Global - Technology - Review

Once the centre of the Empire of Genghis Khan that stretched from the Pacific to Poland in Eastern Europe, Mongolia is now a landlocked nation sandwiched between China and Russia. It has the lowest population density of any country on earth. Most of the landscape is steppe, with the Gobi Desert in the south and mountain ranges in the north. The climate is harsh, with long winters; Ulan Bator, has the lowest average temperature of any capital city. The north has wet summers, while in the Gobi rain is a rarity. Mongolia has mineral resources like copper, gold and tin, while many people are involved in agriculture, both arable and herding livestock. About a third of the population are nomads or semi-nomadic. The traditional sports of wrestling, archery and cross-country horse racing are still an important part of the culture. One of the typical aspects of the folk music is the throat singing known as Khoomii, sometimes accompanied by the Morin Khurr, a two-stringed bowed instrument. Ulan Bator is connected by rail to both the Russian and Chinese systems. Only a few buildings in the city, mostly Buddhist temples and monasteries, survive from before the twentieth century.