About Mongolia

Монгол
Territory: 1,564,100 sq km
Population: 2,475,400(January 2003)
Density: 1,6 per sq km
Climate:
Continental, warm rainy summers and extremely cold winters. Sharp seasonal fluctuations and variations. Great diurnal temperature changes.
Terrain:
Mountains (40% of the territory) and rolling plateaus with vast semi desert zone in the south (Gobi).


Average altitude: 1580 m

Highest peak: 4374m (in the Altai)

Lowest point: 552m (in the east)

Regions: 21 aimags (provinces)

Capital: Ulaanbaatar (846 500. Jan. 2003)

Economy:
Traditionally based on breeding livestock and agriculture, mining (copper, gold, coal and others)
Total livestock population:
23.9 million
Religions:
Buddist Lamaism 94%

Language:
Mongolian
Most spoken foreign languages:
Russian, English, German and Japanese.
Time zone:
+7 hours to GMT

Currency:
Togrog, US$1=Tg1136 (April 2003) No limit on foreign currency. Exchanging bureaus are at most hotels.
US dollars are accepted and Cards, (American Express mainly Visa, Master card, Dinners club)

Communications:
International telephones are available in hotels.
Mongolian National Holidays:
January 1 New year
January 13 Constitutional Day
February 13,14 Mongolian New year/Tsagaan sar/
June 1 Mother and Children's day
July 11,12,13 National day (Naadam)
November 26 Independence Day
Note: Government offices open from Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 6 pm.

MUSIC AND SINGING
Music is an important part of Mongolian culture. This is particularly the case in the countryside as families and friends will sing and play music together as a past time.
A visitor to a countryside ger will often be coaxed into a song. Mongolians sing to their animals, sing about the environment, sing about nomadic lifestyles and sing about their patriotism.
Khoomi singing is a traditional form of song which comes from deep in the throat.
Well trained voices are able to produce a whole range of sounds at once. The different combinations of sounds are said to represent the different landscapes within Mongolia.
Urtyn Duu or Long Songs are another form of vocal music, so called because of their length.
Some famous singers have been able to memorise 20,000 verses. Most of the songs relate to stories about love or the countryside and are apparently best sung on horseback galloping crossing the steppe.
The most traditional of instruments is the morin huur or horse head fiddle. With two strings made from horse hair and a carved horses head it is most often used to accompany singing.
Legend suggests the sounds produced are similar to those of the nomad's animals. The other instrument most often played is the Yatga (similar to a sitar).
Music is often played at traditional and religious gatherings such as weddings. 

HISTORY

The first capital of the recent Mongolian Empire was called Urguu and was located come 420km from Ulaanbaatar. Situated in Arkhangai Aimag at the Da Khuree Monastery,
it was the home to Zanabazar who had been proclaimed the head of Buddhism in Mongolia. The city moved several times along the Tuul, Orkhon and Selenge rivers.
Ulaanbaatar was built in its current location in 1778 and named the 'City of Felt'. It then became known as the Great Camp and was ruled under the Bogd Khaan.
When Mongolia gained independence from China in 1911, the city became the capital of Outer Mongolia. It was invaded in 1918, again by China, and then three years later by the Russians. In 1924, the city was named Ulaanbaatar (Red Hero) and declared the official capital of Mongolia.
In 1933, Ulaanbaatar became an autonomous region from Tov Aimag. The Russian influence for more than seventy years left Ulaanbaatar a relatively young and unattractive city.
Many of the original buildings, including monasteries have been destroyed and replaced by Soviet-style apartment buildings.

GETTING AROUND
Getting around the city is very easy, especially if you can explain where you want to go in Mongolian. There is a good network of both buses and trolley buses. Maps are available that show the routes and all the buses clearly display the route number.
There is a standard charge of MNT 200 for buses and MNT 100 for trolley buses. Payment is made to the conductor, who usually wears a bright blue apron. The only difficulty is accepting how crowded they are. You may find
yourself squeezed inside the bus so tightly that you'll miss your stop. The buses and trolleybuses run from around 6am to 10pm everyday.
Since the buses are so crowded, a number of entrepreneurs have started their own services using minibuses.
They usually ply the same routes as the buses and have route numbers displayed.
The normal rate is similar to the buses.
Taxi services run all around the city, although it can be difficult to arrange travel in advance unless the driver has a mobile phone. Taxis are identified by taxi written on the cars.
There also a number of bright yellow cars recently brought into the country that can be easily identified as taxis.
Although some taxis have meters they are not often used and no pressure should be put on the driver to use it.
The standard cost is MNT 280-300 per kilometre. Some drivers will try to charge more, especially if you appear to be a tourist. Agree the price in advance if you can.
Ulaanbaatar must be one of the only places in the world where you can stop almost any car for a lift. Potentially, every car in the capital is a taxi.
If you hale a car and the driver is prepared to pick you up, he'll do so and charge the same rates as taxis (around MNT 300 per kilometre).
This is seen to be a safe way of travelling, although it may not be appropriate if you are a single woman and travelling late at night.