Desert in Mongolia. Gobi Desert – plants, animals, interesting facts. Fauna of Mongolia. Nature reserves of Mongolia. Rare animals of Mongolia. Protected animals of Mongolia Mongolia nature and wildlife

And art. The natural world, and especially the animals of Mongolia, are no less interesting and deserve a separate story.

Living conditions

This country is located in the center of Asia, and most of it is made up of the Mongolian Plateau, which is framed by mountain ranges and massifs, occupying 40% of the territory. Mongolia has no access to any sea, since all its rivers, flowing from the mountains, flow into lakes. On the territory of the country there are:

taiga areas;
alpine zone;
forest-steppe and steppe;
desert-steppe region;
Gobi Desert.

All this determines the richness and diversity of Mongolia’s nature and, in particular, its fauna.

Mammals

Mammals are represented here by one hundred and thirty species, but we will focus on the description of some rare animals.

Snow Leopard

The snow leopard (irbis), listed in the Red Book, is also called the snow leopard. The Central Asian mountains are its typical habitat. It is prohibited to hunt these animals, as their number reaches no more than seven thousand.

Like all cats, they have a flexible body. It, together with its very long tail, is approximately two meters long. The animal's fur is light gray in color with dark rings.

The snow leopard's head is small, its legs are rather short, and the weight of an adult male is about sixty kilograms. The female is almost twice as light. A special feature of the snow leopard is its inability to growl. Distribution areas in Mongolia:

Gobi Altai,
Khangai mountains,
Mongolian Altai.

The snow leopard is the only representative of large cats that constantly lives high in the mountains. It feeds mainly on ungulates, although it absorbs no more than three kilograms of meat at a time. It lives in the wild for a little over ten years.

Meeting a snow leopard is very rare and lucky. The animal leads a secluded life and is very careful.

An interesting fact is that the snow leopard never attacks humans, unlike most other cats. Exceptions are cases when the animal is injured or has rabies.

Mazalay

The Mazalay, or Gobi brown bear, lives in the desert. The Mongolian Red Book defines its status as very rare. Mazalay is endemic to these places, i.e. they live in a limited area, and today there are only about thirty of them left.

The Gobi brown bear is a medium-sized animal with bluish or light brown hard fur. His throat, chest and shoulders always have a light marking. Dry river beds in the Gobi Mountains, along which sparse bushes grow, are the animal’s favorite habitat.

In summer, these bears love to eat juicy and sweet berries of saltpeter and twigs of conifers. Insects and small vertebrates are also present in their diet. And in autumn, the mazalaya menu is supplemented with the roots of a representative of the local flora - rhubarb.

The Gobi bear is active at any time of the day and climbs rocks with the agility of an acrobat. The caves serve as a refuge for the Mazalai, where they hibernate, which lasts sixty to ninety days.

Przewalski's horse

The Przewalski's horse that lives here is interesting because it has long hair, a large head and a short mane. These horses, unlike other breeds, do not have bangs. This is a herd animal. This horse breed is considered the wildest.

These horses have a very precise regimen that is repeated day after day: in the morning they eat and quench their thirst, during the day they rest and recuperate, and in the evening they look for food again.

By the way, the horse is a symbol of Mongolia. Even very young children in this country are confident in the saddle, and older children are already participating in horse racing.

Other animals

In the steppe zone and desert zone of the country there are: wild camel, kulan (donkey), Przewalski's horse, various types of pikas, woolly-footed and other types of jerboas, narrow-skulled and Brandt's vole, Daurian and red-cheeked ground squirrels, clawed, midday and other gerbils, hamsters, Mongolian saiga, Tibetan pied, wild Daurian hedgehog, marmot, shrew, gazelle (gazelle) and antelope (gazelle).

And in the forests, besides the snow leopard, they live:

moose,
chipmunks,
sables,
deer,
deer,
wild pigs,
white hares,
mountain sheep (argali),
lynx,
roe deer,
voles,
proteins,
Siberian goat,
shrews.

Siberian mountain goat

Mongols are traditionally engaged in animal husbandry. Agricultural activities are associated only with it. All land suitable for agriculture is given over to pastures and hayfields, occupying about 80% of the land suitable for this.

Domestic animals include sheep, goats, camels, horses, and cows. Yaks and pigs are bred in smaller quantities.

Yaks

Mongolian yaks are amazing animals. They are able to provide a person with literally everything they need. Belts, soles, and clothing are made from yak skin and wool, which are highly durable and heat resistant.

Butter, cottage cheese, yogurt and other dairy products are made from yak milk. The yak is used as a beast of burden; it can withstand enormous loads and has amazing endurance. At the same time, the costs of a yak are minimal: the animal looks for its own food, protects itself from predators and can spend the night in the open air.

Insects

The variety of insects that live here is amazing: there are thirteen thousand species. In the steppe zone and desert live:

locusts,
darkling beetles,
Khrushchi,
elephant beetles,
leafhoppers,
blister beetles,
Scorpios.

Endemic insects are swamp mosquitoes and Ballognatha typica spiders, which belong to the araneomorpha family of jumping spiders. Ballognatha typica was found in a single copy in the Mongolian city of Karakarum. It has yet to be studied, as one young specimen was found.

Swamp mosquitoes (their descriptions can be found with the names limoniids or meadow mosquitoes) belong to the Diptera family. Dew and nectar serve as food for adult insects, and rotten parts of plants and algae remains serve as food for larvae. These mosquitoes do not drink blood.

Feathered

Mongolia is inhabited by four hundred and thirty-six species of birds, sometimes it is even called the country of birds. About 70% of them build nests. Steppe birds are numerous:

sparrow,
Godlevsky's horse,
lark,
eagle,
bustard,
demoiselle crane,
eastern plover.

The Gobi is home to a different composition of bird life:

desert warbler,
thick-billed plover,
desert wheatear,
sadja,
Bustard,
mongolian desert jay,
horned lark.

Horned lark

The taiga community, mainly in its mountainous part, is as follows:

bluetail,
stone grouse,
Siberian flycatcher,
Kuksha,
deaf cuckoo,
Siberian lentils,
red headed bunting,
pygmy owl

Another type of taiga is inhabited by bustards, Japanese quails, red-eared buntings, and spotted rock thrushes. In the forest islands that punctuate the steppe zone in the mountains, you can find the garden bunting, gray flycatcher, common redstart, and whitethroat.

Bluethroats, black vultures, bearded vultures, mountain pipits, Altai snowcocks, snappers, and red-bellied redstarts settle in the mountains. Aquatic and coastal birds live more in the north of the country. These are the herbal, tufted duck, lapwing, salt lark, black-headed gull.

More than two hundred species of birds prefer to feed only on insects, about a hundred species feed on plant foods, forty species prefer aquatic inhabitants in their diet, and the same number prefer vertebrates living on land. The diet of the rest is either carrion or they are omnivores.

Precautionary measures

Tourists are usually interested in what dangers they may encounter along the way. These include meeting a wolf or a bear in the steppe. Ticks whose habitat is grass can also cause trouble.

The inhabitants of the desert - snakes and scorpions - are also considered dangerous, so forethought and caution will not hurt.

Conclusion

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Central Asia is a region where the water situation is quite complex, the surface is covered mainly by plains, and there are highlands. The climate is dry. Where is Mongolia? It is in such a zone that this country is located.

The state occupies more than 1.5 million square kilometers, which is three times the territory of France. Most of them are plateaus located at an altitude of 900 to 1500 meters above sea level. There are mountains in Mongolia, the highest point is the Mongolian Altai, which smoothly turns into the Gobinsky Altai mountain range.

The country boasts of pristine nature, vast expanses, and one of these places is the Gobi Desert.

a brief description of

It’s hard to imagine a description of the country Mongolia without describing this huge wasteland. According to scientists, no changes have occurred in these places for about 65 million years. This area was created by nature itself; there is yellow-transparent sand, hot air, salt marshes and constant silence.

An interesting fact is that 47 thousand people live on an area of 165,300 square kilometers (the total area of the desert). Mongolia is already famous for its low population density, but here this figure is even lower and equals approximately 0.28 people per 1 square kilometer. Simply put, you can drive through the wasteland for several hundred kilometers and not meet a single living soul. For the most part, nomads live here, constantly migrating, and are based in one place only for a short time, erecting small yurts. But there are places in the desert where no man has gone before. This place is located in the Nemegetinskaya depression; only rare and specially trained groups of researchers managed to get here.

Directly translated, the word “Gobi” means “waterless place.”

Geography

The desert is located on the territory of two states: Mongolia and China. The northern part is located near the Khangai and Mongolian Altai mountains, the southern part is limited by the peaks of Altyntag and Nanshan.

Part of the wasteland, which is located in Mongolia, is characterized by sandy and gravelly soil, and rocky areas. There are also many swamps and salt flats.

It is mostly represented by sands and dunes, which are not inferior in beauty to the Sahara.

Landscape

The Mongols themselves conventionally divide the desert into 33 sectors. The classification is based on the vegetation structure, climatic features and terrain that is present in a particular part of the heath.

An interesting fact is that only 3% of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia is occupied by sand, the rest of the territory is rocks, clay and beautiful landscapes, with unique flora and fauna.

