Mongolia

mean elevation:

1,528 m

elevation extremes:

lowest point: Hoh Nuur 560 m

highest point:

Nayramadlin Orgil (Huyten Orgil) 4,374 m

agricultural land:

73%;

• arable land 0.4%;
• permanent crops 0%;
• permanent pasture 72.6%

forest:

7%

other:

20% (2011 est.)

• dust storms;
• grassland and forest fires;
• drought;
• "zud," which is harsh winter conditions

• limited natural freshwater 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

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

noun:

Mongolian(s)

adjective:

Mongolian

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.94 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.85 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.69 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

total number:

106,203

percentage:

18% (2005 est.)

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Mongolia

local long form:

none

local short form:

Mongol Uls

former:

Outer Mongolia

etymology:

the name means "Land of the Mongols" in Latin; the Mongolian name Mongol Uls translates as "Mongol State"

name:

Ulaanbaatar

geographic coordinates:

47 55 N, 106 55 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

note: Mongolia has two time zones - Ulaanbaatar Time (8 hours in advance of UTC) and Hovd Time (7 hours in advance of UTC)

• 21 provinces (aymguud, singular - aymag) and 1 municipality* (singular - hot);
• Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan-Uul, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan (Zavkhan), Govi-Altay, Govisumber, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Orhon, Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs

• several previous;
• latest adopted 13 January 1992, effective 12 February 1992;
• amended 1999, 2001;
• legislation on amendments proposed in 2015 continued into 2016 (2016)

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

both parents must be citizens of Mongolia; one parent if born within Mongolia

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

President Tsakhia ELBEGDORJ (since 18 June 2009)

head of government:

Prime Minister Jargaltulga ERDENEBAT (since 7 July 2016); Deputy Prime Minister Ukhnaa KHURELSUKH (since 25 July 2016)

cabinet:

Cabinet nominated by the prime minister in consultation with the president, confirmed by the State Great Hural (parliament)

elections/appointments:

• presidential candidates nominated by political parties represented in the State Great Hural and directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 26 June 2013 (next to be held in June 2017);
• following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister by the State Great Hural

election results:

Tsakhia ELBEGDORJ reelected president; percent of vote - Tsakhia ELBEGDORJ (DP) 50.2%, Badmaanyambuu BAT-ERDENE (MPP) 42%, Natsag UDVAL (MPRP) 6.5%, other 1.3%

description:

unicameral State Great Hural or Ulsyn Ikh Khural (76 seats; 48 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 28 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

elections:

last held on 29 June 2016 (next to be held in June 2020)

election results:

MPRP 65, independent 9

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court (consists of the Chief Justice and 24 judges organized into civil, criminal, and administrative chambers);
• Constitutional Court or Tsets (consists of a chairman and 8 members)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court chief justice and judges appointed by the president upon recommendation to the State Great Hural by the General Council of Courts, a 14-member body of judges and judicial officials;
• term of appointment is for life;
• chairman of the Constitutional Court elected from among its members;
• members appointed by the State Great Hural upon nominations - 3 each by the president, the State Great Hural, and the Supreme Court;
• term of appointment is 6 years;
• chairmanship limited to a single renewable 3-year term

subordinate courts:

• aimag (provincial) and capital city appellate courts;
• soum, inter-soum, and district courts;
• Administrative Cases Courts

• Civil Will-Green Party or CWGP [Sanjaasuren OYUN, Sambuu DEMBEREL, Tserendorj GANKHUYAG]
• Democratic Party or DP [Zandaakhuu ENKHBOLD]
• Mongolian National Democratic Party or MNDP [Mendsaikhan ENKHSAIKHAN]
• Mongolian People's Party or MPP [Miyegombo ENKHBOLD]
• Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party or MPRP [Nambar ENKHBAYAR]
• New Labor Party or XYH [S. GANBAATAR]

other:

• human rights groups;
• women's rights groups;
• disability rights groups

chief of mission:

Ambassador Bulgaa ALTANGEREL (since 8 January 2013)

chancery:

2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone:

[1] (202) 333-7117

FAX:

[1] (202) 298-9227

consulate(s) general:

New York, San Francisco

chief of mission:

Ambassador Jennifer Zimdahl GALT (since 5 October 2015)

embassy:

Denver Street

mailing address:

PSC 461, Box 300, FPO AP 96521-0002; P.O. Box 341, Ulaanbaatar-14192

telephone:

[976] 7007-6001

FAX:

[976] 7007-6016

• 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);
• blue represents the sky, red symbolizes progress and prosperity

name:

"Mongol ulsyn toriin duulal" (National Anthem of Mongolia)

lyrics/music:

Tsendiin DAMDINSUREN/Bilegiin DAMDINSUREN and Luvsanjamts MURJORJ

note: music adopted 1950, lyrics adopted 2006; lyrics altered on numerous occasions

• construction and construction materials;
• mining (coal, copper, molybdenum, fluorspar, tin, tungsten, gold);
• oil;
• food and beverages;
• processing of animal products, cashmere and natural fiber manufacturing

agriculture:

28.6%

industry:

21%

services:

50.4% (2014)

lowest 10%:

3%

highest 10%:

28.4% (2008)

general assessment:

• network is improving with international direct dialing available in many areas;
• a fiber-optic network has been installed that is improving broadband and communication services between major urban centers with multiple companies providing inter-city fiber-optic cable services

domestic:

very low fixed-line teledensity; there are multiple mobile-cellular providers and subscribership is increasing

international:

country code - 976; satellite earth stations - 7 (2015)

• following a law passed in 2005, Mongolia's state-run radio and TV provider converted to a public service provider;
• also available are private radio and TV broadcasters, as well as multi-channel satellite and cable TV providers;
• more than 100 radio stations, including some 20 via repeaters for the public broadcaster;
• transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2008)

number of registered air carriers:

3; inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 12

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

541,129

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

7,130,148 mt-km (2015)

total:

1,815 km

broad gauge:

1,815 km 1.520-m gauge

note: national operator Ulannbaator Railway is jointly owned by the Mongolian Government and by the Russian State Railway (2016)

country comparison to the world: 75

total:

49,249 km

paved:

4,800 km

unpaved:

44,449 km (2013)

country comparison to the world: 77

• 580 km (the 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 ice free from May to September) (2010)

country comparison to the world: 81

total:

57

by type:

bulk carrier 21, cargo 25, chemical tanker 1, container 2, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 2, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 1

foreign-owned:

44 (Indonesia 2, Japan 2, North Korea 1, Russia 2, Singapore 3, Ukraine 1, Vietnam 33) (2010)

country comparison to the world: 68

• 18-27 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
• 1-year conscript service obligation in land or air forces or police for males only;
• after conscription, soldiers can contract into military service for 2 or 4 years;
• citizens can also voluntarily join the armed forces (2015)