REPUBLIC OF MONGOLIA Official name: Mongol Uls (Republic of Mongolia) Location: North Asia International organisations: The Non-Aligned Movement, The United Nations, The World Trade Organisation

Borders: China, Russia
Coastline: None
Land area: 1,565,000 Km2
Population: 2,600,000
Ethnicity: Mongol 85%, Kazakh and other Turkic peoples 7%, Tungusic 4.6%, other 3.4%.
Languages: Mongol is the official language and is spoken by 90% of the population. Russian and Kazakh are also used.
Religion: Over 95% of the population are Buddhists. There are small Moslem and Christian minorities.
Form of government: Parliamentary democratic republic. Mongolia is divided into 21 provinces and one municipality.
Capital: Ulan Bataar
Constitution: The Constitution of the Republic of Mongolia came into effect on 13 January 1992.
Head of state: The President, elected by direct universal suffrage for a four-year term. The President's functions are largely ceremonial.
Head of government: The Prime Minister, appointed by the President. The Prime Minister is the leader of the largest party in the legislature and is accountable to it.
Legislature: Mongolia has a unicameral legislature, the Great People's Assembly (Ulsyn Ikh-Khural), which has 76 members elected for four-year term from single-member constituencies.
Electoral authority: The Central Electoral Commission administers national elections
Freedom House rating: Political Rights 2, Civil Liberties 2

Political history

The political power of the Mongols reached a peak under Kublai Khan in the 13th century, and then declined until 1691, when the Mongol lands were brought under Chinese sovereignty. Mongolia was a Chinese province until 1911, when the overthrow of the Chinese monarchy allowed Russia to extend its influence in the area. In 1912 Russia declared Outer Mongolia - the area of the present Mongolian state - a Russian protectorate.

The Russian Revolution and civil war allowed the Chinese to re-assert their control. But in 1921 Mongolian nationalists, aided by the Russian communists, declared Outer Mongolia independent, and in 1924 the Mongolian People's Republic was proclaimed. China did not recognise the independence of Mongolia until 1950, and the Chinese Nationalists in Taiwan still claim Mongolia as part of China.

Communist Mongolia was in effect a dependency of the Soviet Union. The Buddhist monarchy was abolished and argiculture collectivised, with the usual disastrous results. From 1939 Mongolia was ruled by Marshall Horloogiyn Choybalsan, Stalinist head of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party. After his death in 1952, communist rule became more moderate under his successor Yumjaagiyn Tsedenbal. The Sino-Soviet dispute of the 1960s led to tighter Soviet control over Mongolia.

The decline of Soviet power soon influenced events in Mongolia, and in 1991 the communist leader Jambyn Batmönh agreed to a multi-party system and economic reforms. In 1996, the democratic opposition parties defeated the reformed communists in free elections, though they regained power in 2000.

Despite severe economic difficulties, Mongolia has become a stable democratic state. The reformed Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party has alternated in power with the Mongolian National Democratic Party, a conservative free-market party. Other parties include the Mongol Democratic New Socialist Party, the liberal Civil Courage Party, the Mongolian Green Party and the Motherland Alliance.