Here are some amazing facts about Mongolia!
11. If you think that Mongolian Beef is from Mongolia, you might be misled. Mongolian beef comes from Taiwan and has nothing to do with traditional Mongolian cuisine.
10. The Mongolian currency does not have any coins! The tugrik is only issued in notes, which are printed in the Great Britain. It was initially subdivided into 100 möngö coins, however those coins are no longer minted.
9. The Golden Eagle Festival, celebrated for two days every year is dedicated to eagle hunting. It begins with a parade of eagle hunters on horseback, displaying their elaborate hunting costumes and accessories.
8. The Gobi Desert, Asia’s biggest desert, is the land where dinosaurs presumably roamed. It is regarded as the world’s biggest dinosaur fossil reservoir. Late Cretaceous period represents the final phase of dinosaur evolution. Over 80 genera of dinosaurs have been discovered in the Gobi and more than 60 fossil sites of dinosaurs and other vertebrates have been found here. Many dinosaur fossils still lie exposed today.
7. The Bactrian camel, an even-toed ungulate, is found in some parts of Central and East Asia with the largest population of this species found in Mongolia. This camel is noted for the two humps on its back. It has a high tolerance for high altitudes, cold, and drought, and so was used for travels on the Silk Road.
6. Due to the massive increase in pollution in Ulaanbaatar, over the past decade. The Government implemented new laws such as each vehicle was allowed to enter the city’s center depending on their numbers. For instance, On Monday, cars ending with 1 and 6 are not allowed to enter the city center and so on.
5. The endangered species of snow leopards found home in Mongolia, and one-third of the world’s population lives there. Fun fact: a snow leopard cannot roar or purr.
4. Genghis Khan is considered the founding father of Mongolia. However, his grave is one of the greatest mysteries in history. Soldiers killed everyone who attended the funeral, then the slaves who built his tomb. Finally, the soldiers who killed them all committed suicide. In this way, anyone who might know the secret would take it with them to the grave. Legend even claims that the soldiers diverted a river over the tomb to hide it.
3. It is said that the Mongolians allegedly invented ice cream. It started when the Mongolian horsemen carried milk with them as they traveled in winter. The movements of the riders on their horses churned the milk in their containers. This ensured a creamy texture as it froze, with the cold of water freezing the milk. As the Mongol Empire grew, the product spread with it to various lands and peoples.
2. Airag is one of the most popular drinks that nomadic families drink. It is commonly offered to guests when they enter a ger and is considered rude to reject it. Traditionally, nomadic families keep a large amount of wildlife around their gers, including horses, camels, goats, and more. The milk produced by the mare is stored and left to ferment until it reaches around 3% alcoholic content. It’s very popular amongst pastoral nomadic families, who drink large quantities of it throughout the day.
1. Mongolia holds the Guinness World Record for the largest wrestling competition in the world. This was for the Mongolian National Wrestling Match in 2011. It involved 6,002 participants.
So that was all about Mongolia! Do let us know how did you find these facts in the comments section below!
