Mongolia

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

The Porvince includes the western part of the Khentii Mountains, the mountains around the capital, as well as rolling steppe in the south and west. The most interesting body of water is the Tuul River, which crosses Ulan Bator and later joins the Orkhon.

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 -30^0. 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

The Gorkhi-Terelj National Park located in Erdene soum of the Tow Province and was founded in 1993. It covers a part of the Khentii Mountains. It is most well known for its spectacular rock formations, including a rock that looks like a giant turtle from the right perspective. The landscape has an alpine character, with larch and pine forests, sparkling mountain rivers, and very diverse flora and fauna.

The Turtle Rock, or called Melkhi Khad by the locals, is an interesting rock formation looking like a turtle.( Erdene soum, Terelj National Park)

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

Erdene, Arkhust and Bayandelger soums of Tow Province are distant up to 100 km from the capital city Ulaanbaatar.

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. 

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.

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. 

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

The Turtle Rock, or called Melkhi Khad by the locals, is an interesting rock formation looking like a turtle, Erdene soum

  

 

Bayandelger

Bayandelger soum, Tuv province is located about 100 kilometer from Ulaanbaatar city. There are 426 family or 1100 citizens. Approximately 200 of population are nomadic herders. In 2010 there were 64,000 heads of livestock, including 19,000 goats, 35.000 sheep, 3500 cattle, 6900 horse and 71 camels.

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.

Steppe Gun Galuut in Bayandelger soum

Two yurts (gers) in the mongolian steppe, Bayandelger soum