Central Asia.

GMT + 8 (GMT + 9 from last Sunday in March to last Saturday in September).
Bayan Ulgii, Uvs & Khovd Aimags in western Mongolia: GMT +7 (GMT +8 from last Sunday in March to last Saturday in September).

1,564,116 sq km (603,909 sq miles).

2.5 million (official estimate 2002).

1.6 per sq km.

Ulaanbaatar. Population: 869,900 (2004).

Mongolia has a 3485km- (2165 mile-) border with the Russian Federation in the north and a 4670km- (2902 mile-) 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 per cent of the entire territory). The majority of the country has a high elevation, with the principal mountains concentrated in the west. The highest point is the peak of Tavan Bogd, in the Altai Mountains, at 4374m (14,350ft) high. The lowest point, Khukh Nuur lake, in the east, lies at 560m (1820ft). There are several hundred lakes in the country and numerous rivers, of which the Orkhon is the longest at 1124km (698 miles).

Under the new constitution, which took effect in February 1992, Mongolia has a unicameral legislature, the 76-member Great Hural, which is elected for a four-year term and appoints ministers who hold executive power. The President, who is also elected for a four-year term, is head of state. Since May 1994, Mongolia has been divided into 21 provinces and one municipality (Ulaan Baatar), with appointed Governors and elected local assemblies.

Republic. Declared independence from China in 1921. Head of State: President Nambaryn Enkhbayar since 2005. Head of Government: Prime Minister Miyeegombo Enkhbold since 2006. Recent history: The Mongolian Parliament chose the former mayor of Ulaanbaatar, Miyeegombo Enkhbold, as the new Prime Minister in the January 2006 elections. Mr Enkhbold was the widely expected choice, being the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) candidate. Mongolia was plunged into crisis weeks before the election when the MPRP withdrew from the governing coalition, causing Prime Minister Tsakhia Elbegdorj to resign.

Khalkh Mongolian is the official language. Kazakh is spoken by 5 per cent of the population. There are also many Mongolian dialects.

Buddhist Lamaism is the main religion, although there is no state religion.

Religious customs should be respected. Mongolia has a large number of customs and traditions. Further details can be obtained from the Mongolian Tourism Association (see Top Things To See & Do section). Visitors are requested to familiarise themselves with these customs. Photography: Not permitted in temples and monasteries. A fee is payable for photography in protected areas, although this regulation is often not enforced. Caution should be exercised when photographing government buildings, military establishments and border crossings.

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