MONGOLIA GEOGRAPHY Total area: 1,565,000 km2; land area: 1,565,000 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska Land boundaries: 8,114 km total; China 4,673 km, USSR 3,441 km Coastline: none--landlocked Maritime claims: none--landlocked Climate: desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges) Terrain: vast semidesert and desert plains; mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in southeast Natural resources: oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 79%; forest and woodland 10%; other 10%; includes irrigated NEGL% Environment: harsh and rugged Note: landlocked; strategic location between China and Soviet Union PEOPLE Population: 2,247,068 (July 1991), growth rate 2.7% (1991) Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 67 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 4.6 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Mongolian(s); adjective--Mongolian Ethnic divisions: Mongol 90%, Kazakh 4%, Chinese 2%, Russian 2%, other 2% Religion: predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, Muslim (about 4%), limited religious activity because of Communist regime Language: Khalkha Mongol used by over 90% of population; minor languages include Turkic, Russian, and Chinese Literacy: 90% (male NA%, female NA%) (1989 est.) Labor force: NA, but primarily herding/agricultural; over half the adult population is in the labor force, including a large percentage of women; shortage of skilled labor Organized labor: 425,000 members of the Central Council of Mongolian Trade Unions (CCMTU) controlled by the government (1984) GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Mongolian People's Republic; abbreviated MPR Type: in transition from Communist state to republic Capital: Ulaanbaatar Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (aymguud, singular--aymag) and 3 municipalities* (hotuud, singular--hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan*, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Erdenet*, Govi-Altay, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs Independence: 13 March 1921 (from China; formerly Outer Mongolia) Constitution: 6 July 1960 Legal system: blend of Russian, Chinese, and Turkish systems of law; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: People's Revolution Day, 11 July (1921) Executive branch: chairman and deputy chairman of the Presidium of the People's Great Hural, premier, deputy premiers, Cabinet Legislative branch: People's Great Hural, People's Small Hural Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State--President Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT (since 3 September 1990); Vice President Radnaasumbereliyn GONCHIGDORJ (since 7 September 1990); Head of Government--Premier Dashiyn BYAMBASUREN (since 11 September 1990); Political parties and leaders: ruling party--Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), Budragchagiin DASH-YONDON, general secretary; opposition--Social Democratic Party (SDP), Batbayar; Mongolian Democratic Association, Sanjasuren DZORIG, chief coordinator; Mongolian Party of National Progress, Ganbold; other--Mongolian Democratic Party (MDP), Batuul; Free Labor Party, Maam; note--opposition parties were legalized in May 1990 Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: President--last held 3 September 1990 (next to be held July 1994); results--Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT elected by the People's Great Hural; People's Great Hural--last held on 29 July 1990 (next to be held July 1994); results--MPRP 84.6, MDP 3.8%, PNP 1.4%, SDP 1%, independents 9.2%; seats--(430 total) MPRP 343; People's Small Hural--last held on 29 July 1990 (next to be held July 1994); results--MPRP 62.3%, MDP 24.5%, SDP 7.5%, PNP 5.7%; seats--(50 total) MPRP 33 Communists: MPRP membership 90,000 (1990 est.) Member of: AsDB, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, IIB, ILO, IMF, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Gendengiyn NYAMDOO; Chancery, Tel. (202) 983-1962; US--Ambassador Joseph E. LAKE; Deputy Chief of Mission Michael J. SENKO; Embassy at Ulaanbaatar, c/o American Embassy Beijing; Tel. 29095 and 29639 Flag: three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), blue, and red; centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is a five-pointed star above the national emblem (soyombo--a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric representations for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang symbol) ECONOMY Overview: Economic activity traditionally has been based on agriculture and the breeding of livestock--Mongolia has the highest number of livestock per person in the world. In recent years extensive mineral resources have been developed with Soviet support. The mining and processing of coal, copper, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold account for a large part of industrial production. In early 1991 the Mongolian leadership was struggling with severe economic dislocations, mainly attributable to chaotic economic conditions in the USSR, by far Mongolia's leading trade and development partner. For example, the government doubled most prices in January 1991, and industrial production dropped 10% in the first quarter of 1991. Moscow almost certainly will be cutting aid in 1991. GDP: $2.2 billion, per capita $1,000 (1990 est.); real growth rate NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA% Unemployment rate: 10% (February 1991) Budget: deficit of $240 million (1991 est.) Exports: $784 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--livestock, animal products, wool, hides, fluorspar, nonferrous metals, minerals; partners--nearly all trade with Communist countries (about 80% with USSR) Imports: $1.14 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--machinery and equipment, fuels, food products, industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea; partners--nearly all trade with Communist countries (about 80% with USSR) External debt: $16.8 billion (yearend 1990); 98.6% with USSR Industrial production: growth rate NA% Electricity: 657,000 kW capacity; 2,950 million kWh produced, 1,380 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: copper, processing of animal products, building materials, food and beverage, mining (particularly coal) Agriculture: accounts for about 20% of GDP and provides livelihood for about 50% of the population; livestock raising predominates (sheep, goats, horses); crops--wheat, barley, potatoes, forage Economic aid: about $300 million in trade credits and $34 million in grant aid from USSR and other CEMA countries, plus $7.4 million from UNDP (1990) Currency: tughrik (plural--tughriks); 1 tughrik (Tug) = 100 mongos Exchange rates: tughriks (Tug) per US$1--7.1 (1991), 5.63 (1990), 3.00 (1989) Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 1,750 km 1.524-meter broad gauge (1988) Highways: 46,700 km total; 1,000 km hard surface; 45,700 km other surfaces (1988) Inland waterways: 397 km of principal routes (1988) Civil air: 25 major transport aircraft Airports: 81 total, 31 usable; 11 with permanent-surface runways; fewer than 5 with runways over 3,659 m; fewer than 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: stations--12 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (with 18 provincial relays); relay of Soviet TV; 120,000 TVs; 186,000 radios; at least 1 earth station DEFENSE FORCES Branches: Mongolian People's Army (includes Border Guards), Air Force Manpower availability: males 15-49, 535,376; 349,548 fit for military service; 25,275 reach military age (18) annually Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP