Zavkhan Province
Template:About Template:Short description Template:Infobox settlement Zavkhan (Template:IPAc-en; Template:Langx Template:MongolUnicode Template:IPA), also spelt Zaukhan or Zabhkhan, is one of the 21 aimags (provinces) of Mongolia, located in the west of the country, 1,104 km from Ulaanbaatar. Its capital is Uliastai. The aimag is named after the Zavkhan River, which forms the border between Zavkhan and Gobi-Altai aimag.
Environment
Locally, Zavkhan's environment is considered "Gobi-Khangai" (Говь хангай), since it connects the Gobi Desert in the south with the western Khangai Mountain Range and the broad lake basin of Khovd aimag.
The highest peak in the province is Otgontenger (Отгонтэнгэр, lit. "youngest sky") both the highest (4,031 m) and only peak in the Khangai range capped with a permanent glacier. The mountain is located in the 95,510 hectare Otgon Tenger Strictly Protected Area, about 60 km east of Uliastai. An image of the mountain can be seen on the aimag's coat of arms. Otgontenger is associated with the Bodhisattva Ochirvaani (Очирваань).
The western and south-western regions of Zavkhan contain the massive Bor Khyarin Els sand dunes that stretch for over 100 km within the Zavkhan, down into Gobi-Altai aimag. One of the largest lakes in Zavkhan, Bayan Nuur (баян нуур, "rich lake") is nestled among the dunes.
Climate
Zavkhan has some of the coldest winter temperatures in Mongolia. It has even been known to snow in summer. In Tosontsengel, the largest sum in Zavkhan, winter temperatures as low as −52.9 °C (−63.2 °F) have been recorded. That sum also holds the record for the highest mean sea level barometric pressure ever recorded on Earth Template:Convert, measured on 19 December 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Most precipitation falls in the summer months as rain, with some snow in the adjacent months of May and September. Winters are typically very dry.
Wildlife
Aside from having massive livestock populations, Zavkhan's broad ecological regions and deep forests are home to a diverse population of wildlife: Gobi bears, Mongolian khulans, wild boars, spotted deers, argali, wild goats, ibexes, Mongolian wolves, Corsac foxes, marmots, mongooses, Eurasian lynxes, hares, and both Mongolian and goitered gazelle.
Many forest, mountain and migratory birds can be found in the aimag, including rare snowcocks and bobwhites, as well as swans, vultures, falcons and hawks.
Fishing is a popular pastime in Zavkhan. Khar Nuur and Bayan Nuur lakes are rich with fish, and many of the hundreds of smaller rivers throughout the province provide decent fishing.
Population
Population growth in Zavkhan aimag stopped in 1994, then migration out of the aimag (approx. 40,000 in 1995-2005) reduced its population to the end of 1979 level. The majority of the population is ethnic Khalkha but there are sizable Khotgoid and Kazakh minorities.
Zavkhan aimag population<ref name="natstat"> National Statistical Office Template:Webarchive</ref><ref name="old"> National Economy of the Mongolian People's Republic (1921 - 1981), Ulaanbaatar 1981</ref> <ref>Zavkhan Aimag Statistic Office Annual Report 2008 Template:Webarchive</ref> 1956
census1960
est.1963
census1969
census1975
est.1979
census1981
est.1989
census1990
est.1992
est.1994
est.1996
est.1998
est.2000
census2002
est.2005
est.2008
est.55,100 61,000 60,000 70,800 76,000 79,800 81,700 88,500 91,960 102,834 103,150 102,341 100,905 87,686 83,516 78,668 76,614
Notable natives and residents
- Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat, First President of Mongolia (1990-1997)
- Natsagiin Bagabandi, Second President of Mongolia (1997-2005)
- S. Damdinbazar Mongolian Jalkhanz Khotagt (Жалханз Хутагт, "reincarnated saint") Independence activist and Prime Minister of Mongolia (1922-1923)
- Begziin Yavuukhulan, Mongolian poet
- Noroviin Baatar, Mongolian ballet dancer and film actor
- B. Jamsranjav, Mongolian Saint, Lama
- S. Chimedtseren, Mongolian Saint, Lama
Economy
Herders breed each of the "5 Kinds" (5-н хошуу мал)of animal in Zavkhan. In 2005, the aimag was home to 2,1 million head of livestock, among them 1,03 million sheep, 861,000 goats, 107,000 cattle and yaks, 101,000 horses, and 6,300 camels.<ref name="zavkhan-main1">Zavkhan Aimag: official website Template:Webarchive</ref>
The area is also rich with mineral resources such as iron ore, tin, gold, copper, diamonds, molybdenum ore, and phosphorite. While Zavkhan's mineral wealth remains largely been unexploited, in 2012 the Golden Hill Project mine was built by Bayan Airag Exploration LLC outside of Durvuljin soum. <ref name="bayan-airag">Bayan Airag Exploration LLC: official website Template:Webarchive</ref>
In 2018, the province contributed to 1.08% of the total national GDP of Mongolia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Transportation
The old Uliastai Airport has two unpaved runways and is located close to the city, but it has no regular flights operating. Since 2002, the Donoi Airport (or "New Uliastai Airport") with one unpaved runway is located about 25 km west of the city and gets served by regular flights to and from Ulaanbaatar.
Administrative subdivisions
The Sums of Zavkhan Aimag Sum Mongolian Population <ref name="zavkhan-main5"> Zavkhan Aimag: Сумдын Танилцуулга Template:Webarchive (Introduction to the Sums) </ref>(2005)
Aldarkhaan Template:Lang 3,708 Asgat Template:Lang 1,125 Bayankhairhan Template:Lang 1,968 Bayantes Template:Lang 3,024 Dörvöljin Template:Lang 2,323 Erdenekhairkhan Template:Lang 1,771 Ider Template:Lang 2,714 Ikh-Uul Template:Lang 6,271 Nömrög Template:Lang 1,848 Otgon Template:Lang 3,478 Santmargats Template:Lang 2,101 Shilüüstei Template:Lang 2,450 Songino Template:Lang 1,921 Telmen Template:Lang 2,820 Tes Template:Lang 3,230 Tosontsengel Template:Lang 9,045 Tsagaanchuluut Template:Lang 1,496 Tsagaankhairkhan Template:Lang 1,823 Tsetsen-Uul Template:Lang 2,114 Tüdevtei Template:Lang 2,003 Uliastai * Template:Lang 15,742 Urgamal Template:Lang 1,822 Yaruu Template:Lang 2,547 Zavkhanmandal Template:Lang 1,324
- * The aimag capital is Uliastai
References
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