The Mongols gained fame in the 13th century when under Chinggis KHAAN they established a huge Eurasian empire through conquest. 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 in the late 17th century came under Chinese rule. Mongolia won its independence in 1921 with Soviet backing and a Communist regime was installed in 1924. The modern country of Mongolia, however, represents only part of the Mongols' historical homeland; more ethnic Mongolians live in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China than in Mongolia. Following a peaceful democratic revolution, 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. The MPRP won an overwhelming majority in the 2000 parliamentary election, but the party lost seats in the 2004 election and shared power with democratic coalition parties from 2004-08. The MPRP regained a solid majority in the 2008 parliamentary elections but nevertheless formed a coalition government with the Democratic Party. In 2010 the MPRP voted to retake the name of the Mongolian People's Party (MPP), a name it used in the early 1920s. The prime minister and most cabinet members are MPP members.

Northern Asia, between China and Russia

46 00 N, 105 00 E

Asia

slightly smaller than Alaska

0 km (landlocked)

none (landlocked)

desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)

vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central

oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, fluorspar, gold, silver, iron

840 sq km (2008)

34.8 cu km (1999)

dust storms; grassland and forest fires; drought; "zud," which is harsh winter conditions

limited natural freshwater resources in some areas; the policies of former Communist regimes promoted rapid urbanization and industrial growth that had negative effects on the environment; the burning of soft coal in power plants and the lack of enforcement of environmental laws severely polluted the air in Ulaanbaatar; deforestation, overgrazing, and the converting of virgin land to agricultural production increased soil erosion from wind and rain; desertification and mining activities had a deleterious effect on the environment

landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia

Mongol (mostly Khalkha) 94.9%, Turkic (mostly Kazakh) 5%, other (including Chinese and Russian) 0.1% (2000)

Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian (1999)

Buddhist Lamaist 50%, Shamanist and Christian 6%, Muslim 4%, none 40% (2004)

3,133,318 (July 2011 est.)

1.489% (2011 est.)

20.93 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

6.04 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)

ULAANBAATAR (capital) 949,000 (2009)

65 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)

2.21 children born/woman (2011 est.)

9.3% of GDP (2009)

2.763 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

5.89 beds/1,000 population (2009)

urban: 97% of population

rural: 49% of population

total: 76% of population

urban: 3% of population

rural: 51% of population

total: 24% of population (2008)

urban: 64% of population

rural: 32% of population

total: 50% of population

urban: 46% of population

rural: 68% of population

total: 50% of population (2008)

less than 0.1% (2009 est.)

fewer than 500 (2009 est.)

fewer than 100 (2009 est.)

9.8% (2005)

5.3% (2005)

5.6% of GDP (2009)

parliamentary

21 provinces (aymguud, singular - aymag) and 1 municipality* (singular - hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan-Uul, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan (Zavkhan), Govi-Altay, Govisumber, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Orhon, Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs

11 July 1921 (from China)

Independence Day/Revolution Day, 11 July (1921)

13 January 1992

civil law system influenced by Soviet and Romano-Germanic legal systems; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislative acts

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

unicameral State Great Hural 76 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms

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)

Civil Will-Green Party or CWGP [Dangaasuren EHKHBAT]; Democratic Party or DP [Norov ALTANHUYAG]; Mongolian People's Party or MPP [Sukhbaatar BATBOLD]; Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party or MPRP [Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR]

ADB, ARF, CD, CICA, CP, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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); blue represents the sky, red symbolizes progress and prosperity

