Mongolia in East Asia is landlocked between Russia and China. The country’s capital and largest city is Ulaan Baatar (Ulan Bator), located in the heartland of the Mongol civilization. For thousands of years Mongolia has been the homeland of ethnic Mongols, who make up 90 percent of the country’s people today.
Mongols are traditionally nomadic animal herders, with complete freedom of movement, and many continue this way of life on the steppe, a swath of rolling grasslands extending across the country. Mongolia is a sparsely populated country, and domesticated animals out number people. Wild horses and many other animals also roam free on the steppe.
In the 13th century the Mongols were first united under Genghis Khan, who founded the largest land empire in history, the Mongol Empire. After the empire fell apart, Mongolia became a province of China known as Outer Mongolia. In 1924 a communist-led revolution won the independence of Outer Mongolia as the Mongolian People’s Republic. It maintained close ties with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Its name officially changed to Mongolia in 1992, after one-party communist rule was abolished.
For the current Weather Forecast for Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia click - here
For the current Mongolian exchange rate click - here (Golomt Bank showing Mongol Bank rate)
Guideline costs
(Current during Sept 2008 - March 2009)
Can of Coke (inported) Mtg 1000
Bottle of MCS (Mongolian) Coke 2L Mtg 1500
Local Mongolian meal Mtg 2000 - 3000
Upmarket local meal Mtg 7500 - 12000
A good Curry (Hazara or Los Banditos) Mtg 15000
Chinese Mtg 7500
Pizza (Pizza De La Cassa) Mtg 12000
Local beer Mtg 1000
International beer Mtg 3000
Petrol per L Mtg 1000
Diesel per L Mtg 1100
Taxi per Km Mtg 400
Local bus per trip Mtg 500
Inetrnet cafe per hour Mtg 500
Mobile phone cards Mtg 1000 - 15000
Hostel per night US$ 5 -10
Simple hotel per night US$ 12 - 25
Good hotel per night US$ 30 - 45
Top end hotel per night US$ 75 - 150
Mongolia has an amazing range of fantastic scenery
Magnificent Mongolian traditions and culture
Some Key facts about Mongolia
For more detailed information please view the sub menu pages.
Location: Landlocked between Russia and China, Mongolia is situated in Central Asia;
Area: 1,566,000 sq. km; nearly 3 times the size of France and more than 4 times the United Kingdom; Mongolia is the 6th largest country in Asia and the 18th largest in the world;
Climate: Continental; warm summers, cold winters; average summer temperature +20°C; average winter temperature -26°C; average rainfall 200-220 mm;
Terrain: The Gobi Desert in the south; mountains in the west and north; vast semi-desert and steppes in the east and southeast;
Altitude: Average altitude 1,580 m above sea level; the highest point is Mt. Huiten of the Tavan Bogd Mountains in western Mongolia (4,374 m above sea level); the lowest point is Hoh Nuur (Blue Lake) in eastern Mongolia (552 m above sea level).
People
Population: 2,751,314 Density: 1.5 per sq. Km
Nationality: Mongolian (noun and adjective) Ethnic groups: Mongolian 85%, Kazakh 7%, Tungus 4.6%, other 3.4%
Religions: Buddhist (94%), Muslim, Shamanist, Christian Languages: Official language is Mongolian. Widely spoken languages are Russian, English, German, Japanese, and Korean.
Literacy: Very high, in excess of 80%
The 21 Aimags (Provinces) of Mongolia
Government
Government type: Parliamentary; prime minister appointed by the State Great Hural [parliament] of Mongolia and serves for a period of 4 years; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term
Capital: Ulaan Baatar (Ulaanbaatar, Ulan Bator)
Administrative divisions: Mongolia, an independent and sovereign state, is divided into 21 aimags (provinces) and a capital city. Aimags are subdivided into soums; soums into bags; the capital city into districts; districts into horoos;
Public holidays:
New Year, December 31 - January 1;
Lunar New Year (Tsagaan Sar), January/February;
International Women's Day, March 8;
Mothers and Children's Day, June 1;
National Holiday (Naadam), July 11-13;
Independence Day, November 26 (1924)
Currency: Tugrik (Mtg). No limit on foreign currency but visitors must register at Mongolian customs. USD and Euros are accepted in some top end hotels and restaurants. Most hotels and tourist shops accept credit cards (American Express, Visa, MasterCard, JCB and Diners Club). Debit cards from the UK with 'chip n pin' sometimes cause problems in cash machines and so should not be totally relied on.
Electric current: The standard voltage is 220 volts/50Hz with 2 round pin plugs.
Country code: 976 and area code for Ulaanbaatar 11
Cellular telephone: GSM 900 network operated by Mobicom Corporation covers aimag centers, Zamiin-Uud and Zuunharaa. Operated by Skytel Company, CDMA network covers Bulgan, Darhan, Selenge, Ulaanbaatar, Ovorhangai and Zamiin-Uud. Satellite cellular phone available for rent;
Internet: Access is available in Ulaanbaatar at business centers (often located in hotels), Internet cafes and the telephone exchange at aimag centers. Major Internet service providers are G-Mobile, Magicnet, Bodicom, Micom and Railcom.
Passports and visas: Visa is issued by Mongolian embassies and diplomatic missions around the world. Travelers participating in organized tours can obtain visas through tourism companies and travel agencies. Independent travel is now possible for some nationals (including UK and US nationals, nationals of European countries and Japan). However, some nationals will still require official invitations.
We plan all our Expeditions from a blank sheet of paper. All we need is some basic information from you and we'll develop a bespoke programme.
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