An interesting story about Mongolia for children. Interesting facts about Mongolia. Horse racing in Mongolia

Interesting facts about Mongolia is a brilliant opportunity to get acquainted with the history, climate and traditions of East Asia. For many, Mongolia is associated primarily with the Golden Horde, which managed to conquer vast territories.

So, here are the most interesting facts about Mongolia.

1. The capital of Mongolia is Ulaanbaatar, literally translated as “red hero”.
2. The Great Khan managed to found the Mongol Empire through large-scale military campaigns, as a result of which he captured vast territories of many states. It was the largest empire in the world, including the largest contiguous territory in world history.
3. An interesting fact is that Genghis Khan was able to conquer more lands and peoples in a quarter of a century than the warriors of the Roman Empire in 4 centuries.
4. The exact location of Genghis Khan's grave (see) is still unknown. According to legend, 800 soldiers killed several thousand people who came to say goodbye to the deceased khan. After this, the warriors committed suicide so that no one would know where their commander was buried.
5. Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital on the planet.
6. Special schools have been opened in Mongolia to educate children of nomads. Thanks to this, the number of illiterate people in the country does not exceed 2%.
7. The Mongolian Gobi ranks third in the world in terms of area.
8. Did you know that Mongolia is the largest state surrounded by other countries? In addition, Mongolia is landlocked.
9. Mongolia is a huge plateau - an elevated plain, rising 900-1500 m above sea level.
10. Not far from the capital, there is the largest statue of a horseman on the planet, depicting Genghis Khan on a horse. The monument is so large that an observation deck was built on the horse’s head from where you can see magnificent landscapes. The height of the monument is 50 m, including the pedestal.
11. Mongols are quite superstitious people. They believe that if you don't shake hands with someone whose foot you step on, they will become your enemy.
12. In addition, the Mongols believe that falling stars symbolize someone's death. For this reason, at such moments they begin to say prayers to themselves.
13. Local residents approach horses only from the left side, as well as dismount from them. This is another echo of superstitions.
14. In Mongolia, it is not customary to whistle indoors. But if for us it brings “lack of money,” then among the Mongols, whistling represents the call of evil spirits.
15. An interesting fact is that Mongolia has a very low population density. There are less than 2 people per square kilometer.
16. Mongols are distinguished by their kindness and hospitality. They are ready to serve any traveler hot water with a pinch of salt, as customs require.
17. In Mongolia, local wrestling called bekh is very popular. It is curious that the wrestlers come out on the mat in special suits with an open chest. This unusual outfit is due to the fact that once the winner of the tournament was a woman. To prevent the situation from repeating itself, we decided to use such original clothes.
18. Mongolia hosts the Thousands Festival every year.

Many people consider Mongolia to be a nomadic country with no cultural values ​​or economic potential. People think that the country is 300 years behind civilization and is unlikely to be able to assert itself soon. However, this is not the case. Mongolia is a very beautiful and developed country that has already begun to show itself to the world.

It is worth noting that in recent years, the number of tourists in the country has increased several times. Mongolia contains many interesting facts and it is far from being what it was decades ago. It can pleasantly surprise every tourist.

Genghis Khan

Perhaps the main attraction in the history of the state is the great and well-known commander Genghis Khan. He managed to conquer the largest territory in history. In the 13th century, a state of the greatest scale was created, which began on the lands of Korea, and ended in the possessions of the commander all the way to Kievan Rus. The commander created the greatest army that no one could stop. Under his wise leadership, she conquered everyone who stood in their way.

The huge power collapsed precisely because of its colossal size. After all, different peoples and civilizations lived inside the country who wanted independence and did not support the Mongol invader.

In addition, a few tens of kilometers from the capital of Mongolia, there is a monument to the great commander, which is the tallest statue in the world. It is noteworthy that the commander’s real name is not Genghis Khan, but Temujin.

Ancestors of modern Mongols

The land of the Mongols was inhabited for a very long time. Scientists have suggested that the first people appeared on the territory of the state 90 thousand years BC. This assumption suggests that Mongolia is indeed the oldest state.

Addresses

There are no addresses in the country that are familiar to the whole world. Despite the rapid development of the country, its inhabitants are still prone to nomadism and relocation. Due to temporary settlements, cities and streets are constantly changing and it is impossible to determine where any settlement will move next. The authorities solved this problem and assigned addresses not only to houses and tents, but to all objects in general. Instead of street names and numbers, a set of numbers and letters are allocated to various objects, which is the addressee.

