Mongolia

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.

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

• 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 in power plants and the lack of enforcement of environmental laws have severely polluted the air in Ulaanbaatar;
• deforestation, overgrazing, the converting of virgin land to agricultural production have increased soil erosion from wind and rain;
• desertification and mining activities have also had a deleterious effect on the environment

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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

0-14 years:

34% (male 461,719; female 447,426)

15-64 years:

62% (male 816,851; female 816,651)

65 years and over:

4% (male 46,682; female 61,623) (2000 est.)

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 (2000 est.)

noun:

Mongolian(s)

adjective:

Mongolian

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Mongolia

local long form:

none

local short form:

Mongol Uls

former:

Outer Mongolia

• 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

• blend of Russian, Chinese, Turkish, and Western systems of law that combines aspects of a parliamentary and presidential system;
• constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislative acts;
• has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

chief of state:

President Natsagiyn BAGABANDI (since 20 June 1997)

head of government:

Prime Minister Rinchinnyamin AMARJARGAL (since 30 August 1999)

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 last held 30 August 1999 (next to be held NA)

election results:

• Natsagiyn BAGABANDI elected president;
• percent of vote - Natsagiyn BAGABANDI (MPRP) 60.8%, Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT (MNDP and MSDP) 29.8%, Jambyn GOMBOJAV 6.6%;
• Rinchinnyamin AMARJARGAL elected prime minister by a vote in the State Great Hural of 50 to 2

• Democratic Union Coalition or DUC (includes the MNDP and the MSDP);
• Independence Party [leader NA];
• Mongolian Conservative Party or MCP [JARGALSAIHAN];
• Mongolian Democratic New Socialist Party or MDNSP [B. ERDENEBAT, chairman];
• Mongolian Democratic Renaissance Party or MDRP [BYAMBASUREN, chairman];
• Mongolian National Democratic Party or MNDP [R. AMARJARGAL, chairman; B. DELGERMAA, general secretary];
• Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party or MPRP [N. ENKHBAYAR, chairman; L. ENEBISH, general secretary];
• Mongolian Republican Party or MRP [B. JARGALSAIHAN];
• Mongolian Social Democratic Party or MSDP [Radnaasumbereliyn GONCHIGDORJ, chairman; N. ALTANKHUYAG, general secretary];
• Mongolian United Heritage Party or UHP [B. JAMTSAI] (includes the United Party of Herdsman and Farmers, Independence Party, Traditional United Conservative Party, and Mongolian United Private Property Owners Party);
• Mongolian United Private Property Owners Party [leader NA]);
• United Party of Herdsman and Farmers [leader NA];
• Traditional United Conservative Party [leader NA];
• Workers' Party [leader NA]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Jalbuugiyn CHOINHOR

chancery:

2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone:

[1] (202) 333-7117

FAX:

[1] (202) 298-9227

consulate(s) general:

New York

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

telephone:

[976] (1) 329095

FAX:

[976] (1) 320776

• 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)

lowest 10%:

2.9%

highest 10%:

24.5% (1995)

domestic:

NA

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)

total:

1,928 km

broad gauge:

1,928 km 1.524-m gauge (1994)

total:

49,250 km

paved:

1,674 km

unpaved:

47,576 km (1998 est.)

note: much of the unpaved rural road system consists of rough cross-country tracks