ethnic unit and the formation of a single state. The word 'Mongol' has two suggested meanings. The first is a geographical name 'Mon gol' which means the river Mon. The second suggestion is that it should be pronounced 'Mun gol', interpreting 'Mun' as correct, basic or true and 'gol' as pivot, centre or essence. The combination would then be 'true essence'.

The development of the present ethnic composition has gone through several historical stages. The formation and disintegration of numerous military tribal alliances of ancient nomads and their mass migrations over vast expanses of the Euro-Asian steppes, resulted in the emergence of the Mongolian Nationality which consists 86% of Khalkh-Mongol tribes. The population of Mongolia consists of twenty ethnic groups although their are few differences in language. Only the Kazakhs speak in their mother tongue. Kazakhs, Derbets, Buryats and other national minorities are concentrated where they have always lived.

The 1998 population of Mongolia was estimated to be 2.42 million, showing an increase of 1.4% compared to 1997. However, even today, there are more Mongolians living outside Mongolia than in it.49.6% of the population are male. In 1998, the percentage of the population aged under 15 years was 35.6 and over 65 years, 3.9%. The population density is around 1.5 people per square kilometre. Seventy-two percent of the population are in the labour force.

There are approximately five hundred and twenty thousand families of which one hundred and seventy thousand are herders. The others live in urban centres. Approximately 51% of the population is urbanised, 27% in Ulaanbaatar. The birth rate is 2.06%, the death rate 0.66% and infant mortality rate 3.5%

HOW TO GET MONGOLIAN VISA

Diplomatic representatives abroad and Honorary counsels of Mongolia have the rights to issue to foreign citizens Mongolian visas. No official or private invitation is needed for a foreign citizen (except the citizens of Russia and China) applying for a Mongolian visa, If the duration of the visitors' stay does not exceed one month.

Visa will be issued within 24 hours.
Citizens of Poland, Kazakstan, do not require a visa for a visit not exceeding three months.
Citizens of Malaysia, Israel, do not need a visa for visit not exceeding one month.
Citizens of Philippines are allowed to enter Mongolia for a visit not exceeding three weeks.
Citizens of Singapore do not need a visa for visit not exceeding two weeks.
Citizens of People`s Republic of China, Vietnam, Bulgaria and Romanai, who has diplomatic and service passports, do not require a visa for visits to Mongolia.
Citizens of Russia, Laos, Yugoslavia, Czech, Slovak who has diplomatic and service passports, do not require a visa for visits not exceeding three months.
Citizens of Democratic People`s Republic of Korea and Republic of Korea, Thailand, Hungary, Turkey, who has diplomatic and service passports, do not need a visa for visits not exceeding one month.
Citizens of India shall have Mongolian visa without visa application and visa fee.

Foreign nationals from other countries, which have no agreement on relaxing visa regime on the basis of reciprocity wishing to pay a visit to Mongolia for more than 30 days, should have an official or private invitation. The addresses where you can obtain visas Embassies, Missions and Consuls.

Follow the following steps and requirements to obtain a Mongolian visa from your nearest Mongolian Embassy:

SIES
Embassy in European Union:
593, Chaussee de Wavre
1040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel:6468018, Fax: 6468018

Embassy in Bulgaria:
Sofia str. 11 13 Frederick Joliot
Curie 52 Sofia, Bulgaria
Tel: (359-2)-658403,
Fax: (359-2)-659436
E-mail: 0889@,main.infotel.bg

Embassy in China:
No. 2, Xiushui Beijie
Jian Guo Jian
Guo Men Wai Da Jie Beijing, China
Tel: (86-10)-6532-1810, 6532-1203
Fax: (86-10)-6532-5045
E-mail: monembbj@public3.bta.net.cn
General Consulate in Huhe Haote, China:
Zhongguo Huhe Haote Xincheng gu
Wulanziagu 5 hao Lou Menggu
Lingshiguang, 1I 0 1 - 1 105, Huhe Haote,
China
Tel: (86-471)-4953254,(86-471)-4953266
Fax: (86-471)-4953250

Embassy in Czech Republic:
Na Mame 5, Praha - 6
160000 Ceska Republika
Tel: (42-2)-24311198-9,
Fax: (42-2)-3i2l5Ol
E-mail: monemb@bohem-net.cz

Embassy in Cuba:
Calle 66 No 505 Esguina a 5 ta-A Miramar
La Havana Havana, Cuba
Tel: (53-7)-332763,
Fax: (53-7)-330639

