The mountain ranges
The country rises on average to 1,580 m above sea level and has only three mountain ranges.
Altai.
This mountain system stretches for more than 1,000 km from the western tip to the southwest of the country and marks the border between China, Russia and Mongolia. Its width, which varies from 150 to 300 km, and its peaks, which culminate at more than 4 000 m of altitude, make it the most massive and highest mountain range of Mongolia. At 4,373 m, Mount Kutjen Uul, formerly Nayramadlin Orgil, is also the highest point of the Altai as well as the country. Because of their altitude - about 40 of the Altai mountains are over 4,000 m - some peaks of the range are covered with eternal snow. There are also glaciers, including the largest in Mongolia, the Potanin Glacier - named after the Russian explorer Grigori Potamine - which is about 14 km long.The slopes of the massif are not subject to the same type of climate, they offer very different landscapes and flora. Thus, the southwest is green and covered with forests while the northeast, arid or even semi-desert, has a sparse vegetation.
Khangai.
Less ancient than the Altai, the Khangai range is more eroded: its mountains are only 3,000 m high on average. Reaching the height of 3 905 m, Mount Otgon Tenger is the highest point. Located 400 km west of Ulaanbaatar, the Khangai extends its massifs over nearly 500 km from east to west and 300 km from north to south. It occupies a large part of the center and north-central part of the country. In the east and southeast, its mountains merge into the Gobi Desert, while in the west and south, they join the Altai. The soil of Khangai is mainly of volcanic origin. There are still many hot springs, cones and lava fields, while its valleys are covered with forests and alpine pastures.The Khentii Mountains.
Of lesser importance, the Khentii is a mountain range less high than the two previous ones, whose highest mountain, the Asralt Khairkhan, stands at barely 2,800 m altitude. Located northeast of Ulaanbaatar, along the Russian border, this region is known as the "Three Rivers" because it is here that the Onon, Tula and Kerlen rivers have their source. This region is suitable for agriculture and is highly irrigated and forested.Rivers and large lakes
If, in the south, the few rivers do not flow into any sea and are lost in the desert or salt lakes, Mongolia has a vast river system in the north, composed mainly of the Selenge River and its tributary, the Delgermörön, which feed Lake Baikal via the Yenisei. In the northeast, the Mongolian rivers join the Amur and Argoun rivers which flow into the Pacific Ocean.
Only the Selenge is navigable, while the country has more than 4,000 rivers. It is joined by the Orkhon, the longest river of Mongolia, which winds on 1 124 km.
Nestled in the hollow of mountain ranges, Lake Khovsgol, the second largest in Mongolia and one of the oldest in the world, extends its transparent waters over 136 km long and 36 km wide. Frozen all winter, it is considered sacred by the Mongols. It also represents 65% of the fresh water reserves of Mongolia. Surrounded by mountain ranges - the Eastern Saïan in the north and the Tarbagatai mountains in the south - the lake is distinguished by its surroundings covered with taiga. This forest of pine, larch, cedar and birch makes it the most forested region of the country. It also covers the mountainous regions of Khentii and Khangai. The north is home to many mineral springs, hot and cold, which are used for their therapeutic properties.
Among the 1,500 Mongolian lakes, a majority are located in the west of the country and filled with salt water. This is the case of Uuvs Lake, which is the largest in Mongolia with an area of 3 350 km2.
The steppes
These immense plains form the most famous landscapes of Mongolia. The term "steppe" comes from the Russian and refers to a vegetation formation consisting of huge grassy areas, almost devoid of any trees. These alpine meadows, characterized by grassy tussocks, are located mainly in the east and center of the country, south of Khangai. They occupy the depression from the southwest to the northeast, from the Gobi to the Chinese border. The aridity of the steppes increases as one descends in the south, until they fade in the Gobi desert. In the north, the steppe meets the forest, mainly made up of conifers, which covers about 5% of the territory.
The desert
In the south of Mongolia, the famous Gobi Desert covers almost a third of the country's surface and also covers part of China. It is one of the largest deserts in the world, and it continues to grow each year by 10,000 km2. In Mongolian, its name refers to a semi-arid depression, not to a desert as such. Although travelers have in mind the image of sand dunes, the Gobi can surprise for the variety of its landscapes: alternately rocky and mountainous, it can also take the form of vast plains of earth or steppe on which grows a diffuse vegetation.
Administrative division
The aimags . Mongolia is divided into 21 provinces called aimags, themselves subdivided into 315 districts or sums. With 850 km2 and only two sums, the province of Orkhon, located in the north, is the smallest of the country. The largest aimags
are those in the south: the provinces of Ömnögovi and Govi-Altai cover respectively 165 400 and 141 400 km2. After Ulaanbaatar, the most populated province is Khovsgol, which has about 121,000 inhabitants.Ulaanbaatar. 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 last ones regroup 151 khoroo
which constitute the last Mongolian administrative subdivision. With an area of 4 704 km2, Ulaanbaatar is one of the smallest territories of Mongolia, and paradoxically the most populated. The city stretches for about fifteen kilometers from north to south, and for about thirty kilometers from east to west. Located in a valley of the Tuul, at 1300 m of altitude, it is surrounded by four sacred mountains, located approximately at the four cardinal points. To the north, east and west, stand respectively the Chingeltei Uul, the Bayanzurkh Uul and the Songino Khairkhan, which gave their names to the düüreg built at their foot. To the south stands Bodg Khan Uul, the most sacred mountain of all and the reason why the city was established in the area.
