The Navigators in Mongolia

Mongolia is a huge, landlocked country about 3 times the size of France, squashed between China and Russia. It was immeasurably bigger during the period of Mongol conquest under Chinggis Khan and Khubilai Khan. Until the 20th century Mongolia was twice its present size and included a large chunk of Siberia and Inner Mongolia (now controlled by China).

Mongolia has a 3,000km (1,864ml) border with the Russian Federation in the north and a 4,670km (2,901ml) border with China in the south. From north to south it can be divided into four areas: mountain-forest steppe, mountain steppe and, in the extreme south, semi-desert and desert (the latter being about 3% of the entire territory).

Mongolia is one of the highest countries in the world, with an average elevation of 1,580m (5,180ft). Its highest mountains are in the far west. The Mongol Altai Nuruu are permanently snowcapped, and their highest peak, Tavanbogd Mountain (4,370m/14,350ft), has a magnificent glacier that towers over Mongolia, Russia and China. Between the peaks are stark deserts where rain almost never falls. The lowest point, Khukh Lake, in the east, lies at 560m (1,820ft).

The extensive grasslands of the steppes covering the center and eastern part of the land with a 360° view are the heart of Mongolia. The south is the domain of the Gobi Desert (extending down to China) with large sand dune areas and canyons in Eastern Gobi, the "dinosaur graveyard". Much of the rest of Mongolia is grassland, home to Mongolia's famed horses, which Chinggis Khan used so successfully in his wars of conquest. Mongolia is dotted with about 4,000 lakes (one of which is Lake Khuvsgul, which contains 2% of the world's fresh water) and rivers where fishing is abundant.

The population of Mongolia is at present 2.8 mil. people. The present yearly rate of population growth is estimated as 1.5 per cent. Two thirds of the Mongolian population is below 30 years old, and two fifths of the population is 14 years or below. Much of the population growth of Mongolia has been absorbed in urban areas. The present urban population is above one million, Ulaanbaatar having 700,000 inhabitants-one third of the total population of Mongolia. However, a significant part of the urban populations still live in ger (yurt) habitations on the town peripheries.

While the average population density of Mongolia is just over 1 person per sq. km, the population density of South Gobi Province is only 0.2 per sq. km. About 85 per cent of the population of Mongolia speak Khalkha Mongol, the official language, while another 15 per cent speak other Mongolian languages. Ethnic minorities are mainly speakers of Turkic languages, such as Kazakh, Tuvinian, Urianhai and Hoton. Ethnic groups: 85% Mongol, mostly Khalkha Mongol. Also 7% Turkic (mainly Kazakh), 4.6% Tungusic and 3.4% other groups. Four million Mongols live outside Mongolia.

The country is histrorically Tibetan Buddhist. In 1920 when the communists took over half the male population were Buddhist monks. Then for 70 years under Communism they tried to destroy the temples and killed many of the monks. So Buddhism has lain dormant until 1990 when the Communists left and it became a free country. Now most college age students will say, "My grandparents were Buddhist, my parents were atheists, but I don't know what I am."

The Mongolian way of life is nomadic and intimately connected with the ways of animals. Despite urbanization, the traditions of the steppes live on. Even in the cities, most Mongolians continue to live in a ger, a large, white felt tent that can be moved easily and has a universal layout: the door always faces south; towards the back and a little to the west is the place of honour set aside for guests; the back of the ger, the khoimor, is the place for elders and most treasured possessions; and on the back wall is the family altar, with Buddhist images, family photos and suitcases. Get a local to explain the dozens of traditional, religious and superstitious rules and customs associated with gers.

Mongolians have always taken wholeheartedly to Tibetan Buddhism and the links between Mongolia and Tibet are old and deep. Once in a lifetime, every devout Buddhist Mongolian tries to reach the holy city of Lhasa; the Tibetans in turn have relied on various Mongolian tribes to sustain their power. In Mongolia at the time of the communist takeover in 1921, there were 110,000 lamas (monks) living in about 700 monasteries. Beginning in the 1930s, thousands of monks were arrested, sent to Siberian labor camps and never heard from again. Monasteries were closed and ransacked and all religious worship and ceremonies outlawed. Not until 1990 was freedom of religion restored. Since then, there's been a phenomenal revival of Buddhism (and other religions). Monasteries have reopened, and even some ex-Communist Party officials have become lamas. Monasteries and temples (sum) always have Tibetan names. There's a significant minority of Sunni Muslims in the far western regions of Mongolia, most of whom are ethnic Kazaks.

Mongolia's paintings, music and literature are dominated by Tibetan Buddhism and nomadism. Tsam dances are performed to exorcise evil spirits and are influenced by nomadism and Shamanism. Outlawed during communism, they're beginning to be performed again. Traditional music involves a wide range of instruments and singing styles. In Mongolian khoomi singing, carefully trained male voices produce harmonic overtones from deep in the throat, releasing several notes at once. Traditional music and dance performances aren't complete without a touch of contortionism, an ancient Mongolian tradition.

Mongolian, the official language, is a member of the Ural-Altaic family of languages, which includes Finnish, Turkish, Kazak, Uzbek and Korean. Since 1944, the Russian Cyrillic alphabet has been used to write Mongolian. The country has produced a huge literature, almost none of which is known to speakers of European languages. Only recently have scholars translated the most important text of all - Mongolun Nigucha Tobchiyan (The Secret History of the Mongols) - which celebrates Mongolia's days of greatness.

An old Mongolian saying goes something like: "Breakfast, keep for yourself; lunch, share with your friends; dinner, give to your enemies". The biggest and most important meals for Mongolians are breakfast and lunch, which will usually consist of boiled mutton with lots of fat and flour and maybe some dairy products or rice. The Kazaks in western Mongolia add variety to their diet with horse meat. The Mongolians are big tea drinkers and the classic drink is suutei tsai (salty tea with milk). Men who refuse to drink arkhi (vodka) are considered wimps, while herders make their own unique home brew airag, which is fermented horse's milk with an alcoholic content of about 3%.