At 1,564,116 square kilometres (603,909 sq mi), Mongolia is the 19th largest and the most sparsely populated independent country in the world, with a population of around 2.9 million people. The country contains very little arable land, as much of its area is covered by steppes, with mountains to the north and west and the Gobi Desert to the south. Approximately 30% of the population are nomadic or semi-nomadic. Grasslands and arid grazing cover 1 210 000 km2 (80% of the land area) and forest and forest scrub 150 000 km2 (10%). Some 90 000 km2 are said to be used in settlement and infrastructure and 52 000 km2 in national parks. The arable area is under 10 000 km2 , all mechanised, large-scale farms; some has fallen out of cultivation since the demise of the state farms (about 7 000 km2 are estimated to be recoverable). About 80% of the country, therefore, is extensive grazing exploited by traditional, pastoral methods. The five main biogeographical zones are: (i) High mountains (70 000 km2), (ii) mountain taiga (60 000 km2); (iii) forest-mountain &steppe -mixed forest and grazing - (370 000 km2); (iv) dry steppe grassland (410 000 km2); (v) Gobi - desert steppe and desert - (580 000 km2). Extensive livestock production is, by far, the country’s major land use and industry.
Land resources of Mongolia
LAND USE | PERCENTAGE | AREA Km2 |
Total land area | 1 500 000 | |
Grasslands and arid grazing | 80.7 | 1 210 000 |
Forest | 6.9 | 104 000 |
Saxaul forest in Gobi | 3.1 | 46 000 |
Arable* | 0.5 | 7 000 |
National parks | 3.5 | 52 000 |
Hay land* | 1.3 | 20 000 |
The predominant religion in Mongolia is Tibetan Buddhism, and the majority of the state's citizens are of the Mongol ethnicity.
The largest city in Mongolia is Ulan Bator, with a population of just over 1 million, followed by Erdenet, Darkhan, Choibalsan, and Murun.
Mongolia's economy is centered on agriculture and mining. Mongolia has rich mineral resources, and copper, coal, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold account for a large part of industrial production. There are currently over 30,000 independent businesses in Mongolia, chiefly centered around the capital city. The majority of the population outside urban areas participates in subsistence herding; livestock typically consists of sheep, goats, cattle, horses, and Bactrian camels. Agricultural crops include wheat, barley, potato, vegetables, tomato, watermelon, sea-buckthorn and fodder crops.
Developing more again and the propagation of existing deserts is usually caused by humans.
Desertifikation Mongolei.
A cause is maladjusted agriculture and deforestation counted over feasting. Natural causes for devastation are drought periods, spreading dunes or fraying edges of desert. Devastation is promoted by blowing (wind out), run-off (water), salting and skeletization.
Tov Province
| Tov (Mongolian: Төв, Center, Population - 88,889) is one of the 21 aimags (provinces) of Mongolia. The national capital Ulan Bator is located roughly at its center, but the city itself is administrated as an independent municipality.  |
Geography
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| Livestock of Tow Province |
The climate is cold, the Siberian anticyclone determines the low temperature in winter and the low precipitation. The frost-free period at the capital is around 100 days. There are four distinct seasons: a windy spring with variable weather - spring rain is especially valuable to get the pasture growth started before the main summer rains - a hot summer when the main rains fall in the earlier part, a cool autumn and a long cold winter with temperatures as low as -300. The growing season is, therefore, generally limited to about three months. Precipitation is low, mainly in the warm season between June and September; the largest grazing areas, the steppe and the mountain steppe and forest, get between 200 mm and 300 mm annually; the desert steppe receives between 100 and 200 mm; the desert gets below 100 mm; only the northern zone has over 300 mm. Most of the precipitation returns to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration; about four percent infiltrates to the aquifer and six percent contributes to surface flow. Strong winds (with velocities in excess of 20 metres/second) are common in spring and early summer and then dust storms can cause disaster to people and livestock. Tuv, Selenge and parts of Bulgan Provinces is the main area of agricultural production.