Embassy in Egypt:
33A, Mohamed Mazhar street Zamalek,

Cairo, Egypt
Tel: (20)-3409574
Fax: (20-2)-3414229
E-mail: monemby@intouch.com

Embassy in France:
5 avenue Robert Schumann, 92100
Boulogne-Billancourt Paris, France
Tel: (33-1)-46052318
Fax: (33-1)-46053016
E-mail: 106513,2731@Compuserve.com

Embassy in Germany:
Siebengebirsblick 4-6, 53844 Troisdorf
Bonn, Germany
Tel: (49)-2241-402727
Fax: (49)-2241-47781

Diplomatic Representative in Berlin, Germany:
Gotlandstrasse 12, 1043 9 -Berlin, Germany
Fax: (49-30)-4469321

Embassy in Hungary:
1022 Budapest 11-K, Bodar Utca 14/C
Budapest, Hungary
Tel: (36-1)-2124579, 2125904
Fax: (36-1) 2125731

Embassy in India:
3 4, Archbishor Makarios, Mart,
New Delhi I 1 003, New Delhi, India
Tel: (99-1l)-4631728,
Fax: (99-1l)-4633240
E-mail: Embassy.mongolia@gems.vsnl.net.in

Embassy in Japan:
Shoto Pinecrest Mansion, 21-4 Kamiyama- cho,
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150, Tokyo, Japan
Tel: (81-33)-4692088,4692092
Fax: (81-33)-4692216
Embassy in Laos:
Q.Wat Nak Km.3 P.O.Box 370
Vientiane, Laos P.D.R
Tel: (856-2l)-315220,
Fax: (856-2l)-315221

Embassy in Poland:
ul. Rejtana 15 m. 16, Warsawa 00-478,
Polska
Tel: (48-22)-487920
Fax: (48-22)-484264
E-mail: Root@mongpl.aion.botar.com.p

Embassy in Romania:
Str. Faragas 6, Bucharest, Romania
Tel: (40-1)-6387370
Fax: (40-1)-3121325

Embassy in Russia:
ul. Stanislavsky 20, Moscow, Russia
Tel: 290-45-51, 290-67-92,
Telex: 65-414387

Consulate in Saint-Petersburg, Russia:
198207 c. Saint Petersburg, Leninsky prospect
dom II 5 lest. 5, fl. 8, fl. 141, 143 Saint Petersburg
Tel: 1538051

General Consulate in Irkutsk, Russia:
Irkutsk 6640, ul. Lapina I 1, Irkutsk, Russia
Tel: (7-3952)-342145, 342447

General Consulate in Ulaan-Ude, Russia:
Buryatskaya AR 670000, c. Ulan-Ude,
ul. Erbanova 12, Hotel "Baikal"
Tel: (7-30122)-20507, 22934
Fax: (7-30122)-63244

Embassy in Ukraine:
c. Kiev 252030, ul. M. Kotcubinskogo 3
Kiev, Ukraine
Tel: (7-044)-2168639,
Fax: (7-044)-2168751
E-mail: postmaster@monelch.kiev.uacom

Embassy in Kazakhstan:
c. Alma-Ata 48090, ul. Aubakerova 1/1
Alma- Ata, Kazakhstan

Tel: (7-3272)-200865, 293790
E-mail: monkazel@kazinaii-asdc.kz

Perinanent Mission in Switzerland:
4, Chemin des Mollies, CH- 1 293 Bellevue,
Geneva, Switzer-land
Tel: (41-022)-7741974
Fax: (41-022)-7743201
E-mail: mission.mongolia@itu.ch

Embassy in UK:
8 Kensington Court, London W8 5DL, UK
Tel: (020) 7937 0150 or 7937 5238 or 7937 5238 ext.
29 (visa section). Fax: (020) 7937 1117.
E-mail: embmong@aol.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1230.

Embassy in USA:
2833 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Tel: (202) 333 7117. Fax: (202) 298 9227.
E-mail: monemb@aol.com
Website: www.monemb.org

Embassy in Democratic People's Republic of Korea:
Pyongyang Mansu-dong, DPRK
Tel: (850-2)-817322, 850-2-817323
Fax: 850-2-817616

Embassy in Republic of Korea:
Yong san-ku , I- 1 04 Riverside Village
I-Dong 3 00-24, Dongbuichon-Dong,
Seoul I- 1 04, Korea
Tel: (82-2) 7928860
Fax: (82-2) 7947605

• One copy of visa application form is required for Mongolian visas
• State clearly travel dates
• A valid passport must be produced
• 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).
• 3 recent passport size photo should be attached.
• Self-addressed and registered Envelope is required in case visa applied by post.