The landscape of the wasteland is also not uniform. Places where there is fine crushed stone on the surface are plains. Where there are hills, bedrock rocks are visible on the surface, uniquely shaped by wind and sand. The eastern part of the wasteland is located in the area of the Greater Khingan and the Inyshan system, where there are ridges, rocky slopes and deep gorges of reservoirs, where it is quite convenient to pass from the east into China. And in the middle of the desert there are many deflationary and tectonic depressions, in some places there are ridge topography environments, pronounced dunes.

The peculiarity of the relief of Mongolia in the desert area is that there are huge deposits of coal. And the most interesting thing is that for the most part it lies very close to the surface. In some parts of the desert, mining is carried out by open-pit mining. By the way, the presence of coal in the soil suggests that around the Cretaceous period it was quite humid and warm here.

Climate

In the part of the world where Mongolia is located, the climate is quite harsh. In the desert region it is generally sharply continental. And the annual difference in atmospheric temperature is generally surprising. In summer there is unbearable stuffiness and heat, the temperature reaches +40, +45 degrees. In winter, the opposite is true; the thermometer often drops to -45 degrees.

Along with such temperature changes, dry winds constantly blow in the desert. They carry tons of sand from one place to another over the course of a year. But this is to the advantage of archaeologists - due to the winds, they were able to discover the remains of prehistoric dinosaurs. And in the area of the Nemegetinskaya depression, you can literally walk on petrified bones.

Water sources

If you look at Mongolia on the map, it immediately becomes clear that there are no large bodies of water, especially in the part where the desert is located. The only river bordering the south of the wasteland is the Yellow River.

However, throughout the desert there is a fairly high level of groundwater (from 0.5 to 1.5 meters). In some parts of the wasteland there are unique springs where the water is fresh and clean. Some springs are man-made, and then an oasis is formed around the spring.

Animals live around natural springs, and there are species that are found exclusively in the Gobi. By the way, such sources are called kuduki. It is in such oases that nomads stop. Although they face a huge problem in winter, the water in the kuduks freezes.

In addition to the Yellow River, in the wasteland there is a small river called Ruoshui and several mountain streams. However, the waters of mountain rivers do not reach the plain, either it is taken away by residents of local villages, or the channel disappears somewhere in the sand.

There are also lakes in the Gobi, mostly small in size and depth. But the water in them is not potable and has a salty-bitter taste. Most often, with the onset of heat, such lakes turn into salt marshes with a viscous structure.

Fauna

Despite the almost complete absence of moisture and a variable climate, animals live in the Gobi Desert. Moreover, a fairly large number of representatives of the animal world were able to adapt to the local harsh conditions. The wasteland is inhabited by:

gazelles;
wolves;
voles;
jerboas;
snow leopards, mainly in the foothills;
Gobi pikas and others.

And the most unique animals that live only in this desert are the wild camel and the Malazaya Gobi bear. There are also quite rare species here: saigas, goitered gazelles, argali sheep and kulans.

The world of desert insects is also diverse. The hot sand is home to desert grasshoppers and darkling beetles.

The most valuable animal of the desert is camels. People roaming the wasteland keep them as pets. Camel wool is very expensive; warm clothes, hats and blankets are made from it. Interestingly, during the hot season, camels are shorn, leaving hair only on the head and humps. This is done for only one purpose - so that the animal does not overheat in forty-degree heat.

Flora

In the semi-deserts of the Gobi Desert, plants are represented by fragrant wormwood and caragana shrubs. Juniper, ephedra, almond and baglura grow here.

In places where it is more humid, black and white saxaul grows, very similar to an umbrella. There are entire groves of elms - this is a low-growing tree, in the shadow of which birds often hide. The age of many elms is from 400 to 500 years. Picturesque vegetation in the southwest and east of the heath. Here, in addition to elm, spreading chailas grows.

Lichens grow on the rocks. Closer to the southern part of the desert, the amount of vegetation decreases, although a number of plants can still cope with the severity of the climate:

woad;
iris;
saltpeter;
astragalus and others.

Myths and legends

The Gobi Desert in Mongolia and China is surrounded by many legends. In ancient Chinese writings you can read the story of the Asian prototypes of Adam and Eve - Nu and Kun. According to legend, they appeared in the foothills of Kunlun, in the desert.

Adherents of the occult firmly believe that the wasteland region is the spiritual center of all races. In ancient myths, the desert in Central Asia is the place where all civilization began. And all this happened in the mysterious kingdom of Shambhala, which was located within the boundaries of the Gobi Desert. Although the nomads of Mongolia are sure that Shambhala is located in the west, and not in the desert.

The desert in Mongolia attracts not only mystics, but also scientists. After all, this is an unexplored vast territory. Marco Polo, Przhevalsky and Roerich visited the wasteland. Each of these people left behind a description of their journey.

The geographer P.K. Kozlov made an invaluable contribution to the study of the desert. The geographer managed to discover the “Black City,” or the settlement of Khara-Khoto. Research was carried out from 1907 to 1909.

Khara-Khoto is the cultural center of the Tanguts. Research has shown that the settlement appeared in the 11th century. It was possible to get to the settlement only after the discovery of the remains of an ancient road. By the way, it is believed that it was during the period of prosperity of the Tangut kingdom that there was a climate quite suitable for living here.

An interesting fact about the Gobi Desert and the “Black City”: Kozlov managed to find a Chinese-Tangut dictionary. It was thanks to this find that it was possible to decipher many inscriptions, which made it possible to learn a lot of new and interesting things about the culture of this people. Most of the artifacts found during this expedition are kept in the Hermitage.

Later, in the 40s of the last century, Ivan Efremov was engaged in research in the wasteland, and he managed to discover the skeletons and bones of ancient lizards. The invaluable artifacts found during the expedition enabled paleontologists to learn a lot about how ancient creatures lived in the Mesozoic era. It is believed that in those days there was a swampy lowland at the excavation site, and, in addition to dinosaurs, crocodiles, turtles and other mammals lived here. But gradually the water began to recede, and the entire area was covered with sand, which well preserved the bones of dead animals.

Reserve

Despite the fact that the Mongolian Gobi Desert is a desert landscape, the country's authorities still created a large protected zone (1975). The reserve is located in the western part of the state, near the border with China. This is the territory from the Trans-Altai Gobi to Dzungaria. The protected area covers more than 5.3 thousand hectares.

Tourism

Looking at Mongolia on the map, it’s hard to believe that tourists go to the desert and return only with positive emotions. Everyone who has visited the wasteland assures that it is extraordinarily beautiful here, and the stars seem to be possible to reach with your hand. The Gobi has colorful sunsets in autumn, especially beautiful against the backdrop of red sandstones and jagged cliff tops. Many tourists even get sick with a kind of Gobi syndrome, that is, when after the first trip to the desert you want to come back again and again.

Today, there are many excursions to the desert of Mongolia; tourists are offered rides on camels, jeeps, motorcycles, horses and even bicycles. It is here that you can feel the beauty of fast driving, because there are practically no settlements or people on the way. However, such trips require a large supply of water and fuel. In difficult desert conditions, vehicles can absorb up to 25 liters per 100 kilometers. Travelers rarely manage to get to the Nemegetinskaya depression.

You can visit excavation sites and historical sites.

Where to go and what to see?

It is the inaccessibility and untouchedness of civilization that attracts tourists to the desert.

“Singing” sands of Khongoryn Els. This is part of the desert in Mongolia, where the largest concentration of sand dunes is located. The length of this territory is more than 120 kilometers. Some dunes reach a height of 300 meters. Moreover, they can be up to 15 kilometers in diameter. The sand in this place has a light red tint. It is recommended to come here at sunset, when the rays of the sun give the dunes a special relief.
Tsagaan-Agui Cave located on the Ikh-Bogd Uul ridge (Mongolia). This place is about 40 kilometers from the city of Bayanliga. The cave itself consists of three halls, the walls in these halls are covered with crystalline calcite. An interesting fact is that it was here that a human site was discovered. It is believed that people lived here approximately 33 thousand years ago. Further research gave reason to assume that people continued to live here in the future, because several artifacts from different periods of human development were found here, including records on ancient paper.
Hermin Tsav Canyon, a place where until recently no tourists were taken. The road to the canyon is very difficult, and it’s easy to get lost. The uniqueness of the canyon is that it consists of an erosive terrain that was formed under the influence of sand and wind. And on the tops of the canyon live a huge number of birds, from falcons to black vultures. Photographers love to come here.
Another interesting place - Hot rocks, or Bayanzag. It was here that an American researcher found dinosaur eggs. But for tourists it will be much more interesting to admire the red rocks.
One of the most visited places is the Yueyquan area. This is an oasis, shaped like a crescent moon, with a lake where the water has a turquoise hue. But this place is located in China, 6 kilometers from the settlement of Dunhuang. Interestingly, there are even ruins of ancient settlements preserved here. And the worst thing is that every year there is less and less water in the lake, the sand is winning. The most interesting thing about the place described is that it was through this oasis that the great Silk Road ran, which allowed the inhabitants of Europe to receive gold, silk and learn what paper is.

And art. The natural world, and especially the animals of Mongolia, are no less interesting and deserve a separate story.

Living conditions

taiga areas;
alpine zone;
forest-steppe and steppe;
desert-steppe region;
Gobi Desert.

All this determines the richness and diversity of Mongolia’s nature and, in particular, its fauna.

Mammals

Mammals are represented here by one hundred and thirty species, but we will focus on the description of some rare animals.

Snow Leopard

Like all cats, they have a flexible body. It, together with its very long tail, is approximately two meters long. The animal's fur is light gray in color with dark rings.

Gobi Altai,
Khangai mountains,
Mongolian Altai.

Meeting a snow leopard is very rare and lucky. The animal leads a secluded life and is very careful.

An interesting fact is that the snow leopard never attacks humans, unlike most other cats. Exceptions are cases when the animal is injured or has rabies.

Mazalay

The Gobi bear is active at any time of the day and climbs rocks with the agility of an acrobat. The caves serve as a refuge for the Mazalai, where they hibernate, which lasts sixty to ninety days.

Przewalski's horse

By the way, the horse is a symbol of Mongolia. Even very young children in this country are confident in the saddle, and older children are already participating in horse racing.

Other animals

And in the forests, besides the snow leopard, they live:

moose,
chipmunks,
sables,
deer,
deer,
wild pigs,
white hares,
mountain sheep (argali),
lynx,
roe deer,
voles,
proteins,
Siberian goat,
shrews.

Siberian mountain goat

Domestic animals include sheep, goats, camels, horses, and cows. Yaks and pigs are bred in smaller quantities.

Yaks

Insects

The variety of insects that live here is amazing: there are thirteen thousand species. In the steppe zone and desert live:

locusts,
darkling beetles,
Khrushchi,
elephant beetles,
leafhoppers,
blister beetles,
Scorpios.

Endemic insects are swamp mosquitoes and Ballognatha typica spiders, which belong to the araneomorpha family of jumping spiders. Ballognatha typica was found in a single copy in the Mongolian city of Karakarum. It has yet to be studied, as one young specimen was found.

Feathered

Mongolia is inhabited by four hundred and thirty-six species of birds, sometimes it is even called the country of birds. About 70% of them build nests. Steppe birds are numerous:

sparrow,
Godlevsky's horse,
lark,
eagle,
bustard,
demoiselle crane,
eastern plover.

The Gobi is home to a different composition of bird life:

desert warbler,
thick-billed plover,
desert wheatear,
sadja,
Bustard,
mongolian desert jay,
horned lark.

Horned lark

The taiga community, mainly in its mountainous part, is as follows:

bluetail,
stone grouse,
Siberian flycatcher,
Kuksha,
deaf cuckoo,
Siberian lentils,
red headed bunting,
pygmy owl

More than two hundred species of birds prefer to feed only on insects, about a hundred species feed on plant foods, forty species prefer aquatic inhabitants in their diet, and the same number prefer vertebrates living on land. The diet of the rest is either carrion or they are omnivores.

Precautionary measures

Tourists are usually interested in what dangers they may encounter along the way. These include meeting a wolf or a bear in the steppe. Ticks whose habitat is grass can also cause trouble.

The inhabitants of the desert - snakes and scorpions - are also considered dangerous, so forethought and caution will not hurt.

Conclusion

All the best, friends!

We are grateful to you for actively supporting the blog - share links to articles on social networks)

Join us - subscribe to the site to receive the latest posts in your email!

Mongolia is a country of mountains and high plains; the average altitude above sea level is almost 1600 m. The mountains are located mainly in the northern, western and southwestern parts of the country, the plains extend in the east and southeast.

The mountainous west is divided by a continuous chain of valleys and basins into two mountain regions: in the north and east - the Khangai-Khentei region, in the west and southwest - the Altai region.

The Khangai-Khentei mountain region is vast (about 1/3 of the territory is strange) and varied in relief forms. Along the outskirts of this area there are massive mountain structures: in the southwest - the Khangai Range, in the northwest - clusters of mountains in the area of \u200b\u200bLake. Khubsugol, in the northeast - the Khentei mountain range; Between the named mountain ranges there is the Orkhon-Selenga depression, crossed by mountains of lower height and densely cut by rivers. The differences in heights between the marginal ridges and the “bottom” of the depression are quite large (for example, the height of the Enkh-Taiwan peak in the Khangai Range is 3905 m, and the Selenga floodplain near the Mongolian-Russian border is 600 m).

The Altai mountain region occupies a smaller area, but is also very complex in relief forms. With a wide strip in the west and a narrow strip in the east, it stretches 1.5 thousand km from the border with Russia in Altai to the border with China in the Gobi and consists of two unequal parts. In the far west, in the vicinity of the Tabyn-Bogdo-Ula mountain cluster, many ridges of different extents are concentrated. From here, in a southeastern direction, there is a single ridge of the Mongolian Altai with a length of 900 km with the highest point of the country Munkh-Khairkhan-Ula (4362 m). A continuation of the Mongolian Altai is a chain of lower scattered ridges stretching in the same direction for another 600 km, collectively called the Gobi Altai.

The plains, stretching from the longitude of Ulaanbaatar to the eastern borders for almost 1000 km, are diverse: undulating and hilly in the west, they gradually flatten out to perfectly flat in the east and again change their face on the outskirts, in the foothills of the Khingan and on the hilly plateau of Dariganga. On the flat plains of the far east lie the lowest lake basins within the republic - Buyr-Nur (583 m) and Khukh-Nur (553 m).

From the latitude of Ulaanbaatar to the south to the border with China, predominantly ridge-hilly plains stretch for 600-700 km. Gentle ridges alternate with shallow depressions, and here and there there are groups of hills or single hills. Flat surfaces, which are common on the eastern plains, are few and small in the south.

In the strip of plains, stretching for hundreds of kilometers between the Khangai-Khentei and Altai mountain regions, two parts are distinguished: the northwestern - the Basin of the Great Lakes - a wide intermountain depression, dissected into semi-closed depressions in which the largest lakes of the country are located, and the southeastern - an intermountain trough-shaped depression with small endorheic lakes scattered along the bottom, called the Valley of Lakes.

The strip of plains bordering the Altai mountain region from the south consists of a series of depressions separated by ridges and hills, occupied by sections of the Dzungarian and Central Gobi deserts, which lie mainly outside the republic.

The climate of Mongolia is sharply continental, which is due to its great distance from the oceans and considerable absolute altitudes. The well-known isolation of the country, fenced off by mountain ranges from other parts of Asia, is also important.

The continental climate is expressed by significant annual and daily temperature amplitudes, long duration of frosty winters, extreme weather instability in spring, general dry air and other extreme phenomena.

There is little precipitation, and it is confined to the summer months. Winters have little or no snow.

It is the deep cooling of the exposed earth that explains the spread of permafrost in the north of the republic (there is no permafrost anywhere on the globe at these latitudes).

Winter is cold in Siberia: the average January temperature varies from - 15° in the south to - 30° in the northwest. In mountain basins, frosty air stagnates - the mercury column at times drops to -50°. But the Mongolian winter is famous not only for its frosts. In the cold season, high atmospheric pressure (anticyclone) sets in on the mainland, then the winds are rare and weak, clouds do not form and the brightest sun illuminates and somewhat warms the snowless pastures from morning to evening. These factors greatly facilitate the winter keeping of livestock in the open air.

In the warm season, an area of low pressure is established over the center of the Asian continent, which is warmer than the oceans, and the air masses of the Atlantic, although largely dehydrated after a long journey, reach Mongolia. The mountains capture the most moisture, especially their northern and western slopes, which act as screens in the path of Atlantic air flows. As you move away from the ridges, annual precipitation amounts decrease - from 350-400 mm in the mountains to 100 or less on the plains. Summer is warm (the average July temperature in Khangai is 15°, in Gobi - up to 25°), and for a short time it is hot.

Spring is a time of extremely unstable weather. Extremely dry air, temperature changes of tens of degrees in a short time, hurricane-force winds carrying sand or snow - all this is difficult for humans and animals to tolerate. It is during this season that snow cover or ice most often forms in different parts of the country, preventing animals from using pasture, and storms rage, forcing flocks to linger in shelters for a long time without feeding. Autumn, on the contrary, is quiet, warm and sunny everywhere.

All rivers of Mongolia originate in the mountains. The mountainous areas are covered with a fairly dense river network. The rivers flow only onto the plains closest to the mountains: the Basin of the Great Lakes, the Valley of the Lakes and the northern edge of the eastern plains (the Kerulen River); further, on the vast plains of the south and southeast of the republic, there are no rivers or streams.

The largest number of Mongolian rivers, which are essentially the headwaters of the great rivers of Siberia and the Far East, direct their waters to the Arctic and Pacific oceans; only a few and not the most significant rivers irrigate the closed basins of Mongolia itself. The global watershed between these oceans partially passes through the territory of Mongolia.

The characteristics of the country’s mountain rivers can be better judged by characterizing one of the main ones, for example the Selenga. The waters of the Selenga system irrigate most of the Khangai-Khentei mountain region. The Selenga, leaving Mongolia, continues into Siberia and flows into lake. Baikal. Within the borders of Mongolia, its length without tributaries is almost 600 km, the current speed is 1.5-3 m/sec. It is fed by snow and rain, so the river has two floods - spring and summer; more abundant - summer, rainy. The Selenga freezes for six months, the ice thickness reaches 1-1.5 m. The average depth at the lowest water level is not lower than 2 m, so the river is navigable over a long distance. The tributaries of the Selenga are characterized by less water content, although some are longer than it, for example, the Orkhon is 2 times longer than the Selenga.

