satellite stations

_*_Defense Forces
_#_Note: defense is the responsibility of France
_%_
_@_Mongolia
_*_Geography
_#_Total area: 1,565,000 km2; land area: 1,565,000 km2

_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska

_#_Land boundaries: 8,114 km total; China 4,673 km, USSR 3,441 km

_#_Coastline: none--landlocked

_#_Maritime claims: none--landlocked

_#_Climate: desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature
ranges)

_#_Terrain: vast semidesert and desert plains; mountains in west and
southwest; Gobi Desert in southeast

_#_Natural resources: oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten,
phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold

_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures
79%; forest and woodland 10%; other 10%; includes irrigated NEGL%

_#_Environment: harsh and rugged

_#_Note: landlocked; strategic location between China and Soviet Union

_*_People
_#_Population: 2,247,068 (July 1991), growth rate 2.7% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 67 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 4.6 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Mongolian(s); adjective--Mongolian

_#_Ethnic divisions: Mongol 90%, Kazakh 4%, Chinese 2%, Russian 2%,
other 2%

_#_Religion: predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, Muslim (about 4%),
limited religious activity because of Communist regime

_#_Language: Khalkha Mongol used by over 90% of population; minor
languages include Turkic, Russian, and Chinese

_#_Literacy: 90% (male NA%, female NA%) (1989 est.)

_#_Labor force: NA, but primarily herding/agricultural; over half the
adult population is in the labor force, including a large percentage
of women; shortage of skilled labor

_#_Organized labor: 425,000 members of the Central Council of
Mongolian Trade Unions (CCMTU) controlled by the government (1984)

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: Mongolian People's Republic; abbreviated MPR

_#_Type: in transition from Communist state to republic

_#_Capital: Ulaanbaatar

_#_Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (aymguud, singular--aymag)
and 3 municipalities* (hotuud, singular--hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor,
Bayan-Olgi