Map of Mongolia
Mongolia is a country in Asia with its capital at Ulaanbaatar, home to about 3.57 million people across 1.56M km². The interactive map below plots 24 cities and towns, 6 rivers, 13 lakes and 6 mountain summits recorded for Mongolia in YearMaps.
- Population
- 3.57 million
- Area
- 1.56M km²
- Capital
- Ulaanbaatar
- Continent
- Asia
Interactive Map of Mongolia
Centred on Ulaanbaatar at 47.9186° N, 106.9147° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and covers an area of 1,564,116 square kilometers (603,909 square miles), making it the 18th-largest country in the world and the second largest landlocked nation after Kazakhstan, as well as the largest landlocked country that does not border an inland sea. With a population of 3.5 million, Mongolia is the world's most sparsely populated sovereign state, excluding Western Sahara. The country constitutes a significant portion of the Mongolian Plateau, and its natural environment is characterized by grassy steppe, mountains to the north and west, and the Gobi Desert to the south. Ulaanbaatar, the capital and largest city, is home to roughly half of the country's population.
The territory of modern-day Mongolia has been ruled by various nomadic empires, including the Xiongnu, the Xianbei, the Rouran, the First Turkic Khaganate, the Second Turkic Khaganate, the Uyghur Khaganate and others. In 1206, Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous land empire in history. His grandson Kublai Khan conquered China proper and established the Yuan dynasty. After the collapse of the Yuan, the Mongols retreated to Mongolia and resumed their earlier pattern of factional conflict, except during the era of Dayan Khan and Tumen Zasagt Khan.
In the 16th century, Tibetan Buddhism spread to Mongolia. The Qing dynasty absorbed the country in the 17th century. By the early 20th century, almost one-third of the adult male population were Buddhist monks. After the collapse of the Qing dynasty in 1911, Mongolia declared independence and achieved actual independence from the Republic of China in 1921. Shortly thereafter, the country became a satellite state of the Soviet Union. In 1924, the Mongolian People's Republic was founded as a socialist state. After the anti-communist revolutions of 1989, Mongolia conducted its own peaceful democratic revolution in 1990. This led to a multi-party system, a new constitution of 1992, and transition to a market economy.
Approximately 30% of the population is nomadic or semi-nomadic; horse culture remains integral. Mahayana Buddhism is the majority religion (51.7%), with the irreligious being the second-largest group (40.6%). Islam is the third-largest religious identification (3.2%), concentrated among ethnic Kazakhs. The vast majority of citizens are ethnic Mongols, with roughly 5% of the population being Kazakhs, Tuvans, and other ethnic minorities, who are especially concentrated in the western regions.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Mongolia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Mongolia
The peoples of Mongolia have a long history under a number of nomadic empires dating back to the Xiongnu in the 4th century B.C., and the name Mongol goes back to at least the 11th century A.D. The most famous Mongol, TEMÜÜJIN (aka Genghis Khan), emerged as the ruler of all Mongols in the early 1200s. By the time of his death in 1227, he had created through conquest a Mongol Empire that extended across much of Eurasia. His descendants, including ÖGÖDEI and KHUBILAI (aka Kublai Khan), continued to conquer Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the rest of China, where KHUBILAI established the Yuan Dynasty in the 1270s. The Mongols attempted to invade Japan and Java before their empire broke apart in the 14th century. In the 17th century, Mongolia fell under the rule of the Manchus of the Chinese Qing Dynasty. After Manchu rule collapsed in 1911, Mongolia declared independence, finally winning it in 1921 with help from the Soviet Union. Mongolia became a socialist state (the Mongolian People’s Republic) in 1924. Until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, Mongolia was a Soviet satellite state and relied heavily on economic, military, and political assistance from Moscow. The period was also marked by purges, political repression, economic stagnation, and tensions with China. Mongolia peacefully transitioned to an independent democracy in 1990. In 1992, it adopted a new constitution and established a free-market economy. Since the country's transition, it has conducted a series of successful presidential and legislative elections. Throughout the period, the ex-communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party -- which took the name Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) in 2010 -- has competed for political power with the Democratic Party and several other smaller parties. For most of its democratic history, Mongolia has had a divided government, with the presidency and the parliamentary majority held by different parties but that changed in 2021, when the MPP won the presidency after having secured a supermajority in parliament in 2020. Mongolia’s June 2021 presidential election delivered a decisive victory for MPP candidate Ukhnaagiin KHURELSUKH. Mongolia maintains close cultural, political, and military ties with Russia, while China is its largest economic partner. Mongolia’s foreign relations are focused on preserving its autonomy by balancing relations with China and Russia, as well as its other major partners, Japan, South Korea, and the US.
