in central Asia. It was once the center
of the powerful Mongol Empire, which
stretched across Asia into eastern
Europe. Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia’s capital
and largest city.
Geography
Mongolia sits south of Russia and north
of China. Mountains rise in the north
and the west. The Altai Mountains have
the highest peaks. Between the mountains
are many lakes and rivers. There
are hilly plains in the south and the east.
The far south is part of the Gobi, a
desert of rock and gravel.
Mongolia has long, cold winters with
fierce blizzards. The summers are short
and warm. The country is dry, especially
in the southern desert. Northern and
western Mongolia often have earthquakes.
Plants and Animals
Grasslands and pasture for livestock
cover more than three quarters of Mongolia.
Forests of larch, cedar, and other
trees grow in the mountains. Few plants
grow in the dry Gobi.
The animals found in the mountains
include bears, deer, elk, wild boars, snow
leopards, and sables (a type of weasel).
Horses, sheep, donkeys, and camels live
in the plains and some parts of the
desert.
People
About 80 percent of the people are
Mongols. The largest group of Mongols
is the Khalkhas. Khalkha Mongolian is
the country’s main language. Nearly all
Mongols are Buddhists.
The largest group of people who are not
Mongols are the Kazakhs of western
Mongolia. The Kazakhs speak a Turkic
language. Many of them are Muslims.
More than half of the population lives in
cities or towns. Some people in the huge
rural areas live in yurts, or round tents.
Economy
Raising livestock is an important part of
Mongolia’s economy. Herders raise millions
of sheep, goats, cattle, horses, camels,
and pigs. A smaller number of
farmers grow wheat, potatoes, and other
vegetables.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Mongolia 163
Mining is Mongolia’s most important
industry. Mines provide coal, copper,
and gold. Other industries process foods
and make cloth, clothing, and leather
goods. The country is famous for making
cashmere, a very soft fiber made
from the hair of Kashmir goats.
History
For thousands of years the people of
Mongolia were nomads, or wanderers.
The nomads moved around to find food
and water for their livestock. Some
nomads began to form tribes about
1,000 years ago.
In 1206 Genghis Khan became the ruler
of all the Mongol tribes. Under Genghis
Khan the Mongols began conquering
peoples in surrounding lands. By the
end of the 1200s the Mongol armies had
created a huge empire. It stretched
across China and Russia into parts of the
Middle East and eastern Europe. The
Mongols also set up a royal family,
known as the Yuan Dynasty, to rule
China. The Mongols lost most of their
territory in the 1300s. However, they
kept their original homeland in central
Asia.
In the 1600s a new Chinese dynasty, the
Qing Dynasty, conquered Mongolia.
The Chinese divided the territory into
Inner Mongolia in the south and Outer
Mongolia in the north. Inner Mongolia
is still a part of China.
In 1911 Outer Mongolia gained independence
from China.With the help of
the Soviet Union, Communists won
power in Mongolia by 1924. The country
cut its ties to the Soviet Union in the
early 1990s. Mongolia held democratic
elections in 1990.
..More to explore
Communism • Gobi • Mongol Empire
• Nomad • Ulaanbaatar
A woman cares for her goats outside of a
yurt in Mongolia.
A Mongolian girl holds up a
lamb. The raising of sheep and
other livestock is a major part of
Mongolia’s economy.
Facts About
MONGOLIA
Population
(2008 estimate)
2,652,000
Area
603,930 sq mi
(1,564,160 sq
km)
Capital
Ulaanbaatar
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
Ulaanbaatar,
Erdenet, Darhan,
Choybalsan,
Ulaangom
164 Mongolia BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Mongoose
Mongooses are small, quick mammals
that are known for killing cobras and
other poisonous snakes. A mongoose
darts at the snake’s skull, trying to crack
it with a powerful bite. There are more
than 40 different species, or types, of
mongoose. They live in Africa, Asia, and
southern Europe. The meerkat of southwestern
Africa is a member of the mongoose
family.
Mongooses are small and have short
legs. They are about 7 to 35 inches (18
to 90 centimeters) long. The furry tail
adds another 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30
centimeters). Mongooses have pointed
noses and small ears. Their fur is gray to
brown, sometimes with light flecks or
dark spots.
Mongooses may live alone, in pairs, or
in groups. Most mongooses live in
underground holes called burrows.
Mongooses eat small mammals, birds,
reptiles, eggs, and fruit. Females usually
give birth to two to four young.
In the late 1800s people brought mongooses
to the islands of Hawaii and
Jamaica to kill rodents and snakes. But
the mongooses also killed many rare and
useful animals. The United States has
strict rules about bringing mongooses
into the country.
#More to explore
Mammal • Snake
Monk
A monk is a man who lives apart from
society and devotes his life to religion.
Monks tend to live a simple life of
prayer and work. They usually do not
have many belongings.
Types of Monk
There are two main types of monk. The
first type is a hermit—a person who
lives away from other people. These