soyombo emblem

Economic activity in Mongolia has traditionally been based on herding and agriculture - Mongolia's extensive mineral deposits, however, have attracted foreign investors. The country holds copper, gold, coal, molybdenum, fluorspar, uranium, tin, and tungsten deposits, which account for a large part of foreign direct investment and government revenues. 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 recession, because of political inaction and natural disasters, as well as economic growth, because of reform-embracing, free-market economics and extensive privatization of the formerly state-run economy. Severe winters and summer droughts in 2000-02 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 averaged nearly 9% per year in 2004-08 largely because of high copper prices and new gold production. In 2008 Mongolia experienced a soaring inflation rate with year-to-year inflation reaching nearly 30% - the highest inflation rate in over a decade. By late 2008, as the country began to feel the effects of the global financial crisis, falling commodity prices helped lower inflation, but also reduced government revenues and forced cuts in spending. In early 2009, the International Monetary Fund reached a $236 million Stand-by Arrangement with Mongolia and the country has started to move out of the crisis. Although the banking sector remains unstable, the government is now enforcing stricter supervision regulations. In October 2009, the government passed long-awaited legislation on an investment agreement to develop Mongolia's Oyu Tolgoi mine, considered to be one of the world's largest untapped copper deposits. The economy grew 6.1% in 2010, largely on the strength of exports to nearby countries, and international reserves reached $1.6 billion in September, an all time high for Mongolia. Mongolia's economy continues to be heavily influenced by its neighbors. Mongolia purchases 95% of its petroleum products and a substantial amount of electric power from Russia, leaving it vulnerable to price increases. Trade with China represents more than half of Mongolia's total external trade - China receives more than three-fourths of Mongolia's exports. Remittances from Mongolians working abroad are sizable, but have fallen due to the economic crisis; money laundering is a growing concern. Mongolia joined the World Trade Organization in 1997 and seeks to expand its participation in regional economic and trade regimes.

$11.02 billion (2010 est.)

$10.38 billion (2009 est.)

$10.51 billion (2008 est.)

$6.125 billion (2010 est.)

6.1% (2010 est.)

-1.3% (2009 est.)

8.9% (2008 est.)

$3,600 (2010 est.)

$3,400 (2009 est.)

$3,500 (2008 est.)

1.068 million (2008)

11.5% (2009)

2.8% (2008)

36.1% (2004)

36.5 (2008)

32.8 (2002)

36.1% of GDP (2010 est.)

36% of GDP (2010 est.)

1.9% of GDP (2010 est.)

10.2% (2010 est.)

6.3% (2009 est.)

10.99% (31 December 2010)

10.82% (31 December 2009 est.)

17.9% (31 December 2010 est.)

20.8% (31 December 2009 est.)

$921.3 million (31 December 2010 est.)

$451.4 million (31 December 2009 est.)

$3.821 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$2.047 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$1.973 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.375 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$1.093 billion (31 December 2010)

$430.2 million (31 December 2009)

$407 million (31 December 2008)

wheat, barley, vegetables, forage crops; sheep, goats, cattle, camels, horses

construction and construction materials; mining (coal, copper, molybdenum, fluorspar, tin, tungsten, and gold); oil; food and beverages; processing of animal products, cashmere and natural fiber manufacturing

3% (2006 est.)

3.896 billion kWh (2008 est.)

3.023 billion kWh (2010)

20.7 million kWh (2010)

214.1 million kWh (2010)

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

17,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)

5,834 bbl/day (2010 est.)

15,730 bbl/day (2010)

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

0 cu m (2009 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

11,790 cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)

-$378.8 million (2010 est.)

-$341.8 million (2009 est.)

$2.899 billion (2010)

$1.885 billion (2009 est.)

copper, apparel, livestock, animal products, cashmere, wool, hides, fluorspar, other nonferrous metals, coal

China 84.8%, Canada 3.6%, Russia 2.7% (2010 est.)

$3.3 billion (2010)

$2.074 billion (2009 est.)

machinery and equipment, fuel, cars, food products, industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea

Russia 33.2%, China 30.5%, Japan 6%, South Korea 5.5% (2010 est.)

$2.288 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.327 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$1.86 billion (2009)

$1.6 billion (2008)

$NA

$NA

togrog/tugriks (MNT) per US dollar -

1,357.5 (2010)

1,442.8 (2009)

1,170 (2007)

1,165 (2006)

193,200 (2010)

2.51 million (2010)

following a law passed in 2005, Mongolia's state-run radio and TV provider converted to a public service provider; also available are private radio and TV broadcasters, as well as multi-channel satellite and cable TV providers; more than 100 radio stations, including some 20 via repeaters for the public broadcaster; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2008)

.mn

7,942 (2010)

330,000 (2008)

46 (2010)

1 (2010)

580 km (the only waterway in operation is Lake Hovsgol (135 km); Selenge River (270 km) and Orhon River (175 km) are navigable but carry little traffic; lakes and rivers freeze in winter, they are open from May to September) (2010)

Mongolian Armed Forces: Mongolian Army, Mongolian Air Force; there is no navy (2010)

18-25 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months in land or air defense forces or police; a small portion of Mongolian land forces (2.5 percent) is comprised of contract soldiers; women cannot be deployed overseas for military operations (2006)

1.4% of GDP (2006)

none