Travelling Club - Mongolia

Fact Sheet: Mongolia

• Location: Northern Asia, between China and Russia
• Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 105 00 E
• Area: total: 1,564,116 sq km
• Climate: desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)
• Terrain: vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central
• Natural hazards: dust storms, grassland and forest fires, drought, and "zud," which is harsh winter conditions
• Population: 2,832,224 (July 2006 est.)
• Ethnic groups: Mongol (mostly Khalkha) 94.9%, Turkic (mostly Kazakh) 5%, other (including Chinese and Russian) 0.1% (2000)
• Religions: Buddhist Lamaist 50%, none 40%, Shamanist and Christian 6%, Muslim 4% (2004)
• Languages: Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian (1999)
• Government type: mixed parliamentary/presidential
• Capital: name: Ulaanbaatar
• Currency code: togrog/tugrik (MNT)
• Exchange rates: togrogs/tugriks per US dollar - 1,187.17 (2005), 1,185.3 (2004), 1,146.5 (2003), 1,110.3 (2002), 1,097.7 (2001)
• Internet country code: .mn
• Airports: 44 (2006)