Interesting facts about Mongolia (3 photos). Interesting geography. Theme "Mongolia" in the world national park
1 . Genghis Khan is considered the founder of Mongolia. He came to power by uniting many of the nomadic tribes of Northeast Asia and created the world's largest empire, second in territory only to the 19th century British Empire.
2. In 25 years, Genghis Khan's horsemen conquered more area and more people than the Romans did in four centuries.
3. The birthplace of Genghis Khan is known, but the place of his burial is kept secret. According to legend, to protect this secret, 2,000 people who attended Genghis Khan's funeral were killed by 800 soldiers. And to finally close this secret, the soldiers killed themselves.
4. The statue of Genghis Khan near Ulaanbaatar is the tallest equestrian statue in the world (40 m without pedestal).
5. Long before China invaded and conquered Mongolia, Mongolia conquered China. In the 13th century, the giant nation fell into the hands of Genghis Khan's grandson, Kublai Khan, who became the first emperor of the Chinese Yuan dynasty.
6. A Mongolian superstition says that you must shake hands with the person whose foot you step on, otherwise you will become enemies. So don't be surprised if the person who was just stomping on your foot starts shaking your hand.
7. Mongols believe that a falling star means someone's death. Therefore, when they see a falling star, they do not make a wish, but whisper a prayer.
8. Mongolian horses are accustomed to being approached and dismounted only from the left side. Don't try to test how a horse will behave if you approach it from the right.
9. Whistling indoors is taboo in Mongolia. It is believed that this calls evil spirits into the house.
10. Mongolia has a lot of land (1,566,000 km²) and few people (2.8 million people). In southern Mongolia, the population density is 1 person per 10–15 km², and large areas are completely deserted.
11. People living in deserted places always have a bowl of warm, salted tea with milk ready for possible travelers.
12. The favorite sport in Mongolia is. The wrestlers wear a special costume, part of which is an open shirt. They say that this style appeared after one of the champion wrestlers turned out to be a woman.
13. Every year, Mongolia hosts the Golden Eagle Festival, where hunters wearing elaborate hunting costumes and accessories demonstrate their courage and horsemanship, as well as their fast and agile eagles.
14. Today the Bactrian camel is in wildlife can only be found in two places in the world - Mongolia and Xinjiang in China. Mongolia hosts the Thousand Camel Festival every year to protect and preserve Bactrian camels, whose numbers are steadily declining.
15. In the 1920s, fossilized remains of dinosaurs and the first dinosaur eggs were found in the Gobi Desert. If you're lucky, you might find dinosaur remains too.
1. Mongolia is the smallest country in terms of population density, its density is approximately 1.7 people/sq.km. And the total population reaches about 3 million people.
2. Mongolia is a country where you can drive hundreds of kilometers and not meet a single person. In a number of areas, such as deserts and highlands, population density reaches a minimum threshold of 0.01 to 1%.
3. In its great history, the ethnic groups of Mongolia have gone through a great many different periods of formation. As a result, with the formation of a single, united Mongolian people, the Greatest Mongolian state emerged. It was a great world empire, which to this day has no equal.
4. In Mongolia, there is the world's tallest statue of a horse rider, which is an hour's drive from the capital. Whoever portrays this horseman is, of course, Genghis Khan.
5. The Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital in the whole world.
6. Mongolia is home to 25% of all snow leopards living on our planet.
7. Mongolia is a country with ancient history, and is fraught with quite a few mysteries from the past.
8. Mongolia announced interesting find. A Scythian warrior was found. He was found in Altai region at an altitude of 2.6 kilometers. And the most interesting thing is that it was completely intact in the burial mound. As is obvious, he was a rich man, since he was covered with beaver and sable fur, and he also had a sheepskin on him. The warrior's body was covered with many tattoos.
AND main feature This find was the hair of a warrior; he was blond. True, some scientists say that the hair could have become this color after his death.
Near the grave, 2 horses were found with richly decorated bridles and saddles, as well as weapons, a clay vessel and animal horns. They were placed in the grave next to the mummy so that they could accompany him on the other side of life.
All finds will be studied thoroughly, and this moment they were placed in Ulaanbaatar. Scientists claim that they will even study the stomach of a horse in order to study flora in those times. And the time is before the Nativity of Christ.
