Mongolia

mean elevation:

1,528 m

lowest point:

Hoh Nuur 560 m

highest point:

Nayramadlin Orgil (Khuiten Peak) 4,374 m

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

• limited natural freshwater resources in some areas;
• the burning of soft coal in power plants and the lack of enforcement of environmental laws leads to air pollution in Ulaanbaatar;
• deforestation and overgrazing increase soil erosion from wind and rain;
• water pollution;
• desertification and mining activities have 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:

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.94 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.83 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.67 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Mongolia

local long form:

none

local short form:

Mongol Uls

former:

Outer Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic

etymology:

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

• 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

• Naadam (games) holiday (commemorates independence from China in the 1921 Revolution), 11-15 July;
• Constitution Day (marks the date that the Mongolian People's Republic was created under a new constitution), 26 November (1924)

history:

several previous; latest adopted 13 January 1992, effective 12 February 1992

amendments:

• proposed by the State Great Hural, by the president of the republic, by the government, or by petition submitted to the State Great Hural by the Constitutional Court;
• conducting referenda on proposed amendments requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the State Great Hural;
• passage of amendments by the State Great Hural requires at least three-quarters majority vote;
• passage by referendum requires majority participation of qualified voters and a majority of votes;
• amended 1999, 2000, 2019

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 Khaltmaa BATTULGA (since 10 July 2017)

head of government:

• Prime Minister Ukhnaa KHURELSUKH (since 4 October 2017; re-elected by the Parliament 2 July 2020);
• Deputy Prime Minister Ulziisaikhan ENKHTUVSHIN (since 18 October 2017);
• note - Prime Minister Jargaltulga ERDENEBAT (since 8 July 2016) was voted out of office by the Parliament on 7 September 2017

cabinet:

• directly appointed by the prime minister following a constitutional amendment ratified in November 2019;
• prior to the amendment, the cabinet was nominated by the prime minister in consultation with the president and 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 2017 with a runoff held 7 July 2017 (next to be held in 2021);
• following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the State Great Hural

election results:

• Khaltmaa BATTULGA elected president in second round;
• percent of vote in first round - Khaltmaa BATTULGA (DP) 38.1%, Miyegombo ENKHBOLD (MPP) 30.3%, Sainkhuu GANBAATAR (MPRP) 30.2%, invalid 1.4%;
• percent of vote in second round - Khaltmaa BATTULGA 55.2%, Miyegombo ENKHBOLD 44.8%;
• on 2 July 2020, Prime Minister Ukhnaa KHURELSUKH was reelected prime minister by the State Great Hural

description:

unicameral State Great Hural or Ulsyn Ikh Khural (76 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; each constituency requires at least 50% voter participation for the poll to be valid; members serve 4-year terms)

elections:

last held on 24 June 2020 (next to be held in 2024)

election results:

• percent of vote by party - MPP 44.9%, DP 24.5%, Our Coalition 8.1%, independent 8.7%, Right Person Electorate Coalition 5.2%, other 8.5%;
• seats by party - MPP 62, DP 11, Our Coalition 1, Right Person Electorate Coalition 1;
• independent 1;
• composition - 63 men, 13 women;
• percent of women 17.1%;
• note - the MPRP, Civil Will-Green Party, and Mongolian Traditionally United Party formed Our Coalition for the 2020 election;
• the Right Person Electorate Coalition was established in 2020 by the National Labor Party, Mongolian Social Democratic Party, and Justice Party

highest courts:

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

judge selection and term of office:

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Yondon OTGONBAYAR (since 28 March 2018)

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 Michael S. KLECHESKI (since 22 February 2019)

telephone:

[976] 7007-6001

embassy:

Denver Street #3, 11th Micro-District, Ulaanbaatar 14190

mailing address:

P.O. Box 341, Ulaanbaatar 14192

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

Fitch rating:

B (2018)

Moody's rating:

B3 (2018)

Standard & Poors rating: B (2018)

• 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:

31.1%

industry:

18.5%

services:

50.5% (2016)

lowest 10%:

13.7%

highest 10%:

5.7% (2017)

• following a law passed in 2005, Mongolia's state-run radio and TV provider converted to a public service provider;
• also available are 68 radio and 160 TV stations, including multi-channel satellite and cable TV providers;
• transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2019)

number of registered air carriers:

4 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 12

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

670,360 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

7.82 million mt-km (2018)

total:

1,815 km (2017)

broad gauge:

1,815 km 1.520-m gauge (2017)

note: national operator Ulaanbaatar Railway is jointly owned by the Mongolian Government and by the Russian State Railway

total:

113,200 km (2017)

paved:

10,600 km (2017)

unpaved:

102,600 km (2017)

• 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)

total:

271

by type:

bulk carrier 2, container ship 3, general cargo 100, oil tanker 72, other 94 (2019)

• Mongolian Armed Forces (Mongol ulsyn zevsegt huchin): Mongolian Army (includes Border Troops), Mongolian Air Force, National Center for Emergency and Disaster Relief (coordinates the military's efforts as first-responders for earthquakes, wildfires, and forest fires; contagious diseases; and snow and dust storms as well as severe winters (known as zud ));
• paramilitary forces: Internal Security Troops (2019)

• the MAF are armed with Soviet-era equipment supplemented by deliveries of second-hand Russian weapons;
• since 2010, Russia is the sole provider of armaments to Mongolia (2019 est.)

• 18-27 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
• 1-year conscript service obligation in army 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 (2017)