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General Information Area: 1,564,116 sq km (603,909 sq miles). Population: 2,381,500 (2000). Population Density: 1.5 per sq km. Capital: Ulaanbaatar. Population: 691,000 (1999). GEOGRAPHY: Mongolia has a 3485km (2165-mile) border with the Russian Federation in the north and a 4670km (2902-mile) border with China in the south. From north to south, it can be divided into four areas: mountain-forest steppe, mountain steppe and, in the extreme south, semi-desert and desert (the latter being about three per cent of the entire territory). The majority of the country has a high elevation, with the principal mountains concentrated in the west. The highest point is the peak of Tavan Bogd, in the Altai Mountains, at 4374m (14,350ft) high. The lowest point, Khukh Nuur lake, in the east, lies at 560m (1820ft). There are several hundred lakes in the country and numerous rivers, of which the Orkhon is the longest at 1124km (698 miles). Government: Republic. Declared independence from China in 1921. Head of State: President Natsagiyn Bagabandi since 2001. Head of Government: Prime Minister Nambar Enkhbayar since 2000. Language: Khalkh Mongolian is the official language. Kazakh is spoken by five per cent of the population. There are also many Mongolian dialects. Religion: Buddhist Lamaism is the main religion. Time: GMT + 8 (Bayan Ulgii, Uvs & Khovd Aimags in western Mongolia GMT + 7). Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Telephone An Asiasat Earth station has provided international telecommunications with Mongolia since 1994. Country code: 976. Area codes: Ulaanbaatar: 11, Darkhan: 01-372, Erdenet: 01-352, Khovd: 01-432. International calls can be made from telephone exchanges in Ulaanbaatar. Mobile telephone GSM 900 network operated by Mobicom (website: www.mobicom.mn) covers Altanbulag, Arvaikheer (Uvurkhangai), Darkhan, Erdenet, Nalaikh, Sainshand (Dornogobi), Selenge, Ulaanbaatar, Zamyn-Uud and Zuunkharaa. CDMA network operated by Skytel Company covers Bulgan, Darkhan, Selenge, Ulaanbaatar, Uvurkhangai and Zamyn-Uud. Fax Service available at hotels and in the central post office. Internet Access is available in Ulaanbaatar at business centres (often located in hotels), Internet cafes and at the telephone exchange on Suhkbaatar Square. ISPs include MagicNet (website: www.magicnet.mn), Micom (website: www.micom.com) and Bodicomputers (website: www.mongolnet.mn). Post Airmail abroad can be very slow. There is an express mail service available for a limited number of countries. Press The main newspapers include Udriin Sonin, Unuudur, and Zasgiyn Gazryn Medee. The English-language papers published in Mongolia include The Mongol Messenger and The UB Post , both of which are published weekly. BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice): MHz 15.28 11.95 9.740 6.195 Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov): MHz 17.74 11.71 9.645 6.110 From www.columbusguides.com, Copyright © 2004 Highbury Columbus Travel Publishing Terms and Conditions apply.