Schools for nomads

The new policy of the state is the education of the people. Due to the fact that people constantly move from place to place, it is not possible to provide education to all children. Therefore, it was decided to create schools for nomads, who are also constantly on the move and move to places where they can find children. That is why, in the country, only 2% of children remain without education. It is noteworthy that no other African country can boast of such an amazing indicator.

Many people believe that Mongolia is a very hot country with a tropical and desert climate. However, the capital Ulaanbaatar says otherwise. The city's average annual temperature is the lowest in the world among capitals. And the winters there are colder than in Moscow or even Helsinki. So when traveling to the capital in winter, you should definitely take a lot of warm clothes with you.

Beliefs

If you step on a Mongol’s foot, you should definitely shake his hand. Mongols believe that if you don't do this, you will remain bitter enemies with that person. So there is no need to be surprised if the person who has just trampled on your feet comes to shake hands with honors and bows.

Sport

Contrary to stereotypes, Mongolia is a very sporting country with many sports organizations. Every year a lot of funds are allocated for sporting events and the development of this type of activity. The most popular sport among the Mongols is the local form of wrestling. Every Mongolian loves this wrestling and he is proud if some of his relatives do this professionally.

It is worth noting that wrestlers enter the ring in a special robe that exposes their chests. This is done to ensure that under no circumstances does a woman get into the ring.

In addition to this type of wrestling, Mongols also love Sumo. As the results of recent competitions show, Mongolian athletes are some of the best sumo wrestlers in the world.

Hospitality

Mongols are one of the most hospitable peoples in the world. A traveler can enter any house or settlement and be treated to warm tea. Every guest is welcome and the owners will do everything possible for their comfort.

Movement

Be that as it may, in terms of transport and movement, Mongolia still needs to develop very much. They have very bad roads (mostly dirt) and very few of them. For example, in terms of territory, 37 Netherlands can be placed in Mongolia. However, the roads themselves in the Netherlands are 67 times longer than in Mongolia.

Things are also bad with air broadcasting. There is only one airport in the country, which is named after the great commander - Genghis Khan. And this airport is not in the best condition.

Horse behavior

Mongols love to ride horses. In many tourist centers, every tourist can also book a trip. However, under no circumstances approach the horses from the right side. Mongolian horses are accustomed to being saddled and dismounted only on the right side. You shouldn’t check this fact, otherwise it might hit you with a hoof on your forehead.

Dinosaurs

The Gobi Desert in Mongolia is practically unexplored and few people risk going there on an expedition. However, in 1920 it was discovered that this desert contained many dinosaur remains and eggs. Every person who is not afraid of the harsh desert can find the remains of dinosaurs with his own hands.

Falling stars as a sign of death

In most countries of the world, a shooting star is something good and at this moment you need to make a wish. However, Mongols believe that when a star falls, some very good and kind person dies. At such moments they are ready to cry and pray for this person. If you smile, rejoice and make a wish, then the Mongols may completely misunderstand you.

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Despite the fact that we were only in Mongolia for a couple of days, we were able to see a lot ourselves and learn from the stories of local residents. Mongolia knows how to shock! Read below the facts about this unusual and unlike any of its neighbors country.

1. Ulaanbaatar claims to be the coldest capital in the world, because the average temperature of the coldest month, January, is below -21 degrees. This title can only be challenged by Reykjavik, where summers are much cooler and winters are warmer than in Ula Bator. In Ulaanbaatar, summer is hot, days with temperatures above +30 degrees are not uncommon.

2. The monetary unit of Mongolia is the tugrik. In Mongolian the name sounds like “tegreg”. One ruble is equal to 42 tugriks (as of January 17, 2017).

3. Only three million people live in the vast territory of Mongolia, of which 1.3 million are in the capital. In January 2015, a significant event happened: the three millionth resident, a girl, was born in Sukhbaatar. By presidential decree, the family received a three-room apartment as a gift, and all other families where a new addition occurred that day were rewarded with three million tugriks (about 75,000 in rubles).

4. The population density of the country is one of the lowest in the world and is about 2 people per square meter. km (for comparison, in the European Union on average - 120, in Taiwan and Bangladesh - 650 and 1,100 people per sq. km, respectively).

