Mongolia
mixed parliamentary/presidentialIndependence 11 July 1921 (from China)
Mongolia as the 2004 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 117 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.
No fields match. Try a shorter word.
Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
During the early 1990s, the ex-Communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) gradually yielded its monopoly on power to the Democratic Union Coalition (DUC), which defeated the MPRP in a national election in 1996. Since then, parliamentary elections returned the MPRP overwhelmingly to power in 2000 and produced a coalition government in 2004.
Geography
Northern Asia, between China and Russia
18 fieldsLand useshare of 1,564,116 sq km
Terrain
vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central
Natural resources
oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, fluorspar, gold, silver, iron
Natural hazards
dust storms, grassland and forest fires, drought, and "zud," which is harsh winter conditions
Environment - current issues
- limited natural fresh water resources in some areas;
- the policies of former Communist regimes promoted rapid 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 - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
People
19 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2004 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2000)
Religions(2004)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 29.7% (male 415,735; female 400,560)
- 15-64 years:
- 66.7% (male 916,445; female 918,235)
- 65 years and over:
- 3.6% (male 43,205; female 57,134) (2004 est.)
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:
- 0.76 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Government
Mixed parliamentary/presidential; President Natsagiyn BAGABANDI (since 20 June 1997); Prime Minister Tsakhiagiyn ELBEGDORJ (since 20 August 2004)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, 74 seats, elected 27 June 2004one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Mongolia
- local long form:
- none
- local short form:
- Mongol Uls
- former:
- Outer Mongolia
Administrative divisions
- 21 provinces (aymguud, singular - aymag) and 1 municipality* (singular - hot);
- Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan Uul, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Govi-Altay, Govi-Sumber, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Orhon, Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs
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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Natsagiyn BAGABANDI (since 20 June 1997)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Tsakhiagiyn ELBEGDORJ (since 20 August 2004); Deputy Prime Minister Chultem ULAAN (since 28 September 2004)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the State Great Hural (parliament) in consultation with the president
- elections:
- presidential candidates nominated by political parties represented in State Great Hural and elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
- presidential tenure limited to two four-year terms;
- election last held 20 May 2001 (next to be held in May 2005);
- following legislative elections, leader of majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by State Great Hural;
- election last held 27 June 2004 (next to be held in June 2008)
- election results:
- Natsagiyn BAGABANDI reelected president in 2001;
- percent of vote - Natsagiyn BAGABANDI (MPRP) 58.13%, Radnaasumbereliyn GONCHIGDORJ (DP) 36.58%, Luvsandamba DASHNYAM (CWP) 3.54%, other 1.75%;
- Tsakkhiagiyn ELBEGDORJ elected prime minister by the State Great Hural 74 to 0
Legislative branch
unicameral State Great Hural 76 seats; members elected 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%;
- seats by party - MPRP 36, MDC 34, others 4;
- note - following the June 2004 election, two seats in dispute and unoccupied
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (serves as appeals court for people's and provincial courts but rarely overturns verdicts of lower courts; judges are nominated by the General Council of Courts and approved by the president)
Political parties and leaders
- Citizens' Will Republican Party or CWRP (also called Civil Courage Republican Party or CCRP) [Sanjaasurengiin OYUN];
- Democratic Party or DP [R. GONCHIKDORJ];
- Motherland-Mongolian New Socialist Democratic Party or M-MNSDP [B. ERDENEBAT];
- Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party or MPRP [Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR];
- Mongolian Republican Party or MRP [B. JARGALSAIKHAN]
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
International organization participation
ARF, AsDB, CP, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Ravdangiyn BOLD
- chancery:
- 2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 333-7117
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 298-9227
- consulate(s) general:
- New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Pamela J. SLUTZ
- embassy:
- Micro Region 11, Big Ring Road, C.P.O. 1021, Ulaanbaatar 13
- mailing address:
- PSC 461, Box 300, FPO AP 96521-0002
- telephone:
- [976] (11) 329095
- FAX:
- [976] (11) 320776
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
Economic activity traditionally has been based on agriculture and breeding of livestock.
