mongolia at a glance

china at a glance

russia at a glance

Geographical area 1,565,000 sq km (slightly smaller than Alaska). Landlocked between Russia and China, Mongolia is one of highest countries in the world. The highest point of the westerly situated Khangai Nuruu range is 3905m. On the northern slope of these mountains is the source of the Selenge Gol, Mongolia’s largest river, which flows north into Lake Baikal. The country consists of vast semi-desert and desert plains to grassy steppe. To the southwest are more mountains, whilst the southern third of the country is dominated by the vast Gobi Desert, most of which is desert steppe.

Capital Ulaan Baatar (approx. 600,000 inhabitants).

Population Approximately 2.7 million people.

People Mongol (predominantly Khalkha) 85% and numerous ethnic minorities.

Language Khalkha Mongol, Turkic, Russian.

International Orgs Mongolia is a member of UNESCO, WHO, IMF and Interpol.

Currency Mongolian Tugrik (or Togrog) (MNT). 1 Tugrik = 100 Mongo. The Tugrik is readily available for exchange in Mongolia and sometimes at frontier border points. The best currency to carry for exchange into Tugrik is the US Dollar.

Religion Tibetan Buddhist Lamaism 96%. The remaining 4% comprise followers of Islam, Shamanism and Christianity.

Exchange rate (July 08) 1 USD = 1155 Tugrik 1 GBP = 2211 Tugrik 1 EUR = 1830 Tugrik The Mongolian Tugrik is exchangeable only in Mongolia. Bring clean, unmarked cash in US Dollars (not $100 bills as they’re hard to exchange) Money changing facilities are available in Ulaan Baatar only. When changing money, ID is usually required. Carry USD in small notes for payment of optional excursions, as although the Tugrik rules supreme, USD is sometimes the method of payment for optional activities, for example, horse-riding at Terelj NP. Debit cards with the Cirrus, Maestro or PLUS logo and PIN-enabled credit cards can be used at ATMs. Take a mixture of cash and credit/debit cards (for ATM usage). Changing traveller cheques is cumbersome and complicated and only recognised by the very large banks. Avoid if possible. Credit cards are not widely accepted, and cash is still the norm in many establishments.

Time Zones Mongolia is 8 hours ahead of GMT. See the section ‘Trans-Siberian Time’ for further info.

Trading hours 9am to 5-6pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 5pm Saturday. Shops are generally closed on Sunday. Banks are generally open weekdays from 9am to 3pm, with a break for lunch. Some attractions may be closed on a Tuesday. Restaurant trading hours vary, though usually hours are 11am to 2-3pm for lunch and 5pm to 10-11pm for dinner. Many tourist attractions/museums have shorter hours and more days off in winter.

Voltage Standard voltage is 220V, 50Hz AC. Sockets require a Continental or European plug with two round pins. Pack a travel adaptor.

Weather The high central Asian mountain ranges surrounding Mongolia on practically all sides, form a formidable barrier against the humid masses of air moving from the Atlantic and the Pacific, thus establishing the dominance of a continental climate in Mongolia. The warmest time to visit is between late June and early September when temperatures can be warm to even fiercely hot. Autumn is brief and by the end of October, extremely low temperatures arrive. January is the coldest month. Indeed, Ulaan Baatar is the coldest capital in the world; however, Mongolia is a remarkably sunny country, enjoying 250 sunny days a year, often with clear, cloudless skies. Snow and rainfalls are low as the climate is arid. However, enough rain usually falls in July and August to swell rivers. Snow, if any falls generally during December - February.