Of the deep rivers originating on the eastern slope of Khentei, let us name the Onon and Kerulen, and on the western slope of the Greater Khingan - Khalkhin Gol. Having irrigated the eastern outskirts of Mongolia, these rivers then connect with tributaries of the Amur. The Onon River is the deepest here, but short (about 300 km) and flows through a wooded, sparsely populated area; R. Kerulen carries less water, but it is longer (about 1100 km) and, most importantly, flows through a vast plain rich in pastures; R. Khalkhin Gol is also economically important, as it provides water to the strip of fertile land bordering China, where large centers of irrigated agriculture have recently been created.

Rivers in the mountains of the west and southwest of the republic flow mainly into intermountain basins that do not have access to the ocean. Those of them that originate in the mountains of the Mongolian Altai (the largest is the Kobdo River) and in the mountains of Western Khangai (the largest rivers are Dzabkhan and Tes) feed huge reservoirs in the Great Lakes Basin; the rivers flowing from the southern slope of the Khangai ridge - Baydrag-gol, Tuin-gol, etc. - give water to tiny reservoirs in the Valley of Lakes. The waters of these rivers are used to varying degrees for irrigation.

There are over a thousand permanent lakes in the country and countless temporary ones that form during the rainy season. The largest (water surface area - hundreds and thousands of square kilometers) are located mainly in the west of the country. Most permanent lakes are relict (residual). These include the reservoirs lying in the Basin of the Great Lakes - Uvs-nur, Khara-Us-nur, Khirgis-nur, Khara-nur, etc. In the early Quaternary period, the entire basin was occupied by the inland sea. Later it was divided into several large reservoirs, which were subsequently divided into a large number of now relatively small and very shallow ones (their depth is determined by several meters). In Mongolia there is only one deep (up to 238 m) lake. Khubsugul, once formed in a giant tectonic depression in the mountains in the north of Khangai.

Thus, the mountainous regions of Mongolia are more or less provided with surface water, while the plains are practically deprived of them. At the same time, the plains have been inhabited since ancient times; the population extracts groundwater, sometimes brackish water, lying close to the surface, using primitive wells. Fresh groundwater has been discovered on the plains, occurring at relatively great depths; They began to be mined only in our time, when drilling techniques were mastered.

The nature of Mongolia in all its manifestations bears features characteristic of a territory with a harsh climate. The plants and animals of this country need to be specially hardened to withstand sudden changes in temperature, almost universal lack of moisture, strong cold winds and other extreme phenomena. Despite this, the species composition of the flora and fauna of Mongolia is by no means poor. For example, Mongolia surpasses neighboring Siberia in the number of wild plant species.

The large extent of the territory along the meridian (over 10°), the diversity of the relief, the impact on the local flora and fauna of North China, Manchuria, East Siberia and other neighboring centers of endemism - all this determines the amazing diversity of the nature of Mongolia. In the direction from north to south, natural belts and zones successively change: high-mountain, mountain-taiga, mountain steppes and forests, steppes, desert steppes, deserts.

The high mountain belt has large massifs in the north and west of the lake. Khubsugol, on the Khentei and Khangai ridges and in the central part of the Mongolian Altai. The alpine steppes of the heath are replete with small grass of the sedge family - cobresia, which serves as fattening food for livestock that leaves in the summer to graze high in the mountains.

The mountain taiga belt occupies mainly areas in the west and east of the lake. Khubsugul and the mountains of the Khentei massif below the alpine belt. Here is a real larch and cedar-larch taiga, not found in other areas of the country, in some places difficult to access, which serves as the main source of wood for the whole of Mongolia.

The belt of mountain steppes and forests accounts for about 1/4 of the country's territory. It covers mainly the Khangai-Khentei and Altai mountain regions and, in the extreme east, a small area of the Khangan region. This belt is the most favorable for human life and the most mastered. The climate is relatively temperate. The soils are predominantly chestnut (from dark chestnut on the slopes of the mountains to chestnut in the flat areas); in some places there are chernozem-like and gray forest soils. Agriculture is widespread on chestnut soils in the Khangai-Khentei mountain region.

The largest area of the zone is covered by cereal and forb-grass steppes, characterized by relatively high grass yields. There are many nutritious grasses (fescue, tonkonogo, bluegrass, wheatgrass, sheep grass), steppe sedge, and cold wormwood, which are excellent food for all types of livestock. In the floodplains of rivers, there are often flooded meadows with tall herbs used as hayfields. Beautiful, predominantly larch forests are scattered in patches along the northern, more humid slopes of the mountains. Mixed forests (poplar, willow, bird cherry, sea buckthorn, and sometimes birch) border the river banks in narrow stripes.

Differences in relief and climate, and characteristics of vegetation cover determine the diversity of the animal world of a belt or zone. The Alpine fauna is represented by ungulates (mountain sheep, mountain goat), the predator snow leopard; forest - a group of its ungulates (deer, elk, roe deer, wild deer and musk deer), fur-bearing animals, especially squirrels, predators (lynx, wolverine, manul cat), brown bear, an abundance of birds, including game birds (grouse, capercaillie) . The mountain-steppe fauna, of course, has continuity from the forest fauna (and here the wolf, fox, hare, and wild boar find their place), but the most common are specifically steppe individuals: ungulates, especially the gazelle antelope (in the recent past, literally the mistress of the belt’s pastures), There are a large number of species of rodents, the tarbagan marmot stands out - the most commercial animal in the country, there are many birds of prey in accordance with the abundance of rodents, but there are also a lot of small birds, there are steppe commercial species, most often partridges.

To the south and east of the belt of mountain steppes, nature is gradually changing towards desertification and impoverishment.

The steppe zone borders Khangai in the west and south with a narrow flat strip, then it expands to hundreds of kilometers, and the steppe fills the entire eastern part of the country. On thin chestnut and light chestnut soils, the grass stand is thinner and more drought-resistant. Vast areas of the steppe are occupied by feather grass, dry wormwood, tansy, and shrubby caragana. There are no hayfields. The fauna of the steppes is transitional from mountain steppes to semi-deserts; The tarbagan marmot and gazelle antelope are also almost ubiquitous here, and predators, both animals and birds, are abundant; The composition of small rodents is more unique, in particular, one of the most evil pests of grasses, Brandt's vole, is widespread mainly in the steppe zone from west to east.

The desert steppe zone stretches in a wide arc across the entire country, covering the Great Lakes Basin, the Valley of the Lakes and most of the Gobi Highlands. The face of nature is changing again. The soils here are brown carbonate. The highly sparse grass stand is dominated by drought- and salt-tolerant plants - feather grass, onions, wormwood, prickly caragana, and teresken solyanka. Small rodents - jerboas, pikas, hamsters, yellow pieds - thrive here; The gazelle antelope is rare, it is replaced by the less whimsical gazelle antelope, kulan (wild ass), and in the west - the saiga antelope, tireless in running; There is an abundance of waterfowl on the lakes.

The real desert enters the territory of Mongolia only at the northern edge, occupying the strip bordering China, and in fragments is included in the zone of desert steppes up to the Great Lakes Basin. The desert is covered with brown gypsum soils interspersed with solonetzes and solonchaks, and sands are also found.

The vegetation does not form a continuous cover, but spreads in sparse patches with a predominance of short-leaved bramble bushes and saltwort, which serve as good food for camels. On sandy soils there are saxaul trees, but in some places only bare stone, black from the desert tan, is visible to the very horizon. The desert fauna is scarce and specific: the above-mentioned ungulates almost never enter these regions, colonies of small rodents are extremely rare and small, which means that the local table for predatory animals and birds is very poor. But in completely deserted places, the traveler still happens to meet a wild camel, a Przewalski's horse, and a Gobi bear. All of them are listed in the Red Book of Rare Animals Subject to Protection.

Population growth and partial transition to a sedentary lifestyle, plowing of pasture areas, development of transport, and construction affect the nature of the country's fauna. The number of wild animals, especially ungulates, is declining, and their areas of distribution are narrowing. To stop the decline and prevent the disappearance of valuable fauna, the state organizes nature reserves in different natural zones and prohibits hunting for certain species of wild animals and birds for different periods. At the same time, work is underway to acclimatize fur-bearing animals - nutria, mink, black sable and silver fox. A state deer breeding farm has been organized to produce antlers. In the lake Khubsugule breeds Baikal omul.

Pasture feed is of particular importance to Mongolian farms. The grass reserves of pasture lands in a typical year under climatic conditions are determined at 80 million tons (translated into hay). It is believed that approximately 50 million tons are currently used by standing cattle. To increase this figure, the country is constantly working on water supply (construction of deep wells, drilling wells) and inclusion of pastures that were previously unsuitable due to their lack of water. Simultaneously with the increase in plowing of virgin lands in areas with good forage lands, a certain proportion of pastures has to be lost. Of course, these losses must be covered by feed obtained in crop production.

The role of forest resources is important. Forests grow in the mountains in the north of the republic, often in hard-to-reach places. Their total area is determined to be 15 million hectares. Tree species are predominantly coniferous with a predominance of Siberian larch. Composition of tree species in the forests of Mongolia: larch -73%, cedar -11, pine - 7, deciduous -9%. Reserves of usable wood are estimated at 1 billion cubic meters. m, and the annual natural increase is 10 million cubic meters. m. Currently, the country's economy uses approximately 1/5 of the annual natural increase in wood.

