Mongolia

republicIndependence 13 March 1921 (from China)

Mongolia as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 103 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalUlaanbaatar

Position46 00 N, 105 00 E

Area1.565 million sq km

LocationNorthern Asia, between China and Russia

Populationas each edition published it

2.62 million July 1999 est. · 2.19m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.45% 1999 est. · 2.62% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 23.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

61.81 years 1999 est. · 65.77 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.6 children per woman 1999 est. · 4.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

64.63 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 50 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$2,250 1998 est. · $800 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

3.5% 1998 est. · -15% in 1993

Geography

Northern Asia, between China and Russia

18 fields

Land use(1993 est.)

arable land 1%permanent crops 0%permanent pastures 80%forests and woodland 9%other 10% (1993 est.)irrigated 800 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

1.565million sq km

land: 1.565 million sq kmwater: 0 sq kmslightly smaller than Alaska

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Highest point

4,374m

Tavan Bogd Uullowest point: Hoh Nuur 518 m

Land boundaries

8,114km

border countries: China 4,673 km, Russia 3,441 km

Climate

desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)

Terrain

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

Natural resources

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

Natural hazards

dust storms can occur in the spring; grassland fires

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;
mining activities have also had a deleterious effect on the environment

Environment--international agreements

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

Geography--note

landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia

People

15 fields

Population

2,617,379

(July 1999 est.)growth rate: 1.45% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth

22.51Death

7.97Net migration

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1999 est.)61.81

59.71 · 64.02

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1988 est.)82.9%

88.6% · 77.2%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups

Mongol 90%Kazakh 4%Chinese 2%Russian 2%other 2%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 36% (male 480,087; female 464,609)
15-64 years:: 60% (male 787,222; female 787,405)
65 years and over:: 4% (male 42,219; female 55,837) (1999 est.)

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:: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population:: 1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

64.63 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Mongolian(s)
adjective:: Mongolian

Religions

predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, Muslim 4% note: previously limited religious activity because of communist regime

Languages

Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian, Chinese

Government

Republic; President Natsagiyn BAGABANDI (since 20 June 1997); Prime Minister Janlavyn NARANTSATSRALT (since 9 December 1998)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

66%

-DUC 66%MPRP 33%MCP 1%last held 30 June 1996 (next to be held NA June 2000)

State Great Hural, 76 seats, elected 30 June 1996one dot, one seat

-DUC (MNDP 34, MSDP 13, independents 3) 50MPRP 25MCP 1

Percent of vote

-DUC 66%MPRP 33%MCP 1%

Country name

conventional long form:: none
conventional short form:: Mongolia
local long form:: none
local short form:: Mongol Uls
former:: Outer Mongolia

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

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

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Natsagiyn BAGABANDI (since 20 June 1997)
head of government:: Prime Minister Janlavyn NARANTSATSRALT (since 9 December 1998)
cabinet:: Cabinet appointed by the State Great Hural in consultation with the president
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 five months of political deadlock which left Mongolia without a working government, Janlavyn NARANTSATSRALT was elected prime minister on 9 December 1998 by a vote in the State Great Hural of 36 to 21, with nine abstentions and 10 absentees

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

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 State Great Hural

Political parties and leaders

Mongolian People's Revolutionary chairman], Mongolian Social Democratic Party or MSDP

International organization participation

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Jalbuugiyn CHOINHOR
chancery:: 2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
consulate(s) general:: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Alphonse F. LA PORTA
embassy:: inner north side of the Big Ring, just west of the Selbe Gol, Ulaanbaatar
mailing address:: c/o American Embassy Beijing, Micro Region 11, Big Ring Road, C.P.O. 1021, Ulaanbaatar 13; PSC 461, Box 300, FPO AP 96521-0002

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

The government has embraced free-market | economics, freezing spending, easing price controls, liberalizing | domestic and international trade.

31 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$2,250

purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)

Real growth rate

3.5%

(1998 est.)industrial production growth: 4.5% (1997 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

(1998)

Unemployment rate

4.5%

(1998)

GDP--composition by sector(1997 est.)

agriculture 31%industry 35%services 34% (1997 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

12.1%

Russia

30.6%

30.1%

China

13.3%

21.5%

Switzerland

Japan

11.7%

9.7%

South Korea

7.5%

8.1%

6.9%

Exports $316.8 million (f.o.b., 1998)Imports $472.4 million (f.o.b., 1998)(1998)

Budget(1998)

Revenues

$260 millionExpenditures

$330 million

Electricity

fossil fuel 100%hydro 0% · nuclear 0% · other 0%

Electricity production

2.3 billion (1996)Electricity consumption

2.681 billion (1996)Electricity imports

381 million (1996)

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 and economic growth picked up in 1997 and 1998 after stalling in 1996 due to a series of natural disasters and declines in world prices of copper and cashmere. Mongolia joined the World Trade Organization in 1997.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$5.8 billion (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line

36.3% (1995 est.)

Labor force

1.115 million (mid-1993 est.)

Labor force--by occupation

primarily herding/agricultural

Industries

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

Agriculture--products

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

Exports

$316.8 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports--commodities

copper, livestock, animal products, cashmere, wool, hides, fluorspar, other nonferrous metals

Imports

$472.4 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports--commodities

machinery and equipment, fuels, food products, industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea

Debt--external

$500 million (1996 est.)

Economic aid--recipient

$250 million (1998 est.)

Currency

1 tughrik (Tug) = 100 mongos

Exchange rates

tughriks (Tug) per US$1--902 (January 1999), 840.83 (1998), 789.99 (1997), 548.40 (1996), 448.61 (1995), 412.72 (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

93,600

(1998)

Telephone system

domestic:: NA
international:: satellite earth station--1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios

220,000

Television broadcast stations

1 (in addition, there are 18 provincial repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

120,000 (1993 est.)

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m

total: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m

over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 3

Networkskm

Highways

46,470Railways

1,928Waterways

397 (1988)

Highways: paved: 3,730 km · unpaved: 42,740 km (1997 est.) note: much of the unpaved rural road system consists of rough cross-country tracks · Railways: broad gauge: 1,928 km 1.524-m gauge (1994)