Map of Mongolia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: Long a province of China Mongolia won its independence in 1921 with Soviet backing. A communist regime was installed in 1924. During the early 1990s the ex-communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) gradually yielded its monopoly on power.


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Location: Northern Asia, north of China

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Asia

Area
Total area total: 1.565 million km²
Land: 1.565 million km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries: total 8,114 km, China 4,673 km, Russia 3,441 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none; landlocked

Climate: desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)

Terrain: vast semidesert and desert plains; mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in southeast

Elevation

Natural resources: oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold

Land use
Arable land: 1%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 79%
Forest and woodland: 10%
Other: 10%

Irrigated land: 770 km² (1989)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia


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Population: 2,493,615 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 2.58% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Mongolian(s)
Adjective: Mongolian

Ethnic groups: Mongol 90%, Kazakh 4%, Chinese 2%, Russian 2%, other 2%

Languages: Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian, Chinese

Religions: predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, Muslim 4%
Note: previously limited religious activity because of Communist regime

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 40% (female 495,919; male 511,464)
15-64 years: 56% (female 693,037; male 693,776)
65 years and over: 4% (female 54,991; male 44,428) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.58% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 32.65 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 6.82 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: limited natural fresh water resources; policies of the former communist regime promoting rapid urbanization and industrial growth have raised concerns about their negative effects on the environment; the burning of soft coal and the concentration of factories in Ulaanbaatar have severely polluted the air; deforestation, overgrazing, the converting of virgin land to agricultural production have increased soil erosion from wind and rain; desertification
Current issues natural hazards: duststorms can occur in the spring
Current issues international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 41.8 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 66.54 years
Male: 64.28 years
Female: 68.92 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.26 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: NA%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Mongolia
Local long form: none
Local short form: Mongol Uls
Former: Outer Mongolia

Government type: republic

Capital: Ulaanbaatar

Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (aymguud, singular - aymag) and 3 municipalities* (hotuud, singular - hot; Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan*, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Erdenet*, Govi-Altay, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs

Dependent areas

Independence: 13 March 1921 (from China)

National holiday: National Day, 11 July (1921)

Constitution: adopted 13 January 1992

Legal system: blend of Russian, Chinese, and Turkish systems of law; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT (since 3 September 1990); election last held 6 June 1993 (next to be held NA 1997); results - Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT (MNDP and MSDP) elected directly with 57.8% of the vote; other candidate Lodongiyn TUDEV (MPRP)
Head of government: Prime Minister Putsagiyn JASRAY (since 3 August 1992); Deputy Prime Ministers Lhamsuren ENEBISH and Choijilsurengiyn PUREVDORJ (since NA)
Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the Great Hural

Legislative branch: unicameral
State Great Hural: elections held for the first time 28 June 1992 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (76 total) MPRP 71, United Party of Mongolia 4, MSDP 1
Note: the People's Small Hural no longer exists

Judicial branch: Supreme Court serves as appeals court for people's and provincial courts, but to date rarely overturns verdicts of lower courts

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Luvsandorj DAWAAGIW
In the us chancery: 2,833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 333-7,117
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 298-9,227
In the us consulates general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Donald C. JOHNSON
From the us embassy: address NA, Ulaanbaatar
From the us mailing address: c/o American Embassy Beijing, Micro Region 11, Big Ring Road; PSC 461, Box 300, FPO AP 96,521-0002
From the us telephone: [976] (1) 329,095, 329,606
From the us FAX: [976] (1) 320,776

Flag description: 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)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Mongolia's severe climate, scattered population, and wide expanses of unproductive land have constrained economic development. Economic activity traditionally has been based on agriculture and the breeding of livestock. In past years extensive mineral resources had been developed with Soviet support; total Soviet assistance at its height amounted to 30% of GDP. The mining and processing of coal, copper, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold account for a large part of industrial production. Timber and fishing are also important sectors. The Mongolian leadership has been gradually making the transition from Soviet-style central planning to a market economy through privatization and price reform, and is soliciting support from international financial agencies and foreign investors. The economy, however, has still not recovered from the loss of Soviet aid, and the country continues to suffer substantial economic hardships, with one-fourth of the population below the poverty line.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.5% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for about 35% of GDP and provides livelihood for about 50% of the population; livestock raising predominates (primarily sheep and goats, but also cattle, camels, and horses; crops - wheat, barley, potatoes, forage

Industries: copper, processing of animal products, building materials, food and beverage, mining (particularly coal)

Industrial production growth rate: -15% (1992 est.), accounts for about 42% of GDP

Labor force: NA
By occupation: primarily herding/agricultural
Note: over half the adult population is in the labor force, including a large percentage of women; shortage of skilled labor

Unemployment rate: 15% (1991 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $N/A
Expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)
Note: deficit of $67 million

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $360 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodoties: copper, livestock, animal products, cashmere, wool, hides, fluorspar, other nonferrous metals
Partners: former CMEA countries 62%, China 17%, EC 8% (1992)

Imports: $361 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodoties: machinery and equipment, fuels, food products, industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea
Partners: USSR 75%, Austria 5%, China 5% (1991)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: tughriks (Tug) per US$1 - 415.34 (January 1995), 412.72 (1994), 42.56 (1992), 9.52 (1991), 5.63 (1990)
Note: the exchange rate 40 tughriks = 1US$ was introduced June 1991 and was in force to the end of 1992; beginning 27 May 1993 the exchange rate is the midpoint of the average buying and selling rates that are freely determined on the basis of market transactions between commercial banks and the nonbank public


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 3.1 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 1,267 kWh (1993)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system: 63,000 telephones (1989)
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: at least 1 satellite earth station

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $22.8 million, 1% of GDP (1992)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 34
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With paved runways under 914 m: 1
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 10
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 5

Airports with paved runways
2438 to 3047 m: 7
Under 914 m: 1

Airports with unpaved runways
Over 3047 m: 3
2438 to 3047 m: 5
15-24 to 2438 m: 10
914 to 1523 m: 3
Under 914 m: 5

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 397 km of principal routes (1988)

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs