Tour Guide, Ulan Bator, Mongolia
| 6 mins read
MONGOLIA:
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It borders Russia to the north and the People's Republic of China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only 38 km (24 mi) from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulaanbaatar, the capital and largest city, is home to about 38% of the population. Mongolia's political system is a parliamentary republic.
The Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan in 1206. After the collapse of the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongols returned to their earlier pattern of constant internal conflict and occasional raids on the Chinese borderlands. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Mongolia came under the influence of Tibetan Buddhism. At the end of the 17th century, most of Mongolia had been incorporated into the area ruled by the Qing Dynasty. During the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, Mongolia declared independence but had to struggle until 1921 to firmly establish de-facto independence from the Republic of China, and until 1945 to gain international recognition.
As a consequence, it came under strong Russian and Soviet influence; in 1924, the Mongolian People's Republic was declared, and Mongolian politics began to follow the same patterns as the Soviet politics of the time. After the breakdown of communist regimes in Eastern Europe in late 1989, Mongolia saw its own Democratic Revolution in early 1990, which led to a multi-party system, a new constitution in 1992, and transition to a market economy.
At 1,564,116 square km (603,909 sq miles), Mongolia is the 19th largest and the most sparsely populated independent country in the world, with a population of around 2.9 million people. It is also the world's second-largest landlocked country after Kazakhstan. The country contains very little arable land, as much of its area is covered by steppes, with mountains to the north and west and the Gobi Desert to the south. Approximately 30% of the population is nomadic or semi-nomadic. The predominant religion in Mongolia is Tibetan Buddhism, and the majority of the state's citizens are of the Mongol ethnicity, though Kazakhs, Tuvans, and other minorities also live in the country, especially in the west.
SITUATION:
Mongolia is situated in the centre of the continent of Asia Central (between Russia and China) and covers an area of 603, 899 sq. miles (1.566.5100km², about three times the size of France), making it the 18th largest country in the World. Mongolia lies between 87°44'E and 119°56'E Longitude and between 41° 35'-44'N and 52°09'N Latitude in the North of Central Asia.
Latitude: 47° 55' North
Longitude: 106° 53' East.
The average altitude is 1580m (5180ft) above sea level.
CULTURE:
The main festival is Naadam, which has been organised for centuries, consists of three Mongolian traditional sports, archery, horse-racing (over long stretches of open country, not the short racing around a track practised in the West), and wrestling. Nowadays it is held on July 11 to July 13 in the honour of the anniversaries of the National Democratic Revolution and foundation of the Great Mongol State. Another very popular activity called Shagaa is the "flicking" of sheep ankle bones at a target several feet away, using a flicking motion of the finger to send the small bone flying at targets and trying to knock the target bones off the platform. This contest at Naadam is very popular and develops a serious audience among older Mongolians. In Mongolia, the khoomei (or throat singing), style of music is popular, particularly in parts of Western Mongolia.
The ornate symbol in the leftmost bar of the national flag is a Buddhist icon called Soyombo. It represents the sun, moon, stars, and heavens per standard cosmological symbology abstracted from that seen in traditional thangka paintings.
CURRENCY:
The Mongolian currency is the Tugrik (T or MNT) which is available in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 5000, 10,000, and the New 20,000 (since Summer 2006) Tugrik Notes. Coins are beginning to become into circulation and are in denominations of MNT 20, 50, 100 and 200. All notes carry the face of "Chinggis" Khan or Sukhbaatar on them and because of their age, can often look alike. The exchange rate is constantly changing.
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:
Traveller's checks in U.S. dollars are accepted at some hotels and may be converted to dollars or Tugrugs at several banks. Credit cards can be used at a variety of hotels, restaurants, and shops in Ulaanbaatar. Outside of the capital, travellers should have cash. Cash advances against credit cards are available at some commercial banks such as Trade and Development Bank of Mongolia, Golomt Bank of Mongolia, Khan Bank, and Xac Bank. Note that most credit card companies will pass on the 3% "foreign currency conversion fee" to you. International bank wire transfers are also possible.
There are a handful of VISA and Maestro/Cirrus ATM machines in Ulaanbaatar, but they do not always function and are not reliable. VISA and Master Card can be used in the ATM machines at the Chinggis Khaan Hotel, Ulaanbaatar Hotel, Bayangol Hotel, Golomt Bank of Mongolia, Trade Development Bank's headquarters, Trade Development Bank's south of Sukhbaatar Square.
ATM machines do not exist outside the capital. US Dollar travellers' cheques can be cashed easily and converted to Mongolian Togrogs. You can transfer money to Mongolia using commercial means such as Western Union or Money Gram.
CLIMATE:
Known as the 'Land of Blue Skies', it has over 260 sunny days each year. The winter is long and cold with temperatures often well below -30 ° Centigrade. Despite these temperatures, the blue winter sky makes it often feel warmer. There is very little snowfall but it and ice can remain for several weeks at a time. The rainy season is from July to September, but the showers are often brief. The summer is a very pleasant time because, although temperatures can reach +40 ° Centigrade, the air is very dry. Summer evenings can be cool because of Mongolia's high altitude. However, July and August are the two wettest months of the year. The season lasting from November to March is cold. The best time to visit the Gobi is June or September as temperatures aren't so hot then.