Economy

     Mongolia’s economy is comprised mainly of agricultural products but the true highlight has been the fastest growing mining-sector in the world that is rapidly changing the Mongolian economy. Largely in part to the largest copper deposit in the world called Oyu Tolgoi Mine, and also a huge coal deposit called the Tavan Tolgoi. Mongolia joined the World Trade Organization in 1997. GDP growth averaged 9% per year during 2004-2008. Mongolia’s main export partner is China which receives more than 90% of Mongolian exports. While Mongolia imports up to 95% of its energy needs from Russia. Real GDP growth was 12.7% in 2012 catapulting the Mongolian economy to the 5^th fastest growing in the world for 2012; however, total GDP remained at only 10 billion making it exceptionally small when compared to other developing nations. Mongolia also currently battles a stubbornly high inflation rate of 12.9% in 2012 and 39.2% of the population is below the poverty line. 

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mg.html

Holidays

     The Naadam Festival is one of the most important national holidays of Mongolia. It is based upon the wedding and hunting ceremonials and traditions that stretch far back into the country’s history. The main feature of the festival is three key sporting passions of the Mongolian people, wrestling, archery, and finally horse racing. Among these things there is also a vast collection of art and food. The festival lasts two days typically from July 11^th to July 13^th. With the biggest festival held near the capital of Ulaanbaatar. Also played during the festival outside of the three main sports is a game called shagai that is played with the anklebones of sheep as tokens. Mongolian wrestling at Naadam is a single elimination system that is an untimed event where the loser is the first to touch the ground. Archery was included in the Naadam festival of sports around the 11^th century during the time of Khanate. The winner at the festival is given the prestige title of National Marksman. Finally, often considered the most important and prestigious sport of Mongolia is the horse racing. The sport is broken down into many categories based upon the ages of the horse. The top quintile of winners is given the title of Airgiyn Tav.  

http://www.discovermongolia.mn/tours/Cultural_tours_and_events/naadam.htm

http://www.nadammongoliannaadamfestival.com/naadam_festival.php

Religion

Traditionally, Mongols practiced Shamanism, worshipping the Blue Sky. However, Tibetan Buddhism (also called Vajrayana Buddhism) gained more popularity after it was introduced in 16th century. Tibetan Buddhism shared the common Buddhist goals of individual release from suffering and reincarnation. Tibet's Dalai Lama, who lives in India, is the religion's spiritual leader, and is highly respected in Mongolia.

As part of their shamanistic heritage, the people practice ritualistic magic, nature worship, exorcism, meditation, and natural healing. At the beginning of the 20th century, Mongolia had hundreds of Buddhist monasteries and about 30 percent of all men were monks. Communists led an anti-religious campaign in the 1930s, which nearly destroyed the extensive system of monasteries. Under Communist rule, atheism was promoted and monasteries were closed, although shamanistic practices survived. From 1945 to 1990, only one monastery (Gandan in Ulaanbaatar) was allowed to operate.

Democratic reform that started in 1990 allowed freedom of religion; well over 100 monasteries have reopened, and Kazak Muslims are allowed to practice Islam. Many young people are receiving an education through these traditional centers of learning, and the people are once again able to practice cherished traditions. There's a significant minority of Sunni Muslims in the far western regions of Mongolia, most of who are ethnic Kazaks.

            

Politics

To start off, Mongolia was under the rule of the Manchurian Qing dynasty, which was also in control of China, for almost 200 years until the fall of the Qing in 1911. After the fall, Outer Mongolia separated itself from China and declared its independence, only to be invaded by the Chinese again in 1920. Mongolia reached out to the Soviets for help and together they drove out the Chinese. Mongolia created the Mongolian "people's government," which is solidified 3 years later by proclaiming Mongolia the Mongolian People's Republic, a communist regime. Also at this time the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) is created, a party that is still a huge influence today.