Mineral resources play an increasingly important role in Mongolia's economy. For the last sixty years, the republic's mineral resources have been systematically studied. To date, hundreds of deposits of various minerals have been recorded: hard and brown coals, ferrous, non-ferrous, rare and precious metals, chemical raw materials, fluorspar, precious and ornamental stones, various types of building materials.

Medium and small brown coal deposits have been identified in many places in the northern part of the republic. Of these, the largest (geological reserves are estimated at 200-500 million tons each) are Nalaykhinskoye, near Ulaanbaatar (developed since the 19th century), Sharyngolskoye, 150 km north of Ulaanbaatar, near Darkhan (exploited since the 1960s .); Operation of the Baganur field, 110 km east of Ulaanbaatar, began. In the south, in the depths of the Gobi, the Tabun-Tolgoi coal basin was discovered, the geological reserves of which amount to billions of tons. Average reserves of tungsten and fluorspar deposits have long been known and exploited in the north and east of the country. In the Khangai-Khentei region, in the “treasure hill” (Erdenetiy-Obo), the richest accumulations of copper-molybdenum ores have been discovered, which are already being exploited. The Salkhit lead-zinc deposit in Sukhbaatar aimag is promising, where preparatory work for zinc mining is underway. And near Lake Khubsugol, a giant pool of phosphorites was discovered, on the basis of which yellow phosphorus and other phosphorus-containing products can be produced.

Mongolia is located in Central Asia. The country has an area of 1,564,116 km2, three times the size of France. Basically it is a plateau, elevated to a height of 900-1500 m above sea level. A series of mountain ranges and ridges rise above this plateau. The highest of them is the Mongolian Altai, which stretches in the west and southwest of the country for a distance of 900 km. Its continuation are lower ridges that do not form a single massif, collectively called the Gobi Altai.

Along the border with Siberia in the north-west of Mongolia there are several ranges that do not form a single massif: Khan Huhei, Ulan Taiga, Eastern Sayan, in the north-east - the Khentei mountain range, in the central part of Mongolia - the Khangai massif, which is divided into several independent ranges.

To the east and south of Ulaanbaatar towards the border with China, the height of the Mongolian plateau gradually decreases, and it turns into plains - flat and level in the east, hilly in the south. The south, southwest and southeast of Mongolia are occupied by the Gobi Desert, which continues into north-central China. In terms of landscape characteristics, the Gobi desert is by no means homogeneous; it consists of sandy, rocky areas covered with small fragments of stones, flat for many kilometers and hilly, different in color - the Mongols especially distinguish the Yellow, Red and Black Gobi. Land-based water sources are very rare here, but groundwater levels are high.

Mountains of Mongolia

Ridge of the Mongolian Altai. The highest mountain range in Mongolia, located in the northwest of the country. The main part of the ridge is elevated 3000-4000 meters above sea level and stretches to the southeast of the country from the western border with Russia to the eastern regions of the Gobi. The Altai Range is conventionally divided into the Mongolian and Gobi Altai (Gobi-Altai). The area of the Altai mountain region is huge - about 248,940 square kilometers.

Tavan-Bogdo-Ula. The highest point of the Mongolian Altai. The height above sea level of the peak of Mount Nairamdal is 4374 meters. This mountain range is located at the junction of the borders of Mongolia, Russia and China. The name Tavan-Bogdo-Ula is translated from Mongolian as “five sacred peaks”. For a long time, the white glacial peaks of the Tavan-Bogdo-Ula mountain range have been revered as sacred by the Mongols, Altaians and Kazakhs. The mountain consists of five snow-capped peaks, with the largest area of glaciation in the Mongolian Altai. Three large glaciers Potanin, Przhevalsky, Grane and many small glaciers feed water to the rivers going to China - the Kanas River and the Aksu River, and the tributary of the Khovd River - Tsagaan-Gol - going to Mongolia.

The Khukh-Serekh ridge is a mountain range on the border of the Bayan-Ulgiy and Khovd aimags. The ridge forms a mountain junction connecting the main ridge of the Mongolian Altai with its mountain spurs - the peaks of Tsast (4208 m) and Tsambagarav (4149 m). The snow line runs at an altitude of 3700-3800 meters. The ridge is surrounded by the Buyant River, emerging from numerous springs at the eastern foot.

The Khan-Khukhii ridge is the mountains separating the largest lake Uvs in the Great Lakes basin from the lakes of the Khyargas system (lakes Khyargas, Khar-Us, Khar, Durgun). The northern slopes of the Khan-Khuhi ridge are covered with forest, in contrast to the southern mountain-steppe slopes. The highest peak of Duulga-Ul lies at an altitude of 2928 meters above sea level. The mountain range is young and growing rapidly. A huge 120-kilometer seismic crack runs next to it - the result of an 11-magnitude earthquake. Bursts of earth waves rise one after another along the crack to a height of about 3 meters.

Statistical indicators of Mongolia
(as of 2012)

Mount Tsambagarav. A powerful mountain range with a maximum height of 4206 meters above sea level (Tsast peak). Near the foot of the mountain is the valley of the Khovd River, not far from its confluence with Lake Khar-Us. The territory of the somon, located at the foot of Mount Tsambagarav, is inhabited mainly by Olet Mongols, descendants of numerous once Dzungar tribes. According to Olet legend, once upon a time a man named Tsamba climbed to the top of the mountain and disappeared. Now they call the mountain Tsambagarav, which translated into Russian: “Tsamba came out, ascended.”

Rivers and lakes of Mongolia

The rivers of Mongolia are born in the mountains. Most of them are the headwaters of the great rivers of Siberia and the Far East, carrying their waters towards the Arctic and Pacific oceans. The largest rivers in the country are the Selenga (within the borders of Mongolia - 600 km), Kerulen (1100 km), Tesiin-Gol (568 km), Onon (300 km), Khalkhin-Gol, Kobdo-Gol, etc. The deepest is the Selenga. It originates from one of the Khangai ridges and receives several large tributaries - Orkhon, Khanui-gol, Chulutyn-gol, Delger-Muren, etc. Its flow speed is from 1.5 to 3 m per second. In any weather, its fast, cold waters, flowing in the clay-sandy shores, and therefore always muddy, have a dark gray color. The Selenga freezes for six months, the average ice thickness is from 1 to 1.5 m. It has two floods a year: spring (snow) and summer (rain). The average depth at the lowest water level is at least 2 m. Having left Mongolia, the Selenga flows through the territory of Buryatia and flows into Baikal.

Rivers in the western and southwestern parts of the country, flowing from the mountains, end up in intermountain basins, have no outlet to the ocean and, as a rule, end their journey in one of the lakes.

In Mongolia, there are over a thousand permanent lakes and a much larger number of temporary lakes that form during the rainy season and disappear during the dry season. In the early Quaternary period, a significant part of the territory of Mongolia was an inland sea, which was later divided into several large bodies of water. The current lakes are what remains of them. The largest of them are located in the basin of the Great Lakes in the north-west of the country - Uvsu-nur, Khara-Us-nur, Khirgis-nur, their depth does not exceed several meters. In the east of the country there are lakes Buyr-nur and Khukh-nur. In a giant tectonic depression in the north of Khangai there is Lake Khubsugul (depth up to 238 m), similar to Baikal in water composition, relict flora and fauna.

Climate of Mongolia

The high ridges of Central Asia, encircling Mongolia on almost all sides with powerful barriers, isolate it from the humid air currents of both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, which creates a sharply continental climate on its territory. It is characterized by a predominance of sunny days, especially in winter, significant dry air, low precipitation, sharp temperature fluctuations, not only annual, but also daily. Temperatures during the day can sometimes fluctuate between 20–30 degrees Celsius.

The coldest month of the year is January. In some areas of the country the temperature drops to –45...50°C.

The hottest month is July. The average air temperature during this period in most of the territory is +20°C, in the south up to +25°C. Maximum temperatures in the Gobi Desert during this period can reach +45...58°C.

Average annual precipitation is 200–250 mm. 80–90% of the total annual precipitation falls within five months, from May to September. The maximum amount of precipitation (up to 600 mm) falls in the aimags of Khentii, Altai and near Lake Khuvsgul. The minimum precipitation (about 100 mm per year) occurs in the Gobi.

The winds reach their strongest in spring. In the Gobi regions, winds often lead to the formation of storms and reach enormous destructive power - 15–25 m/s. A wind of such strength can tear down yurts and carry them several kilometers away, tearing tents to shreds.

Mongolia is characterized by a number of exceptional physical and geographical phenomena; within its borders are:

center of world maximum winter atmospheric pressure
the world's southernmost zone of permafrost distribution on flat terrain (47° N).
in Western Mongolia, in the basin of the Great Lakes, there is the northernmost desert zone on the globe (50.5° N)
The Gobi Desert is the most extreme continental place on the planet. In summer, the air temperature can rise to +58 °C, in winter it can drop to -45 °C.

Spring is coming in Mongolia after a very cold winter. The days became longer and the nights became shorter. Spring is the time for snow to melt and animals to emerge from hibernation. Spring begins in mid-March, usually lasting about 60 days, although it can be as long as 70 days or as long as 45 days in some areas of the country. For people and livestock, this is also the driest and windiest season. In spring, dust storms are common, not only in the south, but also in the central regions of the country. When leaving home, residents try to close the windows, as dust storms arrive suddenly (and pass just as quickly).