5. In Soviet times, it was not uncommon to have families with 10 children, which was supported by the state program. Now families mostly have 1-2 children, and the state subsidizes the social unit only starting from the fourth child.

6. The birth of ten children used to be a sign of the times: they were born and raised in Spartan conditions, infant mortality was high, and the need for labor in families was great. If necessary, the exchange of children of different sexes between neighboring families was practiced, in one of which, for example, there is an excess of girls, and in the other, on the contrary, only boys are born. In general, we didn’t mess around with the children.

7. Because of such a number of children, an ordinary Mongolian can have so many relatives that in rural areas there are even special holidays where relatives can get together and get to know each other. This was done, first of all, to exclude closely related marriages. It is customary to wear national costumes at such gatherings. In general, national costumes are worn either by provincials or by the older generation.

8. Connections between relatives are often either lost or not maintained, which is why the average wedding has “only” 200 guests.

9. According to local residents, in Ulaanbaatar everyone knows each other, and therefore they try not to talk about their former passions to new friends and acquaintances. An amazing situation for a city with more than a million people; this usually happens in small towns here :)

10. In the family life of the Mongols, not everything is so smooth: there are a lot of divorces and single mothers. They usually give birth at the age of 25-30.

11. Girls in Mongolia, on average, try more than boys to develop, get an education and learn foreign languages. In many ways, their family pushes them to this so that they can work and not tolerate a tyrant husband. Local boys often do not catch up with girls in terms of education, so marriages of girls with foreigners are not uncommon, which is looked at askance by society and Mongolian grandmothers at the entrances.

12. In winter, on the streets of Ulaanbaatar you can meet people without hats, in unbuttoned jackets or lightly dressed. In the provinces, children generally run around in light blouses all year round.

13. Due to the fact that yurts and private houses are heated with coal, smog constantly hangs over Ulaanbaatar in winter; locals say that it is even harsher than in China. Now they are even introducing a law according to which electricity will be free for yurt owners from nine o’clock in the evening.

14. Part of the country’s population still lives in yurts; even in Ulaanbaatar there are yurt areas. The yurt in the city is not located in an open field, but on an area fenced with a solid fence. Hurry up to see: urbanization is proceeding by leaps and bounds, and more and more Mongols are moving from yurts to apartment buildings or ordinary cottages.

15. There are no facilities for water treatments in the yurt; people wash from a basin. In former times, the Mongols washed only in the river in the summer. The toilet, of course, is only outside.

16. The main sources of development in Mongolia in recent years are Chinese and Korean investments, as well as trade in minerals (copper, coal, gold).

17. Mongols travel to China both for work and on vacation. After the abolition of visas in September 2014, they go shopping and to Buryatia, which immediately became relevant due to the fall of the ruble. By the way, a crisis has also been raging in Mongolia for the last couple of years.

18. The rule that is usually used to separate people at the door: “first they leave, then they come in,” does not work in Mongolia. To stay warm longer, here everything happens exactly the opposite :)

19. In Soviet times, surnames and first names were in use in Mongolia; now surnames, first names and patronymics are used, but in ordinary life, in descending order of importance, there is a patronymic (and without an ending) and a given name. So, Pushkin in Mongolia would be called simply: Sergei Alexander.

20. In this regard, the inscriptions on the customs card at the entrance should be translated as follows: surname – father’s name, that is, patronymic, family – surname, given name – given name.

21. Ulaanbaatar was designed and built by Soviet specialists back when the passage of one car on the road became an event. Now the city is stuck in endless traffic jams, road rudeness is widespread, no one will ever let you pass from the adjacent road - you need to ram the traffic. A car is as important to a Mongolian as a horse is to Genghis Khan.

22. Parking in the center of the capital is paid and costs about 20 rubles per hour.

23. There has been a monument to Lenin near the Ulaanbaatar Hotel since Soviet times, but it was demolished several years ago. Both under Lenin and after him, prostitutes stand in this place.

24. 95 gasoline in Mongolia is a ruble or two more expensive than in Russia, where it is purchased.

25. Mongols, as a rule, do not like the Chinese, and there are several reasons for this. Firstly, many residents of the Middle Kingdom come to Ulaanbaatar for construction projects and are not known for their good behavior. Secondly, historical prerequisites (many years of enslavement by China) do not allow it. If a Mongol wants to offend or scold someone, he says: “Well, you’re like a Chinese.”

