The mountain ranges
The country rises to an average of 1,580 meters above sea level and has just three mountain ranges.
Altai. This mountain system stretches over 1,000 km from the western tip to the southwest of the country, and forms the border between China, Russia and Mongolia. Its width, which varies from 150 to 300 km, and its peaks, which reach heights of over 4,000 metres, make it the most massive and highest mountain range in Mongolia. At 4,373 metres, Mount Kutjen Uul, formerly Nayramadlin Orgil, is the highest peak in both Altai and Mongolia.
Because of their altitude - some forty of the Altai mountains rise above 4,000 metres - some of the range's peaks are covered in eternal snow. There are also glaciers, including Mongolia's largest, the Potanin Glacier - named after the Russian explorer Grigori Potanin - which stretches some 14 km in length.
As the slopes of the massif are not subject to the same type of climate, they offer very different landscapes and flora. The south-west is green and forested, while the north-east is arid to semi-desert, with sparse vegetation.
Khangai. Less ancient than the Altai, the Khangai range is more eroded, with mountains averaging only 3,000 meters in altitude. At 3,905 meters, Mount Otgon Tenger is the highest peak. Situated 400 km west of Ulan Bator, the Khangai extends over almost 500 km from east to west and 300 km from north to south. It thus occupies a large part of the country's central and north-central regions. To the east and southeast, its mountains merge into the Gobi Desert, while to the west and south, they join the Altai Mountains.
The Khangai's soil is essentially of volcanic origin. There are still numerous hot springs, cones and lava fields, while the valleys are covered with forests and alpine pastures.
The Khentii Mountains. Of lesser importance, the Khentii is a lower mountain range than the previous two, whose highest peak, Asralt Khairkhan, stands at just 2,800 meters above sea level. Located northeast of Ulan Bator, along the Russian border, this region is known as the "Three Rivers", as it is here that the Onon, Tula and Kerlen rivers rise. This agriculturally rich region is heavily irrigated and wooded.
Rivers and large lakes
While the few rivers in the south do not flow into any sea and are lost in the desert or in salt lakes, Mongolia has a vast river system in the north, composed mainly of the Selenge and its tributary, the Delgermörön, which feed Lake Baikal via the Yenisei. To the northeast, Mongolian rivers join the Amur and Argoun, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.
Only the Selenge is navigable, although the country has over 4,000 rivers. It is joined by the Orkhon, Mongolia's longest river, which meanders for 1,124 km.
Nestled in the hollow of mountain ranges, Lake Khövsgöl, Mongolia's second largest and one of the world's oldest, stretches its transparent waters over 136 km long and 36 km wide. Frozen throughout the winter, it is considered sacred by the Mongols. It also accounts for 65% of Mongolia's freshwater reserves. Surrounded by mountain ranges - the Eastern Saïan to the north and the Tarbagatai Mountains to the south - the lake is distinguished by its taiga-covered surroundings. This forest of pine, larch, cedar and birch is the country's most densely wooded region. It also covers the mountainous regions of Khentii and Khangai. The north is home to numerous hot and cold mineral springs, used for their therapeutic properties.
Of Mongolia's 1,500 lakes, the majority are located in the west of the country and are filled with salt water. This is the case of Lake Uuvs, the largest in Mongolia, with a surface area of 3,350 km2.
The steppes
These immense plains form Mongolia's best-known landscapes. The term "steppe" comes from the Russian and refers to a vegetation formation consisting of vast expanses of grass, virtually devoid of trees. These alpine meadows, characterized by tufts of grass, are found mainly in the east and center of the country, south of the Khangai. They occupy the depression running from south-west to north-east, from the Gobi to the Chinese border. The steppes become increasingly arid the further south you go, until they fade into the Gobi Desert. In the north, steppe meets forest, mainly coniferous, which covers around 5% of the territory.
The desert
In southern Mongolia, the famous Gobi Desert extends over almost a third of the country's surface and also covers part of China. It is one of the world's largest deserts, and continues to expand by 10,000 km2 every year. In Mongolian, its name refers to a semi-arid depression, not a desert as such. Although travellers have in mind the image of sand dunes, the Gobi can surprise with its variety of landscapes: rocky and mountainous by turns, it can also take the form of vast plains of earth or steppe on which diffuse vegetation grows.
Administrative division
The aimags. Mongolia is divided into 21 provinces called aimags, which in turn are subdivided into 315 districts or sums. With 850 km2 and just two sums, Orkhon province in the north is the smallest in the country. The largest aimags are in the south: the provinces of Ömnögovi and Govi-Altai cover 165,400 and 141,400 km2 respectively. After Ulan-Bator, the most populous province is Khövsgöl, with some 121,000 inhabitants.
Ulan Bator. The capital is administered separately. Its status, unique in the country, is comparable to that of a municipality. It is divided into nine düüreg: Bagakhangai, Baganuur, Bayangol, Bayanzürkh, Chingeltei, Khan-Yül, Nalaikh, Songinokhairkhan, Sükhbaatar. These make up 151 khoroo, Mongolia's last administrative subdivision.
With a surface area of 4,704 km2, Ulaanbaatar is one of Mongolia's smallest territories, and paradoxically the most densely populated. The city stretches some fifteen kilometers from north to south, and some thirty kilometers from east to west. Situated in a deep valley of the Tuul River, at an altitude of 1,300 m, it is surrounded by four sacred mountains, located approximately at the four points of the compass. To the north, east and west lie Chingeltei Uul, Bayanzurkh Uul and Songino Khairkhan, which have given their names to the düüreg built at their foot. To the south rises Bodg Khan Uul, the most sacred mountain of all and the reason why the city was established in the region.
