Page 59 - Mongolia & the Gobi Desert

DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY

Mongolia

Facts & Figures

• Area: 603,909 square miles

• Capital: Ulaanbaatar

• Languages: Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, and Russian are spoken.

• Ethnicity: Khalkh 81.9%, Kazak 3.8%, Dorvod 2.7%, Bayad 2.1%, Buryat-Bouriates 1.7%,
Zakhchin 1.2%, Dariganga 1%, Uriankhai 1%, other 4.6%

• Location: Mongolia is bordered by Russia and China.

• Geography: Mongolia encompasses a wide range of terrain, with mountains, grassy
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or hilly grasslands; the Gobi Desert takes up most of the south and the east. The
country is land-locked, and although there are lakes and streams in certain areas, the
combination of the terrain and low water supply means that a very small percent of the
land is arable.

• Population: 3,119,935

• Religion: Buddhist 53%, Muslim 3%, Christian 2.2%, Shamanist 2.9%, other 0.4%,
none 38.6%

• Time Zone: Mongolia observes Ulaanbaatar Time, twelve hours ahead of U.S. EST. When
it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is 6pm in Ulaanbaatar.

National Holidays: Mongolia

In addition to the holidays listed below, 07/11 Naadam Holiday (Day 1)
Mongolia celebrates a number of national
07/12 Naadam Holiday (Day 2)
holidays that follow a lunar calendar,
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traveling during these holidays, please visit
www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 07/14 Naadam Holiday (Day 4)

01/01 New Year’s Day 07/15 Naadam Holiday (Day 5)

03/08 International Women’s Day 12/29 Independence Day

Historical Overview of Mongolia
Prehistory

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