            Through all of this, the Soviets maintain a hold on the country. With Soviet control of the country, came an attack on the Buddhist religion, which was purged from Mongolia. The USSR linked itself to China by building a railway through Mongolia. Soviet troops were stationed in Mongolia "secretly," and all the while the MPRP was in power. Mongolia, however, has both a Prime Minister and a President, with the Prime Minister controlling the political power of heading legislature and the President controlling the army and having a veto power over the legislature. The President, from the beginning of the formation of Mongolia as a democracy, was always from the MPRP. However in 2009 the former PM Elbegdorj from the Democratic Party won the presidency in 2009. He still holds the post today.

            I think it will be interesting to see how the strong hold of the MPRP in the government will affect the country, being a democracy, since the party was created under the ideals of communism. It will also be interesting to investigate the power dynamic between the Prime Minister and the President, to see who holds more power in the country and what the dynamic is with them being from separate parties.

Food

In traditional Mongolia the food was dictated much by the harsh climate that is present throughout the year and the nomadic lifestyle of the people. In the winter their diet was heavy in calories and meat while the summer it was a little lighter and heavier on dairy. A main focus in Mongolian agriculture has always been cattle breeding thus predetermining much of their diet. Mutton, beef, goat and poultry were also frequently consumed. The most common and most famous dish in Mongolia is called Boodog which is a whole carcass of a marmot or goat that is roasted from the inside out. This happens by the bones being taken out through the throat and the carcass is filled with burning hot coals and the neck is then tied at the top effectively cooking the marmot or goat from the inside out.




Another favorite dish in Mongolia is called Buuz. These are large dumplings made of dough, filled with meat, onion and garlic. Buuz are widely served particularly in large quantities at Tsagaan sar, the Mongolian New year when people often prepare thousands to feed their guests.



While meat and dairy have been staples in the Mongolian diet for years they also supplement many of their dishes with vegetables. Since Mongolians lived so close to nature they would grow and find local herbs and wheat grass when they could. This helped to provide a little more balance in their diet especially after a long, harsh winter.






http://www.selenatravel.com/food.html
http://www.toursmongolia.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=93
http://elitemongol.com/index.php?option=news&task=detail&parent=32&eid=&id=151&page=2

Geography

Mongolia lies in Central Asia between Russia, to the north, and China, to the south. Mongolia has an area of 1,564,116 square kilometres or 971,896.62 square miles. In terms of the United States, this means Mongolia is slightly larger than Alaska. The entire country is very diverse in the geographical regions that make it up. These diverse regions include mountain-forest steppe, mountain steppe and in the extreme south, semi-desert and desert. The capital city of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar is located in a mountain-forest steppe area of the country. The average elevation of Mongolia is 5,814 feet with the highest point being 14,350 feet (Hüiten Peak in the west) and the lowest being 1,838 feet (central plains).





In Mongolia there are three different mountain ranges. The highest is the Altai Mountains. These mountains stretch from the western to the southwestern regions of Mongolia in a northwest to southeast way. The Hangayn Nuruu also lie on a northwest to southeast axis and these mountains occupy a good portion of central and north central Mongolia. The Hangayn Nurru are older and more eroded with many forests and alpine pastures lining their slopes. Finally, the Hentiyn Nurru are the mountains that border the Russian Border to the northeast of Ulaanbaatar.



The Gobi Desert is one of the world's most famous deserts and amounts to about 30% of Mongolia's land. The Gobi Desert covers a good portion of southern Mongolia and has an extremely harsh climate. Summer nights can be upwards of 120F while winter nights can be as cold as -40F. While most deserts are generally sand the Gobi is an exception. In fact the majority of the Gobi Desert is black rock which makes travelling a little more manageable.

http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blcmongolia.htm

http://countrystudies.us/mongolia/33.htm

http://gobidesert.org

Brief History of Mongolia

Inner Mongolia was established under the Han Chinese Ming Dynasty (CE 1368-1644), after the Mongol Chinese Yuan Dynasty had been overthrown. Mongolia was divided into two regions: Dada and Wala, or “Northern” and “Southern” Mongolia and is now what is present day Outer and Inner Mongolia. Due to the presence of the Gobi desert, Outer and Inner Mongolia always had a natural barrier, which weakened any bond that might exist even on an ethnic basis. However, due to its location, Inner Mongolia has become more ethnically mixed than Outer Mongolia.