Nature & Geography

Mongolia, historically known as Outer Mongolia, is a landlocked country located in north-central Asia. It is roughly oval, measuring 1,486 miles (2,392 km) from west to east and, at its maximum, 782 miles (1,259 km) from north to south. Mongolia’s land area is approximately equivalent to that of the countries of Western and Central Europe, and it lies within a similar latitude range. The national capital, Ulaanbaatar (Mongolian: Ulan Bator), is situated in the north-central part of the country.

Landlocked Mongolia is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, deep within the interior of eastern Asia and far from any ocean. The country has a marked continental climate, characterized by long, cold winters and short, cool-to-hot summers. It’s remarkable variety of scenery primarily consists of upland steppes, semideserts, and deserts, while in the west and north, forested high mountain ranges alternate with lake-dotted basins. Mongolia is predominantly a plateau, with an average elevation of about 5,180 feet (1,580 meters) above sea level. The highest peaks are found in the Mongolian Altai Mountains (Mongol AltainNuruu) in the southwest, which is part of the Altai Mountain.

Climate

Situated at high latitudes (between 41° and 52° N) and high elevations (averaging about 5,180 feet [1,580 meters]), Mongolia is far from the moderating influences of the ocean—at its nearest point, approximately 435 miles (700 km) west of the Bo Hai (Gulf of Chihli). Consequently, it experiences a pronounced continental climate with very cold winters (dominated by anticyclones centered over Siberia), cool to hot summers, large annual and diurnal temperature ranges, and generally scant precipitation. The difference between the mean temperatures of January and July can reach 80 °F (44 °C), and temperature variations of as much as 55 °F (30 °C) can occur in a single day. Mean temperatures in the north are generally cooler than those in the south: the mean January and July temperatures for the Ulaanbaatar area are −7 °F (−22 °C) and 63 °F (17 °C), respectively, while the corresponding temperatures for the Gobi area are 5 °F (−15 °C) and 70 °F (21 °C).

Precipitation increases with elevation and latitude, with annual amounts ranging from less than 4 inches (100 mm) in some low-lying desert areas of the south and west to about 14 inches (350 mm) in the northern mountains. Ulaanbaatar receives approximately 10 inches (250 mm) annually. Precipitation typically occurs as thunderstorms during the summer months and is highly variable in both amount and timing, fluctuating considerably from year to year.

Specialty of land of location.

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