#mongoliaproject

Time for some quick facts

Name: Mongolia

Capital: Ulan Bator

Flag:

Currency: Mongolian Togrog ($1 USD = 1812 Togrog)

Area (Square miles): 603,909

Population: 2,646,000

Regional Map of North Asia, including Mongolia

Physical map of Mongolia

Clothes

Hats are a major aspect of clothing. There are many hats. There are different colors, shapes, styles, etc. The hats have 32 stitches to symbolize the unification of the 32 Mongol tribes. The summer hat is called toortsog. Married women are not permitted to wear this hat. Women's hats are usually more fashionable than mens. But both sexes wear hats.

The Del is also important. It is a calf-length tunic. Each ethnic group has its own color and design. Men and women wear a del, the only difference is that men have more somber colors. Dels are worn all year long. Sheep skin dels are worn in the winter.

A specific type of boots are worn in Mongolia. The toes are upturned. There are myths about why that is. Some think it is so that one's foot would not fall out of the horse saddle. They are still very popular in the urban areas and in the rural areas. 

Literature

The Mongols were very mobile, which means they had to use literature in order to entertain or record. Poetry, stories, folk tales became very popular. The most important poem of Mongol history was "The Secret History of the Mongols." Current literature is influenced by Western culture, especially Russian culture.

Visual Arts

Paintings were used for religious purposes and are often inside temples. The religious scrolls called Tankas that depict the gods and saints of Lamaist Buddhism. Many cave paintings were found with ancient drawings. The nomads of Mongolia had highly decorative saddles, knives, blankets, and storage chests. During Soviet Union rule, Soviet endorsed was painted. Now it is not desired.

Performing Arts

90% of the people speak Khalkha Mongol 

The rest speak Turkic and Russian

Сайн байна миний нэр Alex байна (Hello, my name is Alex)

Non-verbal communication is very important for Mongolian culture. Some American gestures mean different things. For example the middle finger means "so-so" or "ok." Eye contact is also very important. The equivalent of the "middle finger" is putting your thumb in between your middle and index finger while making a fist. Lastly, appearance is important. Wearing nice clothes and taking care of personal hygiene gives a person respect and is the first thing a person sees. 

Family is the most important unit of organization. It provides society with a building block of morality. Family is very important to Mongols. Most houses consist of 2-7 families. Living with extended family is a major part of life. Also in rural areas, the neighborhood is considered a unit and they ofter work and move together. It is called a khot ail

Social Hierarchy

In ancient times, the hierarchy of families, tribes, and clans were important. They would be shown by headwear, clothing, horses, etc. During Soviet times, social equality became more prevalent because of the ideals of socialism. Now social hierarchy is show by material objects such as cars, clothes, houses, etc.

Mongol Empire

The ancient Mongols, under the control of Genghis Khan, took over most of Asia and Europe. They did this by conquest of land and war. 

Soviet-Mongolian War- October 7, 1967

The Soviet Union tried to take over Mongolia. Mongolia was rich in deposits of metals and minerals. In the end, the U.S.S.R. and Mongolia reached an agreement. Mongolia would become a satellite state and joined the Warsaw Pact.