9. We'll talk about a worm. This is a giant worm that can kill from a distance. He does this with the help of poison, which he throws out, and thereby he kills the victim upon contact with an electric discharge. Until recently, this was Mongolian folklore, but now in the desert region in the south of the Gobi, confirmation of the existence of such a worm has been found.
to his appearance it most closely resembles the insides of an animal. It is impossible to distinguish either a head or eyes on his body. The Mongols call him olga-khorkha, and more than anything else they are afraid of meeting him. Not a single scientist in the world has had a chance to see with his own eyes the mysterious inhabitant of the Mongolian deserts. And therefore, for many years, the Olgoi-Khorkhoi was considered exclusively a folklore character - a fictitious monster.
It appears unexpectedly from cracks in the earth's crust. The appearance of the worm resembles the inside of an animal. It is almost impossible to see his head, his mouth, or even his eyes. But at the same time he is alive and is a deadly creature. This creature has not yet been studied by science.
One of those who followed the trail of the worm was a writer from the Czech Republic, Ivan Makarle. But they were never able to catch a single such worm, but they were able to obtain quite a bit of evidence of its existence, and there was even an entire program in the Czech Republic dedicated to this beast.
This creature has a dark red color and is very similar to the intestines of an animal, hence its name “Intestinal Worm”. Its length is slightly more than half a meter. But no one ever caught a single worm. One of the residents of the village of Dalandzadgad, whose name is Tseven, said that such worms live in the southeast of Aimak, at a distance of 130 km. But you can see them only during hot months and only in the Dunes. Since during the rest of the year they hibernate.
10. The oldest representative of the rabbit family, or rather its fossils, was discovered in Mongolia. The age is 55 million years. The fossils were discovered by scientists from Berlin's Humboldt University.
And the most interesting thing is that the appearance of this rabbit is very similar to our modern one. For example, take the paws of the found fossils, they, like those of our modern rabbits, are 2 times longer than the front ones, and judging by all this, he jumped like niche rabbits. Scientists had a lot of information for analysis, since the rabbit’s skeleton was complete.
But there are also differences from our modern rabbit, these are teeth. They look more like squirrel teeth than rabbit teeth. And thanks to this discovery, scientists now have a lot of controversy about the birth of a placental mammal.
Many believe that they appeared in the era of dinosaurs, before their extinction. Others believe that their appearance occurred at the time of the extinction of dinosaurs, namely approximately 65 million years ago. And, thanks to the appearance of these fossils, everyone is beginning to lean more towards the second option.
12. By the way, the real name of the great Genghis Khan is Temujin.
13. But it was Genghis Khan who managed to create the largest empire in the world. His possessions extended to 22% of the entire territory of our planet! The picture shows the empire in its best years)
14. Every year in Mongolia a sports festival is held at home (I will definitely write about it separately). It consists of 3 types of competitions - national Mongolian wrestling, horse racing and archery. This colorful holiday takes place in July.
15. If we are already talking about sports, then, as it turns out, the Mongols are one of the best sumo wrestlers in the world.
16. There is only one in Mongolia international Airport- Chinggis Khan Airport near Ulaanbaatar. It’s not just air traffic that’s bad in the country. The roads there are simply a disaster - most of them are unpaved.
By the way, funny note. In Mongolia, the territory can fit 37 Hollands! But the length of Dutch roads can fit 67 Mongolian ones))
17. Ulaanbaatar, translated from Mongolian, means “Red Hero”. The capital of Mongolia received this name in 1924.
18. Since Soviet times, Mongolia has used Cyrillic characters in writing.
19. No need to show your nose. This is some very bad sign. Much worse than "fuck" or anything else. You just don't need it, that's all. But if you hit your leg, you need to touch your arm with your hand. This is also very necessary.
20. Cats, cat style and any mention of this topic in general is bad. "A dog wishes its owner life, and a cat wishes its owner death." These are disgusting creatures according to the Mongols. As is believed historically, this happens because they never had grain reserves, which should be protected from mice by cats, and they did not feel the importance of these furry creatures.
21. “You can live your whole life as a correct person, but you must kill at least one Chinese” - something like this is written in the words of ymep on one of the walls of a house on the main street. The Chinese are hated. They stop you at the entrance, say that they smell bad, work like slaves, have a couple of holes instead of a nose, and so on. This is a historical thing. The Gobi Desert is called "Mongolian" great wall", which held back the Chinese from expansion for hundreds of years.
