Mongolia: Geography

Geography

Mongolia

Location:	Northern Asia, between China and Russia
Geographic coordinates:	46 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references:	Asia
Area:	total: 1.565 million sq km water: 9,600 sq km land: 1,555,400 sq km
Area - comparative:	slightly smaller than Alaska
Land boundaries:	total: 8,162 km border countries: China 4,677 km, Russia 3,485 km
Coastline:	0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:	none (landlocked)
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
Elevation extremes:	lowest point: Hoh Nuur 518 m highest point: Nayramadlin Orgil (Huyten Orgil) 4,374 m
Natural resources:	oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold, silver, iron, phosphate
Land use:	arable land: 0.84% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.16% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:	840 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:	dust storms, grassland and forest fires, drought, and "zud", which is harsh winter conditions
Environment - current issues:	limited natural fresh water resources in some areas; the policies of former Communist regimes promoted rapid urbanization and industrial growth that had negative effects on the environment; the burning of soft coal in power plants and the lack of enforcement of environmental laws severely polluted the air in Ulaanbaatar; deforestation, overgrazing, and the converting of virgin land to agricultural production increased soil erosion from wind and rain; desertification and mining activities had a deleterious effect on the environment
Environment - international agreements:	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:	landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia