Geography of Mongolia

Geography of Mongolia

Map showing the major cities and the neighbouring countries of Mongolia
Continent	Asia
Region	East Asia
Coordinates	46°0′N 105°0′E / 46.000°N 105.000°E / 46.000; 105.000
Area	Ranked 18
• Total	1,564,116[1] km2 (603,909 sq mi)
• Land	99.3%
• Water	0.7%
Borders	Russia: 3,485 kilometres (2,165 mi) China: 4,676 kilometres (2,906 mi)
Highest point	Khüiten Peak 4,374 m (14,350 ft)
Lowest point	Hoh Nuur 560 m (1,840 ft)
Longest river	Orkhon River 1,124 kilometres (698 mi)
Largest lake	Uvs Lake by area: 3,350 km2 (1,290 sq mi) Khövsgöl Nuur by volume: 480.7 km3 (115.3 cu mi)
Climate	Desert; continental
Terrain	Vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest
Natural resources	Oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, fluorspar, gold, silver, iron
Natural hazards	Dust storms; grassland and forest fires; drought
Environmental issues	Limited natural freshwater; the burning of soft coal for power; poor enforcement of environmental laws; severe air pollution in Ulaanbaatar; deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion; desertification and poor mining practise

Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, located between China and Russia. The terrain is one of mountains and rolling plateaus, with a high degree of relief.^[2] The total land area of Mongolia is 1,564,116 square kilometres.^[3] Overall, the land slopes from the high Altai Mountains of the west and the north to plains and depressions in the east and the south.^[2] The Khüiten Peak in extreme western Mongolia on the Chinese border is the highest point (4,374 m (14,350 ft)).^[2] The lowest point is at 560 m (1,840 ft), is the Hoh Nuur or lake Huh.^[1] The country has an average elevation of 1,580 m (5,180 ft).^[2]

The landscape includes one of Asia's largest freshwater lakes (Lake Khövsgöl), many salt lakes, marshes, sand dunes, rolling grasslands, alpine forests, and permanent mountain glaciers.^[2] Northern and western Mongolia are seismically active zones, with frequent earthquakes and many hot springs and extinct volcanoes.^[2] The nation's closest point to any ocean is approximately 645 kilometres (401 mi) from the country's easternmost tip, bordering North China to Jinzhou in Liaoning province, China along the coastline of the Bohai Sea.