Summer is the warmest season in Mongolia. The best season to travel around Mongolia. There is more precipitation than in spring and autumn. Rivers and lakes are the deepest. However, if the summer is very dry, then closer to autumn the rivers become very shallow. The beginning of summer is the most beautiful time of the year. The steppe is green (the grass has not yet burned out from the sun), livestock is gaining weight and fat. In Mongolia, summer lasts approximately 110 days from late May to September. The hottest month is July. The average air temperature during this period in most of the territory is +20°C, in the south up to +25°C. Maximum temperatures in the Gobi Desert during this period can reach +45...58°C.

Autumn in Mongolia is the season of transition from hot summer to cold and dry winter. There is less rain in autumn. Gradually it becomes cooler and vegetables and grains are harvested at this time. The grassland and forests turn yellow. Flies are dying and livestock are fat and unclear in preparation for the winter. Autumn is an important season in Mongolia to prepare for winter; collecting grains, vegetables and fodder; preparation to the extent of their cattle sheds and sheds; preparing firewood and heating it at home and so on. Autumn lasts approximately 60 days from early September to early November. The end of summer and the beginning of autumn is a very favorable season for travel. However, we must take into account that snow may fall at the beginning of September, but within 1-2 months it will completely melt.

In Mongolia, winter is the coldest and longest season. In winter, the temperature drops so much that all rivers, lakes, streams and reservoirs freeze. Many rivers freeze almost to the bottom. It snows all over the country, but the cover is not very significant. Winter begins in early November and lasts approximately 110 days until March. It snows occasionally in September and November, but heavy snow usually falls in early November (December). In general, compared to Russia, there is very little snow. Winter in Ulaanbaatar is more dusty than snowy. Although, with climate change on the planet, it is noted that more snow began to fall in winter in Mongolia. And heavy snowfalls are a real natural disaster for cattle breeders (dzud).

The coldest month of the year is January. In some areas of the country the temperature drops to –45...50 (C.). It should be noted that the cold in Mongolia is much easier to bear due to the dry air. For example: a temperature of -20°C in Ulaanbaatar is tolerated the same as -10°C in the central part of Russia.

Flora of Mongolia

The vegetation of Mongolia is very variegated and is a mixture of mountain, steppe and desert with inclusions of the Siberian taiga in the northern regions. Under the influence of mountainous terrain, the latitudinal zonation of the vegetation cover is replaced by a vertical one, so deserts can be found next to forests. Forests on the mountain slopes are located far in the south, adjacent to dry steppes, and deserts and semi-deserts are found along plains and basins far in the north. The natural vegetation of Mongolia corresponds to local climatic conditions. The mountains in the northwestern part of the country are covered with forests of larch, pine, cedar, and various deciduous tree species. In the wide intermountain basins there are magnificent pastures. The river valleys have fertile soil, and the rivers themselves abound in fish.

As you move to the southeast, with decreasing altitude, the density of vegetation cover gradually decreases and reaches the level of the Gobi desert region, where only in spring and early summer some types of grasses and shrubs appear. The vegetation of the north and northeast of Mongolia is incomparably richer, since these areas with higher mountains receive more precipitation. In general, the composition of the flora and fauna of Mongolia is very diverse. The nature of Mongolia is beautiful and diverse. In the direction from north to south, six natural belts and zones successively change here. The high-mountain belt is located north and west of Lake Khubsugul, on the Khentei and Khangai ridges, in the Mongolian Altai mountains. The mountain-taiga belt passes in the same place, below the alpine meadows. The zone of mountain steppes and forests in the Khangai-Khentei mountain region is the most favorable for human life and the most developed in terms of agricultural development. The largest in size is the steppe zone with its variety of grasses and wild cereals, most suitable for cattle breeding. Water meadows are common in river floodplains.

Currently, 2823 species of vascular plants from 662 genera and 128 families, 445 species of bryophytes, 930 species of lichens (133 genera, 39 families), 900 species of fungi (136 genera, 28 families), 1236 species of algae (221 genera, 60 families). Among them, 845 types of medicinal herbs are used in Mongolian medicine, 68 types of soil strengthening plants and 120 types of edible plants. There are now 128 species of herbs listed as endangered and endangered in the Red Book of Mongolia.

The Mongolian fora can be roughly divided into three ecosystems: - grass and shrubs (52% of the earth's surface), forests (15%) and desert vegetation (32%). Cultivated crops account for less than 1% of Mongolia's territory. The flora of Mongolia is very rich in medicinal and fruit plants. Along the valleys and in the undergrowth of deciduous forests there are a lot of bird cherry, rowan, barberry, hawthorn, currant, and rose hips. Valuable medicinal plants such as juniper, gentian, celandine, and sea buckthorn are widespread. Particularly prized are Adonis mongolian (Altan hundag) and Radiola rosea (golden ginseng). In 2009, a record harvest of sea buckthorn was harvested. Today in Mongolia, berries are grown by private companies on an area of one and a half thousand hectares.

Fauna of Mongolia

The vast territory, diversity of landscape, soil, flora and climatic zones create favorable conditions for the habitat of a wide variety of animals. The fauna of Mongolia is rich and diverse. Like its vegetation, Mongolia's fauna represents a mixture of species from the northern taiga of Siberia, the steppe and deserts of Central Asia.

The fauna includes 138 species of mammals, 436 birds, 8 amphibians, 22 reptiles, 13,000 species of insects, 75 species of fish and numerous invertebrates. Mongolia has a wide variety and abundance of game animals, including many valuable fur-bearing and other animals. In the forests there are sable, lynx, deer, maral, musk deer, elk, and roe deer; in the steppes - tarbagan, wolf, fox and gazelle antelope; in the deserts - kulan, wild cat, goitered gazelle and saiga antelope, wild camel. Argali mountain sheep, goats and large predatory leopards are common in the Gobi Mountains. Irbis, a snow leopard in the recent past was widespread in the mountains of Mongolia, now it mainly lives in the Gobi Altai, and its numbers have decreased to up to a thousand individuals. Mongolia is a country of birds. The demoiselle crane is a common bird here. Large flocks of cranes often gather right on asphalt roads. Close to the road you can often see scoters, eagles, and vultures. Geese, ducks, waders, cormorants, various herons and gigantic colonies of different species of gulls - herring gull, black-headed gull (which is included in the Red Book in Russia), lake gulls, several species of terns - all this biodiversity amazes even experienced ornithologist-researchers.

According to conservationists, 28 species of mammals are at risk. The more commonly known species are wild bum, wild camel, Gobi mountain sheep, Gobi bear (mazalay), ibex and black-tailed gazelle; others include otters, wolves, antelope and tarbagans. There are 59 species of endangered birds, including many species of hawk, falcon, buzzard, eagles and owls. Despite the Mongolian belief that it is bad luck to kill an eagle, some species of eagles are endangered. The Mongolian Border Guard continually stops attempts to export falcons from Mongolia to the Persian Gulf countries, where they are used for sport.

But there are also positive aspects. The wild horse population has finally been restored. Takhi - known in Russia as the Przewalski's horse - was virtually wiped out in the 1960s. It was successfully reintroduced into two national parks after an extensive breeding program overseas. In the mountainous areas, approximately 1000 snow leopards remain. They are hunted for their skin (which is also part of some shamanic rituals).

Every year the government sells licenses to hunt protected animals. Per year, licenses are sold to shoot 300 wild goats and 40 mountain sheep (resulting in up to half a million dollars in the treasury. This money is used to restore wild animal populations in Mongolia).

Population of Mongolia

According to preliminary results of the population and housing census, held on November 11-17, 2010 nationwide, there are 714,784 families in Mongolia, that is, two million 650 thousand 673 people. This does not include the number of citizens who registered via the Internet and through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia (i.e., those living outside the country), and also does not take into account the number of military personnel, suspects and prisoners under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Defense.

Population density – 1.7 people/sq.km. Ethnic composition: 85% of the country is Mongols, 7% are Kazakhs, 4.6% are Durwoods, 3.4% are representatives of other ethnic groups. According to the forecast of the National Statistical Office of Mongolia, the country's population will reach 3 million people by 2018.

Source - http://ru.wikipedia.org/
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RELIEF, GEOGRAPHICAL ZONES

Mongolia has an area of 1,564,116 sq. km and is mainly a plateau raised to an altitude of 900-1500 m above sea level. A series of mountain ranges and ridges rise above this plateau. In the south and east of the country there are extensive hilly and ridged plateaus, intersected by individual hills. The average altitude of Mongolia is very high - 1580 m above sea level. There are no lowlands in the country at all. The lowest point of the country - the Khukh Nuur basin - lies at an altitude of 560 m. Forests mainly grow in the forest-steppe zone, located in the northern part of the country. The forest fund area is 15.2 million hectares, i.e. 9.6% of the entire territory.

To the east and south of Ulaanbaatar towards the border with China, the height of the Mongolian plateau gradually decreases, and it turns into plains - flat and level in the east, hilly in the south. The south, southwest and southeast of Mongolia are occupied by the Gobi Desert, which continues into north-central China. In terms of landscape features, the Gobi desert is by no means homogeneous; it consists of areas of sandy, rocky, covered with small fragments of stones, flat for many kilometers and hilly, different in color - the Mongols especially distinguish the Yellow, Red and Black Gobi. Land-based water sources are very rare here, but groundwater levels are high.