22. Master the numerals along with the question “how much does it cost?” Because if you were able to ask, but did not understand how much it costs by ear, then on a universal translator - calculator, you will see a price that is two or several times higher. Right. A stingy person pays twice, a lazy person pays three times, and so on. And, by the way, if Mongolian doesn’t work at all, speak Russian in Ulaanbaatar. My last visit to the market, I twice received a discount for this and once heard: “The Russian is my brother.” There are no comments at all here. Yes, well, taxi fare has never cost more than 300 tugriks per kilometer, okay? Just silently take out the money if you don't want to chat. By the way, “zhulchin” means “tourist”. If somewhere they sold you a thing with such a word, prepare your ass for donor contributions, just because you are so stupid.
23. There is no need to talk about vegetarianism. This is a type of illness here, and a mental one. Oh yes, I saw a restaurant serving vegetarian food for locals, but I don't think it's a commercial enterprise. Not eating meat is just as stupid as having a friend of the opposite sex. Here I exclusively and completely support the Mongols.
24. A woman in Mongolia is more important than a man, despite all the humiliation on the part of the latter. This is how it happened and I think it’s right. As far as I know, women achieve more due to flexibility and not at all in intimate matters (which is very simple here), but only because they learn in practice and in theory much more diligently. All our translators are girls. The only guy who spoke Russian, by the way, almost like me, was fired for laziness.
25. Hospitality. They seriously and, I think correctly, believe that only we, Russians and Mongols, are like that. We can give a place to stay, feed and help a person only because we liked him, only so that he can appreciate it. If you want to pay double the price for everything, okay, speak English.
26. It is unlikely that you will greatly surprise anyone here with the opportunity to drink a lot of vodka. Mongols are not Koreans; they know how to break down alcohol in their bodies. But you. by a funny definition - “Siberian man”. The title obliges you, even if you are somewhere in Krasnodar region grew up.
27. Genghis Khan is a holy man and the founder of the Mongolian state. There is no need to joke with this name, since the standards of humor laid down by Charlie Chaplin are not very welcome here. The Mongols, like us, have a history that we should be proud of.
28. Don’t think that the contract or agreements solved everything. Margash this can be completely revised. So what? Not scary, actually. And, in general, you can bargain even in a store. If you don't bargain, they don't respect you. This is the law.
facts from feoddora
29. Bed linen is sold without pillowcases. I still can't find a logical explanation for this.
30. You can turn right even from the far left lane. Traffic rules don’t apply here at all, and the traffic light doesn’t matter either. But, at the same time, there are practically no accidents, although the traffic here is intense.
31. It is better not to order fish in restaurants and cafes. The fact is that the Mongols used to believe that all aquatic inhabitants were sacred, so they should not be eaten. Fish is only on the menu for foreigners. And for many months.
32. The wind blows all year round
33. Money smells like lamb. Everything here smells like lamb.
34. An 11-seater minibus can accommodate 23 people without a driver. Especially in the morning on a working day.
35. Living wage is two dollars per day per person. Not enough, of course.
36. By the beginning of the 20th century, there were over 700 monasteries in Mongolia, where about 100 thousand monks lived. This constituted a third of the total number of Mongol men. In a number of regions of the country, monasteries were the only sedentary centers and served as cities. After the 1921 revolution, Buddhists began to be persecuted, and by the end of the 1930s, all monasteries were closed and destroyed, and most of the monks were repressed.
37. There is little precipitation, up to 100-200 mm per year (in the mountains up to 500 mm), mainly from mid-July to September, in the form of short but powerful torrential rains. The snow cover is shallow, but lasts for a very long time (in mountainous areas practically all year round). There are up to 260 in the country sunny days per year, which is why Mongolia is often called the “Land of Blue Sky”. Dust storms are common between May and June.
38. The highest legislative body is the State Great Khural (SGH) - a unicameral body consisting of 76 members, popularly elected by secret ballot on a multi-party basis for a period of 4 years. The VGH is headed by the chairman and deputy chairman, elected by secret ballot from among its members.
39. Meat soups and broths, which seem to have always been cooked in Mongolia, are very popular. In general, nothing fried is accepted here. Everything is either boiled or steamed.
