Mongolia Facts

Mongolia facts tells you more than a "same-old" stats page!

Read on to find intriguing and fun facts about Mongolia: facts about Mongolian culture; facts about the wildlife; facts to add color to your tour...

Discover...

Why you should get your visa before a presidential election

Why some people drive ten thousand miles to visit a pub

Why you need a Mongolian to stop speaking to know if they like you

What Mongolian money smells of

Genghis Khan's real name

How and why Mongolian pay phones follow you

Mongolia facts you will find nowhere else.

Click the titles to find more information.

Mongolia Tour Facts

A 131-foot statue of Genghis Khan sits on the steppe about an hours drive from Ulan Bator. He sits on the world's tallest statue of a horse .

sits on the steppe about an hours drive from Ulan Bator. He . Mongolia has the oldest National Park in the world . Lying just South of Ulan Bator the Bogd Khan National Park dates its origin to 1778.

. Lying just South of Ulan Bator the Bogd Khan National Park dates its origin to 1778. Some people drive ten-thousand miles in a car to get to Mongolia - it's called the Mongol Rally. The rally finishes at a pub with a chilled beer waiting!

Ulan Bator used to move three times a year - a nomadic city!

used to move three times a year - a nomadic city! Ulan Bator is the coldest capital city in the world!

in the world! Mongolians spell Ulan Bator - 'Ulaan Baatar,' which means 'Red Hero.'

Mongolia Geography Facts

Mongolia stands an average of 5,800 feet above sea level! .

. Despite its landlocked status, Mongolia has many salt lakes.

You could fit the Netherlands into Mongolia thirty-seven times!

BUT you can fit Mongolian roads into the Dutch road system sixty-seven times!

Mongolia Facts: The Gobi Desert

The Gobi was once a sea - which explains the marine fossils!

Many dinosaur fossils still lie exposed . Tourists pick them up as souvenirs.

. Tourists pick them up as souvenirs. Roy Chapman Andrews made the first discovery of dinosaur eggs in the Gobi. His exploits inspired the creation of Indiana Jones.

Mongolian Language Facts

Genghis Khan could not read or write, but he commissioned the first Mongolian writing system - the Mongolian script.

Since the Soviet period, Mongolians have used the Cyrillic script.

In Mongolian the verb comes last. If you want to know whether a Mongolian loves or hates you, you have to wait till the end of the sentence!

Mongolian Religion Facts

Genghis Khan had a 'celestial insurance' policy. He tolerated all religions hoping that at least one of the Gods would show its appreciation.

After Genghis Khan died, Buddhism became the dominant religion.

The 'reincarnation' of a Buddhist saint - the Bogd Khan - ruled Mongolia from 1911-1924.

President Of Mongolia Facts

Navaandorjiin Jadambaa became the first President of Mongolia in 1924. His presidency lasted one day!

Since the 1990s the president presides over a democratic parliament.

The president controls foreign policy - the election of a new president leads to new embassy staff worldwide.

Mongolian Government Facts

Mongolia has embraced multi-party parliamentary democracy since 1990.

The parliament calls itself the State Great Khural and consists of seventy-six deputies.

The parliament can veto presidential decrees with a two-thirds majority.

Mongolia Facts: The Economy

On a minimum salary you will collect US$150 a month for full-time work.

The Mongolian currency is called the tugrik. Printed in the UK, it smells of mutton after a few months use in Mongolia.

The Mongolian Stock Exchange is the smallest in the capitalist world.

Mongolia Facts: Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan lived his life as a nomad.

A rival tribe killed his father while he was still in his youth. Abandoned by his tribe he went on to conquer the world's largest empire.

Genghis Khan is just a title. His real name was Temujin.

Genghis Khan's grandson, Kublai, united China for the first time. His dynasty became known as the Yuan dynasty

General Mongolia Facts

It's a fact that thirty percent of the population is under fourteen.

In the seventeenth Century, the Manchu dynasty divided Mongolia into Inner Mongolia and Outer Mongolia .

and . Outer Mongolia declared independence from China in 1911 but then fell under Soviet influence.

Outer Mongolia became a democratic democracy in 1990. Inner Mongolia remains under Chinese control.

Snow leopards are native to Mongolia. A quarter of the world's population lives here.

A snow leopard can leap fifty feet and perform a vertical jump of twenty feet.

A snow leopard cannot purr or roar.

Mongolia Animal Facts

Nomads keep Eagles as pets. The Kazakh minority hunt with them.

The two-humped camel comes from Mongolia and survives temperatures from minus to plus fifty degrees Celsius!

comes from Mongolia and survives temperatures from minus to plus fifty degrees Celsius! Gerbils run around as wild animals in Mongolia.

run around as wild animals in Mongolia. If you count carefully, you will notice slightly more horses than people.

than people. The Mongolian Takhi horse is the last wild horse in the world.

is the last wild horse in the world. Mongolian lakes and rivers contain more than fifty unique fish species.

Great Wall Of China Facts

The Great Wall is in Inner Mongolia.

The Great Wall was first built in the seventh century BC.

It was last maintained as a defensive wall in the sixteenth century.

More Interesting Mongolia Facts

Some experts claim a Mongolian King built the Taj Mahal and decorated it like a Mongolian ger.

Until a few years ago Taiwan claimed Mongolia as a part of its territory.

Mongolian garbage trucks sound like ice-cream vans.

The pay phones walk! Phone vendors carry wireless phones and charge you one hundred tugriks per minute.

Have you lived in Mongolia? What fun Mongolia facts would you like to pass on to future adventurers?

Share them using the comments box below...

Keep checking back for new facts!