Natural conditions of Mongolia extremely diverse - from north to south (1259 km) there are taiga forests, mountain forest-steppes, steppes, semi-deserts and deserts. Researchers call Mongolia a geographical phenomenon that has no analogues anywhere. Indeed, within the Mongolian People's Republic there is the southernmost permafrost center on Earth, and in Western Mongolia, in the Great Lakes Basin, the world's northernmost border of dry deserts lies, and the distance between the permafrost distribution line and the beginning of the deserts does not exceed 300 kilometers. In terms of temperature fluctuations, both daily and annual, Mongolia is one of the most continental countries in the world (the maximum annual amplitude of temperature fluctuations in Ulaanbaatar reaches 90 ° C): in winter Siberian frosts are raging there, and the summer heat in the Gobi can only be compared with Central Asian. These are truly paradoxical physical-geographical phenomena, coupled with the vastness of the territory (the straight line length from west to east is 2368 and from north to south 1260 kilometers), the clear delineation of geographical zones (from taiga to steppe and from steppe to desert), with sharp differences in elevation and the clear predominance of mountainous terrain create the unique face of the country, determine and explain its wealth.

HIGH MOUNTAINS

Mongolia is a mountainous country. Mountains occupy more than 40% of its total area, highlands (over 3000 m) - about 2.5%. The highest of the mountain ranges of Mongolia is the Mongolian Altai with mountain peaks up to 3000–4000 m high, stretching in the west and southwest of the country for a distance of 900 km. Its continuation are lower ridges that do not form a single massif, collectively called the Gobi Altai. The highest point is the Kuiten-Uul (Nairamdal) peak with a height of 4370 m. It is located in the Mongolian Altai at the westernmost tip of Mongolia near the border with Russia.

In the center of the country are the Khangai Mountains, about 700 km long and 2000–3000 m high (the largest is 3905 m, Otkhon Tengri), divided into several independent ranges.

Highest mountains of Mongolia

In mountainous areas, vertical zonation of the soil appears. With increasing altitude, chestnut soils are replaced by chernozem-like and sometimes chernozem-like soils, then mountain-meadow and partially peaty. The southern slopes of the mountains, as a rule, are sandy and rocky, while the northern slopes have denser soil and are clayey. The steppes are dominated by loam and sandy loam, the colors of ripe chestnut and light chestnut.

TAIGA

The taiga zone, which covers only 5 percent of Mongolia's territory, is located primarily in northern Mongolia, in the Khentii Mountains, the mountainous landscape around Lake Khuvsgul, the rear of the Tarvagatai mountain range, the upper Orkhon River and parts of the Khan Khentii mountain range. The taiga zone receives more rainfall than other zones of Mongolia (12 - 16 inches annually).

The northern mountain taiga zone is replete with forest; forests cover the northern slopes of the mountains and consist of Siberian larch, cedar, pine, birch and aspen. The inhabitants of this zone are the same as in the Siberian taiga - deer, elk, wild boars, lynxes, bears, sables, wolverines and other animals. Reindeer are also found here.

FOREST-STEPPE

The mountain steppes of the middle steppe zone lie between the Khentei, Khangai and Mongolian Altai ridges. There are gazelle antelopes, wolves and foxes, and in the alpine zone there are rare cat predators, such as snow leopard - irbis, lynx, tiger, which hunt wild goats and wild argali sheep.

In the forest-steppe and steppe zones, various chestnut soils are most widespread, accounting for almost 60% of all soils in the country.

STEPPE ZONE

In the mountains, the Mongolian steppes rise to a height of 1500 m or more, and with increasing moisture in the mountains, the proportion of forbs in the vegetation cover increases. On the northern slopes of the mountains of Mongolia (precipitation 500 mm or more) predominantly coniferous forests of Siberian larch, cedar, and pine grow.

Unlike the European steppes, the zonal soil type of the Mongolian steppes is not chernozems, but leached chestnut soils. They are formed on sandy and gravelly parent rocks and are not solonetzic. There are chestnut, dark chestnut and light chestnut soils. The intensity of their color depends on the specific gravity of humus. In the upper layer, dark chestnut soils have from 4% to 6% humus, light chestnut soils from 2% to 4%. The life forms of steppe plants are determined by summer precipitation and sharp temperature fluctuations throughout the year and during the day. Among the steppes, various types are distinguished depending on the predominance of certain plant groups. The Mongolian steppes are poorer than the steppes of Russia and Kazakhstan. The grass is lower in them, and there is almost no continuous cover. The dominant formations are tyrs, serpentine, serpentine-tyrs and others. Among the shrubs, there are especially many small-leaved caragana (Caragana microphylla), and subshrubs of wormwood (Artemisia frlgida). As we approach semi-deserts, the role of low-growing feather grasses and onions increases.

SEMI-DESERT

Semi-deserts occupy more than 20 percent of Mongolia's territory, stretching across the country between desert and steppe zones. This zone includes the Great Lakes Depression, the Valley of the Lakes, and most of the region between the Khangai and Altai mountain ranges, as well as the eastern Gobi region. The zone includes many low-lying areas, soils with salt lakes and small ponds. The climate is arid (frequent droughts and annual precipitation of 4-5 inches (100-125 mm). Frequent strong winds and sandstorms greatly affect the area's vegetation). However, many nomadic herders of Mongolia occupy this zone.

Mongolia is located in central Asia. This state has no access to the seas and oceans. Mongolia borders Russia and China.

Mongolia is not a tourist country. People go there who want to see unusual things, plunge into the colorful life of the Mongolian peoples and visit local attractions. One of the attractions is Ulaanbaatar - the coldest capital in the world. Mongolia is also home to the world's tallest equestrian statue - Genghis Khan on horseback. While in Mongolia in July, it is worth visiting the Nadom festival, where various fighting competitions are held.

Flora of Mongolia

The territory of Mongolia combines taiga regions and deserts, so the natural system of these places is quite unusual. Here you can find forests, mountains, steppes, semi-deserts and taiga areas.
Forests occupy a small part of Mongolian land. In them you can see Siberian larch, cedar, and less often spruce and fir. The soil of river valleys is favorable for the growth of poplars, birches, aspens, and ash. The following shrubs are found there: willow, wild rosemary, bird cherry, hawthorn and common willow.

The cover of the steppes is quite diverse. Grass-wormwood plants occupy most of these territories - feather grass, chamomile, wheatgrass, thinlegs, snake grass, wheatgrass and fescue. Also in the Mongolian steppe you can see the caragana shrub, as well as derisun, Mongolian feather grass, solyanka and others.

Deserts are not distinguished by the diversity of vegetation; here you can only find shrubs and grasses - saxaul and squat elm.

Medicinal and berry plants grow in Mongolia. Bird cherry, rowan, barberry, hawthorn, currant, rose hip are just some of the fruit and berry plants. Representatives of medicinal species are: juniper, buckwheat, celandine, sea buckthorn, Adonis Mongolian and radiola rosea.

Fauna of Mongolia

Mongolia has all the conditions for the life of a variety of animals - soil, landscape and climate. Here you can meet both representatives of the taiga, steppes and deserts.

The inhabitants of the forests are: lynx, deer, deer, elk and roe deer. In the steppes you can find tarbagans, wolves, foxes and antelopes. And in the desert areas there are kulan, wild cats, wild camels and antelopes.

The mountains of Mongolia have become a haven for argali sheep, goats and the predatory leopard. Speaking about the snow leopard, it is worth noting that their numbers have greatly decreased, as has the snow leopard.

There are a lot of birds in Mongolia, and the most common and familiar species is the demoiselle crane.

Also in these places you can see geese, ducks, sandpipers and cormorants. Seagulls and herons are observed in coastal areas.

Many animals in Mongolia are under special protection. For example, wild camel, Asian kulan, Gobi sheep, Mazalay bear, ibex and black-tailed gazelles.
Also on the verge of extinction are wolves, otters and antelopes.

Rare animals and birds of Mongolia

Mongolia- a country with vast expanses under a clear blue sky and with pristinely rich flora and fauna. The mountains of Altai, Sayan, Khangai and Khentei combine the alpine tundra with the taiga of Siberia, and the free steppes directly border the deserts of Central Asia. That is why the diversity of the animal world is so great here. Mongolia is home to many species of Arctic, Mediterranean, Siberian, Manchurian and Central Asian fauna. European species also penetrate here. In total, about 380 species of birds and 138 species of mammals are found here.

To the Red Book of Mongolia 18 species of birds and 17 species of mammals are listed. Among the birds it includes: Siberian crane, black and white-naped crane, bustard, houbara bustard, black stork, spoonbill, whooper swan, mute swan, dry-billed goose, relict gull, Dalmatian pelican, pheasant, white-tailed eagle, osprey and reed sutora. Mammals: wild camel, Przewalski's horse, Mongolian kulan, Mongolian saiga, saiga, reindeer, Ussuri elk, reed boar, food-eating bear, red wolf, river otter, bandage, steppe cat, snow leopard-irbis, Asian subspecies of beaver, forest dormouse, long-eared jerboa. Many of these species are included in International Red Book.

Of course, a lot could be said about these animals, but we will limit ourselves to providing brief information only on some species of rare animals and birds.

