Mongolia

Government
Parliamentary republic now in transition from Communism.

Geography
Mongolia lies in central Asia between Siberia on the north and China on the south. The productive regions of Mongolia—a tableland ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 ft (914 to 1,524 m) in elevation—are in the north, which is well drained by numerous rivers, including the Hovd, Onon, Selenga, and Tula. Much of the Gobi Desert falls within Mongolia.

Historical 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. 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. Since then, parliamentary elections returned the MPRP overwhelmingly to power in 2000 and produced a coalition government in 2004.

Facts & Figures

Name

MONGOLIA

Capital

Ulan Bator

Government

Parliamentary republic

Language

Mongolian

Religion

According to the CIA World Factbook and the U.S. Department of State,50% of Mongolia's population follow the Tibetan Buddhism, 40% are listed as having no religion, 6% are Shamanist, Bahá'í and Christian, and 4% are Muslim

Area

1,564,115.75 km2 603,909 sq mi

Population

2,736,800

Currency

Tögrög

GDP

$4.203 billion

Time Zone

(UTC+7 to +8[7][8])

National Anthem

Монгол улсын төрийн дуулал" National anthem of Mongolia