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Mongolia
Background: Long a province of China, Mongolia won its independence in 1921 with Soviet backing. A communist regime was installed in 1924. During the early 1990s, the ex-communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) gradually yielded its monopoly on power. In 1996, the Democratic Union Coalition (DUC) defeated the MPRP in a national election and has attempted to establish a number of reforms to modernize the economy. However, many former communists retain key posts and implementation has been difficult.
Location: Northern Asia, between China and Russia Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 105 00 E Map references: Asia Area:
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Alaska Land boundaries:
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none (landlocked) Climate: desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges) Terrain: vast semidesert and desert plains; mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in southeast Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold Land use:
Irrigated land: 800 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: dust storms can occur in the spring; grassland fires Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources; policies of the former communist regime promoting rapid urbanization and industrial growth have raised concerns about their negative effects on the environment; the burning of soft coal in power plants and the lack of enforcement of environmental laws have severely polluted the air in Ulaanbaatar; deforestation, overgrazing, the converting of virgin land to agricultural production have increased soil erosion from wind and rain; desertification and mining activities have also had a deleterious effect on the environment Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note: landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia
Population: 2,650,952 (July 2000 est.) Age structure:
Population growth rate: 1.54% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 21.53 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 6.14 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate: 41.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality:
Ethnic groups: Mongol 90%, Kazakh 4%, other 6% Religions:
predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, Muslim 4%
Languages: Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian Literacy:
Country name:
Data code: MG Government type: republic Capital: Ulaanbaatar Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (aymguud, singular - aymag) and 3 municipalities* (hotuud, singular - hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan*, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Erdenet*, Govi-Altay, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs Independence: 13 March 1921 (from China) National holiday: National Day, 11 July (1921) Constitution: 12 February 1992 Legal system: blend of Russian, Chinese, Turkish, and Western systems of law that combines aspects of a parliamentary and presidential system; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch:
Legislative branch:
unicameral State Great Hural (76 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, serves as appeals court for people's and provincial courts, but to date rarely overturns verdicts of lower courts, judges are nominated by the General Council of Courts for approval by the State Great Hural Political parties and leaders: Democratic Union Coalition or DUC (includes the MNDP and the MSDP); Independence Party [leader NA]; Mongolian Conservative Party or MCP [JARGALSAIHAN]; Mongolian Democratic New Socialist Party or MDNSP [B. ERDENEBAT, chairman]; Mongolian Democratic Renaissance Party or MDRP [BYAMBASUREN, chairman]; Mongolian National Democratic Party or MNDP [R. AMARJARGAL, chairman; B. DELGERMAA, general secretary]; Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party or MPRP [N. ENKHBAYAR, chairman; L. ENEBISH, general secretary]; Mongolian Republican Party or MRP [B. JARGALSAIHAN]; Mongolian Social Democratic Party or MSDP [Radnaasumbereliyn GONCHIGDORJ, chairman; N. ALTANKHUYAG, general secretary]; Mongolian United Heritage Party or UHP [B. JAMTSAI] (includes the United Party of Herdsman and Farmers, Independence Party, Traditional United Conservative Party, and Mongolian United Private Property Owners Party); Mongolian United Private Property Owners Party [leader NA]); United Party of Herdsman and Farmers [leader NA]; Traditional United Conservative Party [leader NA]; Workers' Party [leader NA] International organization participation: AsDB, ASEAN (observer), CCC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US:
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Flag description: three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), blue, and red; centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is the national emblem ("soyombo" - a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric representation for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang symbol)
Economy - overview: Economic activity traditionally has been based on agriculture and breeding of livestock. Mongolia also has extensive mineral deposits: copper, coal, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold account for a large part of industrial production. Soviet assistance, at its height one-third of GDP, disappeared almost overnight in 1990-91, at the time of the dismantlement of the USSR. Mongolia was driven into deep recession, which was prolonged by the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party's (MPRP) reluctance to undertake serious economic reform. The Democratic Union Coalition (DUC) government has embraced free-market economics, easing price controls, liberalizing domestic and international trade, and attempting to restructure the banking system and the energy sector. Major domestic privatization programs have been undertaken, as well as fostering of foreign investment through international tender of the oil distribution company, a leading cashmere company, and banks. Reform has been held back by the ex-communist MPRP opposition and by the political instability brought about through four successive governments under the DUC. Economic growth picked up in 1997-99 after stalling in 1996 due to a series of natural disasters and declines in world prices of copper and cashmere. Public revenues and exports collapsed in 1998 and 1999 due to the repercussions of the Asian financial crisis. In August and September 1999, the economy suffered from a temporary Russian ban on exports of oil and oil products. Mongolia joined the World Trade Organization (WTrO) in 1997. The international donor community pledged over $300 million per year at the last Consultative Group Meeting, held in Ulaanbaatar in June 1999. GDP: purchasing power parity - $6.1 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 3.5% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,320 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line: 40% (1999 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5% (1998) Labor force: 1.256 million (1998) Labor force - by occupation: primarily herding/agricultural Unemployment rate: 4.5% (1998) Budget:
Industries: construction materials, mining (particularly coal and copper); food and beverages, processing of animal products Industrial production growth rate: 3.2% (1998) Electricity - production: 2.66 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption: 2.816 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 342 million kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, potatoes, forage crops; sheep, goats, cattle, camels, horses Exports: $316.8 million (f.o.b., 1998) Exports - commodities: copper, livestock, animal products, cashmere, wool, hides, fluorspar, other nonferrous metals Exports - partners: China 30.1%, Switzerland 21.5%, Russia 12.1%, South Korea 9.7%, US 8.1% (1998) Imports: $472.4 million (f.o.b., 1998) Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, fuels, food products, industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea Imports - partners: Russia 30.6%, China 13.3%, Japan 11.7%, South Korea 7.5%, US 6.9% (1998) Debt - external: $715 million (1998 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $250 million (1998 est.) Currency: 1 tughrik (Tug) = 100 mongos Exchange rates: tughriks (Tug) per US$1 - 1,070.39 (December 1999), 1,072.37 (1999), 840.83 (1998), 789.99 (1997), 548.40 (1996), 448.61 (1995) Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use: 93,800 (1998) Telephones - mobile cellular: NA Telephone system:
Radio broadcast stations: AM 12, FM 2, shortwave 13 (1998) Radios: 360,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus 18 provincial repeaters) (1997) Televisions: 118,000 (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
Railways:
Highways:
Waterways: 400 km of principal routes (1999) Ports and harbors: none Airports: 34 (1994 est.) Airports - with paved runways:
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Military branches: Mongolian People's Army (includes Internal Security Forces and Border Guards), Air Force, Civil Defense troops Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age Military manpower - availability:
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $20 million (FY97) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2% (FY97)
Disputes - international: none |