Founded by the Emperor Chinggis Khaan, ruler of the largest contiguous Empire known to mankind, Mongolia is one of the last patches of unspoiled beauty left on this planet. A landlocked country perched between the hot Gobi Dessert in the south and cold mountains in the north and west, Mongolia is the quintessential travel destination for those who dare to stray off the beaten path.
Home to more horses than people, Mongolia is a meagerly populated country whose landscape is dominated by cold, windy steppes and high altitude desert. Mongolia has the lowest population density in the world. Nearly 40% of the population lives in the capital Ulaanbaatar while the rest lead a nomadic life herding livestock over the vast meadows of the country.
Tibetan Buddhism is the main religion in Mongolia. During the early part of the 20th century, the Soviets razed down many monasteries and massacred the lamas and monks. One of the few monasteries that survived the onslaught is the Gandan Monastery. Home to nearly 150 monks, the Gandan Monastery is one the largest monastery in Mongolia. Visitors are welcome to offer prayers under the guidance of the head lama.
As one of the highest countries in the world, Mongolia is subjected to extreme continental weather conditions consisting of short, sweltering summers and long, frigid winters. Known by legend as the ‘Land of the Blue Sky, the Mongolian sky is cloudless for more than two thirds of the year.
After years of being out of bounds for tourists due to a capricious Communist rule, Mongolia has only recently thrown open its gates for outsiders. A democratically elected government and a free market economy are now attracting scores of people to this uncharted wilderness. However, commuting to remote places on the rugged terrain is no easy task due to the lack of infrastructure.
Besides the capital, no other part of the country can boast of paved roads.
However, if you are in the mood for adventure and are reasonably curious about the nomadic way of life, then Mongolia will come through for you
The windswept sand dunes of the Gobi desert offer its visitors a glimpse into the lives of its nomadic inhabitants. Once the stomping ground of Dinosaurs, these incredible dunes now make for excellent fossil hunting expeditions. The South Gobi is the most popular desert region due to its rich geographical diversity. The Gobi Gurvansaikan National Park is a place where you can see frozen rivers in the middle of a desert and is also home to various endangered and rare animals like the Argali, Ibex and the snow leopard.
All in all, Mongolia is a fascinating country that offers a lot to the explorer in you. One can hire the services of adventure companies that offer visitors a chance to be part of the Mongolian life which includes traveling on horsebacks, sleeping in gers, sharing camel curd with the locals and much more. Mongolian people have a simple, friendly disposition and are wonderful hosts. So the next time you are looking for a spot on the map with pristine beauty, crystal clear lakes, tall mountains and undulating grasslands, remember Mongolia!
FAQs
Mongolia is known as the "Land of the Eternal Blue Sky" or "Country of Blue Sky" (Mongolian: "Mönkh khökh tengeriin oron") because it has over 250 sunny days a year.
What country is the land of the blue sky? ›
Mongolia is known as the land of the blue sky. The reason isn't only about the arid climate that doesn't promote the cloud formation and rainy days. Additionally, the landscapes are wide and you can see far out to the horizon, deepening the experience of seeing blue sky all around.
Where is the land of the eternal blue sky? ›
Mongolia - The Land of the Eternal Blue Sky
One of the most common acclaims made about Mongolia, and in particular its capital city Ulaanbaatar, is the seamless ability it has to weave the old with the new - high rise buildings next to traditional Gers.
Why is Mongolia called the blue sky? ›
As one of the highest countries in the world, Mongolia is subjected to extreme continental weather conditions consisting of short, sweltering summers and long, frigid winters. Known by legend as the 'Land of the Blue Sky, the Mongolian sky is cloudless for more than two thirds of the year.
Where is the bluest sky in the world? ›
As all colours are based on three primaries (red, green and blue), the winner of the World's Best Blue Sky was the one which most excited the blue receptors in the human eye. Featured as the location farthest into the blue area of the diagram on the right, the winning destination is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Is Mongolia part of China or Russia? ›
Political Status: Outer Mongolia is an independent country, while Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region within China. Sovereignty: Outer Mongolia is a sovereign state, and its government operates independently.
Which country is called land of sky? ›
Mongolia is called “The land of the blue sky” due to its arid climate that doesn't promote cloud formation and rainy days. Mongolia has over 250 sunny days a year.
What state is the land of sky blue waters? ›
Minnesota. The name says it all: the land of sky blue waters. The place where prairies, forests, rivers, lakes, and valleys create a stunning tapestry on the land. A place where legend has a foothold in Paul Bunyan and Babe, the Blue Ox.
Which country has the most blue skies? ›
A 27-year-old TV researcher who won a competition to travel the globe in search of the world's "bluest" sky has found that Brazil is the place to be if blue is your colour.
Where is the land of the living skies? ›
Saskatchewan: Land of the living skies.
The song is actually about a real situation, the Wittenoom blue asbestos mine in Western Australia, whose workers' chronic overexposure to lethal substances from the 1940s to the 1960s has led to thousands of cases of mesothelioma and lung cancer in the subsequent years.
Where is the sky clan horizon? ›
The northwestern part of the Clan Lands is the Mountains Region which is home to the Sky Clan. This region is mainly composed of a giant snow mountain chain in the center which can be hard to navigate.
Why is Mongolia not part of China? ›
Following the end of World War II, the Republic of China, led by the Kuomintang, was forced to formally accept Outer Mongolian independence under Soviet pressure. Recognition of Mongolian independence was stipulated in the Sino-Soviet agreement of August 14, 1945.
Is Tengrism still practiced? ›
All modern adherents of "political" Tengrism are monotheists. Tengrism has been advocated for in intellectual circles of the Turkic nations of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan with Kazakhstan) and Russia (Tatarstan, Bashkortostan) since the dissolution of the Soviet Union during the 1990s.
Do Mongolians have blue eyes? ›
The descriptions and depictions of the Mongols make clear that reddish hair and hazel or green eyes were frequently seen. You can also see this in the portraits of the returned Torghuts that the Qing displayed in the Ziguang ge 紫光閣 ("Hall of Imperial Brilliance") — some of them have outright blue eyes.
What is Mongolia best known for? ›
NATURE – Mongolia boasts a wide range of birds, fish and mammals but is probably best known for the Siberian Ibex, Snow Leopard, Gobi Bear, Wild Bactrian Camel and Przewalski's Horse.
Why is the sky so blue in Europe? ›
The scattering caused by these tiny air molecules (known as Rayleigh scattering) increases as the wavelength of light decreases. Violet and blue light have the shortest wavelengths and red light has the longest. Therefore, blue light is scattered more than red light and the sky appears blue during the day.
Which country is known as the Kingdom of the sky? ›
Nestled in the Drakensberg is the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho. Much of South Africa's water comes from the snow-capped peaks of this tiny, landlocked nation. Also known as the “Kingdom of the Sky“, Lesotho is the only country in the world to lie entirely over 1,000m above sea level.
