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    Intrepid traveler, photographer and eater Uta Beyer -- a previous contributor to this blog (see here and here ) -- has more on Mongolian cuisine following a recent visit to Mongolia.... More
    By Francesco Sisci
    BEIJING - Washington last week decided to step into a delicate international territory it had previously left alone, and that underscored the many strategic challenges brewing in economically booming Asia.... More
    Mongolia rally drives off from Goodwood to Ulan Bator
    Competitors set off from the Goodwood Motor Circuit in Chichester on a 10,000-mile journey to Mongolia.... More
    Friends set out on epic rally
    THEY’VE had a crash course in car mechanics and now friends Lise Honsinger and Will Mulholland have set off on one last adventure before they start work.... More
    Hong Kong plans rally to save Cantonese language
    Hong Kong activists will rally on Sunday against China's bid to champion its national language Mandarin over Cantonese, following a rare protest for the same cause in southern China.... More
    Mongolia Map

    Latitude: 46.8625 Longtitude: 103.84666

    Location:
    Northern Asia, between China and Russia

    Border Countries:


    Terrain:
    vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central

    Geography:
    landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia

    Capital:
    Ulaanbaatar

    About Mongolia
    The Mongols gained fame in the 13th century when under Chinggis KHAN they conquered a huge Eurasian empire. After his death the empire was divided into several powerful Mongol states, but these broke apart in the 14th century. The Mongols eventually retired to their original steppe homelands and in the late 17th century came under Chinese rule. Mongolia won its independence in 1921 with Soviet backing. A Communist regime was installed in 1924. Following a peaceful democratic revolution, the ex-Communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) won elections in 1990 and 1992, but was defeated by the Democratic Union Coalition (DUC) in the 1996 parliamentary election. Since then, parliamentary elections returned the MPRP overwhelmingly to power in 2000, but 2004 elections reduced MPRP representation and, therefore, its authority.

    Population:
    2,996,081 (July 2008 est.)

    Language:
    Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian (1999)

    Religion:
    Buddhist Lamaist 50%, Shamanist and Christian 6%, Muslim 4%, none 40% (2004)

    Phone Service:
    network is improving with international direct dialing available in many areas

    Currency:
    togrog/tugrik (MNT)

    Climate:
    desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)

    Natural Hazards:
    dust storms, grassland and forest fires, drought, and zud, which is harsh winter conditions