The Vast Expanse of Wild Mongolia
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The Vast Expanse of Wild Mongolia

Mongolia! Ah, Mongolia. The land of breathtaking steppe, amazing wildlife, and terrifying history. A beautiful, fantastic region not many people know about.


Facts

Mongolia lies between China to the South and Russia to the North with an area of about 604829.03 Square miles (1,566,500 square Kms. Mongolia is a humongous mountainous plateau sloping from West to East with around 80% of land situated above around 3281 feet (1000 m) altitude. Its terrain consists of mountains and rolling plateaus.  The lowest point is Lake Huhk, at approximately 1837 feet (560 m), and the highest point is the Khüiten Peak in the Altai Mountains at 14350 feet (4374 m).

History

Since ancient times, Mongolia’s vast steppe has had a large number of different nomadic tribes. Then, one courageous and immensely gifted man by the name of Genghis Khan (AD 1162-1227) rose to power. He unified all the tribes to form one cohesive group of warriors. He led this group to conquer the land around them. He ruled parts of China and Central Asia and left behind a great legacy.


Unique Wildlife of Mongolia

·      There are approximately 136 mammal species found in Mongolia with 35 of them rare or endangered. There are 400 different birds and 76 different types of fish as well.

 

·      Saker falcon is the National bird of the country. Other birds that are endemic to the country include Kozlov's Accentor, the Siberian Crane, the Hooded Crane, the Pied Harrier, the Great Bustard, and the Black Stork.


·      The Central and Northern forest areas of Mongolia provide habitats for various mammal species such as wolves, wild boars, elk, roe deer, and brown bears. The Mongolian steppes harbor muskrat, fox, and sable antelope while the Altai Mountains in the West are home to the largest wild sheep in the world, the argali, as well as wild cats like the lynx, snow leopard, and the Siberian Ibex. The Gobi desert is inhabited by thousands of gazelles and the rarest animal in Mongolia - the Gobi Bear which numbers less than 50. Wild camels, one of the rarest and least studied species in the world, are also found in the Gobi desert.



 

·      The Golden Eagle is particularly special to Mongolians and is celebrated annually in the Golden Eagle Festival.

 

·      Mongolia is famous for its horses. Called Przewalski’s Horse, or Takhi, these horses are the only extant wild horses in the world. They are closely related to our domestic horses.


The Mongolian Steppe

The Mongolian Steppe is one of the largest continuous expanses of grassland in the world. The reason for this is that, for the most part, Mongolia has avoided large-scale conversions to agriculture which has been the demise of other grasslands around the world. In order to protect its flora and fauna, 10 National Parks have been established throughout the country. The goal of these protected areas is to conserve the many rare plants and animals that inhabit them and also to educate the public, particularly those who still lead nomadic life, in the art of herding their livestock efficiently. The Khustain National Park in Tov Province became part of the World Biosphere Network of Natural Reserves in 2002. It is one of the best-managed specially protected areas in Mongolia. It is home to 459 vascular plants, 90 species of moss, 33 species of mushroom as well as 44 species of mammals like the red deer and gazelle, and 217 birds.


Did You Know?

·      There are almost as many people as horses in Mongolia!

·      Even now, more than quarter of Mongolians are nomads!

·      Mongolia has its own Olympics.


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