All visas, except transit are issued by the Embassy. The normal time required for a visa to be processed is one week. But for a transit visa - 48 hours without any authorizations.
The standard charge for a tourist visa is US$25 and for a transit visa US$15 if you obtain the visa in advance. If you require the visa urgently or if you obtain your visa at the border points, you will need to pay US$50 and US$30 respectively.
Please note that the visa regulations have recently changed. It is now NOT possible to buy visas at Mongolian borders or at the airport upon arrival. There have also been changes recently to Police Registration procedures. You are advised to find out up-to-date details from your Embassy or Consulate in
advance.

MONGOLIAN FOOD

The Mongolian diet really depends on where you are in Mongolia and what time of year it is. In the south a staple diet of mutton and camel with camel dairy products is the norm. However, in the Khangai Mountains, beef is more common. In the city of Ulaanbaatar, there is a much larger range of foods, for both Mongolian and Foreign people. The Mongolian climate means that the calorific intake needs to be higher in the winter months than in the summer. For this reason, herders will often eat boiled animal fat.

Vegetables are a relatively recent addition to the Mongolian diet. In the past dairy products and undercooked meat compensated the vitamin shortage. Some dishes were seasoned with wild onions and garlic.

Mongolian's believe that the most parts of their livestock can be eaten. Sheep are slaughtered by a traditional method, which allows the meat to stay clean, and which prevents heavy blood loss. A cut is made in the chest of the sheep and the heart artery is severed. The carcass is divided into several large parts – neck, brisket, ribs, blades, loin, rump and legs. Boned meat is used to make several dishes including bansh and buutz.

In the countryside food tends to be cooked once a day, unless guests arrive. In the morning and afternoon, milk tea is drunk with Boortsog (butter biscuits fried in oil) and meat boiled the night before. Food is only cooked for summer. Most of the time it is boiled meat and broth to which noodles, rice or other groats are added to taste.

Boodog is perhaps the most traditional Mongolian dish. It is prepared from goat or marmot meat. Removing the bones and bowels from the skinned carcass through the neck, they put red-hot stones inside and close the neck opening. Then the carcass is barbecued. The meat roasted this way is tender, tasty and fragrant.

The bowels of slaughtered sheep and goats are used for making sausage. The process appears simple at first sight: the thoroughly rinsed intestines are stuffed with finely chopped bowels, fat and blood and spices, salt, onions or garlic are added. But only a good housewife knows what components to use and in what proportions.

The Mongol's nomadic way of life and the country's climatic conditions have given rise to specific methods of preserving meat. The most widespread one is air-drying. Beef is cut into long strips that are hung in the shade. The meat dries very quickly, becoming so hard that you cannot cut it with a knife. Before use, dried meat is powdered and then put into boiling water.

With the advent of spring and the beginning of calving and lambing, Mongols switch to diary products including koumiss. It would be hard to list all the dishes prepared from the milk of the five domestic animals. There are all kinds of sour milk, curds and cheese that are eaten separately or in dishes made with them, which have their specific names. The same dishes prepared from milk of different animals differ from each other. Preference is usually given to cow's milk.

Foreigners who have visited Mongolia notice that Mongols always boil milk and never use it all by itself. They either dilute it with hot water to obtain the so-called khyaram or add it to tea. Salt and milk are indispensable components of Mongolian tea. Mongols use a variety of tea pressed into large cubes. This variety only grows in Central Asia and China.

Mongolian women make urum, or so-called white butter, from milk. The process is simple enough. Boiling milk is stirred with a dipper until a thick layer of skin is formed. The skin is poured off, cooled and dried. If placed in a wooden barrel or leather bag, it keeps well all winter. Urum is served to the guest first as a light snack, which can be eaten by itself or with cheese or dried curds, or it can be put into tea.

By melting urum, yellow butter or shar-tos is obtained. This can be preserved all winter for frying gambira, Mongolian Cakes.

Aruul is believed to be behind Mongolians' strong and healthy teeth. Aruul is curdled milk, dehydrated and thoroughly dried in the air and sun. There is practically no limit to its shelf life. Hard dried curds are almost impossible to chew and have to be sucked.

