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Geography and Environment of Mongolia
Terrain, climate, natural resources, hazards, and environmental conditions of Mongolia.
Overview
Mongolia is a large and sparsely populated country landlocked between China and Russia. Mongolia is the 6th largest country in Asia and 18th largest in the world. The capital, Ulaanbaatar, is over 4,000 feet above sea level. The country is divided into three basic zones: the Gobi, a vast, dry grassland in the east and south; the low Hangai mountains in the north and northwest; and the high Altai Mountains of the west and northwest. Mongolia’s most scenic lake is Lake Hovsgol located in the Altai, where elevations range up to 15,000 feet. There are three major river systems: the Tuul, which runs through Ulaanbaatar; the Orhon, which combines with the Tuul and flows into Lake Baikal in Russia; and the Selenge in the northeast.
Detailed geography
Physical Features
- Terrain
- vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central
- Climate
- Because of the elevation and distance from any ocean or sea, Mongolia has a harsh continental climate. Marked seasonal, even daily, changes in temperature, numerous high-pressure systems, and severe cold occur most of the year. A remarkably sunny country, Mongolia enjoys 250 sunny days a year, often with clear cloudless skies, making even the coldest temperatures more tolerable.
- Weather Patterns
- http://voap.weather.com/weather/oap/MGXX0003?template=TRVLH&par=1003114983&unit=0&key=5b85ae1d85877a1b34827fba743e2133
- Highest Point
- 4374 — Nayramadlin Orgil (Huyten Orgil) 4,374 m
- Lowest Point
- 518 — Hoh Nuur 518 m
Borders and Area
- Area (Comparative)
- slightly smaller than Alaska
- Border Countries
- China 4,677 km, Russia 3,485 km
Natural Resources and Hazards
- Natural Resources
- oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold, silver, iron, phosphate
- Natural Hazards
- dust storms, grassland and forest fires, drought, and ""zud,"" which is harsh winter conditions
Environment and Land Use
- Current Environmental Issues
- limited natural fresh water resources in some areas; the policies of former Communist regimes promoted rapid urbanization and industrial growth that had negative effects on the environment; the burning of soft coal in power plants and the lack of enforcement of environmental laws severely polluted the air in Ulaanbaatar; deforestation, overgrazing, and the converting of virgin land to agricultural production increased soil erosion from wind and rain; desertification and mining activities had a deleterious effect on the environment
- International Agreements
- party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements