s
were a strong opposition that stalled additional reforms and made
implementation difficult. In 2000, the MPRP won 72 of the 76 seats
in Parliament and completely reshuffled the government. While it
continues many of the reform policies, the MPRP is focusing on
social welfare and public order priorities.

Mongolia Geography

Location: Northern Asia, between China and Russia

Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 105 00 E

Map references: Asia

Area: total: 1.565 million sq km

land: 1.565 million sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Alaska

Land boundaries: total: 8,161.9 km

border countries: China 4,676.9 km, Russia 3,485 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature
ranges)

Terrain: vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains
in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Hoh Nuur 518 m

highest point: Nayramadlin Orgil (Huyten Orgil) 4,374 m

Natural resources: oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten,
phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold, silver,
iron, phosphate

Land use: arable land: 5.7%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 81%

forests and woodland: 11.4%

other: 1.9% (2000 est.)

Irrigated land: 800 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: dust and snow storms, grassland and forest fires,
drought and "zud", which is a combination of drought followed by
harsh winter conditions

Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources
in some areas; policies of the former communist regime promoting
rapid urbanization and industrial growth have raised concerns about
their negative effects on the environment; the burning of soft coal
in power plants and the lack of enforcement of environmental laws
have severely polluted the air in Ulaanbaatar; deforestation,
overgrazing, the converting of virgin land to agricultural
production have increased soil erosion from wind and rain;
desertification and mining activities have also had a deleterious
effect on the environment

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agree