40. Tugrik - currency unit Mongolia. There are banknotes in circulation in denominations of 10,000, 5,000, 1,000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 3 and 1 tugrik, as well as coins in 200, 100, 50 and 20 tugrik.
41. Minibuses in Mongolia are something special. Maybe for an Asian person this is a normal phenomenon, but for a resident of Russia it is stressful. If in Russia there is a concept of “killer minibuses,” then looking at a minibus at 12 seating, more than 20 people are being rammed, it’s getting scary.
42. There are about 80 airports in Mongolia, but landing strips only 11 have hard surfaces. There is no computer reservation system and the schedule changes frequently.
43. In Mongolia, it is not customary to immediately ask a guest questions. The guest should also not rush to reveal everything about himself. In the steppe, life moves slowly and the procedure for introducing a guest and a host is no exception.
44. To scare away evil spirits, you need to clap your hands three or nine times.
45. Names of spirits are considered forbidden sacred mountains, their names are kept secret and are not spoken out loud unless absolutely necessary.
46. Digging is considered extremely dangerous among the Mongols, as it entails misfortune. It is also strictly forbidden to cut down forests, hunt, or even visit some “sacred places.” ,
47. You cannot harm nature. Catching or killing young birds. Cut down young trees near springs. No need to pick plants and flowers. You cannot throw garbage or spit into the fire. Leave traces of your presence behind, for example, overturned turf, debris, or an unextinguished fire. You cannot wash dirty clothes at the Arshana water source. You cannot break, dig up, touch the serge - hitching post, or light a fire nearby. One should not desecrate a sacred place with bad actions, thoughts or words. You can't shout loudly or get too drunk.
48. Special respect must be shown to elders. You can't offend old people. Offending elders is the same sin as depriving Living being life.
49. You cannot throw out the leftover tea, throw away an ungnawed bone, give something away with your left hand, sell your favorite horse, or step on spilled milk.
49. You must not thrust a knife into the fire, or touch the fire in any way with a knife or sharp object, or remove meat from the cauldron with a knife. It is considered a great sin to splash milk on the hearth fire. You cannot throw garbage or rags into the fire - this offends the spirit of the hearth. It is forbidden to give fire from the hearth to another house or yurt.
50. When bringing tea to a guest, the hostess hands the bowl with both hands as a sign of respect. The guest must also accept it with both hands - by doing this he shows respect for the house. In Mongolia and Buryatia there is a custom of the right hand. During the greeting ceremony, the bowl is passed only with the right hand. And naturally, you need to accept any offering with your right hand or both hands.
51. To emphasize special respect, as a sign of greeting, the guest is presented with two hands folded with palms, as in a Buddhist bow; shaking hands in this case is also done with both hands simultaneously.
52. When visiting Buddhist datsans you need to move clockwise inside the temple and before visiting, walk around the temple area in the direction of the sun, rotating all the prayer wheels. You cannot go into the center of the temple during services and take photographs without permission. Inside the temple, you should avoid moving and fussy actions, and talk loudly. You cannot enter the temple in shorts.
53. At tailagans or shamanic rituals, one should not try to touch shamanic clothing, a tambourine, and especially not to put on any of the shamanic attributes on oneself in order to take a photo. Even a shaman will rarely put on something belonging to someone else’s shaman, and if he does so, it is only after an appropriate cleansing ritual. There is a belief that certain objects, especially those associated with magic, carry a certain amount of power. It is strictly forbidden for an ordinary person to say shamanic prayers (durdalga) out loud for entertainment.
And here's more for you interesting information. one of my friends
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 very beautiful and developed country, which has already begun to show itself to the world.
It is worth noting that for 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, several tens of kilometers from the capital of Mongolia, there is a monument to the great commander, who is the most tall 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 are constantly moving 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.
The city of Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital in the world. It is located at an altitude of about 1300 meters above sea level. In January, temperatures below 40 degrees Celsius are common in the capital of Mongolia.
By the way, the name of this city is translated as “Red Hero”. Moreover, the city received its modern name not so long ago - in 1924. And it was founded in 1639 and was called Urga - “palace of a noble person.” In 1911 it was renamed Niislel Khuree (Capital Monastery).
The country's area is about 1,500,000 square kilometers, and its population is less than three million. It turns out that average density population of less than two people per square kilometer is the lowest of any country in the world. Almost half of Mongolia's total population lives in the capital.
Most people are sure that if they see a shooting star in the sky and make a wish, it will definitely come true. But among the Mongols, a falling star predicts imminent death. Therefore, they do not make a wish, but whisper a prayer.
In general, Mongols are very superstitious. For example, if you accidentally step on another person’s foot, you should immediately shake his hand. Otherwise, you can become enemies. And you shouldn’t whistle in a closed room, so as not to get yourself into trouble.
Everyone, naturally, knows that the world's first socialist state was built in our country. And the second is in Mongolia. In 1924, Mongolia declared itself a People's Republic. It's interesting that for a long time Soviet Union was the only country to recognize the independence of Mongolia.
One of the main attractions of Mongolia is the 40-meter statue of Genghis Khan. It was the founder of the Mongol Empire who erected the largest equestrian monument in the world. And inside the pedestal there is a museum; among its exhibits you can see a 9-meter long gutul, the national Mongolian boot. It is also the largest in the world. 22 cow hides were spent on sewing this unique product.
Nobody knows where Genghis Khan is buried. There is a legend in Mongolia that several thousand people who attended his burial were killed. And then the soldiers who killed the witnesses committed suicide so that there would be no one to reveal this secret.
It is believed that Mongolian men have three worthy activities - horse racing, archery and wrestling. If a boy is born into a family, the parents dream of him becoming a great wrestler. And national wrestling tournaments “bekh” attract a huge number of spectators. By the way, despite the fact that the birthplace of sumo is Japan, some of the strongest in this type of wrestling are the Mongols.
The monetary unit of Mongolia is the tugrik. In turn, it is divided into 100 mungu, which are no longer in use. For a long time, money for Mongolia was produced in the Soviet Union: banknotes at the Goznak printing factory, and coins at the Leningrad Mint.
Despite the fact that Mongolia is ancient country, she does not remain aloof from scientific progress. Currently, every fourth resident of this state uses the Internet.
6 Mongolia is home to the third largest hot desert in the world - the Gobi, which the Mongols divide into Black, Red and Yellow because different color landscape
7 There are no usual addresses in Mongolia, because due to large quantity temporary settlements, cities and streets are constantly changing their shape. The country's authorities solved this problem by using the Universal Address System - it allows you to assign addresses to both entire settlements and individual objects located in them. Instead of street names and house numbers, it uses sets of letters and numbers. The smaller the specified object, the longer its address will be - it will include city codes, street codes, and, finally, a specific building.
8 In Mongolia there are special boarding schools for the children of nomads, due to which only 2% of the country's population remains illiterate. This is a very impressive indicator - in Africa, for example, no country can boast of a similar achievement
9 Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital in the world. The average annual temperature there is lower than anywhere else, and winters are frostier than in Moscow or Helsinki.
10 Mongolia is the second largest landlocked country in the world after Kazakhstan.
11 The main Mongolian holiday is Tsagan Sar - these are celebrations dedicated to both the farewell of the old year according to the lunisolar calendar and the welcoming of the coming spring.
12 54 kilometers from the capital there is the largest statue of a horseman in the world, depicting Genghis Khan on a war horse. The monument is so large that there is a Observation deck, with stunning views. The height of the statue of the great conqueror is 40 meters, excluding the ten-meter pedestal.
13 Mongols believe that you must shake hands with the person whose foot you stepped on, otherwise he will become your enemy.
14 From the Mongolian point of view, falling stars are a sign of someone's death, so they whisper prayers during starfalls.
15 It is customary to approach horses from Mongolia only from the left; you should also not get off them from the right.
16 In Mongolia, you cannot whistle indoors because, according to local beliefs, whistling invites evil spirits into your home.
17 Mongolia ranks 19th in the world in terms of territory size, but only 2.8 million people live in the country.
18 Mongols are always ready to treat travelers with warm tea with milk and a pinch of salt - these are the local customs of hospitality.
19 One of the most popular sports in Mongolia is a local form of wrestling called beh. Wrestlers enter the arena in special suits that leave their chests exposed. They say that once the winner of the tournament was a woman, and such attire guarantees the male gender of the participants.
20 Mongolia hosts the Thousand Camel Festival every year to protect the Bactrian camel variety. Now Bactrian camels are found only in Mongolia and one of the provinces of China.
