Also known as the “Land of Genghis Khan”, Mongolia has much more to offer than just historical wars.
From wild horses to brain-freezing ice creams in a paper cup – there’s so much to explore when you are there!
Dive in and experience Mongolia’s culture and geography with this list of fun facts.
1. Mongolians Are Always Ready For A Guest
Mongolians value the sense of community more than anyone else. Thus, despite communication issues and vast distances, they visit each other and welcome guests with a bowl of warm and salty milk tea.
2. Mongolia Is Home To Endangered Snow Leopards
While snow leopards are endangered, one-third of their population can still be seen in Mongolia. You’ll be surprised to know that they can neither roar nor purr.
3. The Endangered Two-Humped Bactrian Camel Is Native To Mongolia
Mongolians take pride in the Bactrian camel and organize a local camel festival every year to celebrate.
A celebration dedicated to a single animal? Only in Mongolia.
4. Ice Cream Is A Favourite Winter Treat In Mongolia
When in Mongolia, you can have ice cream from paper boxes (rather than freezers) in winter. The vendors don’t require a freezer because the temperature remains around -30 degrees Celsius (-22 degrees Fahrenheit).
5. The Great Genghis Khan Is Mongolia’s Founding Father
Back in the 13th century, Genghis Khan united the nomadic tribes who helped him get control of Eurasia and bring it under the Mongol Empire.
6. Mongolia Is The Land Where Dinosaurs Once Roamed
Down in the Gobi desert, Dinosaur fossils were found in 1923, and dinosaur eggs around nine inches have been discovered.
7. Mongolia Has The World’s Coldest Capital City
Ulaanbaatar, the country’s north-central part, at 1,350 m above sea level, is the world’s coldest capital city, where temperatures can drop as low as−36 to −40 °C.
Interestingly, the capital city’s name means Red Hero.
8. Mongolia Is Called “The Land Of The Blue Sky”
For most of the year, Mongolia remains cloud-free, and you can enjoy vast stretches of blue sky.
9. Fermented Horse Milk Is A Popular Mongolian Beverage
Mongols love Airag, made from fermented horse milk and often served to greet guests. It’s absolutely worth a try!
10. The Naadam Festival Is Very Popular In Mongolia
The annual sporting event, Naadam, hosted in Mongolia every year, is popularly known for “the three games of men,” including archery and horse racing.
If you happen to be there in midsummer, add this to your ‘must do’ list!
11. Mongolia Has Asia’s Second-Largest Desert
As the Gobi Desert is located in southern Mongolia to parts of Northern and Northeastern China, the Tibetan Plateau blocks the rain-bearing winds from the Indian Ocean – resulting in low precipitation.
12. Mongolia Is The 2nd Largest Landlocked Country In The World
After Kazakhstan, which is 2,724,900 km², Mongolia is the second largest landlocked country in the world, with 1,564,116 km² of wide-open spaces. It has no natural access to the sea.
13. Horse Racing Is The Most Popular Sport In Mongolia
Horseback riding is one of Mongolia’s most common transportation modes, making horse racing quite a popular sport.
However, the circular tracks aren’t used, and races happen on open lands where they ride semi-wild horses.
14. The Mongol Empire Was The Largest In The World
Back in the 13th and 14th centuries, the Mongol Empire occupied 9.27 million square miles from Eastern Europe to the Sea of Japan. That’s almost twice any modern day country.
15. Most Mongolians are Buddhists
The most popular religion in Mongolia is Buddhism, with almost 53% of Buddhists in the country. Mind you, 38.6% of Mongolians are non-religious.
16. The Traditional Mongolian Attire Is The Deel
Deel is like an overcoat but unbuttoned, worn by the rural elderlies even today.
Mongolians use belts and clasps to hold the attire in place.
17. The Oldest National Park In The World Is In Mongolia
Mongolia still has a historical national park to the south of Ulaanbaatar. In the 18th century, the Qing Dynasty first declared it protected to restore the rich wildlife and natural beauty.
18. Jügderdemidiin Gürragchaa Was The First Mongolian In Space
Jügderdemidiin Gürragchaa, with Russian cosmonaut Vladimir Dzhanibekov, was the first Mongolian to set foot in space in the Salyut-6 mission. Isn’t it something to be really proud of?
19. The Nomads Of Mongolia Live In Tents Called “ger”
Even though foreigners call Mongolian tents teepees because of their similarity with the native American ones – these are actually known as “Ger,” which means home in the Mongolian language.
20. Mongolia Is Separate From Inner Mongolia
While inner Mongolia is a smaller province in China, outer Mongolia covers the major part of the modern Mongolia province. China’s Qing Dynasty made this unique division in the 18th century.
21. Mongols Once Tried To Invade Japan In The 13th Century
In the 13th century, the Mongols tried to invade the territories of Japan through the sea route. However, they were destroyed by a typhoon, so the Japanese still call the typhoons “kamikaze,” which means “the divine wind.”
22. Mongolians Do Not Wish On Shooting Stars
According to Mongolian culture, the Mongolians do not wish on shooting stars because they think it represents the end of a person’s life and their incomplete desires. Instead of making a wish, they pray when they see shooting stars.
23. Throat Singing Is A Major Mongolian Tradition
Throat harmony, or Hooliin Chor, is quite popular in Mongolia and is considered a major tradition. In such singing, the singer goes from high to higher pitches, and it feels absolutely like a tribal opera!