from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Mongolia
Introduction
Background: The Mongols gained fame in the 13th century when under
Chinggis KHAN they conquered a huge Eurasian empire.
After his death the empire was divided into several
powerful Mongol states, but these broke apart in the
14th century. The Mongols eventually retired to their
original steppe homelands and later came under Chinese
rule. Mongolia won its independence in 1921 with Soviet
backing. A Communist regime was installed in 1924. The
ex-Communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
(MPRP) won elections in 1990 and 1992, but was defeated
by the Democratic Union Coalition (DUC) in the 1996
parliamentary election. Since then, parliamentary
elections returned the MPRP overwhelmingly to power in
2000 and produced a coalition government in 2004.
Geography
Location: Northern Asia, between China and Russia
Geographic 46 00 N, 105 00 E
coordinates:
Map Asia
references:
Area: total: 1,564,116 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Alaska
comparative:
Land total: 8,220 km
boundaries: border countries: China 4,677 km, Russia 3,543 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime none (landlocked)
claims:
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
Elevation lowest point: Hoh Nuur 518 m
extremes: highest point: Nayramadlin Orgil (Huyten Orgil) 4,374 m
Natural oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates,
resources: tin, nickel, zinc, fluorspar, gold, silver, iron
Land use: arable land: 0.76%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.24% (2005)
Irrigated 840 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural dust storms, grassland and forest fires, drought, and
hazards: "zud," which is harsh winter conditions
Environment - limited natural fresh water resources in some areas;
current the policies of former Communist regimes promoted rapid
issues: urbanization and industrial growth that had negative
effects on the environment; the burning of soft coal in
power plants and the lack of enforcement of
environmental laws severely polluted the air in
Ulaanbaatar; deforestation, overgrazing, and the
converting of virgin land to agricultural production
increased soil erosion from wind and rain;
desertification and mining activities had a deleterious
effect on the environment
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia
note:
People
Population: 2,832,224 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.9% (male 402,448/female 387,059)
15-64 years: 68.4% (male 967,546/female 969,389)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 45,859/female 59,923)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 24.6 years
male: 24.3 years
female: 25 years (2006 est.)
Population 1.46% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 21.59 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 6.95 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 52.12 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 55.51 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 48.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 64.89 years
expectancy at male: 62.64 years
birth: female: 67.25 years (2006 est.)
Total 2.25 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - less than 500 (2003 est)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - less than 200 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Mongolian(s)
adjective: Mongolian
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)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8%
male: 98%
female: 97.5% (2002)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Mongolia
local long form: none
local short form: Mongol Uls
former: Outer Mongolia
Government mixed parliamentary/presidential
type:
Capital: name: Ulaanbaatar
geographic coordinates: 47 55 N, 106 53 E
time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington,
DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Saturday in
March; ends last Saturday in September
Administrative 21 provinces (aymguud, singular - aymag) and 1
divisions: municipality* (singular - hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor,
Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan-Uul, Dornod, Dornogovi,
Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Govi-Altay, Govisumber, Hentiy,
Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Orhon, Ovorhangay, Selenge,
Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs
Independence: 11 July 1921 (from China)
National Independence Day/Revolution Day, 11 July (1921)
holiday:
Constitution: 12 February 1992
Legal system: blend of Soviet, German, and US systems that combine
"continental" or "civil" code and case-precedent;
constitution ambiguous on judicial review of
legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR (since 24
branch: June 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Miegombyn ENKHBOLD
(since 25 January 2006); Deputy Prime Minister
Mendsaikhan ENKHSAIKHAN (since 28 January 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister in
consultation with the president and confirmed by the
State Great Hural (parliament)
elections: presidential candidates nominated by
political parties represented in State Great Hural and
elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible
for a second term); election last held 22 May 2005
(next to be held in May 2009); following legislative
elections, leader of majority party or majority
coalition is usually elected prime minister by State
Great Hural
election results: Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR elected president;
percent of vote - Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR (MPRP) 53.44%,
Mendsaikhanin ENKHSAIKHAN (DP) 20.05%, Bazarsadyn
JARGALSAIKHAN (MRP) 13.92%, Badarchyn ERDENEBAT
(M-MNSDP) 12.59%; Miegombyn ENKHBOLD elected prime
minister by the State Great Hural 56 to 10
Legislative unicameral State Great Hural 76 seats; members elected
branch: by popular vote to serve four-year terms
elections: last held 27 June 2004 (next to be held in
June 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - MPRP
48.78%, MDC 44.8%, independents 3.5%, Republican Party
1.5%, others 1.42%; seats by party - MPRP 36, MDC 34,
others 4; note - following June 2004 election MDC
collapsed; as of 1 December 2005 composition of
legislature was MPRP 38, DP 25, M-MNSDP 6, CWRP 2, MRP
1, PP 1, independents 3
Judicial Supreme Court (serves as appeals court for people's and
branch: provincial courts but rarely overturns verdicts of
lower courts; judges are nominated by the General
Council of Courts and approved by the president)
Political Citizens' Will Republican Party or CWRP (also called
parties and Civil Courage Republican Party or CCRP)
leaders: [Sanjaasurengiin OYUN]; Democratic Party or DP
[Tsakhiagiyn ELBEGDORJ]; Motherland-Mongolian New
Socialist Democratic Party or M-MNSDP [Badarchyn
ERDENEBAT]; Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party or
MPRP [Miegombyn ENKHBOLD]; Mongolian Republican Party
or MRP [Bazarsadyn JARGALSAIKHAN]; People's Party or PP
[Lamjav GUNDALAI]
note: DP and M-MNSDP formed Motherland-Democracy
Coalition (MDC) in 2003 and with CWRP contested June
2004 elections as single party; MDC's leadership
dissolved coalition in December 2004
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ARF, AsDB, CP, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
organization ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
participation: Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC,
NAM, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Ravdan BOLD
representation chancery: 2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
in the US: telephone: [1] (202) 333-7117
FAX: [1] (202) 298-9227
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Mark C. MINTON
representation embassy: Big Ring Road, 11th Micro Region, Ulaanbaatar
from the US: mailing address: PSC 461, Box 300, FPO AP 96521-0002;
P.O. Box 1021, Ulaanbaatar-13
telephone: [976] (11) 329095
FAX: [976] (11) 320776
Flag three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), blue,
description: 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
Economy - Economic activity in Mongolia has traditionally been
overview: based on herding and agriculture. Mongolia has
extensive mineral deposits. Copper, coal, molybdenum,
tin, tungsten and gold account for a large part of
industrial production. Soviet assistance, at its height
one-third of GDP, disappeared almost overnight in 1990
and 1991 at the time of the dismantlement of the USSR.
The following decade saw Mongolia endure both deep
recession due to political inaction and natural
disasters, as well as economic growth because of
reform-embracing, free-market economics and extensive
privatization of the formerly state-run economy. Severe
winters and summer droughts in 2000-2002 resulted in
massive livestock die-off and zero or negative GDP
growth. This was compounded by falling prices for
Mongolia's primary sector exports and widespread
opposition to privatization. Growth was 10.6% in 2004
and 5.5% in 2005, largely because of high copper prices
and new gold production. Mongolia's economy continues
to be heavily influenced by its neighbors. For example,
Mongolia purchases 80% of its petroleum products and a
substantial amount of electric power from Russia,
leaving it vulnerable to price increases. China is
Mongolia's chief export partner and a main source of
the "shadow" or "grey" economy. The World Bank and
other international financial institutions estimate the
grey economy to be at least equal to that of the
official economy, but the former's actual size is
difficult to calculate since the money does not pass
through the hands of tax authorities or the banking
sector. Remittances from Mongolians working abroad both
legally and illegally are sizeable, and money
laundering is a growing concern. Mongolia settled its
$11 billion debt with Russia at the end of 2003 on
favorable terms. Mongolia, which joined the World Trade
Organization in 1997, seeks to expand its participation
and integration into Asian regional economic and trade
regimes.
GDP $5.272 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $1.4 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 6.2% according to official estimate (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $1,900 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 20.6%
composition by industry: 21.4%
sector: services: 58% (2003 est.)
