Population: 3 million
Capital: Ulan Bator
Language: Mongolian
during the Genghis Khan era in the early 13th century, did the Mongol Empire cover almost all of Asia and parts of Eastern Europe?
there are 13 times as many horses as humans in Mongolia?
Geography and wildlife in Mongolia
Mongolia is bordered by Russia in the north and by China in the south. Despite the country’s huge area of 1.6 million km2 (Sweden about 450,000 km2), the population is limited to 2.8 million, who live scattered on the huge area. In the northwest, Russian mountain ranges stretch towards Mongolia and in some places they are 4000 meters high. The mountain sides are covered with coniferous forest, and in the valleys countless rivers flow into mirror-shiny lakes. South of the mountain area is a plateau at an altitude of about 1200 meters, where nomads drive sheep, horses and camels forward in search of the best grass areas. In the southeast, the plateau slides into the large, golden Gobi Desert. The wild animals live relatively undisturbed in Mongolia due to the low population. In the forests among the mountains, bears, snow leopards, moose and deer rule. In the steppes, the nomads’ pets share food with gazelles,
Mongolia’s climate
Mongolia has a typical mainland climate with short, hot summers, long, cold winters and large temperature fluctuations. In some places the temperature changes from plus 35 ° to minus 50 ° during a year. The rainfall is modest and in the Gobi Desert a year without rain is not uncommon. When the precipitation finally comes, it is often in the form of heavy rainfall or snowstorms. The best time for a trip to Mongolia is between May and October. Incidentally, the climate is cold and harsh, with a high probability of sudden snowstorms.
The population of Mongolia
The Mongols have been pet-owning nomads for centuries, and many still follow this traditional way of life. There are 23 million domestic animals throughout Mongolia, representing eight animals per capita. The inhabitants who do not live as nomads live either in the country’s relatively few villages or in agricultural collectives, where they grow wheat, potatoes and vegetables on the vast areas.
The history of Mongolia
The earliest Mongol nomads lived in scattered tribes that did not have much contact with each other. Something that Genghis Khan changed when he gathered the entire Mongolian population in the 12th century and expanded the empire to colossal dimensions. For the Mongols, Genghis Khan was a folk hero who gave the country strength, context and order. A view that differs significantly from the rest of the world’s thoughts about the barbaric warlord. At his death in 1227, the Mongol Empire stretched all the way from Beijing to the Caspian Sea. The grandson Kublai Khan continued the conquests, and under him Mongolia became the largest empire in world history. But the heyday was short-lived. Mongolia became a Chinese province and remained so until an independent, communist state called the Mongolian People’s Republic, was established in 1924 in alliance with the Soviet Union. During the People’s Republic, almost all traces of religion were eradicated, but after the new democratic constitution in 1992, Tibetan Buddhism flourished again in Mongolia.
Traveling in Mongolia
A trip to Mongolia is something for everyone who is looking for fantastic nature experiences in the company of themselves, some wild sheep and maybe a passing nomadic family. Here you can hike in deep forests and over vast steppes. Here you can spend the night with nomadic families in traditional, circular ger tents where everyone eats, sleeps and stays warm around the fireplace in the middle. Real loneliness can be experienced in the red sands of the Gobi Desert, where the population density is only three people per square meter. Around the small, loyal capital Ullaanbatoor are four sacred mountains, which with their rich animal and plant life are a popular haunt for migratory birds. Tavanbogd National Park in the western corner of Mongolia is an overwhelmingly beautiful mountain area with lakes, rivers and archeological sites. Visit petwithsupplies for Mongolia Travel Guide.
Those who also want to fill their holiday with a little culture, can visit the monastery Amarbayasgalant Khiid. The monastery, located in a valley in northern Mongolia, is the country’s most important and beautiful monastery. Many of the monastery’s temples and statues were destroyed by the Communists in the 1930s, but those that remain can still be accessed. You can also attend the monks’ daily ceremonies. If you travel to Mongolia, you should get ready for magnificent nature, relatively primitive accommodation and a somewhat unusual diet. The road to a Mongol’s heart goes through vodka in large quantities, and by the way, the menu consists of goat’s milk and mutton in all possible forms.