- Location
- Northern Asia, between China and Russia.
- Climate
- Desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)
- Terrain
- Vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central.
- Highest point
- Nayramadlin Orgil (Khuiten Peak) 4,374 m.
- Lowest point
- Hoh Nuur 560 m.
- Coastline
- 0 km (landlocked)
- Land borders
- Total: 8,082 km; border countries: China 4,630 km; Russia 3,452 km.
- Major rivers
- Amur (shared with China [s] and Russia [m]) - 4,444 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth.
- Major lakes
- Fresh water lake(s): Hovsgol Nuur - 2,620 sq km; Har Us Nuur - 1,760 sq km;; salt water lake(s): Uvs Nuur - 3,350 sq km; Hyargas Nuur - 1,360 sq km.
- Natural resources
- Oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, fluorspar, gold, silver, iron.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 69% (2023 est.); arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 68.2% (2023 est.); forest: 9.1% (2023 est.); other: 21.9% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Dust storms; grassland and forest fires; drought; "zud," which is harsh winter conditions.
- Geographic note
- Landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia.
- Languages
- Mongolian 90% (official, Khalkha dialect is predominant), Turkic, Russian (1999)
- Religions
- Buddhist 51.8%, no religion 40.6%, Muslim 3.2%, Shaman 2.5%, Christian 1.3%, Other 0.6% (2020 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- Khalkh 83.8%, Kazak 3.8%, Durvud 2.6%, Bayad 2%, Buriad 1.4%, Zakhchin 1.2%, Dariganga 1.1%, other 4.1% (2020 est.)
- Economy
- Lower middle-income East Asian economy; large human capital improvements over last 3 decades; agricultural and natural resource rich; export and consumption-led growth; high inflation due to supply bottlenecks and increased food and energy prices; currency depreciation.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Mongolia in Numbers
- Population
- 3.57 million
- GDP
- US$25.4 billion
- GDP per person
- US$7,108
- Life expectancy
- 72.4 years
- Population growth
- 1.25% a year
- Population density
- 2 per km²
- Urban population
- 71.2%
- Surface area
- 1,564,116 km²
- Forest cover
- 9.1%
- Arable land
- 0.7%
- Access to electricity
- 99.1%
- Internet users
- 85.1%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Mongolia in Depth
History
The Khoit Tsenkher Cave in Khovd Province shows lively pink, brown, and red ocher paintings (dated to 20,000 years ago) of mammoths, lynx, bactrian camels, and ostriches, earning it the nickname "the Lascaux of Mongolia". The Venus figurines of Mal'ta (21,000 years ago) testify to the level of Upper Paleolithic art in northern Mongolia; Mal'ta is now part of Russia.
Neolithic agricultural settlements (c. 5500–3500 BC), such as those at Norovlin, Tamsagbulag, Bayanzag, and Rashaan Khad, predate the introduction of horse-riding nomadism, a pivotal event in the history of Mongolia which became the dominant culture. The ethnogenesis of Mongolic peoples is largely linked with the expansion of Ancient Northeast Asians.
Geography
At 1,564,116 km2 (603,909 mi2), Mongolia is the world's 18th-largest country. It mostly lies between latitudes 41° and 52°N (a small area is north of 52°), and longitudes 87° and 120°E. The geography is varied, with the Gobi Desert to the south and cold, mountainous regions to the north and west. Much of the land consists of the Mongolian–Manchurian grassland, with forested areas accounting for 11.2% of the total land area. The whole of Mongolia is considered to be part of the Mongolian Plateau. The highest point is Khüiten Peak in the Tavan Bogd massif in the far west at 4,374 m (14,350 ft). The Uvs Lake Basin, shared with Tuva Republic in Russia, is a natural World Heritage Site.
Mongolia is high, cold and windy.
Economy
Economic activity in Mongolia has long been based on herding and agriculture, although development of extensive mineral deposits of copper, coal, molybdenum, tin, tungsten and gold have emerged as a driver of industrial production. Besides mining (21.8% of GDP) and agriculture (16% of GDP), dominant industries in the composition of GDP are wholesale and retail trade and service, transportation and storage, and real estate activities. Also, Mongolia produces one-fifth of the world's raw cashmere. The informal economy is estimated to be at least one-third the size of the official economy. As of 2022, 78% of exports went to the PRC, and the PRC supplied 36% of Mongolia's imports.
