11 Awesome facts about a super curious country: Mongolia

Mongolia is a sparsely populated country with a large expanse that has mysterious deserts and nomadic peoples that almost no one knows very well.

The country is really impressive because it mixes skyscrapers and huts, called yurt🇧🇷 Super modern 4×4 cars pass alongside fossilized dinosaur eggs and this great mix is ​​what makes this country one of the most mysterious in the world.

Today the awesome.club brings some super interesting data about Mongolia that not even the most adventurous tourists know about.

1. Ulan Bator is the coldest capital in the world

(and one of the hottest)

A super cold winter and a very hot summer is one of the peculiarities of Mongolia that most surprises some tourists who know the country. The highest and lowest temperatures are generally recorded in the Gobi Desert, with its different colored sands. In the capital, temperatures can reach minus 40 ºC and rise to plus 40 ºC in summer. However, this is normal for the region. Among the capitals of the world, Ulan Bator ranks first in terms of low temperature, even beating Helsinki, the capital of Finland. But the hottest capital post was occupied by cities in Africa.

Mongolia is the perfect country for meat lovers. They even add a meat ravioli to the tea (the dish is called Banshtai Tsai🇧🇷 But if there is no ravioli, animal fat itself is an excellent substitute.

This is the main diet of the Mongols. The most common types of meat are lamb, goat and beef. Mongolians are also fond of dairy products, and the big highlight is a product that looks like dried ricotta. There are also herbs and vegetables on the menu, but they rarely eat them raw, they are almost always boiled or fried.

In ancient times, the Mongols did not eat fish, as marine animals are considered sacred. These days they don’t eat much either, although you can find fish in local lakes. In the city’s restaurants and cafes there is fish, but generally only for tourists. As the fish is rarely eaten, it can often be spoiled. But a vegetarian menu is really rare in Mongolia. Many locals believe that those who follow this type of diet have mental problems.

In Mongolia there are only three major cities, and approximately 45% of the population lives in the capital. About 30% are considered nomads and do not have a fixed abode; the rest live in small towns and villages. The country’s population density is the lowest in the world (1.75 inhabitants per km²). It is possible to travel hundreds of kilometers and not find anyone.

Nomads live a very good life: children go to boarding schools so that illiteracy does not grow. But some advances have not yet been incorporated: for example, clothes are washed in rivers. On average, a nomadic family moves once every four to six years (depends on how quickly the animals end up with pasture).

In the country’s territory, researchers found fragments of ancient animals, especially dinosaurs. One of the biggest entertainments for tourists is trying to find ancient fossils. This is usually done in the Gobi Desert. But be careful: the finds must stay in the country.

In addition to dinosaurs, fossils of a 55 million-year-old hare were found on the territory of Mongolia. That is, if you go to this mysterious country, bet with your friends who can find the oldest fossil.

Normal addresses are not suitable for Mongolia because cities and streets often change shape, mainly because of nomadic people. the huts (yurt) are often found in cities, next to skyscrapers. Therefore, a universal system was adopted: a code of letters and numbers. The smaller the object, the larger the address. Even monuments have an address. For example, the coordinates of monuments in the center of Sükhbaatar square in Ulan Bator is RW8SK QZKSL. This system is used for navigation.

In 2016, the English application was also adopted what3words, which divides a given zone into frames, each of which has a name that contains three words. But the application is slow, since to use it you need to have a smartphonesomething that not everyone has.

The special treatment towards horses is reflected in unique complexes. For example, there is a pantheon of horses with huge monuments. A great and impressive spectacle that takes place in this pantheon attracts many tourists and for the Mongols this space is very special.

Anyone can bury their pet’s head in this cemetery, but the monuments are made with animals that became famous for a reason in mind.

The main tourist attraction in Mongolia is a 40 meter statue of Genghis Kan, the monument to one of the world’s greatest conquerors. At the top there is a viewpoint; inside, there is a museum. Among the pieces on display is a Mongolian boot made with 22 cow hides.

Some people say that the location is the tomb of Genghis Kan, but this is not true. The place where he was buried is unknown. There is a legend that everyone who attended his funeral was murdered or committed suicide, so the mystery will never be solved.

The legend about huge red earthworms that lived in the Gobi desert still continues to attract many tourists. Two-foot earthworms that live deep in the earth would suddenly emerge and kill their victims by shooting venom.

A Czech scientist made a broadcast in which he described the earthworms in detail and tried to present evidence that they really exist. However, no one saw any image.

There are also other mysterious stories, for example the death of a group of American researchers who, in 1954, prayed in search of these worms. It is said that they were killed precisely by these creatures.

Tourists often love the way they are welcomed by the Mongols. Apparently, the locals can’t get enough of the tourists; instead, they invite them to visit their homes, share details of their lives and treat everyone with great enthusiasm.

This is not always related to the personal qualities of the Mongols, but they believe that the guests bring benefits and happiness to the house; that is, the more guests a person receives during a year, the more prosperity the house will have.

The well-known expression about the paths in the country, “In Mongolia there are no paths, there are simply directions”, is very true. Paved roads are rare and are only close to large cities.

In the rest of the country, the roads are narrow and generally unpaved. With the help of nomads, new paths always appear, and understanding how they work without the help of locals is something beyond complicated.

The colorful sands of the Gobi desert know how to ‘sing’. The wind slides over the dunes, which reach 300 meters, and creates sounds that resemble drums.

The sands create a real orchestra. Tourists who have been to the country more than once say that it is necessary to listen to the dunes in the late afternoon, when, in addition to the sounds, nature creates different and simply wonderful colors.

What did you think of these trivia? Did you want to know this country? If you have more information, share it in the comments.