Overview
Mongolia is a landlocked country located in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. Covering an area of 1,564,116 square kilometers, it ranks as the 18th-largest country in the world. Mongolia holds the distinction of being the second-largest landlocked nation, surpassed only by Kazakhstan, and it is the largest landlocked country that does not border an inland sea.
Geography
Mongolia forms a significant portion of the Mongolian Plateau, a vast highland region in the heart of Asia. The country's natural environment is diverse, featuring several distinct landscapes:
- Grassy steppe covering large stretches of the central regions
- Mountain ranges to the north and west
- The Gobi Desert extending across the southern part of the country
This varied terrain, from arid desert to rugged mountains, has shaped both the environment and the traditional ways of life found throughout Mongolia.
Population and Demographics
Mongolia is home to approximately 3.5 million people, making it the world's most sparsely populated sovereign state, a distinction it holds when excluding the partially unrecognized territory of Western Sahara. This low population density is a defining characteristic of the country, reflecting its vast open landscapes and expansive rural areas.
Capital City
Ulaanbaatar serves as both the capital and largest city of Mongolia. The city is a major population center, home to roughly half of the country's entire population. As such, Ulaanbaatar functions as the primary hub for governance, culture, and economic activity within the nation.