General information n Mongolia is a country which

General information n Mongolia is a country, which located in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Ulan Bator is the capital and the largest city of Mongolia, about 45% of the population lives there. Mongolia's political system is a parliamentary republic. Total area of Mongolia is 1, 564, 116 km ². The official language is Mongolian, about 95% of the population speaks Mongolian.

n Mongolia is the 19 th largest and the most sparsely populated independent country in the world, with a population of about 2. 75 million people. The country contains very little arable land, because 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 are nomadic or semi-nomadic. About 20% of the population live on less than US$1. 25 per a day.

Flag of Mongolia n The current flag of Mongolia was adopted on February 12, 1992. n It has three equal bands. The central band is blue, described as the eternal blue sky; both side bands are red, representing the ability of Mongolia to thrive in its harsh environment. Centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is the national emblem (the Soyombo symbol - a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric representations of fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the Taijitu or (Yin-Yang) symbol).

Geography and climate n n The geography of Mongolia is varied, with the Gobi Desert to the south and with cold and mountainous regions to the north and west. Much of Mongolia consists of steppes. The highest point in Mongolia is the Khüiten Peak in the Tavan bogd massif in the far west. The basin of the Uvs Lake, shared with Tuva Republic in Russia, is a natural World Heritage Site. Most of the country is hot in summer and extremely cold in winter, with January averages dropping as low as − 30 °C (− 22 °F). Mongolia is high, cold, and windy. It has an extreme continental climate with long, cold winters and short summers

n The name "Gobi" is a Mongol term for a desert steppe, which usually refers to a category of arid rangeland with insufficient vegetation to support marmots but with enough to support camels. Mongols distinguish Gobi from desert proper, although the distinction is not always apparent to outsiders unfamiliar with the Mongolian landscape. Gobi rangelands are fragile and are easily destroyed by overgrazing, which results in expansion of the true desert, a stony waste where not even Bactrian camels can survive.

Gobi

Culture n The main festival is Naadam, which has been organised for centuries, consists of three Mongolian traditional sports, archery, horse-racing 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.

Naadam

Architecture n The traditional Mongolian dwelling is known as a ger. In Russian term yurt. According to Mongolian artist and art critic N. Chultem, the ger was the basis for development of traditional Mongolian architecture. In the 16 th and 17 th centuries, lamaseries were built throughout the country. Many of them started as gertemples. When they needed to be enlarged to accommodate the growing number of worshippers, the Mongolian architects used structures with 6 and 12 angles with pyramidal roofs to approximate to the round shape of a ger. Further enlargement led to a quadratic shape of the temples. The roofs were made in the shape of marquees. The trellis walls, roof poles and layers of felt were replaced by stone, brick, beams and planks, and became permanent.

Ger

Gandan monastery

Ulan-Bator opera house

Music n Musician playing the traditional Mongolian musical instrument morin khuur n The music of Mongolia is strongly influenced by nature, nomadism, shamanism, and also Tibetan Buddhism. The traditional music includes a variety of instruments, famously the morin khuur, and also the singing styles like the urtyn duu ("long song"), and throat-singing (khoomei). The "tsam" is danced to keep away evil spirits and it was seen the reminiscences of shamaning.

Morin khur

Attraction n Ubsu-nuur is a highly saline lake. It is the largest lake in Mongolia by surface area, covering 3, 350 km². The northeastern tip of the lake is situated in the Tuva Republic of the Russian Federation. The largest settlement near the lake is Ulaangom. This shallow and very saline body of water is a remainder of a huge saline sea which covered a much larger area several thousand years ago.

Erdene-Zuu n The Erdene Zuu Monastery is probably the most ancient surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. It is part of the World Heritage Site entitled Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape. n The Erdene Zuu monastery was built in 1585 by Abtai Sain Khan. Stones from the ruins of Karakorum were used in construction. It is surrounded by a wall featuring 100 stupas. The monastery was damaged by warfare in the 1680 s, but was rebuilt in the 18 th century and by 1872 had a full 62 temples inside.

Erdene-Zuu

Religion n Various forms of Tengriism and shamanism have been widely practiced throughout the history of what is now modern day Mongolia, as such beliefs were common among nomadic people in Asian history. Such beliefs gradually gave way to Tibetan Buddhism, but shamanism has left a mark on Mongolian religious culture, and it continues to be practiced. In the three Western khanates of the Mongol Empire, which were established on Muslim territories, the Mongol conqueror elites eventually adopted Islam.

Mongolian cuisine n Mongolian cuisine refers to the local culinary traditions of Mongolia and Mongolian styled dishes. The extreme continental climate has affected the traditional diet, so the Mongolian cuisine primarily consists of dairy products, meat, and animal fats. Use of vegetables and spices is limited. Due to geographic proximity and deep historic ties with China and Russia, Mongolian cuisine is also influenced by Chinese and Russian cuisine.

Mongolian stew

Buuzi

Khuushuur

Khorkhog