Geography

Mongolia is the heart of the Great steppe with its majestic expanses and richness of grasses, the land of mountains and high plains. It is located in the north of Central Asia and is elliptical in shape. In the north Mongolia borders with Russia, and in the south, east and west – with China. The country can be divided into three zones: the northern zone with mountains and forests and numerous big and small rivers, the steppe zone with good forage grasses, and the southern, semi-desert zone. One third of the country’s territory is occupied by Khangai-Khentei mountain region in the west. From the north to the south the bright steppe verdure is replaced with dry salt-marshes and turns into the flat, rocky Goby desert. Only the northern edge of the desert is located in Mongolia. Many Mongolian rivers are, in fact, the sources of the great rivers of Siberia and the Far East. In the country there are over a thousand permanent lakes, as well as many temporary ones that are formed during the raining season.

Hundreds and thousands kilometers of land separate Mongolia from seas and oceans, so the climate of the country is sharp continental. Long (3-4 months) winters with no or little snow are known for hard frosts with the average temperature of -30 Centigrade. Sometimes the temperature reaches -50 Centigrade. Summers are warm, and sometimes hot – in some regions in July the heat reaches +40 Centigrade. People, animals and plants need to possess special endurance to stand sharp temperature differences, strong cold winds, shortage of water and other extreme conditions of the severe Mongolian nature.

Tuul river flood. Mongolia. P. Rykin. 2005.		Steppe sky. Mongolia. A. Saifieva. 2006.		Gobi. South Mongolia. P. Rykin.  2006.