Mongolian saiga- endemic to western Mongolia, that is, found only here and nowhere else. Has a limited range. Very few in number. It is one of the rarest species of the world fauna.

Inhabits the dry steppes of the foothills of the Altai Range from Ulaan Nur to Lake Ubsa.

In oriental medicine, the horns of the Mongolian saiga have long been highly valued. And high-quality meat is a favorite dish of local residents. This was the main reason for the strong decline in the number of this unique species.

The Mongolian saiga differs from the saiga inhabiting the steppes of Central Asia and Kazakhstan in its small size and whitish color. Males have short and thin transparent horns. They escape from their pursuers at a fast trot, reaching speeds of up to 70-80 kilometers per hour. A characteristic feature of a running saiga is its head hanging low. Therefore, the Mongols call this animal “bukhun”, that is, hunched over. In June, females usually give birth to two cubs. It feeds on feather grass, multi-rooted onions, wormwood, barnyard grass and other plants. On pasture, especially in spring, autumn and winter, saiga competes with livestock. Fishing for this animal is prohibited; the number of saiga is at an extremely low level. To preserve the gene pool of this rare animal, it is necessary to create a restricted zone in its habitat, reduce grazing, intensify the fight against poachers, establish extensive research on the ecology of saiga and develop measures aimed at increasing the total population of this species.

Mongolian kulan now found only in the southern and southwestern regions of Mongolia. Very rare. Listed in the International Red Book. According to the 1974 census, there are about 15 thousand of these animals. The kulan is not inferior to a racehorse in speed, but surpasses it in endurance. Almost from the day it is born, the little hawk runs as fast as adult animals. This allows you to escape from your main enemy - the wolf.

In its distribution, the kulan is closely related to water sources. In winter, when there is snow, and in spring, when there is a lot of surface water, the animals disperse widely across the steppe, but in the dry summer period, the kulans concentrate around watering holes, moving away from them no more than 10 - 15 kilometers.

Now the kulan is under strict protection, and it is hoped that the protection and relative inaccessibility of the habitats of these animals will allow them to be preserved for centuries.

Snow leopard (irbis) lives in the mountainous regions of Mongolia. Rare everywhere. The distribution of these predators is closely related to ungulates and primarily to mountain goats and sheep. Is under strict security.

Wild camel lives only in the Trans-Altai Gobi. Included in the International Red Book. There are several hundred of these animals in total. Previously, there were much more camels and the range of this species occupied the deserts of Central and Central Asia. Now the wild camel can be found only from the southern slopes of the Edrengin ridge to the state border, and from east to west - between the Tsagan Bogd and Azh Bogd ridges. The main habitats are hollows, desert slopes of mountains and hills. In summer, autumn and spring it is found near reservoirs. Comes to watering places at dusk or at night. A she-camel gives birth to one baby camel in April.

A wild camel is slimmer than a domestic one, it has long, thin legs, thinner and shorter hair. Camel hunting has been prohibited in Mongolia since 1930. To preserve this species, domestic camels are not allowed into its habitats, and special exclusion zones are created.

Bear-eater found only in a very small area of the Trans-Altai Gobi. There are no more than two dozen individuals of this species. The food-eating bear inhabits mountains with deep gorges near springs among thick reeds. In search of food, it makes long journeys. 1-2 cubs are born. The food-eating bear differs from its brown counterpart in its small size, relatively light color, white claws, agility and fast running. The habitat where this rare animal lives is completely included within the boundaries of the Great Gobi Nature Reserve.

Measures are being taken to create favorable conditions and increase its numbers."

white-naped crane distributed in the northeast and extreme east of the country in the basin of the Onon and Ulza rivers, in the middle and lower reaches of Kerulen, Khalkhin Gol and on nearby lakes. The total number of this crane in Mongolia does not exceed 400 specimens. They arrive in April, and from mid-May the birds begin to build nests. They lay two eggs. Chicks appear in the first ten days of June. Both parents take care of the offspring. Natural enemies are large hawks and four-legged predators. White-naped cranes compete with gray cranes for nesting sites. On the recommendation of the Mongolian-Soviet biological expedition, the government of the Mongolian People's Republic decided to reserve the nesting habitats of the white-naped crane along the Uldza River.

Relict gull It was not so long ago known only from the USSR from Lake Alakol and several lakes in the Chita region. And in the 70s, these rare birds were found in the basin of lakes Boyr and Khukh Nuur. It is believed that this species also lives in some western lakes of Mongolia.

mountain goose- one of the species whose numbers are constantly declining. Especially in recent years. It is almost absent from the Khentei mountain region; it is small in central Khangai, Khuosugul and the Mongolian Altai. The total number of these birds in Mongolia is now estimated at two to three thousand. And it is believed to be the largest breeding population of bar-headed goose in the world.

The main factors for the sharp decline in the number of bar-headed geese are a large reduction in their numbers in wintering areas, destruction of nests, poaching and an increase in disturbance during the nesting period. Bar-headed geese arrive in Mongolia from mid-March. Nests are made along pebble shores of lakes and on rock ledges. They lay 5-6 eggs.

Reed sutor And, as it was believed, it lives only in the reed thickets of Eastern China. But over the past 6-7 years, Soviet ornithologists in the Khanka Lake basin and members of the ornithological team of the Mongolian-Soviet biological expedition in eastern Mongolia have found new habitats for this bird.

The reeds of Lake Buyr, the lower reaches of the Azyrgan Gol River and a group of lakes in its system are still known nesting sites for the reed suta in Mongolia. In these areas this bird is a fairly common species.

Where sutora lives, measures are being taken to preserve reed beds.

Tags for this article: Animals, Entertaining stuff

Rare animals and birds of Mongolia

Mongolia is home to many species of Arctic, Mediterranean, Siberian, Manchurian and Central Asian fauna. European species also penetrate here. In total, about 380 species of birds and 138 species of mammals are found here.

Mammals: wild camel, Przewalski's horse, Mongolian kulan, Mongolian saiga, saiga, reindeer, Ussuri elk, reed boar, food-eating bear, red wolf, river otter, bandage, steppe cat, snow leopard-irbis, Asian subspecies of beaver, forest dormouse, long-eared jerboa. Many of these species are included in International Red Book.

Of course, a lot could be said about these animals, but we will limit ourselves to providing brief information only on some species of rare animals and birds.

Mongolian saiga- endemic to western Mongolia, that is, found only here and nowhere else. Has a limited range. Very few in number. It is one of the rarest species of the world fauna.

Inhabits the dry steppes of the foothills of the Altai Range from Ulaan Nur to Lake Ubsa.

On pasture, especially in spring, autumn and winter, saiga competes with livestock. Fishing for this animal is prohibited; the number of saiga is at an extremely low level. To preserve the gene pool of this rare animal, it is necessary to create a restricted zone in its habitat, reduce grazing, intensify the fight against poachers, establish extensive research on the ecology of saiga and develop measures aimed at increasing the total population of this species.

Now the kulan is under strict protection, and it is hoped that the protection and relative inaccessibility of the habitats of these animals will allow them to be preserved for centuries.

The main habitats are hollows, desert slopes of mountains and hills. In summer, autumn and spring, it is found near reservoirs. Comes to watering places at dusk or at night. A she-camel gives birth to one baby camel in April.

The food-eating bear differs from its brown counterpart in its small size, relatively light color, white claws, agility and fast running. The habitat where this rare animal lives is completely included within the boundaries of the Great Gobi Nature Reserve.

Measures are being taken to create favorable conditions and increase its numbers."

Both parents take care of the offspring. Natural enemies are large hawks and four-legged predators. White-naped cranes compete with gray cranes for nesting sites. On the recommendation of the Mongolian-Soviet biological expedition, the government of the Mongolian People's Republic decided to reserve the nesting habitats of the white-naped crane along the Uldza River.

Reed sutora, was believed to live only in the reed beds of Eastern China. But over the past 6-7 years, Soviet ornithologists in the Khanka Lake basin and members of the ornithological team of the Mongolian-Soviet biological expedition in eastern Mongolia have found new habitats for this bird.

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Desert in Mongolia. Gobi Desert – plants, animals, interesting facts. Fauna of Mongolia. Nature reserves of Mongolia. Rare animals of Mongolia. Protected animals of Mongolia Mongolia nature and wildlife

Living conditions

Mammals

Snow Leopard

Mazalay

Przewalski's horse

Other animals

Yaks

Insects

Feathered

Precautionary measures

Conclusion

a brief description of

Geography

Landscape

Climate

Water sources

Fauna

Flora

Myths and legends

Reserve

Tourism

Where to go and what to see?

Living conditions

Mammals

Snow Leopard

Mazalay

Przewalski's horse

Other animals

Yaks

Insects

Feathered

Precautionary measures

Conclusion

Mountains of Mongolia

Statistical indicators of Mongolia (as of 2012)

Rivers and lakes of Mongolia

Climate of Mongolia

Flora of Mongolia

Fauna of Mongolia

Population of Mongolia

INFORMATION FOR TOURISTS

RELIEF, GEOGRAPHICAL ZONES

HIGH MOUNTAINS

TAIGA

FOREST-STEPPE

STEPPE ZONE

SEMI-DESERT

Flora of Mongolia

Fauna of Mongolia

Statistical indicators of Mongolia
(as of 2012)