Labor force: 1.488 million (2003)
Labor force - herding/agriculture 42%, mining 4%, manufacturing 6%,
by occupation: trade 14%, services 29%, public sector 5% (2003)
Unemployment 6.7% (2003)
rate:
Population 36.1% (2004 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 2.1%
income or highest 10%: 37% (1995)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 44 (1998)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 9.5% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $702 million
expenditures: $651 million; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Agriculture - wheat, barley, vegetables, forage crops; sheep, goats,
products: cattle, camels, horses
Industries: construction and construction materials; mining (coal,
copper, molybdenum, fluorspar, tin, tungsten, and
gold); oil; food and beverages; processing of animal
products, cashmere and natural fiber manufacturing
Industrial 4.1% (2002 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 3.24 billion kWh (2005 est.)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 3.37 billion kWh (2005 est.)
consumption:
Electricity - 18 million kWh (2005 est.)
exports:
Electricity - 130 million kWh (2005 est.)
imports:
Oil - 548.8 bbl/day (2005 est.)
production:
Oil - 11,220 bbl/day (2005 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 515 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - imports: 11,210 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Exports: $852 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - copper, apparel, livestock, animal products, cashmere,
commodities: wool, hides, fluorspar, other nonferrous metals
Exports - China 56.2%, Canada 15.6%, US 14.7% (2005)
partners:
Imports: $1.011 billion c.i.f. (2004 est.)
Imports - machinery and equipment, fuel, cars, food products,
commodities: industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building
materials, sugar, tea
Imports - Russia 35.8%, China 25.7%, Japan 6.3%, South Korea 6%,
partners: Germany 4.2% (2005)
Debt - $1.36 billion (2004)
external:
Economic aid - $215 million (2003)
recipient:
Currency togrog/tugrik (MNT)
(code):
Currency code: MNT
Exchange togrogs/tugriks per US dollar - 1,187.17 (2005),
rates: 1,185.3 (2004), 1,146.5 (2003), 1,110.3 (2002), 1,097.7
(2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 156,000 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 557,200 (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: network is improving with
system: international direct dialing available in many areas
domestic: very low density of about 5.5 main lines per
100 persons; two wireless providers cover all but two
provinces
international: country code - 976; satellite earth
station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)
Radio AM 7, FM 62, shortwave 3 (2004)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 155,900 (1999)
Television 52 (plus 21 provincial repeaters and many low power
broadcast repeaters) (2004)
stations:
Televisions: 168,800 (1999)
Internet .mn
country code:
Internet 272 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 5 (2001)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 268,300 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 44 (2006)
Airports - total: 12
with paved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - total: 32
with unpaved over 3,047 m: 2
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Heliports: 2 (2006)
Railways: total: 1,810 km
broad gauge: 1,810 km 1.524-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 49,250 km
paved: 1,724 km
unpaved: 47,526 km (2002)
Waterways: 580 km
note: only waterway in operation is Lake Hovsgol (135
km); Selenge River (270 km) and Orhon River (175 km)
are navigable but carry little traffic; lakes and
rivers freeze in winter, are open from May to September
(2004)
Merchant total: 61 ships (1000 GRT or over) 319,053 GRT/479,190
marine: DWT
by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 49, passenger/cargo 1,
roll on/roll off 3
foreign-owned: 49 (China 4, Japan 1, North Korea 3,
Lebanon 1, Malaysia 1, Russia 13, Singapore 10, Syria
1, Thailand 1, UAE 5, Ukraine 1, Vietnam 8) (2006)
Military
Military Mongolian People's Army (MPA), Mongolian People's Air
branches: Force (MPAF); there is no navy (2005)
Military 18-25 years of age for compulsory military service;
service age conscript service obligation - 12 months in land or air
and defense forces or police; a small portion of Mongolian
obligation: land forces (2.5 percent) is comprised of contract
soldiers (2004)
Manpower males age 18-49: 736,182
available for females age 18-49: 734,679 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 570,435
for military females age 18-49: 607,918 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 34,674
reaching females age 18-49: 34,251 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $23.1 million (FY02)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 2.2% (FY02)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - none
international: