World Country Guide

General Information

Area
1,564,116 sq km (603,909 sq miles).

Population
2,510,000 (official estimate 2002).

Population Density
1.6 per sq km.

Capital
Ulaanbaatar. Population: 869,900 (2004).

Geography
Mongolia has a 3485km- (2165 mile-) border with the Russian Federation in the north and a 4670km- (2902 mile-) border with China in the south. From north to south, it can be divided into four areas: mountain-forest steppe, mountain steppe and, in the extreme south, semi-desert and desert (the latter being about 3 per cent of the entire territory). The majority of the country has a high elevation, with the principal mountains concentrated in the west. The highest point is the peak of Tavan Bogd, in the Altai Mountains, at 4374m (14,350ft) high. The lowest point, Khukh Nuur lake, in the east, lies at 560m (1820ft). There are several hundred lakes in the country and numerous rivers, of which the Orkhon is the longest at 1124km (698 miles).

Government
Republic. Declared independence from China in 1921. Head of State: President Natsagiyn Bagabandi since 1997. Head of Government: Prime Minister Tsachiagiyn Elbegdorj since 2004.

Language
Khalkh Mongolian is the official language. Kazakh is spoken by 5 per cent of the population. There are also many Mongolian dialects.

Religion
Buddhist Lamaism is the main religion, although there is no state religion.

Time
GMT + 8 (Bayan Ulgii, Uvs & Khovd Aimags in western Mongolia GMT + 7).

Electricity
230 volts AC, 50Hz.

Communications

Telephone
An Asiasat Earth station has provided international telecommunications with Mongolia since 1994. Country code: 976. Area codes: Ulaanbaatar: 11, Darkhan: 01-372, Erdenet: 01-352, Khovd: 01-432. International calls can be made from telephone exchanges in Ulaanbaatar.

Mobile telephone
GSM 900 network operated by Mobicom (website: www.mobicom.mn) covers Altanbulag, Arvaikheer (Uvurkhangai), Darkhan, Erdenet, Nalaikh, Sainshand (Dornogobi), Selenge, Ulaanbaatar, Zamyn-Uud and Zuunkharaa. CDMA network operated by Skytel Company covers Bulgan, Darkhan, Selenge, Ulaanbaatar, Uvurkhangai and Zamyn-Uud.

Fax
Service available at hotels and in the central post office.

Internet
Access is available in Ulaanbaatar at business centres (often located in hotels), Internet cafes and at the telephone exchange on Suhkbaatar Square. ISPs include Bodicomputers (website: www.mongolnet.mn), MagicNet (website: www.magicnet.mn) and Micom (website: www.micom.com).

Post
Airmail abroad can be very slow. There is an express mail service available for a limited number of countries.

Press
The main newspapers include Odriin Sonin, nen and Zuuny Medee. The English-language papers published in Mongolia include The Mongol Messenger and The UB Post, both of which are published weekly.

Radio
BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.