Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, located between China and Russia. The terrain is one of mountains and rolling plateaus, with a high degree of relief. The total land area of Mongolia is 1,564,116 square kilometres. Overall, the land slopes from the high Altai Mountains of the west and the north to plains and depressions in the east and the south. The Khüiten Peak in extreme western Mongolia on the Chinese border is the highest point. The lowest point is at 560 m (1,840 ft), is the Hoh Nuur or lake Huh. The country has an average elevation of 1,580 m (5,180 ft).
Ulaanbaatar, previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. With a population of 1.6 million, it is the coldest capital city in the world by average yearly temperature. The municipality is located in north central Mongolia at an elevation of about 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) in a valley on the Tuul River. The city was founded in 1639 as a nomadic Buddhist monastic centre, changing location 28 times, and was permanently settled at its modern location in 1778.
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Övörkhangai is one of the 21 aimags (provinces) of Mongolia, located in the south of the country. Its capital is Arvaikheer.
Töv is one of the 21 aimags (provinces) of Mongolia. The national capital Ulaanbaatar is located roughly at its center, but the city itself is administered as an independent municipality.
Zavkhan is one of the 21 aimags (provinces) of Mongolia, located in the west of the country, 1,104 km from Ulaanbaatar. Its capital is Uliastai. The aimag is named after the Zavkhan River, which forms the border between Zavkhan and Gobi-Altai aimag.
Bayangovi is a sum (district) of Bayankhongor Province in south-eastern Mongolia. It is situated approximately 40 kilometres south of the lake Orog Nuur, 170 km from provincial capital Bayankhongor and 650 km south-west of Ulaanbaatar. Bayangovi is surrounded by the Ikhee Bogd mountain range, and by desert.
Arvaikheer, also spelt Arwaiheer is the capital of Övörkhangai Aimag (province) and one of the most central points of Mongolia.
The Khangai Mountains ; form a range in central Mongolia, some 400 km (250 mi) west of Ulaanbaatar.
Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake (Mongolian: Тэрхийн Цагаан нуур, romanized: Terkhiin Tsagaan nuur,, is a fresh-water lake in the Khangai Mountains in central Mongolia, located in Tariat soum of Arkhangai province. In 670 km to the capital city Ulaanbaatar and 180 km to the center of Tariat soum.
Jargalant is a sum of Bayankhongor Province in southern Mongolia. Jargalant is also called Baidrag. The sum is bordered by Zag to the west; Gurvanbulag to the northwest; Khangai, Arkhangai province; Chuluut sum to the northeast; Galuut, and Bömbögör sum to the east and south. The northern edge of the district contains parts of the Untaa Yamaat mountain range, the eastern section contains the Egi pass, the southern border is 2.7 km south of the south shore of Davsan lake, and the western border is the Zag river. It is further divided into 4 bag, the Nam Tolgoi bag the Ulziit Heights bag, the Crossing Spring team, and the Emeel Togol bag.
Tsagaan-Uul is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is about 5,870 km², of which 5,190 km² are pasture. In 2005, the sum had 5145 inhabitants, mainly Khalkha and Khotgoid. The center officially named Sharga, is located 138 km west of Mörön and 840 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar.
The Great Lakes Depression, also called the Great Lakes' Hollow, is a large semi-arid depression in Mongolia that covers parts of the Uvs, Khovd, Bayan-Ölgii, Zavkhan and Govi-Altai aimags. Bounded by the Altai in the West, Khangai in the East and Tannu-Ola Mountains in the North, it covers the area of over 100,000 km2 (39,000 sq mi) with elevations from 750 to 2,000 m (2,460–6,560 ft).
The Central Asian Internal Drainage Basin or Central Asian Inland Basin is the largest of 3 major hydrological basins that cover Mongolia. It is an endorheic basin.
The Valley of the Lakes is an intermontane depression located in southwestern Mongolia, separating the Khangai and Govi-Altai mountains. The valley stretches 500 km long, has a width of approximately 100 km, and is located at altitudes ranging between 1000 and 1400 meters above sea level. The topography is dominated by sandy and rocky plains, with solonchak and takir soils present. Along the valley floor lies a chain of large and small saline lakes, which are generally shallow, with a saucer-shaped depth profile. The largest of these lakes are Böön Tsagaan Lake and Orog Lake. Water levels vary considerably in size both seasonally and from year to year, and some lakes may dry out completely in certain years. They all receive their inflow from rivers which rise in the Khangai Mountains, and no permanent inflow comes from the Gobi-Altai. Barchan sand dunes are located on the valley's margins. The region near the Govi-Altai is a seismically active zone and is where the 1957 Mongolia earthquake occurred.
The wildlife of Mongolia consists of flora, fauna and funga found in the harsh habitats dictated by the diverse climatic conditions found throughout the country. In the north, there are salty marshes and fresh-water sources. The centre has desert steppes. In the south, there are semi deserts as well as the hot Gobi desert in the south, the fifth-largest desert in the world.
The history of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, dates to 1639 when it was first established as a moveable monastery.
Taatsiin Tsagaan Lake is a large saline lake in Övörkhangai Province in the Gobi Desert of southern Mongolia.
The Gobi Lakes Valley desert steppe ecoregion covers the narrow, flat valley in southwestern Mongolia that lies between the Khangai Mountains, and the Gobi-Altai Mountains. The region is known as the "Valley of the Lakes" because runoff from the mountains collect in lakes that have no outlet to the sea. Although the valley is a semi-arid desert steppe, it has areas of wetlands near the lakes that are important habit for water birds.
