Mongolia is far-flung and little visited yet has much to offer in terms of
scenery,
wildlife, and
historic and
cultural sites.
Outside the main cities, Mongolians continue to live the
traditional life of
malchin (
herdsmen), and many are nomadic. With one of the world’s lowest population densities, Mongolia’s vast areas of
wilderness,
desert,
lakes and mountains offer plenty of scope for
adventurous outdoor enthusiasts. Although independent travel is now becoming more common, travel outside the capital
is usually by tours.
GeographyMongolia has a 3,485km (2,165-mile) border with the Russian Federation in the north and a 4,670km (2,902-mile) border with China in the south. From north to south, it can be divided into four areas: mountain-forest steppe, mountain steppe and, in the extreme south, semi-desert and desert (the latter being about 3% of the entire territory). The majority of the country has a high elevation, with the principal mountains concentrated in the west. The highest point is the peak of Tavan Bogd, in the Altai Mountains, at 4,374m (14,350ft) high. The lowest point, Khukh Nuur lake, in the east, lies at 560m (1,820ft). There are several hundred lakes in the country and numerous rivers, of which the Orkhon is the longest at 1,124km (698 miles).
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