36 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2002 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Economic activity traditionally has been based on agriculture and breeding of livestock. Mongolia also 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 1990-91 at the time of the dismantlement of the USSR. Mongolia was driven into deep recession, prolonged by the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party's (MPRP) reluctance to undertake serious economic reform.
The Democratic Union Coalition (DUC) government embraced free-market economics, eased price controls, liberalized domestic and international trade, and attempted to restructure the banking system and the energy sector. Major domestic privatization programs were undertaken, as well as the fostering of foreign investment through international tender of the oil distribution company, a leading cashmere company, and banks.
Reform was held back by the ex-Communist MPRP opposition and by the political instability brought about through four successive governments under the DUC. Economic growth picked up in 1997-99 after stalling in 1996 due to a series of natural disasters and declines in world prices of copper and cashmere.
In August and September 1999, the economy suffered from a temporary Russian ban on exports of oil and oil products, and Mongolia remains vulnerable in this sector. Mongolia joined the World Trade Organization (WTrO) in 1997. The international donor community pledged over $300 million per year at the Consultative Group Meeting, held in Ulaanbaatar in June 1999.
The MPRP government, elected in July 2000, was anxious to improve the investment climate; it also had to deal with a heavy burden of external debt. Falling prices for Mongolia's mainly primary sector exports, widespread opposition to privatization, and adverse effects of weather on agriculture in early 2000 and 2001 restrained real GDP growth.
Despite drought problems in 2002, GDP rose 4.0%, followed by a solid 5.0% increase in 2003. The first applications under the land privatization law have been marked by a number of disputes over particular sites. Russia claims Mongolia owes it $11 billion from the Soviet period; any settlement could substantially increase Mongolia's foreign debt burden.
Labor force - by occupation
herding/agriculture 46%, manufacturing 6%, trade 10.3%, public sector 4.7%, other/unemployed 33% (2001)
Industries
- construction materials;
- mining (coal, copper, molybdenum, fluorspar, and gold);
- oil;
- food and beverages;
- processing of animal products
Exports - commodities
copper, livestock, animal products, cashmere, wool, hides, fluorspar, other nonferrous metals
Imports - commodities
machinery and equipment, fuels, food products, industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea
Exchange rates
togrogs/tugriks per US dollar - 1,171 (2003), 1,110.31 (2002), 1,097.7 (2001), 1,076.67 (2000), 1,021.87 (1999)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- very low density: about 3.5 telephones for each thousand persons
- domestic:
- NA
- international:
- country code - 976; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)
Transportation
9 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
Waterways
580 km
note: only waterway in operation is Lake Khovsgol (135 km); Selenge River (270 km) and Orkhon River (175 km) are navigable but carry little traffic;
lakes and rivers freeze in winter, are open from May to September (2004)
Merchant marine
- total:
- 65 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 339,423 GRT/533,853 DWT
- by type:
- bulk 4, cargo 53, chemical tanker 1, container 2, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, specialized tanker 1
- foreign-owned:
- Belize 1, Cambodia 1, China 4, Cuba 1, Hong Kong 2, Indonesia 1, Japan 1, North Korea 1, Lebanon 1, Malaysia 1, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 5, Moldova 1, Panama 3, Romania 1, Russia 14, Singapore 13, Syria 4, Thailand 1, Turkey 1, Ukraine 1, United States 3, Vietnam 4 (2004 est.)
Military
Mongolian People's Army (comprising Ground Forces, Air Defense Forces), Border Guards, Internal Security Forces, Construction Corps Forces, Civil Defense Authority
7 fieldsMilitary branches
Mongolian People's Army (comprising Ground Forces, Air Defense Forces), Border Guards, Internal Security Forces, Construction Corps Forces, Civil Defense Authority
Military manpower - military age and obligation
18-25 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Mongolia.” The World Factbook 2004. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/mongolia/2004.