Mongolia is an amazing country that impresses tourists with its uniqueness and originality. Located in Central Asia, this country borders only Russia and China and is landlocked. Therefore, the climate of Mongolia is sharply continental. And Ulaanbaatar is considered the coldest capital in the world. But still, Mongolia is popular among tourists from all over the world.
General information
Mongolia still keeps its traditions, it managed to carry its cultural heritage through the centuries. The Great Mongol Empire had a huge impact on world history, the famous leader Genghis Khan was born on the territory of this particular country.
Today, a unique place on the planet attracts primarily those who want to take a break from the noise of megacities and familiar resorts and immerse themselves in a special world of pristine natural beauty. The geographical location of Mongolia, population, climate, plants, animals - all this is unusual and unique. High mountains, endless steppes, blue skies, a unique world of flora and fauna cannot but attract tourists from all over the world to this country.
Geographic location
Mongolia, whose relief and climate are naturally interconnected, combines on its territory the Gobi Desert and such mountain ranges as the Gobi and Mongolian Altai, Khangai. Thus, on the territory of Mongolia there are both high mountains and vast plains.
The country is located on average at an altitude of 1580 meters above sea level. Mongolia is located in Central Asia, has no access to the sea, it has common borders with Russia and China. The area of the country is 1,566,000 sq. km. The largest rivers flowing in Mongolia are the Selenga, Kerulen, Khalkhin Gol and others. The capital of the state - Ulaanbaatar - has a long and interesting history.
Population of the country
Today, about 3 million people live in the country. The population density is approximately 1.8 people per sq. m. territory. The population is unevenly distributed, in the capital the population density is very high, but the southern regions and desert areas are less populated.
The ethnic composition of the population is very diverse:
- 82% - Mongols;
- 4% - Kazakhs;
- 2% - Buryats and other nationalities.
There are also Russians and Chinese in the country. Among the religions, Buddhism prevails here. In addition, a small percentage of the population professes Islam, there are many adherents of Christianity.
Mongolia: climate and its features
This place is called "the country of the blue sky" because most of the year heresunny. Located in the temperate climate zone, Mongolia has a sharply continental climate. This means that it is characterized by extreme temperature changes and little rainfall.
Cold but almost snowless winter in Mongolia (temperatures can drop to -45˚C) gives way to spring with its strong gusts of wind, sometimes reaching hurricanes, and then warm and sunny summer. This country is often the site of sandstorms.
If we briefly describe the climate of Mongolia, it is enough to mention the large temperature fluctuations even within a day. There are severe winters, hot summers and increased dryness of the air. The coldest month is January, the warmest month is June.
Why is this climate in Mongolia
Sudden temperature changes, dry air and a lot of sunny days make this place special. We can conclude what are the reasons for the sharp continental climate of Mongolia:
- remoteness from the seas;
- an obstacle to the entry of moist air currents from the oceans are the mountain ranges that surround the country;
- Formation of high pressure combined with low temperatures in winter.
Such extreme temperature fluctuations and low rainfall make this country special. Acquaintance with the reasons for the sharp continental climate of Mongolia will help to better understand the relationship between the relief, geographical location and climate of this country.
Seasons
It is best to come toMongolia from May to September. Despite the fact that there are many sunny days here, the amplitude of temperatures is very large for the seasons. The climate of Mongolia by months has very characteristic features.
- Winter here is usually sunny, cold, temperature drops to -45-50˚С are possible. Winter colds begin as early as November and persist until March. A large amount of precipitation is not observed: snowfalls are infrequent. January is the coldest winter month, daytime temperatures drop below 15 degrees below zero.
- Spring in Mongolia starts at the end of March and lasts until June. At this time, dust storms and hurricanes can pose a danger. It is getting warmer, the average air temperature in spring is +6˚С.
- The summer temperature period in Mongolia coincides with the calendar one - it starts at the end of May and ends by September. During this period, a relatively large amount of precipitation falls in the form of rain. The average temperature is 21 degrees above zero, and in July (the warmest month of the year) it can reach 25˚ C.
- Autumn in Mongolia is a transitional period - both for temperature (average +6˚С) and humidity (climate becomes drier, rainfall decreases).
Plant world
Mongolia, whose climate is sharply continental, has a rich and unusual flora. On its territory there are various natural zones: highlands, taiga belt, forest-steppe and steppe, desert and semi-desert zones.
In Mongolia you can seemountains covered with deciduous, cedar and pine forests. In the valleys, they are replaced by hardwoods (birch, aspen, ash) and shrubs (honeysuckle, bird cherry, wild rosemary and others). In general, forests cover about 15% of Mongolia's vegetation.
The vegetation cover of the steppes of Mongolia is also very diverse. It includes plants such as feather grass, wheatgrass and others. Saxaul prevails on the territory of semi-deserts. This type of vegetation makes up about 30% of the entire flora of Mongolia.
Juniper, celandine, sea buckthorn are the most common among medicinal plants.
Animal world
There are several very rare species of mammals in Mongolia, such as the snow leopard, Przewalski's horse, Mongolian kulan, wild camel and many others (about 130 species in total). There are also many (over 450) various species of birds - eagles, owls, hawks. In the desert there is a wild cat, goitered gazelle, saiga, in the forests - deer, sable, roe deer.
Some of them, unfortunately, need protection, as they are under the threat of extinction. The Government of Mongolia takes care of the preservation of the existing rich fund of flora and fauna. To this end, numerous reserves and national parks were organized here.
Interesting facts about Mongolia
This country is unique. Therefore, it attracts many tourists who want to learn more about Mongolia. There are several features that characterize her:
- Mongolia,the climate of which is quite severe, is the country with the coldest capital in the world.
- Among all countries in the world, it has the lowest population density.
- If you translate the name of the capital Ulaanbaatar from the Mongolian language, you get the phrase "red hero".
- Another name for Mongolia is the "Land of the Blue Sky".
Not all tourists aspiring to these parts know the climate in Mongolia. But even a detailed acquaintance with its features does not frighten lovers of exotic and wildlife.