Demographics
In 2024 the population was 3,544,835, per the National Statistics Office of Mongolia. This figure includes the total number of citizens who usually reside in Mongolia (for more than 183 days or six months), as well as citizens living abroad. 51% of the population was female and 49% male, with 71.2% residing in urban areas, compared to 21.8% in rural areas. The population growth rate was estimated at 1.2% in 2007.
The first census in the 20th century was carried out in 1918 and recorded a population of 647,500.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Mongolia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Mongolia: Key Facts
| Currency | Mongolian tögrög |
|---|---|
| Official language | Mongolian |
| Head of state | Khurelsukh Ukhnaa |
| Head of government | Uchral Nyam-Osor |
| Form of government | parliamentary system |
| Calling code | +976 |
| Internet domain | .mn |
| Highest point | Hüiten Peak |
| Lowest point | Hoh Nuur |
| Established | 12 February 1992 |
Facts from Wikidata Q711 (CC0).
History of Mongolia: Empires and States
The atlas records 21 polities whose mapped territory included part of Mongolia, from Xiongnu in 208 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| Xiongnu | 208 BCE – 105 CE | Nearly all |
| Xianbei | 60–223 CE | Nearly all |
| Rouran Khaganate | 402–554 CE | Nearly all |
| Göktürk Khaganate | 555–586 CE | Nearly all |
| Eastern Göktürks | 587–632 CE | Nearly all |
| The Tang Dynasty | 633–681 CE | Nearly all |
| Türgesh | 692–749 CE | Nearly all |
| Uyghur Khaganate | 750–849 CE | Nearly all |
| Liao Dynasty | 926–1125 CE | A large part |
| The Mongol Empire | 1206–1293 CE | Nearly all |
| Yuan Dynasty | 1294–1374 CE | Nearly all |
| Northern Yuan | 1375–1439 CE | Nearly all |
| Four Oirats | 1402–1474 CE | Nearly all |
| Mongol Khanate | 1468–1546 CE | Nearly all |
| Tümed | 1547–1581 CE | A large part |
| Golden Horde | 1547–1695 CE | Nearly all |
| Dzungar Khanate | 1687–1695 CE | Most |
| The Qing Dynasty | 1696–1911 CE | Nearly all |
| Great Mongol State | 1912–1925 CE | Nearly all |
| Mongolian People's Republic | 1926–1991 CE | Nearly all |
| Mongolia | 1992–2024 CE | Nearly all |
Historical Maps of Mongolia
Mongolia on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Mongolia
Mongolia (Mongolian: Монгол улс, Traditional Mongolian: ) has wide open spaces for experiencing the outdoors for those who want adventure. Its vast and majestic emptiness is the country's enduring appeal: it brings the traveller into a close communion with nature and its nomadic inhabitants. It is one of the last places on earth where nomadic life lives on. The most memorable part of a trip to Mongolia will be its hospitable people. Mongolian culture has much in common with the cultures of Central Asia.