Nature sightseeing in the Tow Province
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| The Turtle Rock, or called Melkhi Khad by the locals, is an interesting rock formation looking like a turtle.( Erdene soum, Terelj National Park) |
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| In Khustain Nuruu National Park, about 120 km south west of Ulan Bator, the original wild horses, Takhi of Mongolia (Przewalski horses) have been released to the wild again in a process first begun in 1993. The project has been quite successful, and has developed into an attraction for both scientists and tourists. (Khustain Nuruu, 2010) |
Appendix Meteorological data of Ulaanbaatar and Tow Province
Station. Ulaanbaatar and Tow Province Latitude 470 55’N Longitude 1060 50’ Altitude 1325 m | |||||||||||||
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | ||
Average temperature C0 | -22.3 | -21.0 | -13.0 | -0.5 | 5.5 | 14.0 | 16.5 | 14.5 | 8.0 | -1.0 | -13.0 | -22 | -3.1 |
Max. temperature C0 | -19 | -13 | -4 | 7 | 13 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 14 | 6 | -6 | -16 | 3.8 |
Min. temperature C0 | -32 | -29 | -22 | -8 | -2 | 7 | 11 | 8 | 2 | -8 | -20 | -28 | -10.1 |
Precipitation mm | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 7.2 | 15.3 | 48.8 | 72.6 | 47.8 | 24.4 | 6.0 | 3.7 | 1.6 | 233 |
Av. Rel. humidity % | 75 | 73 | 66 | 50 | 47 | 56 | 65 | 65 | 64 | 63 | 72 | 73 | 64.1 |
Number rainy days | - | - | - | 1.0 | 4.1 | 9.0 | 14.0 | 12.0 | 7.0 | 2.0 | - | - | 49.1 |
number snow days | 3.7 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.1 | - | - | - | 1.3 | 2.8 | 4.6 | 3.4 | 27.4 |
Average wind speed, m/s | 0.9 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 2.2 |
High wind days > 15 m/s | 1.2 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 27.1 |
Sand-storm days | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.1 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 16.9 |
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| Erdene, Arkhust and Bayandelger soums of Tow Province are distant up to 100 km from the capital city Ulaanbaatar. |
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| Satellite map of Tow Province, Mongolia |
Arkhust soum
Arkhust soum, Tuv province is located about 96,5 km from capital city Ulaanbaatar and 20 km from the asphalt road between Ulaanbaatar city and Baganuur town. Arkhust covers 82.7 thousand hectare area.
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| Arkhust soum, Tow Province |
There are 435 families or 1350 citizens, including 60 per cent of them are eligible to work. Now, 200 of them have been employed. The soum uses 22.9 thousand hectare land of total area as plantation. Arkhust is connected to central electricity system.
There are 3000 livestock in Arkhust. However the soum has 4160 ha arable land for rye, oat and factory to process beef and green feeding stuff, their activity is not stable. There are four bigger mining companies with exploration license are operating in the area. Local citizens have begun small business to process sea-buckthorn and plum in recent two years.
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Steppe in Arkhust soum |
Erdene soum
Erdene is soum of Tuv province and report from Ulaanbaatar 76 km away. There are 3700 citizens and 130,000 heads of livestock.
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| Erdene soum, Tow Province |
Janchivlan and Ar Janchivlan mineral water nursing resorts are located in the soum. Erdene soum, which has plenty of natural beautiful sights, has attracted tourists. Chinggis Khaan statue complex, the world's largest statue of a rider on a horse and tourist camp showing XIII century livelihood and also historic monastery named “Gunjiin sum” are located in Erdene soum. High school graduates obtain professional certificate as a result of secondary school had united with professional training center. It is advantage of Erdene soum secondary education, which alternates other soums. Erdene is connected to central electricity system.
Jurt- Travling base in Erdene soum
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| The Turtle Rock, or called Melkhi Khad by the locals, is an interesting rock formation looking like a turtle, Erdene soum |
Bayandelger
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Bayandelger soum, Tow Province |
There was a bigger farm for about 400 cattle during the previous Soviet society in Erdene soum. But now there are eight half-farm, consists of 2-3 families are operating in the soum as a result of state policy to support herders. For about agriculture, 1500 thousand hectare land is used as plantation of wheat, green feeding by Herlen, Khan Khentii and Korean companies in framework of the Third campaign in agriculture. This Soum is connected to central electricity system.
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| Steppe Gun Galuut in Bayandelger soum |
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| Two yurts (gers) in the mongolian steppe, Bayandelger soum |