26. Wrestling, boxing, shooting and, surprisingly, sumo are popular sports in Mongolia. The popularity of the latter has lasted for ten years, since the Mongolian wrestler regularly wins the world championship. His name is Yokozuna D. Dagvadorzh.

27. Olivier and borscht are not considered Russian dishes; in Mongolia they are widespread and loved.

28. Attitudes towards Russians vary, generally neutral, although there are both those who love and Russophobes. Economically and politically, the country is more focused on cooperation with China and the United States.

29. Many Russians think that everyone in Mongolia speaks and understands Russian, and even that Mongolia was a union republic. Both are not true. In fact, only a few Mongolians over 40 understand Russian; young people sometimes speak a little English. You probably never know which language is best to speak in order to be understood.

30. Recently, you can find a lot of Russian products in stores in Mongolia.

31. The feelings of a steppe person differ from the feelings of a person from the middle zone who grew up in the forests. So, some Mongolians find it uncomfortable to walk the streets of the city for a long time; they need to at least get to a park where they can see the horizon.

33. We don’t know what this is connected with, but many residents of Mongolia do not close the door to the toilet stall. As a result, several times we ran into people who were not in the most comfortable position. Each time there were working locks on the doors, but they were simply ignored.

33. The most popular car is a used Toyota Prius imported from Japan, which is valued for its efficiency. No Russian cars were noticed on the streets.

34. Drunkenness is a real scourge of Mongolia, although lately they have begun to drink a little less. There is a separate problem with freezing among drunk people: people drink a lot, do not notice that they are cold, and get frostbite, many fatally. According to unofficial information, this phenomenon is so widespread that at night a special vehicle drives around the city, collecting those frozen to death.

36. New Year is celebrated, but there is only one day off, January 1st. Much more widely celebrated at the end of January are the Lunar New Year (Tsagaan Sar) and Naadam, the so-called men's games, which include competitions in Mongolian wrestling, horse racing and archery. Regarding the latter, the whole country enjoys a three-day weekend in July.

37. Mongolia is fairly safe, although petty theft (and therefore pawn shops) is widespread. Many Mongols, although they do not speak languages, will not give up in trouble and will do everything to help.

38. Mongolians traditionally do not throw away old things, believing that clothes accumulate energy over time. It is customary to give used clothes to younger people or burn them.

39. The main attraction of Mongolia is its pristine nature (Gobi Desert, lakes, steppes), and the summer season is best suited for exploring it. Come and see for yourself :)

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Impressive in size, but sparsely populated territory, mysterious desert, nomads - most people know little about Mongolia. The country is very contrasting: skyscrapers coexist with yurts, and modern SUVs can rush past fossilized dinosaur eggs that are still found in the desert.

Us in website It’s very interesting to get to know Mongolia better and find out what can surprise even experienced tourists there.

1. Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital in the world

Very cold winters and very hot summers are one of the features of Mongolia that surprises visitors to the country. The lowest and highest temperatures are usually recorded in the Gobi Desert region with its colorful sands. And in the capital, temperatures below 40 degrees in winter and above 40 degrees in summer are considered common. Among the capitals of the world, Ulaanbaatar ranks first in cold weather, ahead of Helsinki, but it did not become the “hottest” city - it was ahead of the capitals of African countries.

2. Mongols don’t understand vegetarians and don’t like fish

Mongolia is an ideal country for meat lovers. They can even put dumplings in tea - this dish is called banshtai tsai. But although there may not be dumplings, then animal fat is still present in the tea.

Mongolia has only three major cities, but almost 45% of the inhabitants live in the capital. 30% consider themselves nomads and are not tied to a specific place of residence, the rest are residents of small towns and villages. The country's population density is the lowest in the world (1.75 people per sq. km): you can drive hundreds of kilometers and not see a soul.

Nomads live quite full lives - for example, there are special boarding schools for children so that illiteracy does not spread throughout the country. But technical advances are not always available - for example, clothes can only be washed in the river. On average, a nomadic family can move 4–6 times a year: it depends on how soon the animals empty the pasture and they need to look for a new one.

4. Collect Dinosaur Eggs and Ancient Rabbit

Conventional addresses are not suitable for Mongolia because cities and streets constantly change their shape due to the movements of nomads. After all, they live not only in the steppes: mobile yurts can be located in villages and cities, even next to skyscrapers. Therefore, a single universal system was introduced - a kind of code of letters and numbers. The smaller the object, the longer its address will be. Even monuments have addresses: for example, the coordinates of the monument in the center of Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar are RW8SK QZKSL. This system is also great for navigation.

In 2016, Mongolia began using data from the English What3words app, which divides the area into squares and assigns a three-word name to each square. But actual implementation is still slow, since full use requires smartphones, which not everyone has.

6. Horse cemetery - a separate impressive complex

The special, reverent attitude of the Mongols towards horses is reflected in the unique complexes that they create. For example, there is a horse cemetery with huge monuments. An impressive sight in the middle of the endless steppe attracts tourists, and for the Mongols this is a special place.

Any Mongolian can afford to bury the head of his pet in this famous cemetery, but monuments are erected only to exceptional animals that have become famous for something.

The most important man-made attraction in Mongolia is the 40-meter statue of Genghis Khan, the largest monument to a horseman in the world. There is an observation deck at the top and a museum inside; Among the exhibits is a huge gutul - a Mongolian boot, the sewing of which took 22 cow hides.

Sometimes this place is called the tomb of Genghis Khan, but this is not so. No one knows the place of his burial. There is a legend that everyone who attended Genghis Khan's funeral was killed or committed suicide so that the secret would never come out.

8. The Legend of the Giant Red Worm

Vast Mongolia is an amazing country. Once the ferocious nomads from these lands terrified the entire surrounding area, but today Mongolia is a peace-loving agrarian state. It is unbearably hot here in summer and monstrously cold in winter, but modern Mongols cope well with the quirks of nature.

• This is one of the largest states in the world that does not have its own sea coast. Of all the landlocked countries, only Kazakhstan is larger than it ().
• The name of Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian capital, translates as “red hero”. This is the coldest administrative center of the state in the world due to cool summers and harsh winters, much frostier than in the capitals of Russia or Finland ().
• On the territory of Ulaanbaatar there is a sacred mountain, at the foot of which Genghis Khan gained strength before his next victorious campaign. According to legend, he forbade cutting down forest and hunting on this peak, turning it into a kind of nature reserve, and then hid his belongings and weapons here.
• The Mongol Empire, founded by Genghis Khan, was the largest empire in human history spread over a single continent. This superpower occupied 22% of the earth's land surface.
• In Mongolia, the birthday of Genghis Khan is celebrated annually - this holiday falls on the first day of the first month of winter according to the lunar calendar.
• The statue of Genghis Khan near the Mongolian capital is the largest monument to a horseman ever created in the world. The height of this sculpture without a pedestal is 40 meters. The two-story pedestal of the monument houses a museum, a conference hall, an art gallery, restaurants and a billiard room, and the head of the Great Khan’s horse is so large that an observation deck was built on it.
• In Mongolia, every year a national holiday, Naadam, is held, which lasts several days. As part of the celebrations, horse racing, Mongolian wrestling and archery competitions are held.
• In Mongolian wrestling there is no division into weight categories, no space restrictions, and previously there were no time limits. The first person to touch the ground with any part of the body other than the feet or palms loses. The winner of the fight must perform the eagle dance.

• The Mongols achieved great success in sumo wrestling, Japan's sacred sport. Currently, there are 42 wrestlers in the top division, 12 of whom are natives of Mongolia.
• In Mongolian settlements there are no street names or house numbers - each object has its own code of letters and numbers, assigned based on its current location on the ground, because there are still many nomads in the country.
• The Netherlands could be placed on the territory of Mongolia 37 times ().
• The population density in this country is extremely low. There are less than 2 people per square kilometer, and in many parts of the country there are no people at all.
• Mongolia is home to 25% of all snow leopards inhabiting the Earth.
• Ancient people settled the modern Mongol lands around 85,000 BC.
• Genghis Khan managed to conquer more lands in a quarter of a century than the Romans did in four centuries.
• The burial place of Genghis Khan is unknown. According to Mongolian legend, all the people who came to the funeral were either killed or committed suicide in order to take this secret with them to the grave.
• The Mongolian Gobi Desert is the third largest on Earth (