Mongolia offers great opportunities for hiking, mountain climbing, fishing and photography. Traveling across this huge country is often an adventure in itself.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Mongolia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Mongolia
24 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ulaanbaatar | 885,000 | Ulaanbaatar | National capital |
| 2 | Erdenet | 79,647 | Orhon | Populated place |
| 3 | Darhan | 74,738 | Selenge | Populated place |
| 4 | Ulaangom | 35,796 | Uvs | Admin-1 capital |
| 5 | Olgiy | 34,934 | Bayan-Ölgiy | Admin-1 capital |
| 6 | Choybalsan | 33,376 | Dornod | Admin-1 capital |
| 7 | Altay | 32,488 | Govi-Altay | Admin-1 capital |
| 8 | Dund-Us | 30,500 | Hovd | Admin-1 capital |
| 9 | Arvayheer | 28,053 | Övörhangay | Admin-1 capital |
| 10 | Mörön | 27,690 | Hövsgöl | Admin-1 capital |
| 11 | Bayankhongor | 26,252 | Bayanhongor | Admin-1 capital |
| 12 | Suchboatar | 24,235 | Selenge | Admin-1 capital |
| 13 | Tsetserleg | 19,812 | Arhangay | Admin-1 capital |
| 14 | Dzuunharaa | 18,830 | Selenge | Populated place |
| 15 | Dzuunmod | 17,738 | Töv | Admin-1 capital |
| 16 | Bulgan | 17,348 | Bulgan | Populated place |
| 17 | Baruun Urt | 15,805 | Sühbaatar | Populated place |
| 18 | Dalandzadgad | 15,093 | Ömnögovi | Admin-1 capital |
| 19 | Ondorhaan | 14,723 | Hentiy | Admin-1 capital |
| 20 | Buyant-Uhaa | 8,776 | Dornogovi | Admin-1 capital |
| 21 | Uliastay | 8,056 | Dzavhan | Populated place |
| 22 | Ulaan-Uul | 3,726 | Dornogovi | Populated place |
| 23 | Mandalgovi | 2,984 | Dundgovi | Admin-1 capital |
| 24 | Hodrogo | 10 | Dzavhan | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in Mongolia
6 mountains recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tavan Bogd Uul | 4,374 m | 14,350 ft | Asia |
| 2 | Munkh Khairkhan | 4,231 m | 13,881 ft | Asia |
| 3 | Otgon Tenger | 4,000 m | 13,123 ft | Asia |
| 4 | Tergun Bogd | 3,957 m | 12,982 ft | Asia |
| 5 | Gora Munku-Sardyk | 3,491 m | 11,453 ft | Asia |
| 6 | Dund Sayhni Nuru | 2,825 m | 9,268 ft | Asia |
Largest Lakes in Mongolia
13 lakes recorded. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uvs Nuur | 3,302 km² | Alkaline Lake |
| 2 | Khövsgöl Nuur | 2,764 km² | Lake |
| 3 | Har Us Nuur | 1,549 km² | Lake |
| 4 | Khyargas Nuur | 1,350 km² | Alkaline Lake |
| 5 | Har Nuur | 937 km² | Alkaline Lake |
| 6 | Buyr Nuur | 603 km² | Lake |
| 7 | Achit Nuur | 290 km² | Lake |
| 8 | Reg Nuur | 224 km² | Lake |
| 9 | Telmen Nuur | 193 km² | Lake |
| 10 | Sangiyn Dalay Nuur | 181 km² | Lake |
Rivers in Mongolia
6 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Mongolia
4 World Heritage Sites recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orkhon Valley | 2004 | Cultural | (ii) (iii) (iv) |
| 2 | Petroglyphic Complexes of the Mongolian Altai | 2011 | Cultural | (iii) |
| 3 | Burkhan Khaldun | 2015 | Cultural | (iv) (vi) |
| 4 | Deer Stone Monuments, the Heart of Bronze Age Culture | 2023 | Cultural | (i) (iii) |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Mongolia
9 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asia | 46.28M km² | Continent | Asia |
| 2 | Gobi Desert | 1.09M km² | Desert | Asia |
| 3 | Altay Mountains | 404,274 km² | Range/mtn | Asia |
| 4 | Mongolian Plateau | 249,115 km² | Plateau | Asia |
| 5 | Hentiyn Mountains | 111,707 km² | Range/mtn | Asia |
| 6 | Hangayn Mountains | 106,763 km² | Range/mtn | Asia |
| 7 | Abakanskiy Range | 17,490 km² | Range/mtn | Asia |
| 8 | Tannu-Ola Range | 5,703 km² | Range/mtn | Asia |
| 9 | Yablonovyy Range | 799 km² | Range/mtn | Asia |
Countries Bordering Mongolia
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Asia
Mongolia: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Mongolia?
- The capital of Mongolia is Ulaanbaatar.
- What is the population of Mongolia?
- Mongolia has a population of about 3.57 million, the #133 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Mongolia?
- Mongolia covers 1.56M km², ranking #20 by area, with about 2 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Mongolia in?
- Mongolia is in Asia.
- Which countries border Mongolia?
- Mongolia shares a land or maritime border with China, Russia.
- What is the largest city in Mongolia?
- Ulaanbaatar is the largest city in Mongolia, with a metropolitan population of about 885,000.
- What is the highest mountain in Mongolia?
- The highest summit recorded for Mongolia in YearMaps is Tavan Bogd Uul at 4,374 m (14,350 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.
- What is the largest lake in Mongolia?
- The largest lake recorded in or bordering Mongolia is Uvs Nuur, at roughly 3,302 km².