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. In 1996 the Democratic Union Coalition (DUC) defeated the MPRP in a national election and has attempted to establish a number of reforms to modernize the economy. However many former communists retain key posts and implementation has been difficult.

Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 105 00 E

Map reference: Asia

Area
Total: 1.565 million km²
Land: 1.565 million km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Alaska

Land boundaries
Total: 8,114 km
Border countries: (2) 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
Extremes lowest point: Hoh Nuur 518 m
Extremes highest point: Tavan Bogd Uul 4,374 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 1%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 80%
Forests and woodland: 9%
Other: 10% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 800 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: dust storms can occur in the spring; grassland fires

Geography
Note: landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia

Population: 2,578,530 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 1.54% (1998 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

Age structure
0-14 years: 37% (male 483,795; female 468,700)
15-64 years: 59% (male 764,665; female 764,825)
65 years and over: 4% (male 41,488; female 55,057) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.54% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 23.56 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 8.19 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 66.34 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 61.46 years
Male: 59.4 years
Female: 63.61 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.75 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 82.9%
Male: 88.6%
Female: 77.2% (1988 est.)

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

Independence: 13 March 1921 (from China)

National holiday: National Day, 11 July (1921)

Constitution: 12 February 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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Natsagiyn BAGABANDI (since 20 June 1997): ead of
Government: Prime Minister Tsahiagiyn ELBEGDORJ (since 23 April 1998)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the State Great Hural
Elections: president nominated by parties in the State Great Hural and elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 18 May 1997 (next to be held summer 2001); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the State Great Hural
Election results: Natsagiyn BAGABANDI elected president; percent of vote_Natsagiyn BAGABANDI (MPRP) 60.8%, Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT (MNDP and MSDP) 29.8%, Jambyn GOMBOJAV (MUTP) 6.6%; following a vote of no-confidence against former Prime Minister Mendsaihan ENHSAIHAN, Tsahiagiyn ELBEGDORJ was elected prime minister on 23 April 1998 by a vote in the State Great Hural of 61 to 6 (nine members abstained)

Legislative branch: unicameral State Great Hural (76 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 30 June 1996 (next to be held NA June 2000)
Election results: percent of vote by party_DUC 66%, MPRP 33%, MCP 1%; seats by party - DUC 50 (MNDP 34, MSDP 13, independents 3), MPRP 25, MCP 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, serves as appeals court for people's and provincial courts, but to date rarely overturns verdicts of lower courts, judges are nominated by the General Council of Courts for approval by the Great Hural

International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, NAM (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jalbuugiyn CHOINHOR
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 Alphonse F. LA PORTA
From the us embassy: inner north side of the Big Ring, just west of the Selbe Gol, 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
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)

Economy overview: The government has embraced free-market economics, freezing spending, easing price controls, liberalizing domestic and international trade. Mongolia's severe climate, scattered population, and wide expanses of unproductive land, however, 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, but disappeared almost overnight in 1990-91. The mining and processing of coal, copper, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold account for a large part of industrial production. The Mongolian leadership has been soliciting support from foreign donors, who pledged some $250 million in aid in October 1997. Economic growth picked up in 1997 after stalling in 1996 due to a series of natural disasters and declines in world prices of copper and cashmere.

Real gdp growth rate: 3.3% (1997 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $2,200 (1997 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 34%
Industry: 32%
Services: 34% (1995 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat, barley, potatoes, forage crops; sheep, goats, cattle, camels, horses

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

Industrial production growth rate: 4.5% (1997 est.)

Labor force
Total: 1.115 million (mid-1993 est.)
By occupation: primarily herding/agricultural

Unemployment rate: 15% (1997 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $N/A
Expenditures: $N/A

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: total value:$418 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
Commodoties: copper, livestock, animal products, cashmere, wool, hides, fluorspar, other nonferrous metals
Partners: Russia 21%, China 18% (1996)

Imports: total value:$443.4 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
Commodoties: machinery and equipment, fuels, food products, industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea
Partners: Russia 34%, China 15% (1996)

Debt external: $500 million (1996 est.)

Exchange rates: tughriks (Tug) per US$1_812.09 (December 1997), 789.99 (1997), 548.40 (1996), 448.61 (1995), 412.72 (1994)

Electricity
Capacity: 901,000 kW (1995)
Production: 3.15 billion kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 1,303 kWh (1995)

Telephones: 89,000 (1995 est.)

Telephone system
Domestic: NA
International: satellite earth station_1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $22.8 million (1992)
Percent of gdp: 1% (1992)

Airports: 34 (1994 est.)
With paved runways total: 8
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1994 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 26
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 5 (1994 est.)

Railways
Total: 1,928 km
Broad gauge: 1,928 km 1.524-m gauge (1994)

Waterways: 397 km of principal routes (1988)

Disputes international: none