Brief description about Mongolia

Mongolia is the world’s second largest landlocked country and occupies a territory of 1.56 million square kilometers in North-Central Asia. Mongolia’s picture perfect blue sky overlooks a vast expanse of peaceful open lands during a full spectrum of climate rich seasons. It’s ecological transition zone is where flora and fauna of Siberia meet desert and steppes species unique to Central Asia. Mongolia is the world’s least densely populated country with 45% of it’s population of 3.1 million people living within the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. This city offers a wide array of nightlife venues, culinary delights, shopping venues, and modern lodging amenities. The area outside of the city offers an unencumbered connection with nature, breathtaking landscape views, culturally traditional living, epic historical landmarks, and more.

From the ancient time, Mongolians traditionally had a pastoral, nomadic lifestyle and hospitality is always being there as a nomadic culture. Mongolia definitely is the country which has great horse-based nomadic culture. 

Herders raised five different type of animals such as goat, sheep, cow, camel and horse, which them called as “Tavan Khoshuu Mal” because honored them as a warm beaks animal which produces life supporting essential foods to the owner. Tavan khoshuu (five beaks livestock) is a term used to describe horses, cattle, camels, sheep, and goats that have been domesticated by Mongolians since ancient times. Mongolian livestock has adapted to harsh climatic conditions and retained its unique biological characteristics. Mongolian livestock graze in all four seasons of the year and has a long tradition of breeding as well. Among these animals, the horses valued more for Mongolians which simply described in the tales and legends a lot. Horses have played in an importance role in both and long ride and transportation. Through the history time horses being best mate for Mongolian man and horseman. 

“Nuudel” the migration (nomadism) of nomad people, is inextricably linked to herding and they move around the four season (summer, autumn, winter, spring) at least four time a year following the graze for the livestock. Following the migration, nomads live most minimalist lifestyle. 

Hospitality: when guest arrived, “suutei tsai” the milk tea and snack offered very first is the main tradition to Mongolians. (“Suutei tsai” the milk tea is simply ingredient of Georgia green tea, salt and milk and it has to be boiled long enough to give a green tea test). Traditionally nomad people’s lifestyle base is dairy products in summer and meat in winter.

Currently religious freedom. There are two main religions in Mongolia, Buddhism and Shamanism and small number of Muslims, Christians.

Through the history, before the Chinggis Khaan’s time, the Shamanism was practicing and during the Great Mongol empire, exposed to influence of Christianity and Islam but these religions never came to dominate. The great Khaan Chinggis made it shamanism into fundamental part of Mongolian tradition. 

Since 16^th century, Buddhism introduced and Mongolians follow Tibetan Buddhist teachings (lamanism) doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan region. 

1924-1992 social period time – religions were suppressed

Since 1990 – democracy brought back religious freedom

Mongolia fell under communist rule in 1921 and remained nearly 70 years. In 1990 country transitioned into democracy, a multiparty system and market economy. Politics of Mongolia takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential multi-party representative democracy. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister, who is the head of government, and the Cabinet

Since the early 90s, Mongolia has moved from a planned economy to a market economy. Mongolia joined the WTO, the World Trade Organization in 1997. The Mongolian economy is based mainly on livestock, the basis of traditional Mongolian culture. One third of Mongolians are nomads, who live by farming. 

Mongolia’s economy, traditionally based on herding and agriculture, has transformed into an economy focused more on extractive industries, spurred on by significant investment in Mongolia by foreign enterprises. Mongolia has extensive deposits of copper, gold, coal, molybdenum, fluorspar, uranium, tin, and tungsten.