Mongolia

Mongolia is a country full of possibilities. It has great nature that is still mostly untouched, very diverse regions with mountains, steppes and the Gobi desert in the South. Ulanbaatar, the capital is very modern and developing quickly especially the last years, after the country switched from socialist economy to market economy. The history of Mongolia has been full of greatness. Genghis Khan and his army of soldiers built a huge Empire and could probably have expanded even more, but as I heard from a local guide at the national museum, “the Mongolians couldn’t stay in South-East Asia, it was too hot for them and especially the Mongolian horses didn’t stand the heat, and what are we Mongolians without our horses, we are nothing.” The country didn’t go through a violent revolution as Russia did; they call it the silent revolution. Nowadays, the country keeps good relation with its neighbouring countries Russia and China and occupies a place in the global political scene as well.

Mongolia is stunning because it manages to combine this modernity with the nomadic traditions. In fact, almost 40% of Mongolians live in Gers (round huts) and are nomads, which means they move following their livestock. Animals are the base of Mongolian nomadic life, without them they wouldn’t survive. Actually, there is a paragraph in the Mongolian Constitution about the importance of livestock and the need to preserve it. During my stay in Mongolia I wanted to experience both sides of Mongolian culture: nomadic life and city life. Check my following posts for details and photos.