Herders have prepared koumiss for several centuries. Mare's or Camel's milk is collected in a leather bag and churned. It is believed that koumiss contains A, C and some B vitamins and arrests the growth and proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms. Furthermore, it is supposed to be effective against lung and stomach diseases, braces up the nervous system and improves appetite and digestion. Aged koumiss sparkles slightly and is pleasantly acid to the taste. Underdone koumiss may upset the stomach while overdone koumiss is very sour and intoxicating. Although the method of preparing koumiss is the same, it tastes different in different parts of the country. This is explained, above all, by the difference in the fodder given to the animals and the specific additives varying from region to region. Koumiss and milk symbolise happiness. The white colour sacred to the Mongols makes koumiss and indispensable part of the meal during celebrations and festivities.

The habit of sour milk distillation has survived in some places in Mongolia. Five degrees of distillation are know – arkhi, arz, khorz, sharz and dun. As a rule, arkhi (or vodka) is consumed. It is also called shimiyn arkhi or Mongol arkhi to distinguish from commercially produced vodka. Mongol arkhi is about 10-12o proof, tasteless and transparent. Since it takes a lot of time and skill to produce it, many Mongols now prefer to buy stronger drinks.

THE GOBI

The southern third of Mongolia is dominated by the fabled Gobi. This arid region has been the site for the famous paleontological expeditions by the American Museum of Natural History of the 1920s and (in cooperation with the Mongolian Academy of Science) since 1990. The southernmost portion of the Gobi is a true desert where there might be no precipitation at all during any given year. Not surprisingly, this bone-dry region is one of the most sparsely inhabited stretches of Eurasia. Further north and northeast, increasing rainfall supports marginal grasslands known as desert steppes. Here, pastoralists herd sheep, goats, horses, cows, yaks and bactrian (two-humped) camels.

Mongolia

						Located on the Central Asian plateau, Mongolia is landlocked and caught between its two gigantic neighbors, China and Russia. While it appears diminutive, Mongolia is 1/6 the total area of the U.S., or 971,913 sq. miles (1,564,100 square km). If placed inside the U.S., its borders would extend from Washington, D.C. to Denver, CO. The Mongolian landscape ranges from the Altai Mountains to the Gobi Desert. However beautiful the landscape, the inhospitable climactic conditions (-6°F, -21°C) in winter, Arctic winds, and hot, dry summers (64°F, or +18°C) make Mongolia a challenging environment to inhabit. About 2.4 million people live in Mongolia today, making it one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world (1.5 people per square km, or .9 per square mile). As 36.1% are under the age of 15, the population is very young. The Mongolian population is relatively homogenous, made up of groups belonging to the Mongolian and Turkic nationalities. More than 70% of the total population belongs to the major Mongolian ethnic group, the Halh (Khalkha), while the other Mongolian ethnic groups - Buriad, Dorvod, Barga, Uzemchin, Darhad, Oold, Torguud, etc. - comprise another 24%. The remaining 6% are Turkic peoples: Kazakhs, Tuvinians, Urianhai, and Hoton. The majority of people practice Tibetan Buddhism, although a significant number is atheist, owing to 6 decades of Communist rule (1924-1990). Shamanism is also making a come-back, especially in Ulaanbaatar.

Welcome to Mongolia

For visitors coming to Mongolia for the first time, there are many unanswered questions. To make your hunting game a truly good and well-prepared one, here are the answers to all those questions. All the information contained herein is given in good faith and has been carefully compiled. Please read this information thoroughly now, as there are certain things which must be checked and attended to in advance of departure. And of course, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may still have. Mongolian Travel will provide you with more detailed information package for your questions.

Access to Mongolia

The visitors arrive to Mongolia by air through Buyant Ukhaa International Airport located 18 km to the southwest of Ulaanbaatar. Been reconstructed in 1990, immigration and customs formalities as well as luggage delivery are very prompt. The international air transport is operated by MIAT (Mongolian Airlines), Korean Airline, Air China (China Airlines) and Aeroflot.

ГАЙХАМШИГТ МОНГОЛ ОРОН

Гайхамшигт Монгол орны эрт эдүгээн түүх соёлын баялаг уламжлал.байгалын онгон дагшин үзэмж хүмүүсийн аж амьдралын талаар энэ блогдоо бичих болно.