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.